We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Mapping and quantifying the spatial and temporal composition of waste piles in informal settlements of urban Malawi
AI summary Read the abstract
A longitudinal drone and transect survey of informal waste piles in urban Malawi found that plastics — predominantly Low-Density Polyethylene — were the largest non-organic waste component by volume, concentrated along rivers and streams. This documents a direct plastic-to-waterway pathway in Sub-Saharan Africa where waste management data have historically been scarce, highlighting a major underreported source of riverine microplastic pollution.
Solid waste pollution is a multifaceted global challenge affecting the environment, economy, and human health, yet our understanding of environmental solid waste dynamics, such as waste type, weight(W), and volume(V), which inform waste management initiatives and policy frameworks remains limited in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this longitudinal study, we mapped informal waste disposal sites using transect-walks and drones in urban Malawi. Monthly characterisation of selected individual waste piles was undertaken for 12 months. Sampling (200L/waste pile) included both surface and compacted sections. (60 cm depth), which were characterised by weight(kg/m2), volume(m3), and individual counts of plastic items(m2). Three-way ANOVA and a linear mixed-effect model were used to predict percentage recovery for the interactions between month, waste pile depth, and waste type as fixed factors. Fourteen out of 56 waste piles received detailed temporal characterisation. Waste piles were located along rivers(50%), streams(29%), and open-dumping spaces(21%). Soil (W:60%, V:19%), organic material (W:22%, 33%), and plastics (W:8%, V:24%) were the highest components by weight, and volume, making plastics the highest non-organic category of waste. Seven plastic polymer types were identified, with Low-Density Polyethylene being the most common (83% plastic items/m2). Seasonality, waste pile depth, and waste type (F(171, 4284) = 11.44, p < .001, η2 = .31) significantly affected percentage recovery of waste items, indicating their effect on waste pile dynamics. Sustainable waste management initiatives need to account for seasonal changes, material characteristics, and waste pile stratification to effectively improve waste management systems and the public health implications of waste piles.
More Papers Like This
Mapping and quantifying the spatial and temporal composition of waste piles in informal settlements of urban Malawi
AI summary Read the abstract
A longitudinal drone-assisted survey of informal waste disposal sites in urban Malawi found plastics constituted 24% of waste pile volume, with Low-Density Polyethylene comprising 83% of plastic items, and 50% of dumps located along rivers — creating direct pathways for plastic pollution into waterways. This quantification of plastic waste in informal settlements highlights a major but understudied source of environmental microplastic contamination in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mapping open dumps and waste dynamics in a subtropical ecoregion of Argentina
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers mapped 40 open waste dumps across Tucumán, Argentina using satellite imagery and drones, finding most sites within 5 km of urban centers in an endorheic basin with total waste mass ranging from 0.06 to 38.45 kilotons per site. Hydrological analysis confirmed waste material—including plastics—migrates from dumps into surrounding watercourses and cropland, highlighting urgent risks to environmental and public health.
Risk-Based Identification and Prioritisation of Plastic Waste Hotspots in Malawi Using a Transferable Decision Framework
AI summary Read the abstract
In Malawi's capital city, only 10-30% of daily trash gets collected, leaving plastic waste to pile up in drains, markets, and riverbanks—creating breeding grounds for disease-carrying bacteria, flooding, and toxic fumes from open burning. This research paper reviews existing evidence and proposes a practical two-step plan: first, quickly clean up the most dangerous waste hotspots, then tackle the root causes (like poor waste services and policy gaps) for lasting change. While built for Malawi, the approach could help other developing countries facing similar plastic pollution problems protect public health with limited res
A Season for Plastics
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examines how plastic flows in Blantyre, Malawi — a hub of plastic manufacturing — fluctuate with non-plastic rhythms such as rainy seasons, maize cultivation cycles, and economic pressures, arguing that plastics are deeply embedded in social life and that their recycling and circulation follow seasonal rather than purely industrial patterns.
Mismanaged plastic waste as a predictor for river plastic pollution
AI summary Read the abstract
This study of macroplastic pollution in the Odaw catchment, Ghana found no seasonal differences in plastic transport and only weak correlations between hydrometeorological variables (rainfall, discharge, wind speed) and plastic transport, but a strong spatial correlation between mismanaged plastic waste (MPW) and macroplastic pollution. The findings challenge the assumed dominance of hydrological drivers and highlight anthropogenic waste mismanagement as the primary predictor of river plastic pollution variability.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.