Current Waste Management System & its Problems
Mainly utilizes landfills to dispose of the waste.
Landfills are partially lined with cement & have“leachate collection pipes and wastewater treatment plant[s]” (Chung and Poon, 1998, p. 212).
Environmental Hazards
Open landfills emit methane and carbon dioxide (2 greenhouse gases).
Despite lining, piping, and treatment plants, pollution from the landfill sites continues to reach the surrounding communities and agricultural areas.
References
Chung, S., & Poon, C. (1998). A comparison of waste management in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Resources, Conservation, and Recycling, 22 (3-4), 203-216. doi: 10.1016/S0921-3449(98)00013-5
Sheila. (Photographer). (2007, February). Garbage family [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/96434059@N00/408525044
Shekdar, A. V. (2009). Sustainable solid waste management: An integrated approach for Asian countries. Waste Management, 29 (4), 1438-1448. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2008.08.025