Seminar On Business Opportunities in WASTE Management for SMEs: Potentials and Challenges

Seminar on

Business Opportunities in Waste Management for MSMEs: Potentials and Challenges

Increase in volume and types of solid waste have become an unmanageable problem for national and local governments. It has come to be a major challenge for all developing economies. Waste mountains have come to be a regular scene in many cities around the world, especially in the developing world. According to latest World Waste Survey Report, some 4 billion tonnes of municipal, industrial and hazardous waste are produced every year globally. It is estimated that the world market for waste, from collection to recycling, is worth about $410 billion a year.

Background

Waste management used to be considered a public good, where municipal authorities provided this service. However municipal authorities alone cannot deal with the challenge of managing waste in today’s world, owing to rapid rise in solid waste creation.

Interestingly, the private sector can play a huge role in providing the service economically and efficiently and the role of this sector is well accepted in policy circles across the world. There are multiple benefits arising from increased private sector participation. Apart from the possibility of fast technology adoption, innovation potential in waste management technology and processes and new ways of recycling, the private sector can contribute by creating thousands of new jobs in the recycling and waste management industry and help create cleaner cities and a give boost to a greener economy.

The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have immense business opportunities in this sector, because out of the total 4 billion tonnes of waste produced worldwide, just one billion is currently being recovered and only part of them recycled. 

There are two aspects that define prospects for private sector, especially, MSMEs in the waste management sector. Firstly, the tremendous speed at which urbanization is happening across the developing economies and secondly, the scope and huge potential for international trade in secondary raw materials recovered from waste. Recycling of waste has huge business potentials and it can emerge as a core sector of the emerging green economy.

Seminar Focus & Objective

Waste management is an emerging field that offers entrepreneurial opportunities. In this context World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME) is planning to organize a seminar on Business Opportunities in Waste Management: Potentials and Challenges.  Future waste management offers many business opportunities for the private sector such as:  waste-collection/disposal services; operation of recycling plant; e-waste recycling; Consultancy; equipment supply; organic fertilizer manufacturing; transportation; trade in recycled materials.

The seminar would discuss and review economic opportunities in the field of Solid Waste Management for MSME sector.

• Business opportunities in solid waste management sector
• What are the challenges and hurdles for start-ups especially small investors in this sector
• Few select areas that MSMEs could enter into and the business models
• Some of the success stories and best practices