Towards Zero-Waste Cities: An Integrated and Circular Approach to Sustainable Solid Waste Management

Abdelhadi Makan (), Youssef Salama, Fatima Zahrae Mamouni and Mustapha Makan
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Abdelhadi Makan: Team of Environmental Management and Civil Engineering (EMCE), National School of Applied Sciences (ENSAH), Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan 93000, Morocco
Youssef Salama: Team of Ethnopharmacology and Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Errachidia, Moulay Ismaïl University, Meknes 50050, Morocco
Fatima Zahrae Mamouni: Unit Materials and Applied Catalysis, Faculty of Science, Moulay Ismaïl University, Meknes 50050, Morocco
Mustapha Makan: Team of Environmental Management and Civil Engineering (EMCE), National School of Applied Sciences (ENSAH), Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan 93000, Morocco

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: The exponential increase in global solid waste generation poses significant environmental, economic, and social challenges, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions. Traditional waste management methods that focus on handling and disposal have proven unsustainable because of their negative impacts on air, soil, and water quality, and their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. In response, the concept of zero-waste cities, rooted in circular economy principles, has gained increasing attention in recent years. This study proposes a comprehensive and integrated waste management system designed to optimize resource recovery across four distinct waste streams: household, healthcare, green/organic, and inert. The system integrates four specialized facilities: a Secondary Sorting Facility, Energy Recovery Facility, Composting Facility, and Inert Processing Facility, coordinated through a central Primary Sorting Hub. By enabling interconnectivity between these processing units, the system facilitates material cascading, maximizes the reuse and recycling of secondary raw materials, and supports energy recovery and circular nutrient flow. The anticipated benefits include enhanced operational efficiency, reduced environmental degradation, and generation of multiple revenue streams. However, the implementation of such a system faces challenges related to high capital investment, technological complexity, regulatory fragmentation, and low public acceptance. Overcoming these limitations will require strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive governance.

Keywords: zero-waste cities; circular economy; solid waste management; integrated approach; waste streams; resource recovery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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