A Comparative Study of Qingdao, China and Hamilton, Canada from a Municipal Solid Waste Management System Perspective

In China, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) problems are growing fast. The annual waste generation increasing almost 10% per year and the population of municipalities is expanding, but sanitary landfill and recycling facilities are still rare to see. With rapid economic development, it is even harder to achieve waste reduction, reuse and recycling than developed countries which have significantly mediated these problems. Learning from successful experiences in Canada, an Integrated solid Waste Management (ISWM) approach is deemed to be an improvement over China system. This inquiry reviews the current situation of MSW management system in China and Canada. To better illustrate the complexity of ISWM systems, the inquiry takes systematic comparisons of two cases, Qingdao in China and Hamilton in Canada. From reviewing of system structure, environmental impacts, public participation and legislation, the inquiry drew lessons from the system's development and management in Hamilton and they will benefit the implement of a sustainable MSW management system in the city of Qingdao.