Aim

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a universe challenge all over the world, especially for developing countries, where the use of appropriate treatment and disposal technologies is rare, leading to water, land and air pollution, and putting people and the environment at risk. This problem in developing countries is even more seriously along with the rapid development of industry, growth of population, and urbanization. Waste to Energy (WtE) technology has been proved in many developed and some developing countries, like China, as an attractive solution for effective waste management and energy recovery. It could be the best way for a sustainable MSW management in developing countries. 

The International Training Workshop of Waste to Energy, which was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and has been successfully held by Zhejiang University 7 times (since year 2016), raised much awareness that the need of developing countries for advanced experience and know-how of a WtE project is unprecedentedly urgent. It is hard for developing countries to build a feasible WtE project without supports including experienced experts. In developed countries like EU countries and Japan, as well as China, where WtE has been applied for 30 years, a wealth of related experiences and advanced technologies have been accumulated. They can do provide such supports. 

The International Training Workshop of Waste to Energy is already helping some developing countries to advance the application of WtE for a sustainable management of MSW, for example: Indonesia, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Viet Nam, Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Chad, Iran, Oman and Turkey etc. Long-lasting network has been established with these countries based on the Workshop. 

In this regard, it will be very helpful for developing countries, especially for the above countries that related to the International Training Workshop of Waste to Energy, if an International Consultant Committee of Waste to Energy (ICCWtE) can be established, consisting of experienced international experts, to offer necessary supports to them in WtE management.