The Implementation of Solid Waste Management Policies in Southeast Asia: The Present Situations and Future Recommendations

Abstract Solid waste management (SWM) is a challenge for urban cities in most of the globe, including Southeast Asia. The weak implementation of effective policies, mainly due to increasing solid waste (SW) generation, changing lifestyles, increasing demand for products and services, rapid urbanisation, and multiplication of various waste compositions, have affected the capacity of the authorities to secure financial budget, adequate human resources, and development of infrastructures in managing SW. The ineffective SWM causes severe health hazards and environmental degradation. Most Southeast Asian cities lack efficient SWM programmes. In aiming to provide a SW dataset for the Southeast Asian region, each country’s waste generation and composition are profiled. Southeast Asia generated about 137.4 million tonnes of SW in 2016. Organic waste is the highest fraction of total SW generated, which accounted for 52 percent. The country’s income level influences the waste composition of each country. Landfilling and open dumpsites are the standard methods of waste disposal in the region, accounting for 55 percent of the region’s SW disposal method. Further, to support the policy implementation, this paper analysed gaps and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and provided recommendations to incorporate into the action plans for effective SWM policy implementation in Southeast Asia.