UNIT 1

SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.

Solid waste management is an essential service in any society.

Solid waste refers to the range of garbage materials arising from animal and human activities that are
discarded as unwanted and useless. solid waste management is an integral part of environmental
management system. the scope of solid waste management includes segregation of solid waste, reusing it
and trying to recycle at household level, collection of waste and transporting it to collection sites like
community bins or any further transfer stations, it also includes sweeping and cleansing of public places,
management of the transfer stations or community bins.

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.

The importance of solid waste management is regardless of the origin, content, or hazard potential, solid
waste must be managed systematically to ensure environmental best practices. It is based on favourable
options for managing the solid waste, such as prevention, minimization, reuse, recycling, energy recovery,
disposal from most favourable to least favourable option respectively. prevention of excess usage
materials that end up as waste, minimization of waste materials, reuse of usable waste, recycling of end
used material which can be either of low or high quality, energy recovery such as from cow dung,
vegetable waste from different sources etc, the last option should always be disposal. As solid waste
management is a critical aspect of environmental hygiene, it must be incorporated into environmental
planning.

Present solid waste disposal methods, and their merits and demerits.

The present solid waste disposal methods are:

1.Dumping on land
Dumping of waste on open land is a most practised method of disposal everywhere,

merits demerits

Dumping on land is cheap It spoils the land by breeding rodents ,insects

No authorization or planning is required. It also creates a ground for various diseases

No further structure for containing the waste is Spreads foul odour.

required.

2.Dumping in water
Dumping in water is usually carried out by big coastal cities or industries on the banks of any ocean ,river,
or any water source.

merits demerits

It is easier and cheap It damages the water quality and cause unfit for
use

It provides large disposal surface area It causes damage to aquatic life

It provides short margin gains. It becomes ground for various diseases

3.Plowing in soil
The waste generated in various places is segregated to separate food waste and any other organic waste
which is then disposed uniformly over a field.

merits demerits

The waste is biodegradable It requires large sites for disposal

The waste can be used as fertilizer and causes less Food and organic waste has to be separated from
of an issue other waste

It suffices the farmer with no cost fertilizer Decreases the water seeping ability into the ground

4.Feeding to hogs
The pigs are traditionally fed with leftovers and the food waste because the pigs will eat almost
everything.

merits demerits

The food requirements are met easily Piggeries has to be well maintained

The pigs develop very fast and put on mass Liquid waste food have a short shelf life
quickly

It is cheap Sometimes the food may cause death of pigs

5.incineration
Incineration is a method of waste treatment involving the burning of organic materials found in waste.
Incineration and other high-temperature waste management processes are called thermal treatment.

merits demerits

Better waste management strategy which reduces It is expensive

the amount of waste.

Production of heat and energy converted to ash It causes air pollution

Density reduction is high It requires more heat to burn the organic waste

6.pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is the thermochemical decomposition of organic material at high temperature and in the absence
of oxygen or in an atmosphere of inert gases.

merits demerits

It reduces waste going to landfill and greenhouse The pyrolysis process is complex and requires
gas emissions high operational and investment costs

It is a simple, inexpensive technology for There is also a reduction in water volume due to
processing a wide variety of feedstocks. the high operating temperature.

No surplus amount of oxygen is required The waste reduction is not very significant

7.Composting
The organic matter is turned into usable manure or as fertilizer by a method of decomposition by
microorganisms Called as composting.

merits demerits

It is easy to produce . It needs monitoring

It is fully organic manure and reduces the need for It needs a lot of space and causes odor nuisance
chemical fertilizer and enriches soil.

It is cheap The process is tedious and takes time

8. Sanitary Landfilling
Landfills are large dumps often in old queries,where usually the waste from large cities and towns are
dumped.
 merits demerits

Low operating costs Incinerators releases a lot of harmful gases

The gas produced from burying the waste in It causes air pollution and damaging the air
landfills can be used for energy production quality

Any abundant land can be made use More labour work is involved

Improper solid waste management causing land pollution.

Improper solid waste disposal impacts negatively on the environment. Such impacts include diseases and
safety issues, drainage problems, environmental and air pollution among others. The main problem of
improper solid waste disposal is that it causes land pollution.
the disposal of solid or liquid waste materials on land or underground in a manner that can contaminate
the soil and groundwater, threaten public health, and cause unsightly conditions and nuisances.
solid wastes are generally collected and placed on top of the ground in uncontrolled open dumps, which
often became breeding grounds for rats, mosquitos, flies, and other disease carriers and were sources of
unpleasant odours, windblown debris, and other nuisances.
Dumps can contaminate groundwater as well as pollute nearby streams and lakes.
A highly contaminated liquid called leachate is generated from decomposition of garbage and
precipitation that infiltrates and percolates downward through the volume of waste material. When
leachate reaches and mixes with groundwater or seeps into nearby bodies of surface water, public health
and environmental quality are jeopardized. methane, a poisonous and explosive gas that easily flows
through soil, is an eventual by-product of the anaerobic (in the absence of oxygen) decomposition of
putrescible solid waste material.
Open dumping of solid waste is no longer allowed in many countries. Nevertheless, leachate and methane
from old dumps continue to cause land pollution problems in some areas.

Functional elements of solid waste management.

Waste generation
Waste generation encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer being of
value and are either thrown away or gathered together for disposal. Waste generation is, at present, an
activity that is not very controllable. Reduction of waste at source, although not controlled by solid waste
managers, is now included in system evaluations as a method of limiting the quantity of waste generated.

Waste handling, separation, storage and processing at the source.

The second of the six functional elements in the solid waste management system is waste handling,
sorting, storage, and processing at the source. Waste handling and sorting involves the activities associated
with management of wastes until they are placed in storage containers for collection. Handling also
encompasses the movement of loaded containers to the point of collection. Sorting of waste components is
an important step in the handling and storage of solid waste at the source. For example, the best place to
separate waste materials for reuse and recycling is at the source of generation. Households are becoming
more aware of the importance of separating newspaper and cardboard, bottles/glass, kitchen wastes and
ferrous and non-ferrous materials. On-site storage is of primary importance because of public health
concerns and aesthetic consideration. Unsightly makeshift containers and even open ground storage, both
of which are undesirable, are often seen at many residential and commercial sites. The cost of providing
storage for solid wastes at the source is normally borne by the household in the case of individuals, or by
the management of commercial and industrial properties. Processing at the source involves activities such
as backyard waste composting.

Collection:
The functional element of collection includes not only the gathering of solid wastes and recyclable
materials, but also the transport of these materials, after collection, to the location where the collection
vehicle is emptied. This location may be a materials processing facility, a transfer station, or a landfill
disposal site.
 Sorting, Processing and Transformation of Solid Waste:
The sorting, processing and transformation of solid waste materials is the fourth of the functional
elements. The recovery of sorted materials, processing of solid waste and transformation of solid waste
that occurs primarily in locations away from the source of waste generation are encompassed by this
functional element. Sorting of mixed wastes usually occurs at a materials recovery facility, transfer
stations, combustion facilities, and disposal sites. Sorting often includes the separation of bulky items,
separation of waste components by size using screens, manual separation of waste components, and
separation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Waste processing is undertaken to recover conversion
products and energy. The organic fraction of Municipal Solid Waste can be transformed by a variety of
biological and thermal processes. The most commonly used biological transformation process is aerobic
composting. The most commonly used thermal transformation process is incineration. Waste
transformation is undertaken to reduce the volume, weight, size or Bilaspur City of waste without resource
recovery. Transformation may be done by a variety of mechanical, thermal e.g. incineration without
energy recovery or chemical e.g. encapsulation ,techniques.

Transfer and Transport:

The functional element of transfer and transport involves two steps:
a. the transfer of wastes from the smaller collection vehicle to the larger transport equipment.
b. the subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal site.
The transfer usually takes place at a transfer station.

Disposal:
The final functional element in the solid waste management system is disposal. Today the disposal of
wastes by landfilling or uncontrolled dumping is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are
residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill site, residual materials from Materials
Recovery Facilities, residue from the combustion of solid waste, rejects of composting, or other
substances from various solid waste-processing facilities. A municipal solid waste landfill plant is an
engineered facility used for disposing of solid wastes on land or within the earth’s mantle without creating
nuisance or hazard to public health or safety, such as breeding of rodents and insects and contamination of
groundwater.

Sources of solid waste and types of waste collected from these different sources.

Residential sources: from households and residential areas. These are the major sources of solid waste in
almost all cities and towns.the food collected are:
1.food waste and organic waste.
2.paper ,plastic,cloth.
3.rubbish ,ashes residues.
4.storage boxes and cardboards.
Commercial Sources: from businesses such as food and drink establishments, shops, banks,stores ,repair
shops,markets.
1.food waste.
2.paper,plastic,rubbish.
3.electronic damaged parts.
4.packaging materials.
Institutional Sources: from public and government institutions e.g. offices, religious institutions, prisons,
schools, universities.
1.paper and plastic waste.
2.scrap metals.
3.construction waste.
4.food waste.
Open areas: waste from street sweepings, roadside dustbins, ditches and other public places.
1.rubbish,plastic,paper.
2.waste used bottles,cardboards,clothes.
3.food waste.
4.unrooted weed.
Industrial Sources: from various types of industrial processes.
1.garbage.
2. dirt and gravel.
3.masonry and concrete.
4. scrap metals, trash, oil, solvents, chemicals.
5. weed grass and trees, wood and scrap lumber.
Health facilities: from hospitals and other health facilities.
1.pathological waste.
2.radioactive waste.
3.sharp waste.
4.infectious waste.
5.pharmaceutical waste.
Agricultural sources: from farming — more common in peri-urban areas of small and medium towns of
Ethiopia and in rural areas.
1. Manure.
2. oil.
3.silage plastic.
4.fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides.
5.wastes from farms, poultry houses and slaughterhouses.
6. veterinary medicines, or horticultural plastics.
Construction and demolition: from various types of construction and demolition activities in urban areas
such as the construction of apartments, the demolition of urban slums.
1.damaged bricks.
2.waste concrete.
3.ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
4.masonry.
5.plastic and timber.
Electronic and electrical waste (e-wastes):waste electronic devices (computers, phones, radios, etc.) and
household appliances (cookers, washing machines, etc.).
1.non-ferrous and precious metals.
2.ceramics.
3.glass and alloys.
4.organic polymer with toxic content.
5.stabilizers,fillers and pigments.

Physical composition of municipal solid waste typical composition.

1. Individual component.
2. Density.
3. Moisture content.

Physical composition municipal solid waste

Individual component
The importance of determining the individual component in the solid waste collected helps in segregation.
The solid waste contains all kinds of waste materials from various sources ,which need to be separated
before disposal or further treatment .The solid waste contains following possible materials.
components range typical

Food waste 6-26 15

Paper 25-45 40
Cardboard 3-15 4
Plastic 2-8 3
Textiles 0-4 2
Rubber 0-2 0.5
Leather 0-2 0.5
Garden trimming 0-20 12
Wood 1-4 2
Glass 4-16 8
Tin can 2-8 6
Non ferrous metals 0-1 1
Ferrous metals 1-4 2
Dirt,ashes,bricks 0-10 4

Density:
It is expressed as mass per unit volume (kg/m3). This parameter is required for designing a solid
waste management program. A reduction in volume by 75% is achieved through normal compaction
equipment, so that an initial density of 100kg/m3 may readily be increased to 400 kg/m3. Significant
changes in the density occur as waste moves from sources to disposal sites, as A result of scavenging,
handling, wetting, and drying by the Weather and vibration during transport. Density is critical in the
design of sanitary landfill as well as for storage, collection and transport of wastes. Efficient operation
of landfill requires compaction of wastes to optimum density.

sl.no item Density(kg/m3)

Range typical

1. Food waste 120-480 290

2. Paper 30-130 85
3. Cardboard 30-80 50
4. Plastic 30-130 65
5. Textiles 30-100 65
6. Rubber 90-200 130
7. Leather 90-260 160
8. Garden trimming 60-225 105
9. Wood 120-320 240
10. Miscellaneous organics 90-360 240
11. Glass 160-480 195
12. Tin can 45-160 90
13. Non ferrous metals 60-240 160
14. Ferrous metals 120-1200 320
15. Dirt,ashes,bricks 320-960 480

Moisture Content
Values greater than 40% are also not common. Moisture increases the weight of the solid wastes and
therefore the cost of collection and transport increases. Consequently waste should be insulated from
rain or other extraneous water sources. Moisture content is a critical determinant in the economic
feasibility of waste treatment by incineration. During incineration energy must be supplied for
evaporation of water and raising the temperature of vapour.
Moisture content of solid wastes is usually expressed as the weight of moisture per unit weight of wet
material. The usual expression for calculating moisture content is

M= (w-d )x 100
w
Where, M= moisture content,wet weight basis %
w=initial (wet)weight of sample
d=final (dry) weight of sample
Some engineers define moisture content on dry weight basis
Mė= (w-d )x 100
d
Where , Me=moisture content , dry basis%
A typical range of moisture contents is 20-45% typical data on the moisture content for the municipal
solid waste components are given below.
components Moisture content in %
Range typical

residential

Aluminium cans 2-4 3

Cardboard 4-8 5
fines(dirt etc.) 6-12 8
Food waste 50-80 70
Glass 1-4 2
 Grass 40-80 60
Leather 8-12 10
Leaves 20-40 30
Paper 4-10 6
Plastics 1-4 2
Rubber 1-4 2
Steel cans 2-4 3
Textiles 6-15 10
Wood 15-40 20
Yard waste 30-80 60

commercial

Food waste 50-80 70

Mixed commercial 10-25 15

Wood crates and pallets 10-30 20

Importance of chemical composition of municipal solid waste.

The economic recovery of material and or energy , often depends on the chemical composition of the
refuse. Two common means of designing the chemical composition of refuse are:
1.proximate analysis
a. Moisture ( loss at 105 degree centigrade for one hour).
b. Volatile matter ( additional loss on ignition @ 950 degree centigrade)
c. Ash ( residue after burning)
d. Fixed carbon ( remainder )
2.ultimate analysis
a. Involves the determination of the percent C (carbon), H (hydrogen), O (oxygen), N (nitrogen), S
(sulfur) and ash.
b. The determination of halogens are often included in an ultimate analysis.
c. The results are used to characterize the chemical composition of the organic matter in MSW.
They are also used to define the proper mix of waste materials to achieve suitable C/N ratios for biological
conversion processes.
3.fusing point of ash
a. Fusing point of ash is the temperature at which the ash resulting from the burning of waste will
form a solid (clinker) by fusion and agglomeration.
b. Typical fusing temperatures: 1100 - 1200 degree centigrade.
4.heating value
a. By using a full scale boiler as a calorimeter
b. By using a laboratory bomb calorimeter
c. By calculation
d. Most of the data on the energy content of the organic components of MSW are based on the
results of bomb calorimeter tests.
Energy content of municipal solid waste can also be calculated by following equation :
Energy content of dry basis(Kj/Kg)= energy content as discarded(Kj/Kg)(100/100-%moisture content)

Energy content of dry ash-free basis(Kj/Kg)

=energy content as discarded(Kj/Kg)(100/100-%moisture content-%ash)

Proximate analysis is an attempt to define the fraction of volatile organic and fixed carbon in the fuel
If we don't know exact proximate data, we can calculate it by modified dulong’s formula

145C + 610[H2 - 1/8O2 ] + 40S + 10N

while the ultimate analysis is based on elemental composition .Some data for both proximate and ultimate
analysis published by EPA are given below.

Proximate analysis (percent by weight)

moisture 15-35

Volatile matter 50-60

Fixed carbon 3-9

Non combustibles 15-25

Higher heat values 3000-6000

Ultimate analysis (percent by weight)

moisture 15-35

carbon 15-30

hydrogen 2-5

oxygen 12-24

nitrogen 0.2-1.0

sulfur 0.02-0.1

Total non combustibles 15-25

Different methods used to determine waste generation.

Load count method

In this method the number of individual loads and the waste characteristics are taken into consideration.
The type of waste ,estimated volume are noted over a specific time period .
Weight volume method
Measuring the volume of the truck and weight of the truck gives us the sample data.
Material balance method
This method of waste analysis is generally done for higher waste management studies.this is the only to
determine the generation rate and material movement with any degree of reliability for each generation
source, such as individual house,or a commercial or an industrial source.
The materials mass balance can be formulated

Factors affecting generation rate are:

1. Geographical location.
The waste generated is also affected by the places environmental and climatic conditions.The places
where the climatic and environmental conditions are a bit harsh to live in the waste generated are quite
less as the people living in that scenario are less.
2. Seasons of the year.
Quantity of food waste is also affected by types of crops grown during different seasons.
3. Frequency of collection.
The frequency of waste collection is directly linked with the waste generation rate.as the collection
frequency increases the food waste generation rate decreases as the food waste collected on a daily basis is
comparably less.
4. Use of home grinders.
The use of home grinders is usually practised in many other international countries other than india.this is
practised in countries where the rules are quite stringent.by using home grinders for waste disposal the
volume of the waste generated decreases.
5. Characteristics of population.
There will be different kinds or types of people in a community, who will be having different lifestyles
and preferences .when the lifestyle of people tend to increase materialistically the generation of waste is
affected respectively.
6. Extent of recycling and reuse.
Many waste that we use daily can also be used sometimes ,some communities of people see the usability
in such materials and try to recycle or reuse them.this kind of reuse or recycling of waste can reduce or
may also increase the waste generated in any given place.
7. Legislation.
Legislation Perhaps the most important factor affecting the generation of a certain type of wastes is the
existence of local, state, and federal regulations concerning the use of specific materials.
8. Attitude of the public.
Public Attitudes - Significant reduction in the quantities of solid wastes generated occur when and if
people are willing to change of their own volition- their habits and lifestyles to conserve natural resources
and to reduce the economic burdens associated with the management of solid wastes.