Chapter 9: Solid Waste Disposal

9.1 Types and characteristics of solid waste

9.2 Composition of solid waste
9.3 Methods of solid waste collection
9.4 Solid waste disposal methods

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9.1 Types and characteristics of solid waste
• Solid waste means any garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water
supply treatment plant, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural
operations, and from community activities.
a) Garbage
• All bio- degradable organic wastes from kitchen, hotels, restaurants etc.
• Waste food, vegetable and fruit peelings, grass, leaves, animal and bird excreta.
• Decomposes by producing foul gases and creates health hazard.
• Leads to breeding of flies, mosquitoes and insects.
b) Rubbish
• All combustible and non-combustible wastes such as paper, broken furniture, glass, plastic
bottles, card board, dismantled building materials etc.
• Sources: house, street and trade centers
• House refuse: vegetable and animal wastes, ashes, debris, garbage etc.
• Street refuse: empty bottles, match box, fruit peels, tree leaves, street sweepings etc.
• Trade refuse: refuse produced from commercial areas, factories etc.
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c) Ashes
• These are the materials remaining from the burning of wood, coal, coke and other
combustible wastes
Characteristics of solid waste
• Dry state wastes
• Organic or inorganic in nature
• Combustible or non-combustible
in nature
• Bio-degradable or non bio-degradable
Composition of solid waste

Fig: composition of solid waste of Nepal

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Quantity of solid waste
• Quantity of solid waste production varies from place to
• place, season to season, living standard and food habitat of
• people, type of area, availability of food etc.
• Average production = 0.5 to 0.8 kg/capita/day (45% inorganic and 55% organic)
• Less in developing country and high in developed country.
• Developed country (Europe and USA) = 2 kg/capita/day
• Developing country = 0.3 – 1 kg/capita/day
• Kathmandu = 0.8 kg/person/day
• Most of all in Nepal is dust, rotten food, papers etc.
• If not properly disposed-off, create foul gases and diseases, nuisance and damages
aesthetic appearance of the city.

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Collection and transportation of solid wastes
• Collected in individual house in small covered containers or bins and removed by
scavengers or trucks or lorries.
• Municipality worker separates the recyclable and non-recyclable waste
• Sometimes public dust bins by the municipality at suitable location where the individual
householder throws.
• Solid wastes on the road collected once or twice a day by scavengers.
• Handcarts may also be used for collection and removal
• Collected solid waste is transported manually or by trucks, tractors, trailers etc.
• In Developed countries, truck with compressor is used.

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Methods of solid waste disposal
• 1. Dumping 2.Sanitary landfill
• 3. Incineration 4.Composting
1. Dumping
• Dumping means throwing away of solid
wastes in low lying areas to fill it
• Normally waste without garbage is
thrown so that no nuisance is produced.
• It is common in developing country.
• Advantages: Cheaper in construction
• Disadvantages: Unhygienic

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2.Sanitary landfill
• Improvement of dumping method
• Hygienic method.
• Solid wastes dumped into low
lying areas of the locality.
• Dumping in layer of 1 to 2 m,
Covered by min of 20 cm good
earth to prevent from exposure to
avoid nuisance of fliesand vermin.
• Next layer is added after 1 wk.
• All the layers are compacted

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Advantages:
i. Simple, no costly plants and equipment required
ii. Separation is not needed.
iii. No residue left for further disposal.
iv. Pits of low lying land are reclaimed.
Disadvantages:
i. Requires more land
ii. Creates foul gases and nuisance near site.
iii. Difficult to get good earth for covering.
iv. Lechite in rainy season may pollute surface/ ground water
v. Insecticides required to prevent fly nuisance.

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3. inceration
• Most hygienic method
• Separated into combustible and non-combustible.
• Combustible are burnt into furnace or incinerator.
• Hospital wastes are incinerated in B&B hospital,
Patan hospital, TU teaching hospital, Bir hospital
etc.

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Advantages:
i. Hygienic/completely destroys pathogens and insects.
ii. No odour and dust nuisance
iii. The heat produced may be used for other purposes
iv. Clinker may be used in road construction.
v. Lesser space requirement and
Disadvantages:
i. Improper incineration: air pollution (high chimneys required.
ii. Large initial cost
iii. Residue obtained further needs to be disposed-off.

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• Useful only for putrescible organic matters so
• separation is a must
•  Decomposed aerobically or anaerobically
•  Converts into humus rich in nitrogen and stable
• mineral compounds having high fertile value and
• called compost is used as a fertilizer.
•  Three methods:
• (a) Composting by trenching
• (b) Open windrow composting
• (c) Mechanical composting

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A. Composting by trenching:
• Trenches of (L=3 to 12 m, B= 2 to 3 m D=1 to 2 m)
excavated with a clear spacing of 2 m
• Organic solid waste is filled in 15 cm layers with 5 cm
thick night soil or animal excreta for adding bacteria.
• Covered by 10 cm layer (30 cm above the ground
surface) of good earth
• After 2 or 3 days biological action starts/temp rises to
75°C.
• After 4 to 6 months it changes into brown and odourless
powder called humus, called ‘compost mal’ is obtained

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B. Open windrow Composting:
• Organic and degradable matters is dumped on the ground
• D = 0.6 to 1 m L = 6 m and B=1 to 2 m wide piles at about
60% moisture content.
• Covered with animal dung, cattle urine, night soil etc.
• aerobic reaction, the temp rises to 75°C.
• Arrangement to pass air (inserting bamboos)
and temperature is measured by inserting thermometer.
• The temperature <70°C, pH between 7.2 to 7.4 otherwise
bacteria dies.
• If temp rises to 70°C, pile is overturned and the moisture
content/pH is adjusted.
• When temperature do not increase (the indication of
completion of bacterial activity) it means composting is
completed.
• It takes about 7 to 10 weeks
• Compost can be used as a fertilizer.
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C. Mechanical Composting:
Other methods of composting require larger area of
• land so Mechanical composting is useful in that case.
• Principle is same but composting is carried out in a
• closed room.
• Solid waste stabilizes within 3 – 7 days.
• Sprayers are used to adjust moisture content /coils are
• used to adjust temp constant at 70°C for bacterial work
• Costlier and done in large scale.

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