Waste Management

Waste is one of the key problems of modern civilization and an inevitable consequence of the modern way of life. Population growth, intensive urbanization and industrialization, and growth in living standards are the main causes of the increase in the quantity and variety of waste. Solid waste, especially hazardous waste, represents one of the most serious problems in the field of environmental protection in the modern world. Proper handling of waste requires the application of the entire system of measures that should be implemented with the aim of rational and safe management, from the moment of generation to the final disposal of waste.The evident lack of literature in this area, as well as the need to look at current events in terms of an adequate approach to solving the problem of waste management in an efficient and safe way, led us to collect extensive literature and sources from this area that are covered in this textbook. The aim of this book is to acquaint the reader with the origin and properties of solid waste, with an emphasis on municipal waste, its impact on the environment and human health, as well as how to organize the waste management system in order to make it ecologically and economically sustainable. A comprehensive approach, i.e. an integral waste management system, is emphasized as an important topic of this book. An integral approach to waste management deals with all types and sources of solid waste, using a number of possibilities for treatment and utilization of the material and energy values ​​of waste, in accordance with local needs. The book is intended for students who, according to their curriculum, have the subject Waste Management, as well as people from practice who will have the opportunity to get acquainted with new trends and technologies for the utilization and disposal of waste, as well as for all others who are interested in issues related to the field of environmental protection.