review · World
Indigenous communities often rely on traditional practices to handle their own waste, particularly when municipal authorities lack coordinated collection systems. Within these indigenous knowledge systems, the concept of waste does not formally exist, as materials are integrated into holistic frameworks aimed at sustainability. A systematic review was carried out following PRISMA guidelines to assess whether these indigenous practices demonstrably lead to sustainable waste disposal. The review revealed an imbalance and a major gap in the conclusive scientific evidence verifying the sustainability claims linked to indigenous waste practices. To realistically incorporate indigenous approaches into modern waste systems, the core mechanisms that drive sustainability must be thoroughly understood, ensuring that the theoretical benefits are backed by solid evidence rather than remaining untested assumptions.
When municipal services fail, traditional community practices often fill the gap. While indigenous approaches are widely assumed to be inherently sustainable and eco-friendly, establishing proven environmental benefits requires robust data. Clarifying the actual effectiveness of these traditional methods is necessary if modern planners wish to blend indigenous knowledge with formal waste systems effectively.
The work highlights potential long-term concepts for integrating indigenous methods into modern waste frameworks, which could inform municipal planners and local waste services. However, this is early-stage conceptual research that points out a lack of conclusive evidence, meaning practical adoption and commercial application pathways are not yet established.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Indigenous communities have always used their knowledge systems to improve their quality of life. For example, rural communities’ resort to indigenous cultural practices to manage their own waste when local administration lacks coordinated ways to manage waste. In the context of indigenous knowledge systems, the idea of waste is non-existent. As indigenous knowledge is believed to provide a holistic framework for an approach that effectively promotes sustainability. As such, the current study conducted a systematic review to evaluate the extent to which indigenous solid waste management practices contribute to sustainable waste disposal methods. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, a literature search was carried out in the field of indigenous solid waste management practices. The results indicate a significant imbalance in the amount of conclusive evidence that has been produced to date that suggests the sustainability of indigenous solid waste management practices. It is for this reason that the current study has discovered a substantial literature gap in sustainable solid waste management associated with indigenous knowledge systems. This is an unprecedented trend, especially for a knowledge system that is supposed to promote sustainability practices. However, to improve the likelihood of incorporating indigenous solid waste disposal methods into modern practices, it is imperative to understand the foundational elements that contribute to the advancement of sustainability, lest the sustainability aspect associated with this knowledge system in the discipline of solid waste management remain a mere rhetoric.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/world5020012
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
