Valorization of Municipal Solid Wastes in Circular Economy

Abstract

The solid waste generated through anthropogenic activities like agricultural, food, industrial, medical, and chemical is categorized as municipal solid waste (MSW). Management of this waste via dumping in landfills and uncontrolled burning leads to soil, air, and water pollutions. The improper management of these MSW is unfriendly to the environment and human health. Thus, several physical, chemical, and biological approaches have evolved to tackle the problem of MSW. However, in recent times, waste has evolved as an opportunity to generate high-value compounds due to their rich chemical compositions. Though the biological methods such as anaerobic digestion are being used since long to convert the cattle manure into biogas, several physical and chemical methods such as pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction, hydrocracking, and wet oxidation have been developed. While dealing with the limitations and advantages of valorization of MSW in attaining the future circular economy, this chapter discusses the different wastes generated from different countries and the available technologies for their proper management. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.