Since modernisation of society, poor waste management has gradually been concerned by the society.

Waste has become the major environmental issue since the revolution of industrial begins. Waste can be
categories in liquid, solid, hazardous, organic and recyclable types. The way to dispose the waste is planning
waste management but unfortunately in some of the low-income countries such as India have poor waste
management problem. The possible causes of poor waste management are financial shortage, low public
awareness and attitudes and lack of information.
The first cause of poor waste management is financial shortage. Cash is admittedly vital once it
involves waste management because cash is required to purchase technology to clean up huge quantities of
waste as Indonesia have the highest population among the ASEAN country. The waste generation in 2006 in
Indonesia is 38.5 million tons annually. Financial shortage cause failure in giving proper hygienic facilities,
maintenance cost and affects the standard and quantity in hygienic services.
Another cause of poor waste management is low public awareness and attitudes. Low public awareness and
attitudes can affect the enthusiasm to get together or take the initiative to participate the programs that might
improve waste management. Bad attitude will worsen the waste management because the citizens do not have
the awareness about their own health and the effect to the environment.
The last cause of poor waste management is lack of information. Due to restriction of knowledge, the
government may adopt an ineffective, non-systematic management or improper technical work. This can be
the explanation why low financial gain country uses the easiest way to manage all the waste by opening
landfills with unhygienic system. Without an effective system, knowledge in waste management and wise
designing of opening landfills will end up in overloading landfills.
These three causes planted the seeds of poor waste management and the effects of poor waste
management are human health, environment and economic.
The first effect of poor waste management is the environment. Poor waste management can cause
pollution to the environment which will later affect human health. The environment is vital to living things as
living things needs clean air to breathe. Poor waste management can trigger air pollution and soil pollution, this
will harm human health and also the eco-system. Waste disposal sites can emit large amounts of greenhouse
gases like methane which will cause global warming. The amount of gas emitted in Indonesia in the year of
2000 is 663 tons per year and it is expected to reach 1581.74 tons per year in the year of 2025.
The next effect of poor waste management is human health. Environment plays a vital role in human
health, diseases can spread due to the pollution to the place and especially children which they have weak
antibodies. Common waste like bottle can collect water from the rain and the bottle will become the best place
for mosquitoes to breed and other germs might grow. This will cause dengue fever and food poisoning if got
contact with the polluted waste.
The last effect of poor waste management is economics. The country will get a low reputation when
the country is dirty and unhealthy. This will bring down the economy as there is no financial gain from touristy.
Touristy and eco-tourism can facilitate in improving forest and landscape. Tourists will not consider visiting a
country that is not clean, smelly, wastes around the environment and harming human health.
In conclusion, poor waste management is mainly caused by financial shortage, low public awareness
and attitudes and lack of information. These causes will have an effect on the environment, human health and
economics. To improve waste management, the government should promote the 3R concept that has reduced,
re-use and recycle. The society should use shopping bags instead of plastic bags, reuse water bottle or make it
into a decoration and recycle the aluminium cans to produce a helpful product which is alums. Solid waste
management is definitely not only a technical challenge however it needs a hand holding method among all
aspects like government and the citizen.