Preface
As the world population is projected to increase from the current number of 6
billions to 9 billions in the year 2050, the amount of organic wastes generated
from human, animal and agricultural activities would also increase, causing
more pollution problems to the environment. The Millennium Development
Goals call for actions on environmental protection, sustainable development and
poverty alleviation. Despite a lot of efforts from the national and international
agencies, waste treatment alone will not be able to respond effectively to the
challenges.
The book presents new concept and strategy of waste management which
combines technologies of waste treatment and recycling and emphasizing the
benefits to be gained from use of the recycled products. These technologies such
as composting, fermentation, algal photosynthesis, and natural treatment
systems are cost-effective, bring economic returns and are applicable to most
countries, in particular those located in the tropical areas. They are considered as
sustainable technologies which, if properly applied, should be an effective tool
in responding to the Millennium Development Goals.
In the third edition, I have included up-to-date information on organic waste
recycling technologies and more case studies of successful organic waste