Home / Current Issue / Paper 1719608
Integrating Waste Management Systems into Slaughterhouse Design: A Comparative Analysis of Global Best Practices and Their Applicability to Nigerian Abattoirs
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Architecture
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719608
Abstract
This study examines how waste management systems can be embedded into slaughterhouse design to improve environmental sustainability and operational efficiency in Nigerian abattoirs. The aim of the research is to develop an integrated design framework that embeds efficient and sustainable waste management systems into slaughterhouse architecture, using global best practices to inform the redesign of Nigerian abattoirs. A qualitative-dominant mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining systematic literature review, international case study analysis, and Nigerian abattoir case studies from six different Nigerian States including Abuja-Federal Capital Territory. Data were analyzed through thematic, comparative, spatial, and gap analysis to assess functional zoning, waste segregation, wastewater treatment, resource recovery, environmental impact, and workflow efficiency. Findings show that Nigerian abattoirs consistently operate with weak spatial organization, informal waste handling, poor wastewater treatment, and limited resource recovery, while international facilities demonstrate integrated systems that support cleaner workflows and lower environmental risk. The comparative results indicate that waste management failure in Nigerian abattoirs is primarily a design problem rather than only an operational or regulatory one. The study concludes that incorporating waste systems at the design stage significantly improves sustainability, public health, and operational performance. The proposed framework offers a context-sensitive model for retrofitting and designing future Nigerian abattoirs.
Keywords
Slaughterhouse, Waste Management, Abattoirs, Sustainability, Nigeria
References
[1] Jiménez-Urpi, M., Carbonell-Chacón, S., Jubany, I., Suárez-Ojeda, M. E., & Baquerizo, G. (2025). Sustainable valorization of slaughterhouse solid waste: A review of characterization, conditioning, hydrolysis and biotransformation strategies. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 118879.
[2] MacArthur, E. (2013). Towards the circular economy. Journal of industrial ecology, 2(1), 23-44.
[3] Abdel-Fatah, M. A. (2023). Integrated Management of Industrial Wastewater in the Food Sector. Sustainability 2023, 15, 16193.
[4] Wu, P. F., & Mittal, G. S. (2012). Characterization of provincially inspected slaughterhouse wastewater in Ontario, Canada. Canadian Biosystem Engineering Journal, 54.
[5] Mozhiarasi, V., & Natarajan, T. S. (2025). Slaughterhouse and poultry wastes: management practices, feedstocks for renewable energy production, and recovery of value-added products. Biomass conversion and biorefinery, 15(2), 1705-1728.
[6] Bakare-Abidola, T., Elabor, I., Onwuchekwa, N., Onwuchekwa, C., Oladeji, J., Olawale, A. O., & Adeiza, A. A. (2025). Environmental Impact Assessment of Abattoir Wastewater. Path of Science, 11(6), 5001-5014.
[7] Ragasri, S., & Sabumon, P. C. (2023). A critical review on slaughterhouse waste management and framing sustainable practices in managing slaughterhouse waste in India. Journal of Environmental Management, 327, 116823.
[8] Habchi, S., Pecha, J., Šánek, L., Karouach, F., & El Bari, H. (2024). Sustainable valorization of slaughterhouse waste through anaerobic digestion: A circular economy perspective. Journal of Environmental Management, 366, 121920.
[9] Mittal, G. S. (2006). Treatment of wastewater from abattoirs before land application—a review. Bioresource technology, 97(9),
[10] Corvellec, H., Stowell, A. F., & Johansson, N. (2022). Critiques of the circular economy. Journal of industrial ecology, 26(2), 421-432.
[11] Istifanus, V., & Bwala, H. B. (2017). Infrastructure challenges: the review of environmental and health implication of abattoir operation in a developing country. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 5(6), 60-72.
[12] Ekpunobi, N. F., Adesanoye, S., Orababa, O., Adinnu, C., Okorie, C., & Akinsuyi, S. (2024). Public health perspective of public abattoirs in Nigeria, challenges and solutions. GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 26(2), 115-127.
[13] Rivera-Castellanos, J., Marín-Peña, O., Reyes, Z. M. J., Sandoval-Herazo, M., Nani, G., González-Moreno, H. R., & Sandoval-Herazo, L. C. (2023). Wastewater management from municipal slaughterhouses in Mexico: Quantities produced, existing legislation, treatment processes applied and future challenges. Renewable energy, biomass & sustainability, 5(2), 12-23.
[14] Adeniyi, L. A., Olatunji, S. A., Folorunso, S. A., & Adesoye, O. P. (2025). Assessing environmental quality and health implications of slaughterhouses’ operation within urban residential settings of a developing country. Urbanization, Sustainability and Society, 2(1), 180-197.
How to cite this paper
@article{1719608,
author = {ABDUL Ahmed Yahaya, Muhammad Hamza Almustapha , Suwidi Abdullahi, OTMAN Safiya},
title = {Integrating Waste Management Systems into Slaughterhouse Design: A Comparative Analysis of Global Best Practices and Their Applicability to Nigerian Abattoirs},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {846-858},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719608.pdf},
abstract = {This study examines how waste management systems can be embedded into slaughterhouse design to improve environmental sustainability and operational efficiency in Nigerian abattoirs. The aim of the research is to develop an integrated design framework that embeds efficient and sustainable waste management systems into slaughterhouse architecture, using global best practices to inform the redesign of Nigerian abattoirs. A qualitative-dominant mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining systematic literature review, international case study analysis, and Nigerian abattoir case studies from six different Nigerian States including Abuja-Federal Capital Territory. Data were analyzed through thematic, comparative, spatial, and gap analysis to assess functional zoning, waste segregation, wastewater treatment, resource recovery, environmental impact, and workflow efficiency. Findings show that Nigerian abattoirs consistently operate with weak spatial organization, informal waste handling, poor wastewater treatment, and limited resource recovery, while international facilities demonstrate integrated systems that support cleaner workflows and lower environmental risk. The comparative results indicate that waste management failure in Nigerian abattoirs is primarily a design problem rather than only an operational or regulatory one. The study concludes that incorporating waste systems at the design stage significantly improves sustainability, public health, and operational performance. The proposed framework offers a context-sensitive model for retrofitting and designing future Nigerian abattoirs.},
keywords = {Slaughterhouse, Waste Management, Abattoirs, Sustainability, Nigeria},
month = {July},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719608}
}