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Towards climate-friendly waste management: the potential of integrated municipal solid waste management

Greenhouse gas emissions from conventional Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management in developing countries contribute significantly to global climate change. Moving towards integrated waste management methods offers a practical solution for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions as well as for obtaining socio-economic and other environmental benefits. However, at the local authority level, there is very limited knowledge on the severity of environmental impacts from existing waste management including greenhouse gas emissions and the effects on global climate change. Quantitative assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from different waste management options would be useful for the decision-making process when selecting climate-friendly waste management technologies at the local authority level. This policy brief provides such quantitative results while arguing why local authorities in developing countries should move towards more appropriate waste management options