In the humanitarian cluster system, domestic SWM falls under the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) cluster, but has numerous links and overlaps with other clusters. Cluster activities produce waste as well as benefitting from its products. The direct or indirect production of waste comes with the responsibility and need to prevent waste P.1, plan for reuse and recycling and ensure that waste production connects with the SWM system, feeding waste materials into the relevant waste streams. Equally, different humanitarian clusters may benefit from waste processing and its corresponding production of fertilisers, soil conditioners, animal feed, energy and commercial goods. These inexpensive secondary products can be particularly valuable in humanitarian settings where financial resources or access to markets are often limited. 

Humanitarian activities that generate specific, often hazardous waste W.2 must ensure it is not mixed with regular domestic solid waste but handled separately and disposed of safely. Establishing waste management systems at each organisation’s facilities, as well as schools, health and nutrition centres, warehouses, distribution centres, fleet workshops and offices enables organisations to efficiently segregate, handle and direct waste to the appropriate waste management streams. Some interventions linked to SWM, such as managing waste in drainage systems W.6, might intersect with several clusters. Although SWM is in the WASH cluster, other clusters can support its activities using their capacities, such as large cash-for-work workforces or vehicle fleets.

These interlinkages, overlaps and interdependence require inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration with different agencies and organisations. Coordination is in the interest of all humanitarian clusters as effective SWM helps to protect the environment and public health and contributes to broader protection outcomes.

Food Assistance and Provision of Non-Food Items

The in-kind distribution of food or Non-Food Items (NFI) in humanitarian settings can produce significant amounts of solid waste W.5. Influencing factors are the type and frequency of distributed goods, the size of the target population and the type and volume of packaging materials. Clusters distributing food and NFI include Food Security, Nutrition, Logistics and Shelter. Whenever possible, projects should minimise or retrieve packaging materials, use goods made from durable or recyclable materials and engage in green procurement W.5. Special attention should be paid to the distribution of goods which contain hazardous materials, such as electrical or electronic devices W.7 and pharmaceuticals W.1. ‘Take-back’ schemes and designated collection points facilitate waste collection, for example, collecting packaging materials, end-of-life NFI such as solar lanterns, or hazardous wastes W.2. These separate collections help to direct items into the appropriate waste management streams and reduce the burden on existing SWM services. Depending on its material characteristics, waste collected through take-back schemes can be handed to the SWM service, specialised recyclers or waste processing projects within humanitarian responses  T .

Food Production and Livelihoods

Secondary products made from organic waste can boost agricultural activities and food production, enhancing self-reliance and livelihoods. Secondary products, such as compost, frass from black solder flies or biogas digestate (T.1 – T.4), help to improve soil fertility. They can be sold to the local agricultural sector or used directly in humanitarian agricultural projects at a household and community level. Black solder fly larvae also serve as an alternative animal feed for chickens and fish farms T.4. Clusters engaged in such activities include the Food Security or Nutrition clusters.

Recyclable materials recovered from solid waste can be sold to the private recycling sector or repurposed for humanitarian recycling projects T.6. The latter can produce commercial goods or items deployed in humanitarian assistance. Inorganic materials which cannot be recycled or handed over to recyclers might be used for upcycling T.7 or downcycling T.8 activities, generating income or providing inexpensive essential goods. The main actors with an interest in recycling are agencies focusing on livelihoods and self-reliance or clusters distributing food and NFI. 

Energy Provision

Organic waste secondary products, such as biogas T.3 and solid biomass fuels T.5, can be used as energy sources. They can replace traditional cooking, heating or lighting fuels in households, or generate power and income for householders or communities. Productive energy may be used to power restaurant equipment, process or preserve agricultural goods, provide heat for livestock farming or lighting for small-scale workshops. The Shelter cluster may focus on household energy supply; livelihood organisations may instead use the energy for powering facilities and processes.

Planning of SWM Infrastructure and Services

The planning and implementation of SWM services and infrastructure requires adequate physical space for waste storage S.2, accessible waste collection and transport  C  and suitable locations for safe waste disposal U.9. Collaboration with the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster and organisations involved in site planning is required to ensure the space is available and appropriate.

Shelter 

Shelter construction can use materials recovered from waste U.4. Conversely, the destruction, demolition or disintegration of shelters can generate considerable quantities of rubble and construction waste W.3. Due to their material properties and volumes, rubble and construction waste should be disposed of separately from domestic solid waste, reducing the risk that valuable SWM resources are buried and landfill space filled by construction waste. Debris from disintegrating shelters, such as wood pieces or chunks of concrete, can block drainage channels, and further mix with domestic solid waste W.6. The use of waste materials for construction and the management of construction waste must be coordinated with the Shelter Cluster and its organisations. 

Health

Waste from hospitals, healthcare facilities, medical laboratories, diagnostic centres and other medical institutions potentially contains hazardous materials, especially if medical waste is not strictly segregated at source W.1. However, the largest waste fractions from medical institutions originate from administrative activities, regular housekeeping and meals for staff, patients and visitors. This ’general waste’ or ’non-hazardous waste’ can be handled and disposed of in the same way as domestic solid waste and even handed over to regular SWM services. To ensure the safe disposal of medical waste, it is essential to coordinate with the Health cluster.

Effective SWM interventions significantly contribute to the protection of public health and can therefore be seen as a preventive health measure. SWM and health objectives overlap. Collaboration with health-related organisations to immunise waste workers can support occupational health and safety X.4.

Workforce and Fleet Management

The available funding and resources for SWM in over-stretched WASH budgets may be limited. Other clusters may support SWM interventions by providing additional capacity such as larger cash-for-work workforces or vehicle fleets. 

The Logistics cluster is a natural potential partner given the potential for reverse logistics - using relief distribution vehicles to transport relief waste back from communities and remote warehouses. This is particularly appropriate if there are no local waste management or recovery solutions. 

WASH-Internal Coordination

SWM has strong links and overlaps with the WASH cluster. Without solid waste collection, waste materials may be disposed of in latrine pits or drainage channels W.6. In both cases, the infrastructure is compromised: pit emptying becomes more difficult and deposited waste fills the latrines instead of human excreta. Waste can block drainage channels leading to overflows, flooding of residential areas and stagnant water, creating breeding grounds for disease vectors. SWM must also respond to the need of women and girls to manage their menstrual periods confidently, in privacy and with dignity W.4.