Scientific event

In our time, the issue of waste management in its various forms is a concern for many parties, from the average citizen to government officials. Despite the apparent simplicity of the process, many agree on the weight of the task, especially in urban areas. This is due to its connection with various factors (human behavior, packaging methods, policies adopted, etc.). According to the United Nations Environment Programme, "Waste management is one of the most complex and costly public services and one of the most important items in municipal budgets" (Wahab, 2021).

The Algerian legislator, in defining waste, indicates that it is: "The residues resulting from production, transformation, or use processes, and more generally, any material, product, or movable item that the owner or possessor disposes of, or is obligated to dispose of or remove" (Abdelli, 2017). In other words, it is any material added to a product that is not consumable, or anything that is no longer needed and therefore must be discarded. It then faced one of two fates: random exposure in nature or inclusion in the treatment process. Its perceived lack of consumer value "made the term 'waste' express a real and noticeable contempt, and therefore it had to be excluded and marginalized. Finally, to justify this rejection, it was described as a nuisance: ugly, dirty, unsanitary, dangerous. It became necessary to hide it, bury it, and destroy it" (Le Dorlot, 2004).

Like other countries, Algeria has given great importance to the issue of waste and its management, as evidenced by the enactment of laws (Law No. 19-01, Law No. 10-03, Law No. 20-04, Law No. 10-11) and the establishment of specialized institutions (such as the National Waste Agency). This is in addition to the tasks assigned to some official bodies, most notably the municipality, which oversees the cleanliness of the environment through a reference plan approved by the elected body and subject to amendment every 10 years.