2.4
Municipal Solid Waste
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains MSW as solid waste materials generated from homes, institutions (schools & hospitals, and commercial activities like small businesses and restaurants within the city (US EPA, 2016). Similarly, Branchini
(2015) refers to MSW has waste collected from households, and similar waste materials from commercial establishments within the municipal area while the EU landfill directive defines it as, waste from households, as well as other wastes which, because of its nature or composition, is similar to waste from households (Council Directive EC. It is worthy of note that, household solid waste, which is the focus of this thesis appears to be a key component of MSW, as presented in the above definitions. It is important to establish that, the components of MSW vary according to region while changes in content can be seen from time to time (Boer, et al, 2010). This implies that, MSW components in wealthy nations could vary widely from MSW components in poor nations. For example, richer countries generate more of paper, plastics and metal wastes than poor countries (The Economist, 2009). Although the volume of each component varies, depending on location, generally, MSW consists of items that we use daily like product packaging, furniture, garden waste, clothing, bottles, food scraps from kitchens, newspapers, home and office appliances, batteries, etc, which all come from homes, schools, hospitals and business premises (US EPA,
2016). MSW has been explored as a source of energy in nations where its latent potentials have been fully utilised, but it remains an environmental problem in some other nations. For example, Sweden burns 50% of its household solid waste to generate electricity and heating energy, and now imports solid waste from other countries to meet her energy need (Swedish Institute, 2013 -
2018), while the aggregation of MSW at Olusosun landfill, Ojota, Africa’s largest landfill site, which receives an average of 10,000 tons of municipal garbage daily erupted inflames recently, thereby causing air pollution spreading across several residential and business premises within and away from the area (Vanguard, 2018; Sahara Reporters, 2018; The Guardian, 2018). The government of Lagos state has urged residents gravely affected to vacate the area as quickly as possible, as the raging inferno does not seem to be abating soon (see figure 3 below)
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