Urbanisation is a mega trend in Southeast Asia and the urban population
in the region has been growing at about 2.6% per year [UNESCAP, 2014].
Consequently, waste generation in Southeast Asian cities has increased
rapidly over the last decade. The Waste in Asia report (2011) cites that the
World Bank estimates waste generation in Asian urban areas to be around
450,000–760,000 tonnes/day; this is expected to reach about 1.8 million
tonnes/day by 2025. With waste in Asia rising in tandem with the region’s
fast economic growth, cities are struggling to handle the growing amounts
of household waste. The waste generated per capita is expected to increase
in developing Asian countries while remaining constant or slightly
decreasing in developed Asian countries (see Table 15.1).