Waste Management is a major concern of all world economies. The amount of waste generated continues to increase according to the economic status and lifestyle habits of countries. Today, waste and waste management has given rise to many pressing issues such as rising land prices, strict environmental regulations, health and safety concerns, improper management of waste disposal sites, landfill spaces becoming limited, policy problems and the unwillingness of local communities to accept new technologies and facilities in ‘their own back yards’.

It is estimated that the world generates approximately about 7 – 10 billion tonnes of solid wastes annually as world population grows, rural-urban migration intensifies and economic prosperity widens. Of this, 2.01 billion tonnes is municipal solid waste. In the context of ASEAN, the region is set to double their solid waste generation to 272 million tonnes within 10 – 20 years from the current 150 million tonnes - which translates into a per capita generation of 1.14 kilogram per day compared to the global average of 0.74 kilogram.

Failing to efficiently manage solid waste leads to increased opera􀆟on cost and greater damage to the environment. Waste management and waste minimization is not the sole responsibility of the authorities. All stakeholders should work together to efficiently manage wastes.