Stakeholder Roles, Governance, and Enabling Factors in Waste Management Systems: A Comparative Narrative Review of Selected High-Income Countries and India

Abstract

The increasing volume of waste poses various environmental and socioeconomic challenges, especially in India, which often lacks infrastructure, financial resources, and regulations to tackle the issue. The article reviews the waste management systems in Germany, Sweden, Japan, Singapore, and the Netherlands to assess their relevance for India in particular. A semi-systematic narrative review was carried out, making use of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and additional institutional and regulatory sources published between 2004 and 2026. After screening for relevance, 114 documents and reports were retained, covering governance, technology, economic instruments, stakeholder involvement, and the implementation of policies. In 2023, Germany had a municipal waste recycling rate of 67.2%; Sweden showed an advanced integration of waste-to-energy with 99% landfill diversion; Japan showed a rate of approximately 20% of municipal waste recycling; and the Netherlands had a 56.9% rate of municipal waste recycling in 2020. On average, India emits around 62 million tons of waste every year, and by the year 2030, this figure is likely to reach 165 million tons, while the country suffers from specific problems in terms of infrastructure, finance, governance, and the presence of informal sectors. The selection of these six countries was deliberate because they demonstrate diverse waste management strategies. Nevertheless, the limitations of selection include geopolitical publication bias, the use of different national indicators, and dependence on secondary evidence. The analysis shows that, for a waste management system to be efficient, it must consider the requirement of coordinating regulations, technical innovations, economic support, stakeholder involvement, and awareness-raising among citizens.