THE IMPACT OF GOOD URBAN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ALBANIA`S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The rising solid waste generation and the change of solid waste composition to higher volumes of packaging materials have created concerning health and environmental threats, especially in developing cities. Human activities create waste, and the ways that waste is handled, stored, collected, and disposed of, can pose risks to the environment and to public health. In many countries, solid waste management has become a top priority. It is a costly and complex process for local governments, but it is so essential to the health, environment, and quality of life of the people. Rapid urbanization, new economic activity, and population growth place multiple pressures on solid waste management systems. When basic services such as waste collection and disposal are inadequate, the economic, environmental, and human health effects disproportionally affect the urban poor. Improving solid waste management provides a cleaner environment including in poor and marginalized areas of cities and improves livability for all city residents. A cleaner city helps provide a more attractive environment for investment and tourism which, in turn, improves a city's economic competitiveness, creating jobs and new business opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Solid waste management can also be linked to the development of new sources of energy, helping tackle climate change. This paper addresses the problem by focusing on Albania. Waste management in Albania is at a very low level. With systems collection of solid waste are equipped only cities, but not rural areas. This study is based on poor management of solid waste in Albania considering that the potentials are great for carrying out this activity. The paper emphasizes: relationship between the economic growth of the cities and the level of the solid urban wastes; pollution as a primary problem; solid waste as an example of negative externalities; the waste management process by local administrations in Albania. The paper gives data for management of the solid urban wastes during recent years, especially focused in last three years, according to a survey made by Albania Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) in 2016 with the companies of waste management activity.