A Gap Analysis in Selected Asian Countries, 3R Knowledge Hub ...

chapter 4
Conclusions &
Recommendations
A review of prevailing waste management
practices and technology gaps towards
implementing 3R was conducted for some
Asian countries. The scope of the study was
restricted primarily to three sectors: urban
municipal waste, healthcare waste and e-waste.
The following sections provide a
comprehensive interpretation of the results.
URBAN MUNICIPALWASTE
An analysis of urban municipal waste
management indicates that 3R-oriented
technologies such as thermal recovery (direct
combustion of waste to recover heat) and fuel
recovery (production of refuse-derived fuel and
packaging-derived fuel from waste) are
effectively practiced in Japan, Singapore, Korea,
India and Malaysia. Technologies such as
incineration are formally strong in Korea,
China, Malaysia and Thailand. It was observed
that successful countries with better
technologies have adequate management and
policy instruments. In countries like Cambodia
and Vietnam, technologies for material
recovery, sorting and pulverizing were found to
be informal but strongly practiced. Remarkable
technology gaps were found in Bhutan
followed by Cambodia due to insufficient
national policies, barriers to access international
information, technology and services, and
insufficient international cooperation.
HEALTHCARE WASTE
Among the 3R-based technologies for
healthcare waste, incineration was observed to
be predominant in countries such as Japan,
Singapore, China, Korea, Malaysia and
Thailand. Waste-to-energy technologies for
recovering thermal, fuel and materials were
found to be practiced strongly in Singapore,
Korea and Malaysia. In India, although various
technologies are practiced, they are often
observed to be informal, but strongly deployed.
This is due to the inadequate policies and
management system. On the other hand,
countries like Philippines, though having
appropriate policies and essential instruments,
lack cooperation and good practices. Vietnam
and Bhutan are among the countries showing
insufficient management systems and policy
aspects.
E-WASTE
In the case of e-waste, Japan was found to have
formal and strong technologies like material
recovery, sorting and pulverization. Next are
Korea and Thailand with successful practices in
material recovery and sorting. Among the other
countries, Cambodia was observed to be
informal but with strong practices. Countries
such as Bangladesh and China were found to
have largely informal and weak systems. This
can be attributed to the insufficient
management and policy frameworks.
In essence, an overview of the current practices
of waste management indicates that:
• Recycling is predominantly in the informal
sector and uses primitive technology.
• Very little instances of promoting formal, 3Rbased
solutions for waste crisis exist.
• Specific policies emphasizing the need for 3R
are very rare in Asian countries with
exceptions of some developed nations in the
region.
• Technology Transfer and Policy
Reformulation are essential to promote 3Rs.
• Cooperative and concerted efforts between
and within countries are at the hour of need
to promote a 3R-based economy.
Chapter 4: Conclusions & Recommendations
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