Composting in Municipal Solid Waste Management in Asia: Does Composting Make Economic Sense

Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is considered to be one of the serious environmental issues<br>confronting local governments (LGs) in Asian developing countries. Biodegradable waste makes up a large proportion of the MSW stream (50-70%) and final disposal in open landfills posing a serious health<br>risk and releases a large amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs). As a result, there<br>is widespread interest on the part of LGs for diverting organic<br>waste into composting to extend the life of landfills, create economic and<br>environmental benefits, and ultimately reducing the pressure on managing the<br>ever increasing complexity of MSW. However, composting is seldom integrated<br>into the MSWM systems as a strategic element and there is very little evidence<br>available of its financial analysis. This paper therefore aims to discuss the<br>key composting methods, its operation and management systems and financial<br>viability, reviewing the experiences of composting schemes in six Asian<br>countries. The study identified that the<br>success of composting programmes largely depends on its economic viability.<br>Composting revenues alone is not enough to cover both investment and O&M<br>costs of the composting plants. The supportive policies and regulations are<br>required to ensure the substitute revenues and sustainability of the<br>composting.