DSI/NRF/CSIR Chair in Waste and Society, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, Western Cape, South Africa.
GreenEdge Consulting, Cape Town 7708, Western Cape, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Sep 27;21(10):1292. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21101292.
In developing countries, there is currently no established waste management plan that includes resource recovery from used disposable diapers (DDs) apart from incineration and landfilling. In low-income areas with limited storage space, the complex composition and odour of used DDs make it impossible to manage properly if not supported by effective waste management systems. In the absence of effective waste management, DDs are dumped in open spaces, burned or buried. These actions pose threats to the safety and health of humans, animals and the environment. Separation and collection of DDs are critical preliminary steps to landfilling, recycling or beneficiation. In this article, we describe a case study of two pilot collection projects in Langa township in Cape Town, South Africa, to determine whether and how a source-separated collection system can work in low-income, resource-constrained areas. The lessons learned highlighted the following: The eagerness of parents to participate for the benefit of their own and their children's health; the complementarity of the two pilot collection models to serve the needs of the community; the important role non-government organisations play in the implementation of waste management projects; the significance of the possible job creation opportunities and the unintended benefits of enhancing social cohesion. The financial sustainability of these projects needs further exploration.
在发展中国家，目前除了焚烧和填埋之外，还没有建立从使用过的一次性尿布（DD）中回收资源的既定废物管理计划。在存储空间有限的低收入地区，如果没有有效的废物管理系统的支持，使用过的 DD 的复杂成分和气味使得难以妥善管理。如果没有有效的废物管理，DD 就会被倾倒在空旷地带、焚烧或掩埋。这些行为对人类、动物和环境的安全和健康构成威胁。对 DD 进行分离和收集是进行填埋、回收或增值利用的关键初步步骤。在本文中，我们描述了南非开普敦兰加镇的两个试点收集项目的案例研究，以确定在资源匮乏的低收入地区，是否以及如何能够实施源头分类收集系统。所吸取的经验教训强调了以下几点：家长们为了自己和孩子的健康而积极参与的意愿；两种试点收集模式的互补性，以满足社区的需求；非政府组织在实施废物管理项目方面发挥的重要作用；可能创造就业机会的重要性以及增强社会凝聚力的意外好处。这些项目的财务可持续性需要进一步探讨。
