The characterization of municipal solid waste in Kuwait: a pathway to reform the waste management sector

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is an important aspect of building sustainable communities, but is still a significant challenge in most countries as MSW generation is increasing globally. Efficient and proper waste management is a complicated issue that is impacted by global economic factors, environmental policies, finances, and social awareness. In Kuwait, the main challenge is associated with the uncontrolled increase of MSW generation. As a result, the predominant management method in Kuwait is waste disposal, which means the majority of the waste is disposed of in dumpsites without prior processing. Additionally, the lack of selective collection and segregation at the source hampers effective waste management efforts, which leads to increased waste disposal. This study contributes to the growing body of work on MSW management in Kuwait and addresses the gap in the literature by examining the current MSW composition and tackling the fundamental challenges in the waste sector. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the characteristics and chemical composition of MSW in Kuwait and provide policy recommendations for sustainable waste management practices. The findings of this study revealed that the average amount of municipal waste generated is 1.7 kg per person per day. Organic waste, paper, and plastics represented the largest fractions of MSW at 37.1%, 25.6%, and 26%, respectively. Food waste (a sub-component of organics) accounted for the highest fraction of MSW (35.1%), followed by plastic bags (at approximately 16.1%). The heavy metals analysis revealed that, on average, copper concentrations on the selected MSW components were below World Health Organization (WHO) maximum soil permissible limits. While zinc concentrations were above the maximum soil permissible limit set by the WHO for cardboard and mixed paper. Energy recovery presents a viable management option, as a large fraction of recyclables are either contaminated (paper) or have little to no market value (plastic film). Reforming the waste sector requires an overarching national vision toward waste reduction, the further incentivization of the waste hierarchy framework, as well as a set of robust policies and regulatory actions to make the disposal of untreated waste more expensive (landfill taxes) than other management options.