Any substance or object that the holder discards, intends to discard, or is required to discard, and which may pose risks to human health and the environment if not properly managed.

In a public health context, waste is defined not only by its disposal status, but by its potential to cause harm through physical injury, infection, chemical exposure, or environmental contamination

Waste management is the systematic process of segregating, collecting, transporting, treating, recycling, and finally disposing of waste in a manner that protects public health, preserves environmental quality, and promotes resource sustainability.

From a public health perspective, waste management aims to prevent disease, reduce environmental contamination, and minimise health risks associated with waste generation and disposal.

Prevents spread of infectious diseases (e.g. diarrhoeal disease, dengue)

Reduces vector breeding (flies, mosquitoes, rodents)

Minimises injuries (sharps, broken glass)

Lowers exposure to toxic chemicals and hazardous waste

Prevents air pollution from open burning (PM2.5, toxic gases)

Protects water sources from leachate contamination

Prevents soil degradation and ecosystem damage

Reduces marine pollution, plastics, and microplastics

Reduces methane emissions from landfills

Prevents black carbon emissions from burning

Supports low-carbon strategies (recycling, composting, circular economy)

Protects waste workers from:

Promotes safer collection, transport, and treatment practices

Prevents disproportionate exposure of:

Supports fair and ethical waste governance

Conserves natural resources through reuse and recycling

Reduces dependence on raw material extraction

Supports circular economy principles

Reduces healthcare and environmental cleanup costs

Creates green jobs (recycling, composting, recovery)

Improves city cleanliness, tourism, and quality of life

Household, commercial, and institutional waste

Examples: food waste, paper, plastics, glass, metals, diapers

Public health relevance: vectors, injuries, air and water pollution if mismanaged

Waste with toxic, corrosive, flammable, or reactive properties

Examples: chemicals, solvents, pesticides, heavy metals

Public health relevance: poisoning, cancer risk, environmental contamination

Waste generated from healthcare facilities

Categories:

Public health relevance: infection risk, needle-stick injuries

By-products of manufacturing and industrial processes

Examples: sludge, chemical residues, scrap materials

hazardous or non-hazardous

Public health relevance: occupational exposure, environmental pollution

Waste that can decompose naturally

Examples: food scraps, yard waste, agricultural residues

Public health relevance: odour, vectors, methane generation if landfilled

Discarded electrical and electronic equipment

Examples: computers, phones, batteries, circuit boards

Contains heavy metals and flame retardants

Public health relevance: neurotoxicity, soil and water contamination

Waste from construction, renovation, and demolition activities

Examples: concrete, wood, bricks, metals

Public health relevance: dust exposure, illegal dumping

Waste from farming and livestock activities

Examples: crop residues, animal manure, pesticide containers

Public health relevance: water contamination, zoonotic risk

Proportion of organics, plastics, paper, metals, glass, etc.

Determines suitability for recycling, composting, or incineration

Amount of water present in waste

Affects:

Toxicity, corrosiveness, flammability, reactivity, or infectious nature

Determines:

Mass per unit volume of waste

Influences:

Amount of energy released during combustion

Important for:

Ability of waste to decompose biologically

Determines:

Tendency to decompose rapidly and produce odour

Linked to:

Size, shape, and form (solid, sludge)

Affects:

Decomposition of organic waste in landfills produces methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas

Open dumping and uncontrolled landfills increase emissions

Releases black carbon, carbon dioxide, and other climate-forcing pollutants

Contributes to global warming and worsens air quality

Collection, transport, and treatment consume fossil fuel energy

Inefficient systems increase carbon footprint

Poor recycling leads to higher demand for virgin materials

Increased mining, manufacturing, and deforestation raise emissions

Flooding and extreme weather

Climate change increases risks from poorly designed disposal sites

Can reduce landfill volume and methane

Still produces CO₂ and air pollutants if not well controlled

Climate benefit depends on technology and waste composition

Waste prevention, reuse, and recycling:

Supports climate mitigation and health co-benefits

Reduced waste-related emissions → lower PM2.5 exposure

Fewer climate-related health impacts (heat stress, respiratory disease)

Take resources from nature

Make products

Use products briefly

Dispose as waste (landfill or incineration)

High resource extraction and energy use

Large volumes of waste generated

Greater environmental pollution and health risks

Unsustainable in the long term

Design out waste and toxicity

Reduce material and energy use

Reuse, repair, refill products to extend lifespan

Recycle and recover materials and energy

Regenerate natural systems

Minimises waste generation

Conserves resources and reduces emissions

Protects public health and the environment

Supports long-term sustainability

Reduce waste generation at source

Increase recycling and recovery rates

Shift waste management costs from governments to producers

Encourage environmentally friendly product design

Producer responsibility extends beyond manufacturing

Responsibilities

Product take-back schemes

Deposit–return systems (e.g. beverage containers)

Eco-fees or advance recycling fees

Mandatory recycling targets

Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs)

Packaging (plastics, paper, glass, metals)

Electrical and electronic equipment (E-waste)

Batteries

Tyres

Vehicles

Pharmaceuticals (in some countries)

Reduces illegal dumping and open burning

Improves safe handling of hazardous components

Lowers community exposure to toxic substances

Protects waste workers through formalised systems

Encourages design for reuse, repair, and recycling

Promotes material recovery and resource efficiency

Supports transition from linear to circular economy

Higher recycling rates

Reduced landfill dependency

Cost savings for municipalities

Innovation in sustainable product design

Weak enforcement and monitoring

Free-rider problems

Limited recycling infrastructure

Public awareness and participation issues

Air

Water

Soil

Climate

Ecosystem

Water

Vector

Air

Occupational

Hazard → Exposure → Health outcome

Law & Regulations

Economic instruments

EPR