CHEMISTRY UNIT 2

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT

NAME: ALEX BRYCE

DUE DATE:
FORM: 13
TEACHER’S NAME: MS. NEMBHARD
DATE: DEC 2, 2019

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………

WHAT IS SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT…………………………….

VARIOUS SOURCES OF SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT…………

EFFECTS OF POOR SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT………………

METHODS OF SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT………………………

SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT BEING DONE IN JAMAICA………

APPENDIX…………………………………………………………………

REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………

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 INTRODUCTION

Solid waste management is an essential service in any society. Before introducing the process,

however, let's start with a discussion of the material being managed solid waste.

Solid waste refers to the range of garbage materials arising from animal and human activities that

are discarded as unwanted and useless. Solid waste is generated from industrial, residential, and

commercial activities in a given area, and may be handled in a variety of ways. As such, landfills

are typically classified as sanitary, municipal, construction and demolition, or industrial waste

sites.

Waste can be categorized based on material, such as plastic, paper, glass, metal, and organic

waste. Categorization may also be based on hazard potential, including radioactive, flammable,

infectious, toxic, or non-toxic wastes. Categories may also pertain to the origin of the waste,

whether industrial, domestic, commercial, institutional, or construction and demolition.

Regardless of the origin, content, or hazard potential, solid waste must be managed

systematically to ensure environmental best practices. As solid waste management is a critical

aspect of environmental hygiene, it must be incorporated into environmental planning.

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 WHAT IS SOLID WASTE

MAGEMENT?

Solid waste management is a term that is used to refer to the process of collecting and treating

solid wastes. It also offers solutions for recycling items that do not belong to garbage or trash. If

people have been living in settlements and residential areas, garbage or solid waste has been an

issue. Waste management is all about how solid waste can be changed and used as a valuable

resource. Solid waste management should be embraced by every household including the

business owners across the world. Industrialization has brought a lot of good things and bad

things as well. One of the negative effects of industrialization is the creation of solid waste.

According to Britannica, “Solid-waste management, the collecting, treating, and disposing of

solid material that is discarded because it has served its purpose or is no longer useful. Improper

disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary conditions, and these conditions in turn

can lead to pollution of the environment and to outbreaks of vector-borne disease—that is,

diseases spread by rodents and insects.”

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VARIOUS SOURES OF SOLID WASTE

MANGEMENT

Every day, tons of solid waste is disposed of at various landfill sites. This waste comes from

homes, offices, industries and various other agricultural related activities. These landfill sites

produce foul smell if waste is not stored and treated properly. It can pollute the surrounding

air and can seriously affect the health of humans, wildlife and our environment. The following

are major sources of solid waste:

 Residential

Residences and homes where people live are some of the major sources of solid waste. Garbage

from these places include food wastes, plastics, paper, glass, leather, cardboard, metals, yard

wastes, ashes and special wastes like bulky household items like electronics, tires, batteries, old

mattresses and used oil. Most homes have garbage bins where they can throw away their solid

wastes in and later the bin is emptied by a garbage collecting firm or person for treatment.

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  Industrial

Industries are known to be one of the biggest contributors of solid waste. They include light and

heavy manufacturing industries, construction sites, fabrication plants, canning plants, power and

chemical plants. These industries produce solid waste in form of housekeeping wastes, food

wastes, packaging wastes, ashes, construction and demolition materials, special wastes, medical

wastes as well as other hazardous wastes.

 Commercial

Commercial facilities and buildings are yet another source of solid waste today. Commercial

buildings and facilities in this case refer to hotels, markets, restaurants, go downs, stores and

office buildings. Some of the solid wastes generated from these places include plastics, food

wastes, metals, paper, glass, wood, cardboard materials, special wastes and other hazardous

wastes.

 Institutional

The institutional centers like schools, colleges, prisons, military barracks and other government

centers also produce solid waste. Some of the common solid wastes obtained from these places

include glass, rubber waste, plastics, food wastes, wood, paper, metals, cardboard materials,

electronics as well as various hazardous wastes.

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  Construction and Demolition Areas

Construction sites and demolition sites also contribute to the solid waste problem. Construction

sites include new construction sites for buildings and roads, road repair sites, building renovation

sites and building demolition sites. Some of the solid wastes produced in these places include

steel materials, concrete, wood, plastics, rubber, copper wires, dirt and glass.

 Municipal services

The urban centers also contribute immensely to the solid waste crisis in most countries today.

Some of the solid waste brought about by the municipal services include, street cleaning, wastes

from parks and beaches, wastewater treatment plants, landscaping wastes and wastes from

recreational areas including sludge.

 Treatment Plants and Sites

Heavy and light manufacturing plants also produce solid waste. They include refineries, power

plants, processing plants, mineral extraction plants and chemicals plants. Among the wastes

produced by these plants include, industrial process wastes, unwanted specification products,

plastics, metal parts just to mention but a few.

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  Agriculture

Crop farms, orchards, dairies, vineyards and feedlots are also sources of solid wastes. Among the

wastes they produce include agricultural wastes, spoiled food, pesticide containers and other

hazardous materials.

 Biomedical

This refers to hospitals and biomedical equipment and chemical manufacturing firms. In

hospitals there are different types of solid wastes produced. Some of these solid wastes include

syringes, bandages, used gloves, drugs, paper, plastics, food wastes and chemicals. All these

require proper disposal or else they will cause a huge problem to the environment and the people

in these facilities.

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 EFFECTS OF POOR SOLID WASTE

MANGEMENT

Due to improper waste disposal systems particularly by municipal waste management teams,

wastes heap up and become a problem. People clean their homes and places of work and litter

their surroundings which affects the environment and the community.

This type of dumping of waste materials forces biodegradable materials to rot and decompose

under improper, unhygienic and uncontrolled conditions. After a few days of decomposition, a

foul smell is produced, and it becomes a breeding ground for different types of disease-causing

insects as well as infectious organisms. On top of that, it also spoils the aesthetic value of the

area.

Solid wastes from industries are a source of toxic metals, hazardous wastes, and chemicals.

When released to the environment, the solid wastes can cause biological and

physicochemical problems to the environment and may affect or alter the productivity of the

soils in that particular area.

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Toxic materials and chemicals may seep into the soil and pollute the ground water. During the

process of collecting solid waste, the hazardous wastes usually mix with ordinary garbage and

other flammable wastes making the disposal process even harder and risky.

When hazardous wastes like pesticides, batteries containing lead, mercury or zinc, cleaning

solvents, radioactive materials, e-waste and plastics are mixed up with paper and other scraps are

burned they produce dioxins and gasses. These toxic gases have a potential of causing various

diseases including cancer.

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 METHODS OF SOLID WASTE

MANGEMENT
There are different methods of solid waste management. The following are some of the

recognized methods:

 Sanitary Landfill

This is the most popular solid waste disposal method used today. Garbage is basically spread out

in thin layers, compressed and covered with soil or plastic foam. Modern landfills are designed

in such a way that the bottom of the landfill is covered with an impervious liner which is usually

made of several layers of thick plastic and sand. This liner protects the ground water from being

contaminated because of leaching or percolation. When the landfill is full, it is covered with

layers of sand, clay, topsoil and gravel to prevent seepage of water.

 Incineration

This method involves burning of solid wastes at high temperatures until the wastes are turned

into ashes. Incinerators are made in such a way that they do not give off extreme amounts of heat

when burning solid wastes. This method of solid waste management can be done by individuals,

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municipalities and even institutions. The good thing about this method is the fact that it reduces

the volume of waste up to 20 or 30% of the original volume.

 Recovery and Recycling

Recycling or recovery of resources is the process of taking useful but discarded items for next

use. Traditionally, these items are processed and cleaned before they are recycled. The process

aims at reducing energy loss, consumption of new material and reduction of landfills.

 Composting

Due to lack of adequate space for landfills, biodegradable yard waste can decompose in a

medium designed for the purpose. Only biodegradable waste materials are used in composting.

Good quality environmentally friendly manure is formed from the compost and can be used for

agricultural purposes.

 Pyrolysis

This is method of solid waste management whereby solid wastes are chemically decomposed by

heat without presence of oxygen. This usually occurs under pressure and at temperatures of up to

430 degrees Celsius. The solid wastes are changed into gasses, solid residue and small quantities

of liquid.

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In summary, proper solid waste management is an integral part of environmental conservation

that should be observed by individuals and companies globally. This will keep the environment

clean and reduce health and settlement problems.

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 SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT

METHODS THAT BEING DONE IN

JAMAICA

 Rae Town Plastic Recycling Project Launched

Nov 6, 2019

Kingston, Jamaica; Environmental stakeholders from the public and private sectors lent their

support and expertise towards the launch of The Rae Town Plastic Recycling Pilot Project on

Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at the Courtyard by Marriott.

The initiative seeks to reduce the levels of plastic in the waste stream entering the Kingston

Harbor and provide income-generating opportunities around plastic recycling for community

members.

The two-year pilot project is funded by the Japanese Government through the United Nations

Environment Programmed (UNEP) at a cost of USD$291,000.00 and will be implemented by the

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National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). The initiative forms part of

Component Four of the wider Plastic Waste Minimization Project, launched in February 2018 by

the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).

Speaking at the launch, Executive Director of the NSWMA, Mr. Audley Gordon, highlighted the

commitment of the Authority to providing the necessary resources for the implementation of the

project. “We have been a part of this project from the beginning, as we really want to change

behavior around waste and recycling. The idea is to pilot this project for the next two years in

Rae Town, glean some lessons and best-case studies and then replicate it in other communities

island wide.”

Mr. Ainsworth Carroll, Director of Planning, Projects Monitoring, Evaluation and Research

Division at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), reiterated the significance

of the project in achieving the sustainable development goals focused on environment

management. “This pilot project and by extension the Plastic Waste Minimization Project

supports the implementation of the ban on single-use plastics, which was implemented to reduce

the levels of plastic in the natural and built environment. We encourage the citizens of Rae Town

and all Jamaicans to contribute to a healthy environment.”

Background – Plastic Minimization Project

Marine litter within the Jamaican coastal waters has significantly impacted the tourism product

and the fisheries industry. The research shows that if this trend is not halted, preferably reversed,

the industries and the population at large will be jeopardized. The issue of marine litter from

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land-based sources (plastics and polystyrene foam) has become an urgent priority for the

Government of Jamaica. The objective of the Plastic Waste Minimization project is to enhance

the capacity of the country to carry out integrated waste management activities and strengthen

the policy and legislative framework of Jamaica to reduce and manage plastic marine litter from

land- based activities in an integrated and environmentally sound manner.

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 Containerization and Storage

All solid waste generated from households must be properly containerized before storage and

collection. The solid waste should not be in direct contact with the interior of the storage

container or receptacle. The use of garbage bags is highly recommended.

Storage

Household Storage

 The number of receptacles per dwelling unit is one (1), unless otherwise specified. The capacity

of each receptacle should not be in excess of 35 gallons per dwelling unit

 The receptacle should be either metal or plastic and should not be in excess of 13.5 kg when

empty.

 The receptacle should be placed at the front of the lot where it can be accessed without

hindrances 24 hours per day by collection crew. Lids for the receptacles are highly

recommended.

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 Communal Storage

 The number of receptacles varies, depending on the projected population of the proposed

development

 The capacity of each receptacle should not be in excess of 6.1 cubic meters (8 cubic yards), with

the following dimensions:

Length – 4 ft (1.2m)

Width – 8 ft (2.4 m)

Height- 4 ft (1.2m)

Physical Allowance

 The minimum physical allowance for communal receptacles is 4 cubic meters (5.2 cubic yards)

 The receptacle should be placed in an area where it does not hinder vehicular and pedestrian

traffic or cause nuisance to residents

 The location of the receptacle should be accessed without hindrances 24 hours per day by

collection crews

Public Health

 All solid waste containers and receptacles must be structurally sound so that they safeguard

against injuries and pose no threat to the physical safety of users and collections crews.

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 Areas allocated for communal receptacles should be at least 14.4 ft (4.5m) away from waterways

such as gullies, drains, rivers, shoreline, wetlands, etc.

 Receptacles should not be places on any land used for productive purposes such as agriculture

and livestock rearing, since emissions such as leachate could compromise the integrity of the

environment and cause a public health nuisance

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APPENDIX

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 REFERENCES

1.http://www.nswma.gov.jm/

2.http://www.nswma.gov.jm/rae-town-plastic-recycling-project-launched/

3.http://www.nswma.gov.jm/containerization-and-storage/

4.https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/sources-effects-methods-of-solid-waste-

management.php

5.https://www.google.com/search?q=solid+waste+management&rlz=1C1JZAP_enJM867JM868

&sxsrf=ACYBGNScKj_NdfbcX1l-gfPJTGid-

2s43w:1578273203425&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjE3pft5e3mAhUPnlkK

HWtaCSMQ_AUoAXoECBIQAw&biw=1242&bih=597#imgrc=Va7TYf2qeFwCOM:

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