Introduction
Sustainable development is a coined termed that basically characterised by living and doing business without destroying and endangering the potential interest of others and Mother Earth. There has been persistent debate on the actual and comprehensive definition of sustainable development or sustainability (Sofield 2003). Sofield states that a narrow yet inclusive definition of the term should be based on cultural, political, and economic impacts on communities. However, it is contended in this paper that the terms ‘sustainable development’ or ‘sustainability’ are rooted on the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development (the Earth Summit) in 1992 with two important variables namely, development and protection of the environment. Sustainable development is not actually a new idea. It originated and rise from public’s and people’s consciousness because of the growing awareness on the increasing cases of companies and organisations that violate environmental protection policies and regulations. And in accordance to the issues regarding environmental protection policies and regulations, management of waste becomes a crucial practice. Like in any other nations around the globe, the problem of waste management is related to the increasing industrial development, overpopulation, and indiscriminate human consumption. According to MacBean (2007), the growth of manufacturing industries including livestock production and textile and development of small and medium enterprises contribute to land pollution due to their wastes produced during and after their own processes. Industrial wastes when added to other types of pollutants such as untreated sewage and run-off of agricultural-related substances lead to other complications in all land, water, and air areas (Lu & Lo 2007). The development small and medium enterprises are also main contributors for land, water, and air pollution because they just dump their wastes unsystematically resulting to hazardous waste problems in the country leading to serious spill-over effects on health and general wellbeing of people. On the case of overpopulation and indiscriminate human consumption, these are considered as old tales yet hold basic reality on the continuous role of people on generating wastes and their inability to dispose it properly. With this, such effort regarding management of waste known as “solid waste management” becomes a buzzword in protecting the environment. Basically, this research will identify the environmental effects of solid waste management within the framework of sustainable development.
Aims and Objectives
The aim of this research is to determine the extent to which current solid waste management efforts of different organizations affect the environment in a country. Although one of the ways this research will be run is through subjective interpretation, objectives are also needed as it will also utilize quantitative researched. The following objectives will be addressed in the study:
Ø The extent to which current solid waste management efforts of different organizations affect the success or failure of sustainable development in a country.
Ø The effects current solid waste management efforts of different organizations have on sustainable development of a certain country compared to the last 5 years.
Ø How solid waste management efforts affects the success or failure of efforts towards sustainable development of a certain country.
Ø Findings in various literatures about the link between solid waste management and sustainable development.
Research Questions
To address the explained problem above, the following research questions will be explored in the study:
1. To which extent do the solid waste management efforts of different organizations affect the success or failure of sustainable development in a country?
2. What are the effects current solid waste management efforts have on sustainable development of a certain country compared to the last 5 years?
3. How solid waste management efforts affect the success or failure of sustainable development in a country?
4. What types of waste management efforts does a country use and how effective are they?
5. What is the significant link that solid waste management efforts have with the success or failure of sustainable development in a country?
Methodology
The study will be multi-method in nature, so as to explain clearly the relationship and effect of solid waste management efforts of organizations in a country in accordance to sustainable development. For the qualitative research, interviews with the environment-concerned organization of a certain country will be conducted. These interviews should acquire information about the different waste management strategies implemented by the group/organization for the last five years, as well as how they fare in benchmarking against waste. Also for the qualitative research, a document search in sustainable development and solid waste management will be conducted to support the evidences.
On the other hand, for the quantitative research, surveys will be conducted on 50 various personnel’s in bodies, which have direct strategic influence on environment and waste policy in a certain country. The aim of this part of the research is to ask them of any strategy used to lessen the waste and consider sustainable development in their country. Samples will be chosen through convenience sampling. Questionnaires will be pre-tested with 5 clients and will be validated with percentage and mean analysis.
Data Analysis
The quantitative data will be analyzed with the use of the latest SPSS software. On the other hand, the analytical induction process will be used for the qualitative research. The analytical induction process for the study is as follows: definition of the subject topic and the phenomenon (from literatures and the participants); redefinition of the phenomenon; subjective interpretation of data; and conclusion (Saunders et al, 2003).
References:
Lu, W. & Lo, S. (2007). ‘A closer look at the economic-environmental disparities for regional development in China’, European Journal of Operational Research, 183: 2, 882-894
MacBean, A. (2007). ‘China’s Environment: Problems and Policies’, The World Economy, 30: 2, 292-307
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003). Research Methods for Business Students, 3rd Ed. London: Prentice Hall Financial Times.
Sofield, T.H.B. (2003). Empowerment for Sustainable Tourism Development, Elsevier Science Ltd., Oxford, UK
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