While the composition of solid waste and its management differ across cities, there are common challenges related to holistic planning and policy, sustainable financing, appropriate technology selection, integration of informal workers, citizen and private sector engagement, and governance.
Given the importance of this topic to cities, Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) organized a Technical Deep Dive (TDD) on Solid Waste Management (SWM) in collaboration with the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. This year, a special focus was given to challenges and solutions for addressing the problem of medical waste and it also addressed the issue of waste management in the context of COVID-19.
The TDD showcased Japan’s journey over the decades in developing a circular economy and served as a platform for countries facing similar urban development challenges to find appropriate solutions by learning from their global peers.