CHAPTER – FOUR

Solid Waste Management

4.1. Introduction
4.2. Characteristics of MSW
4.3. Reuse, Recycling, & Recovery
4.4. Ultimate Solid Waste Disposal
 4.1. Introduction
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 Urbanization and economic growth – Higher solid waste

generations.
 Solid waste is a 3rd pollution after air & water pollution, and consists
highly heterogeneous mass of discarded items, its generation rates &
composition varies across communities, institutions, countries, etc.

 Solid waste is generally defined as any solid or semisolid

material that is unwanted by the holder and intentionally
thrown away for disposal.
 It includes: things commonly described as garbage, refuse, and trash;
things destined for reuse, recycle, or reclamation; hazardous wastes;
and sludge – however, it excludes the Radioactive Wastes and In-situ
Mining Wastes.

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 The relationship between solid waste and human disease

is intuitively obvious; improper solid waste management
leads to health problems on the nearby communities.
 Poor aesthetics quality (visual and odor) can affect tourism; and
more than 20 human diseases associated with a solid waste disposal
sites have been witnessed.

 Rats, Flies, & Mosquitoes are the most important disease vectors
(transmitters) associated with the solid waste. Rats not only destroy
property and infect by direct bite, but also carry insects like Fleas
and Ticks that are also vectors. Flies are such prolific breeders that
70,000 flies can be produced in 1 m3 of garbage, & can carry many
diseases like Bacillary Dysentery.

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 Gases, such as CH4, generated by the decomposition of

solid wastes can cause fire, even exposition at very high
concentrations.

 Infiltration of Leachate from the solid waste disposal

sites into groundwater can also threaten a public health.
 Leachate is formed when rainwater collects in landfills, waste ponds,
or waste lagoons, & stays in contact with waste material long enough
to leach out and dissolve some of its chemical constituents.

 It is the major ground- and surface-water contaminant, particularly

where there is heavy rainfall and rapid percolation through the soil.

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 Objectives of solid waste management (SWM) are:

 To remove discarded items from inhabited places in a timely manner

to prevent the spread of disease, to minimize the likelihood of fires, &
to reduce aesthetic insults arising from putrefying organic matter.

 To dispose of the discarded items in an environmentally sound way.

 Integrated solid waste management (ISWM) is the

selection of a combination of techniques, technologies, &
management programs to achieve the SWM objectives.
 The ISWM hierarchy of actions: Source Reduction (Reuse and Waste
reduction), Recycling, Recovery and Composting, and Safe Disposal.

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 Efficient design and operation of a municipal solid waste

(MSW) management system is often difficult, because of
the problems associated mainly with:
 The heterogeneous nature of the MSW materials.

 Prediction of the MSW composition collected now and in the future –

the characteristics, composition and rates of generation varies from
one community to another, as well as with time in any community.

 The MSWM problems can be separated into Three steps:

 Collection and transportation of solid wastes; Recovery of the useful

fractions; and Safe disposal of the remaining solids.

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 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
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 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is solid wastes, other than

hazardous & radioactive materials, that consist of all the
solid and semisolid materials discarded by a community.
 Refuse is a fraction of MSW that produced in domestic households
and is comprise of garbage, rubbish, and trash.

 Garbage is the animal & vegetable waste resulting from

the handling, preparation, cooking, and serving of food –
and is composed largely of Putrescible Organic matter &
Moisture with a minimum of Free Liquids.
 It does not include food processing wastes from canneries, slaughter
houses, packing plants, and similar facilities.
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 Originates mainly in home kitchens, stores, restaurants, markets and

other places where food is stored, prepared, or served – Decomposes
rapidly (esp. in warm weather) and can produce disagreeable odor.

 Rubbish consists of a variety of both Noncombustible &

Combustible MSWs, but does not include garbage.
 Trash is a subcomponent of rubbish, which includes large items like
tree limbs, old appliances, pallets, and other bulky items that are not
commonly collected with the household refuse.

 Combustible rubbish (the ‘trash’ component of rubbish) consists:

rags, papers, cartons, boxes, wood furniture, tree branches, etc. – It
is not putrescible and can be stored for long periods of time.

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 Noncombustible rubbish is materials which cannot be burned at

the ordinary incinerator temp of 700 to 1,100°C – It is the inorganic
portion of refuse, such as Tin cans, Heavy metals, Glass, ashes, etc.

 In a solid waste management it is important to know its

composition – which requires some sort of classification.
 Classifications can be as Hazardous and Nonhazardous; Recyclable
and Non-Recyclable; Putrescible and Non-Putrescible; Commingled
and Non-Commingled; etc.

 If the components of a MSW are mixed, then they are referred to as

Commingled MSW; MSWs that decompose quickly are referred
to as Putrescible wastes.

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 The most common materials of MSW can be classified in

several different ways.
 MSW can be classified based on its composition, though it is likely to
change due to changes in lifestyle, source, and in collection systems.

 If the Source is important, classification as: Commercial, Domestic,

Industrial, Institutional, Street, Demolition, or Construction.

 If the Nature of a waste material is important, classification as:

Organic, Inorganic, Combustible, Noncombustible, Putrescible, and
Nonputrescible.

 The two most important classifications are based on the Kind of the
Materials and on the Heat Content of the waste.

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 Refuse Materials Type, Composition, and Source
Kind Composition Sources

Wastes from preparation, cooking, and serving

Garbage of food; market wastes; wastes from handling,
storage, and sale of produce
Combustible: Paper, Cartons, Boxes, Barrels,
Households,
Rubbish Excelsior, Tree Branches, Bedding, Dunnage,
Restaurants,
Yard Trimmings, Wood Furniture
Institutions,
Noncombustible: Metals, Metal Furniture, Stores,
Tin Cans, Dirt, Glass, Crockery, Minerals Markets

Ashes Residue from fires used for cooking and

heating and from on-site incineration
Street Refuse Sweepings, dirt, leaves, catch basin dirt,
contents of litter receptacles Streets,
Sidewalks,
Dead Animals Cats, dogs, squirrels, deer
Alleys,
Abandoned vehicles Unwanted cars & trucks left on public property Vacant Lots

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 Refuse Materials Type, Composition, and Source
Kind Composition Sources

Industrial Food-processing wastes, boiler house Factories, power

wastes cinders, lumber scraps, metal scraps, plants
shavings

Demolition Lumber, pipes, brick, masonry, and other Demolition sites to be

wastes construction materials from razed used for new
buildings and other structures buildings, renewal
projects, expressways

Construction Scrap lumber, pipe, other construction New construction,

wastes materials remodeling
Special wastes Hazardous solids and liquids; explosives, Households, hotels,
pathological wastes, radioactive materials hospitals, stores,
institutions, industry

Sewage Solids from coarse screening and from Sewage treatment

treatment grit chambers; septic tank sludge plants, septic
residue tanks

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 4.2. Characteristics of MSW
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 Refuse management depends both on the characteristics

of the Site and the characteristics of the MSW.
 The MSW composition is used to describe the individual components
that makes up the solid waste stream and their relative distribution,
usually based on the percentage by weight.
 There are many physical, chemical and biological properties of MSW,
which are important for the management of MSW disposal (such as
composting, landfills, etc.) and for the recovery of a range of valuable
materials, including energy.
 The most important physical properties (compositions) of the MSW
include: Density (also known as Specific Weight), Moisture Content,
Particle Size and Distribution, Field Capacity, and Porosity.

Basic Environmental Engineering (ChEng-3142)

 Physical Composition
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 Density (kg/m3): Density varies due to the large variety

of waste constituents, the degree of compaction, the state
of decomposition, and in landfills because of the amount
of daily cover and the total depth of waste.

 The MSW density varies depending upon the type of treatment it gets
(loose, compacted, uncompacted), Location, Season, Humidity, and
Storage Time – Those stored for a long time will tend to consolidate
and thus occupying less volume.

 It is important to assess the Total Mass and Volume of MSW, which

must be managed – The average density of loose refuse can be about
115kg/m3, but that of the compacted can be 235 to 300kg/m3.

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 Moisture Content: Is most commonly expressed as the

percentage of the wet weight of material, & is important
in regards to Density, Compaction, the role moisture in
Decomposition processes, the use of MSW in incinerator,
and the flushing of inorganic components.

 Particle Size & Distribution: The size & distribution

of the components of MSW are important for materials
recovery, especially when mechanical means are used.

 Field Capacity: Is the total amount of moisture that can

be retained in waste sample subject to gravitational pull.
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 Solid wastes in excess of field capacity will form Leachate. In general,

field capacity varies with the degree of applied pressure and the state
of decomposition of the wastes.
 Typical values for uncompacted commingled wastes from residential
and commercial sources are in the range of 50 to 60%.

 Permeability of Compacted Wastes: The hydraulic

conductivity of compacted waste is an important physical
property because it governs the movement of liquids and
gases in a landfill.
 Permeability often depends on other properties of the solid material
including: Pore Size Distribution, Surface Area, and Porosity.

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 Chemical Composition
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 Knowledge of the chemical composition of MSW – Help

evaluating alternative processing and recovery options.
 Especially important where wastes are burned for energy recovery, in
which the four most vital properties are Proximate Analysis, Fusing
Point of Ash, Elemental Analysis, and Energy Content.

 Elemental analysis is also vital in determining nutrient availability.

 Proximate Analysis: Include four tests: Moisture Loss

as heated to 105°C for 1-hr; Volatile Combustible matter
(Loss on Ignition); Fixed Carbon; Ash (weight of residue
after combustion).
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 Fusing Point of Ash – is the temperature at which the

ash resulting from the burning of waste will form a solid
(clinker) by fusion – typically, from 1100 – 1200°C.

 Elemental Analysis: is also known as ultimate analysis

and mainly involves the determination of Carbon, Sulfur,
Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen.
 Because of concern about halogens these are also often determined.

 The results of this analysis are used to characterize the composition

of the organic matter in the wastes – This is important for C/N ratios
for biological decomposition.

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 Energy Content (kJ/kg): Energy content of the MSW

components can be determined by using a boiler system,
laboratory bomb calorimeter, or by calculation using the
elemental composition test results.

 Essential Nutrients: If the organic content of MSW is

to be used for biological conversions either for compost,
methane or ethanol production, then determination of
the essential nutrients content is necessary.
 Of most importance are the major nutrients in their various forms –
Nitrogen (as nitrates and ammonia), Phosphorus, and Potassium.

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 4.3. Reuse, Recycling and Recovery
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 Reuse – either uses products again for the same purpose

or puts products into a secondary, often creative, use.
 An example of the former is the repeated use of bear bottles, and in a
latter case the use of paper and plastic bags for the disposal of trash.
 Reuse extends the life of the original product, thus reducing waste.
 The product doesn’t return to the industrial sector to be reprocessed,
Rather remains within the Public sector or Consumer side.

 Recycling/Material Recovery involves the collection

of waste material and the subsequent processing of that
waste into the new products.
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 Recycling – the collection of a waste products and their

return into the industrial sector for remanufacturing.
 Turning plastic food containers into benches & Turning newspapers
into cartoon – Down-cycling because the waste material can’t be
turned into as “high” a product as the original product.

 Recovery differs from recycling in that a waste material

is collected as Mixed Refuse, and then the materials are
removed by various processing steps.
 Refuse can be processed by running it under a magnet to remove the
ferrous materials, which are then sold back to the respective industry
for remanufacturing.

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 Recycling and recovery are the two primary methods of returning

the wasted materials into the industry for remanufacturing and
subsequent use – The recovery of wasted materials is frequently
conducted in a Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

 The difference between recycling and recovery is that in the latter

the user of the wasted product is not asked to do any separation,
while in the former the crucial separation step is done voluntarily
by the person who gains very little personal benefit from going to
the trouble of separating out waste materials.

 Manufacturers can enhance the feasibility of recycling & recovery

of materials by consciously producing products that are simple
and inexpensive to recover or recycle or that can be reused.

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 Energy Recovery
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 Since refuse is about 80% combustible material, it can be

burned as is, or it can be processed to produce a Refuse-
derived Fuel (RDF).
 Utilization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste for fuel,
while simultaneously reducing the volume, may be an important part
of an integrated solid waste management.

 Refuse combustion facilities are known as Waste-to-Energy plants,

as they not only combust the refuse but also use the heat to produce
steam, that is then used to power turbines that produce electricity.

 In these plants, the trash volume is reduced by 90% and its weight by
75% – The remaining residue is disposed of in a landfill.

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 Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) is the combustible portion

of solid waste separated from a noncombustible portion
by Shredding, Screening, and Air Classifying processes.
 RDF containing 12 – 16MJ/kg can be produced from 55 – 85% of the
refuse received.
 It is called a Supplemental fuel system, since the RDF is typically
marketed as a fuel to outside users as a supplement to coal or other
solid fuels in their existing boilers.

 In a typical system, a MSW is fed into a screen to remove

glass and dirt, and the remaining fraction is conveyed to
a shredder for size reduction.
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 Shredded wastes then pass through an air classifier to separate

the “light fraction” (plastics, paper, wood, textiles, food wastes,
and smaller amounts of light metals) from the “heavy fraction”
(metals, aluminum, and small amounts of glass and ceramics).

 The light fraction, after being passed via the magnetic system
to remove the ferrous metals, is ready for fuel use.

 The heavy fraction is conveyed to another magnetic removal

system for the recovery of ferrous metals and also aluminum.

 The remaining glass, ceramics, & other nonmagnetic materials

from the heavy fraction are then sent into the landfill for safe
disposal.

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 4.4. Ultimate Solid Waste Disposal
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 Solid waste disposal is the placement of a solid waste so

that it no longer impacts the society or the environment.
 Either assimilated so that it cannot be identified in the environment,
as by incineration to ash, or hidden well enough so that it cannot be
readily found, as by sanitary landfill.

 The placement of solid waste on land is called a dump –

by far the least expensive means of solid waste disposal.
 Involves simple operation – making sure that the trucks empty at the
proper spot & Volume is often reduced by setting the dumps on fire.
 Rodents, insects, odor, and air pollution at the dump site often result
in serious public health, aesthetic, and environmental problems.

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 Sanitary landfills are engineered operations, designed &

operated according to accepted standards. Sanitary land-
filling is the compaction of refuse in a lined pit/ditch and
covering of the compacted refuse with an earthen cover.
 Prepare a site with liners to deter groundwater pollution, deposit the
refuse in the ditch, compact it with bulldozer, and cover the material
with compacted soil at the conclusion of each day’s operation.

 Siting and developing proper sanitary landfill requires planning and

engineering design skills.

 The sanitary land-filling procedure involves several stages, including:

Siting, Design, Operation, and Closing.

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 Sitting Landfills – In addition to public acceptability,

it should consider:
 Soil Type & Property: Can the soil be excavated & used as cover?
 Distance from Collection – should be placed at proper distance
 Rainfall Patterns: Leachate production is influenced by weather.
 Wind: Landfill should be downwind from any nearby community.
 Size: A small site with limited capacity is generally not acceptable
since finding a new site entails considerable difficulty.
 Drainage: Rapid runoff will lessen a mosquito problem; however,
proximity to streams supplies may result in water pollution.

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 Treatment of Leachate: Landfill proximate to WWT facilities.

 Proximity to Airports: All landfills attract birds to some extent,

and are therefore not compatible with airport sitting.

 Depth of the Water Table: The bottom of the landfill should be

substantially above the expected highest groundwater elevation.

 Ultimate Use: Can the area be used for private or public use after
the land-filling operation is complete?

 Design of Landfills – should include methods for the

recovery and treatment of the leachate produced by the
decomposing refuse and the venting or use of the gases.
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 Problems associated with the sanitary landfills:

 No landfill is tight enough to avoid contamination of groundwater by

the landfill leachate.

 Landfill never disappears – it will be there for many years – limiting

the use of the land for other purposes.

 The landfill gases (esp. CO2 and CH4) are greenhouse gases, and can
cause Odor, Soil productivity, and Explosion problems.

 Odor from the site and the truck traffic to and from the landfill make
a sanitary landfill an undesirable neighbor to nearby communities.

 Birds are both a nuisance and a problem to low-flying aircrafts.

Basic Environmental Engineering (ChEng-3142)

Thank You