The proper management of waste is of utmost importance for public health, environmental, economic, social and political reasons. Poor management of waste has been proven to have negative effects on all of these factors. With increases in consumption, and with increasing use of non-biodegradable materials, hazardous chemicals and waste materials, it is more important than ever to put in place appropriate systems for dealing with waste.

Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM) approaches the issue of waste management from a wider perspective than conventional approaches by looking at the system as a whole.

Integrated Sustainable Waste Management Model

Conventional approaches to waste management assessment and planning tend not lead to very sustainable results due to a number of reasons:

• In many cases recommendations are not appropriate to the local circumstances
• Local people and organizations do not feel responsible for the outcomes
• Local knowledge is ignored

The concept of integrated sustainable waste management tries to overcome these barriers through recognizing three important dimensions in waste management:

ISWM seeks the participation of stakeholders such as citizens, local authorities, private sector actors and civil society actors at all levels of society (household, community, city etc). Only in this way can approaches be suitably tailored to the specific context. The involvement of stakeholders in the planning and implementation process leads to a sense of ownership and a willingness to continue efforts over the long term and is therefore a key element to ensuring sustainability.

ISWM takes a holistic approach by looking at the waste process from "cradle to grave", including minimization of waste generation and resource recovery as well as the different waste collection and treatment options, with the last step being the environmentally sound disposal of waste.

Rather than simply considering technical issues relating to the management of waste, ISWM aims to find a system that is well-suited to the local context and is therefore appropriate and viable for the social, economic, political and environmental conditions in question. This is what will make the system sustainable for the long term.

Integrated Sustainable Waste Management Model