Policy Integration Aids Waste Management

Why this is here: The review analyzed articles published between 2014 and 2025, seeking to understand how waste management policies translate into action in developing countries.

Researchers reviewed 25 studies of waste management in developing countries. They searched Scopus and Web of Science for articles published from 2014 to 2025. The review categorizes three implementation models and examines how policy integration and collaboration affect outcomes.

Successful waste management cases in Brazil and Indonesia show formal legal recognition helps integrate informal workers. These programs also require reserved contracts, infrastructure, and social protections. The hybrid model—which combines formal and informal systems—offers inclusivity but presents risks of power imbalances.

The researchers found that simply adopting policies from other places does not work. Governments need to adapt policies to local contexts.

Donors should also shift funding toward knowledge infrastructure. Further research needs to address issues of fairness, democracy, and accountability within waste systems.