Castellani Pietro, Ferronato Navarro, Barbieri Jacopo, Menya Emmanuel, Carnevale Miino Marco, Torretta Vincenzo
Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Lombardia, Italy.
Technical Department, St. Mary's Hospital Lacor, Gulu, Uganda.
Waste Manag Res. 2025 Jul;43(7):1099-1111. doi: 10.1177/0734242X241291940. Epub 2024 Nov 5.
The introduction of appropriate solid waste management (SWM) strategies can foster the mitigation of waste open dumping and burning in low-income developing cities. In this work, the SWM system in Gulu (Uganda) has been studied, and a material flow analysis, also of informal flows of waste, has been carried out. Moreover, the effectiveness of the SWM system of St. Mary's Lacor Hospital in Gulu was evaluated. Waste has been characterized and a material flow analysis allowed to highlight the difference with the current situation in the remaining part of Gulu. The sustainable practices already implemented in the hospital compound were studied to be replicated in Gulu to mitigate SWM impact in terms of global warming potential. Inadequate financial resources pose a hurdle for Gulu municipality in managing municipal solid waste (MSW) effectively. The SWM system of the hospital demonstrated both financial and managerial competence, paving the way to promote waste recycling actions acting as a hub for fostering sustainable and health-conscious valourization technologies, while discouraging waste open burning and dumping. This study estimated that the total CO-eq emissions from open dumping and open burning avoided in 2030-2050, if Gulu would appropriately dispose of MSW by 2030, are equal to about 17,000 metric tonnes per year (t year). This work suggests appropriate strategies to mitigate waste open burning in low-middle income countries. The results can be helpful for waste management planners and practitioners providing important information for the use of appropriate technologies in low-middle income developing cities.
引入适当的固体废物管理（SWM）策略有助于缓解低收入发展中城市的垃圾露天倾倒和焚烧现象。在这项工作中，对古卢（乌干达）的SWM系统进行了研究，并开展了包括垃圾非正式流动在内的物质流分析。此外，还评估了古卢圣玛丽拉科尔医院SWM系统的有效性。对垃圾进行了特征分析，物质流分析突出了其与古卢其他地区现状的差异。研究了医院区域内已实施的可持续做法，以便在古卢推广，以减轻SWM在全球变暖潜能方面的影响。资金不足给古卢市有效管理城市固体废物（MSW）带来了障碍。医院的SWM系统展现出了财务和管理能力，为促进垃圾回收行动铺平了道路，充当了推动可持续和注重健康的增值技术的中心，同时抑制垃圾露天焚烧和倾倒。这项研究估计，如果古卢到2030年能够妥善处理MSW，那么在2030 - 2050年避免的露天倾倒和露天焚烧产生的总二氧化碳当量排放量约为每年17000公吨（t/年）。这项工作提出了减轻中低收入国家垃圾露天焚烧的适当策略。研究结果可为垃圾管理规划者和从业者提供帮助，为中低收入发展中城市使用适当技术提供重要信息。
