The current situation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) is considered ineffective, especially in developing countries like Malaysia. The decision-making process is getting more complicated: while more alternative technologies are available, the budget remains limited. Due to the large number of participants in the decision-making process, the selection of proper mixture technologies for an effective management of wastes has become a more difficult task. Hence, in solving the problem wisely, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is taken into consideration to aid the decision-making process. It is a quantitative method of decision-making to evaluate the performance of solid waste management technologies available, such as recycling, composting, incineration and the combination technologies. A case study was conducted at Port Dickson Municipal Council, Malaysia, to demonstrate the potential AHP application in the selection of the most appropriate technology for solid waste management. The results on benefit-to-cost ratios showed that composting, recycling, a combination of recycling and composting, and a combination of composting and incineration could be the most appropriate alternatives. However, the combination of recycling, composting and incineration turned out to be the worst choice, followed by incineration, and the combination of recycling and incineration.
The current rapidly increasing urban and industrial activities have created problems on the solid waste management front in most countries. Furthermore, the increase in world population (average 3-6% per year), especially in urban areas has also caused the situation to become more complicated and difficult to handle. In Malaysia, an average 0.5-0.8 kg solid waste was generated per person per day and this value will increase to 1.7 kg/person/day in big cities (Kathirvale et al., 2003). The serious public health problem and degradation of urban environmental quality had generated an action to reduce waste quantities, recycle materials, improve treatment and disposal methods, and to implement public policy. |
