URBAN DEVELOPMENT SERIES KNOWLEDGE PAPERS

Waste Disposal
At a Glance:
` Landfilling and thermal treatment of waste are the most common methods
of MSW disposal in high-income countries.
` Although quantitative data is not readily available, most low- and lower middle-income
countries dispose of their waste in open dumps.
` Several middle-income countries have poorly operated landfills; disposal should
likely be classified as controlled dumping.

Waste disposal data are the most difficult to collect.

Many countries do not collect waste disposal data
at the national level, making comparisons across
income levels and regions difficult. Furthermore,
in cases where data is available, the methodology
of how disposal is calculated and the definitions
used for each of the categories is often either not
known or not consistent. For example, some
countries only give the percentage of waste that is
dumped or sent to a landfill, the rest falls under
other disposal. In other cases, compostable and
recyclable material is removed before the waste
reaches the disposal site and is not included in
waste disposal statistics. Please refer to Annex H
for MSW disposal data for cities with populations
Figure 11. Total MSW Disposed Worldwide
over 100,000.

Methodology
Waste disposal data was available for 87 countries
through various sources. Annex L presents MSW
disposal methods data by country. Waste disposal
data sets are generally available as percentages of the
various waste disposal options, commonly divided
into the categories shown in Table 10. Although
the definitions and methodologies for calculating
waste disposal methods and quantities are not
always provided or standardized in waste studies,
the disposal of MSW is assumed to be based on wet
weight. Each waste disposal category was calculated
using waste generation figures for the individual
country. The total waste disposal figures by income
and by region were then aggregated.
Figure 11 shows current annual global MSW
disposal for the entire world. These are only
approximate values, given that the data is from
various years.

FIG. 11

Total MSW Disposed of Worldwide

400

Amount Disposed (millions tons/year)

22

350
300

MSW Disposal by Income

250

Table 11 shows in further detail how MSW disposal

varies according to country income level.

200
150
100
50
0

Landfill

Recycled

WTE

Dump

Disposal Options

Compost

Other

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the differences in

MSW disposal methods according to country
income level, in particular low-income and upper
middle-income countries.

Ghabawi landfill, Amman, Jordan

Photo: Perinaz Bhada-Tata

WHAT A WASTE: A GLOBAL REVIEW OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

High Income

TABLE 11

Upper Middle Income

Dumps

0.05

Dumps

44

Landfills

250

Landfills

80

Compost

66

Compost

1.3

Recycled

129

Recycled

Incineration

122

Incineration

0.18

Other

8.4

Other

21

1.9

Low Income
Dumps

Lower Mid dle Income

0.47

Dumps

23

27*

Landfills

2.2

Landfills

6.1

Compost

0.05

Compost

1.2

Recycled

0.02

Recycled

2.9

Incineration

0.05

Incineration

0.12

Other

0.97

Other

18
*This value is relatively high due to the inclusion of China.

MSW Disposal
by Income
(million tonnes)

24

URBAN DEVELOPMENT SERIES KNOWLEDGE PAPERS

Table 12 contrasts the worlds richest (OECD) and

poorest (Africa) regions. Populations in the two
regions are roughly equal, yet the OECD region
produces about 100 times the waste of Africa
(these disparities are parallel to regional differ-

FIG. 12

Figure 12. Low-Income Countries Waste Disposal

Low-Income
Countries Waste Disposal

ences in GHG emissions). Africas collected waste

is almost exclusively dumped or sent to landfills,
while more than 60% of OECDs waste is diverted
from landfill.

FIG. 13

Figure 13. Upper Middle-Income Countries Waste Disposal

Upper Middle-Income
Countries Waste Disposal

Compost
1%

Dumps
13%

Other
26%

Recycled
1%

Income
0%
Other
6%
Dumps
33%

Income
1%
Recycled
0%
Compost
1%

Landfills
59%

Landfills
59%

TABLE 12

MSW Disposal
Dumps
Source: Hoornweg 2005
in two contrasting
regions (million Landfills
tonnes) Compost

AFR

OECD
2.3

Source: Hoornweg 2005

Dumps

2.6

Landfills

242

0.05

Compost

66

Recycled

0.14

Recycled

125

Incineration

0.05

Incineration

120

Other

0.11

Other

20