CHAPTER 5A
SOLID WASTE – TYPES,
SOURCES, PROPERTIES,
GENERATION AND STORAGE
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students should be able to;
1. define solid waste describe different types of solid
wastes
2. identify the different sources of solid wastes
3. understand and state the three physical, chemical
and biological properties of solid waste
4. Identify factors affecting generation rates of MSW
5. Identify several types of MSW storage at source
before collection
6. Calculate amount of waste generated by a
particular city
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What is Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)?
Municipal solid waste (MSW) is solid waste
from residential, commercial, institutional, and
industrial sources, but it does not include such
things as agricultural waste, construction waste,
automobile bodies, municipal sludges,
combustion ash, and industrial process waste
even though those wastes might also be
disposed of in municipal waste landfills or
incinerators.
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Solid Waste Flow
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Elements of Integrated Solid
Waste Management
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Types of Solid Waste
Residential and Commercial
Residential: Generated by me and you: Organic (combustible) and
inorganic (non-combustible), food, paper, garden trimmings, glass,
white goods, waste oil, spent cans of insecticide.
Commercial: stores, restaurants, hotels, car repair: paper, plastic.
Commingled: Mixed wastes, not separated at the source.
Putrescible: wastes that will decompose rapidly primarily food.
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Types of Solid Waste (cont..)
Institutional and others
Commingled wastes
generated by government
buildings, schools, prisons
and hospitals.
Construction and Demolition.
Road repair, sewer jobs,
renovations: wood, concrete,
steel, shingles, electrical
parts.
Municipal Services. Street
cleaning, parks, catch basins:
trimmings, food, paper,
sweepings, dead animals,
abandoned vehicles. Treatment Plant
Sludge
Treatment Plant Sludge. 9
Types of Solid Waste (cont..)
Industrial Wastes
Industrial waste is a type of
waste produced by industrial
activity, such as that
of factories, mills and mines.
It has existed since the outset
of the industrial revolution.
Much industrial waste is
neither hazardous nor toxic,
such as waste fiber produced
by agriculture and logging.
Medical wastes which are
typically incinerated
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Types of Solid Waste (cont..)
Agricultural Wastes
Agricultural waste is waste
produced as a result of various
agricultural operations. It
includes manure and other
wastes from farms, poultry
houses and slaughterhouses;
harvest waste; fertilizer run- off
from fields; pesticides that enter
into water, air or soils; and salt
and silt drained from fields.
Enormous quantities from
planting, harvesting from row,
field, tree and vine crops and
animal husbandry, feedlots.
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Types of Solid Waste (cont..)
Plastics;
Contain a numerical code, 1 through 7,
which is stamped on the bottom of the
container inside a small triangle.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE/1); 2-
liter soda bottle
High-density polyethylene (HDPE/2); milk
bottles
Special Wastes:
Bulky items: furniture, lamps.
Electronics
Major appliances (white goods)
Batteries, oil and tires
Household hazardous wastes:
Paint, cleaners, bug and garden sprays 12
Bulky Wastes
• Include old refrigerators, televisions, washing machines,
mattresses, furniture, computers, tyres, scrapped
vehicles (cars, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.)
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Physical Properties of MSW
Specific Weight
Measured in kg/m3, a volume measure and,
therefore, subject to interpretation and variable.
Beware of reporting: loose, as found in containers,
uncompacted, compacted.
Use:
- 100 kg/m3 for residential
- 120 kg/m3 for commercial
- 220 kg/m3 in the compactor truck
- 330 kg/m3 in the landfill
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Physical Properties (cont..)
Moisture Content
Wet-weight relationship:
M = 100 %
Varies from 15-40%, use 21%, food and yard wastes
very high-70%; paper, plastics and inorganics very
low-3%.
Important consideration for transformation processes:
energy recovery (incineration) and composting. Rain
soaked trash will way more than its dry counterpart, a
consideration at the weighing scales.
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Solid Waste Generation
Rates and Collection
The knowledge of solid wastes generation, separation for recycling
and collection for further processing or disposal is of fundamental
importance to all aspects of solid waste management. In order to
understand these processes, the following topics are considered :
1. Importance of waste quantities
2. Measures and methods used to quantify Solid Waste quantities
3. Waste generation rates
4. Factors that affect waste generation and collection rates
5. Waste characterization and diversion studies
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Importance of
Waste Quantities
The quantities of solid
waste generated and
collected must comply
with federal and state
waste diversion
program, for selecting
specific equipment,
and designing of
collection routes,
material recovery
facilities (MRFs), and
disposal facilities.
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Estimation of MSW
Methods used to estimate waste quantities
are;
1. Load-count Analysis
2. Weight-volume Analysis
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Load Count Analysis
Loads are counted and recorded.
Data are then analysed.
Item No. of Avrg Sp. Wt. Total
Example 1: Loads Vol. (kg/m3) Wt.
Estimation of unit solid waste (m3) (kg)
generation for a residential area. From
the following data estimate the unit
waste generation per week for a Compactor 9 20 220 39600
residential area consisting of 1200 Truck
homes. The observation location is a
local transfer station that receives all Flatbed 7 2 100 1400
the wastes collected for disposal. The Truck
observation period was 1 week.
Private 20 0.3 70 420
1. Number of compactor truck = 9
Vehicles
2. Average size of compactor truck =
20 m3
3. Number of flatbed loads = 7 Total (kg/wk) 41,420
4. Average flatbed volume = 2 m3
5. Number of loads from individual Therefore unit rate of generation
cars and trucks = 20 = 41,420 kg/wk
6. Estimated volume per domestic (1200x3.5)x(7 days/wk)
vehicle = 0.3 m3 21
= 1.41 kg/[Link]
Example 2
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Weight-Volume Analysis
Weight-Volume Analysis: Although the use of detailed weight-
volume data obtained by weighing and measuring each load (see
figure) will certainly provide better information on the specific
weight of the various forms of solid wastes at a given location,
the question remains: What information is needed in terms of
study objectives?
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Weighing Bridge
GENERATION RATES
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SW Generation Rates
• Generation rates for MSW are usually estimated by
the amount of waste generated per person per day.
• The generation rates depends on the standard of
living and culture of the people living in a particular
city or country.
• In higher income countries the current generation rate
is about 1 tonne / per household per year.
• In Denmark, domestic component is 225kg/head/year
plus 100-150 kg/head/year of bulky waste and 20-25
kg/head/year of garden waste.
• Generally 1kg/head/day waste generated by the
people of Denmark.
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SW Generation in Malaysia
An ever-expanding population and high rates of economic
development in Malaysia resulted in the generation of vast
amount of waste.
1. Average per capita generation of waste 0.85 kg/cap/day
(0.45 – 1.44 kg/cap/day).
2. About 1.5kg/cap/day in Kuala Lumpur.
3. About 76% of waste generated are collected.
4. 3-5% is recycled and the remainder is taken to disposal
sites.
5. About 5% waste collected in KL is reused and recycled.
6. Over 40% of 175 disposal sites are operating as
dumpsite.
7. Intermediate treatment is limited to small-scale thermal
treatment plant in resorted islands.
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SW Generation in Malaysia
• Malaysia, with a population of over 28 million generates
23,000 tonnes of domestic waste daily. However, this
amount is expected to rise to 30,000 tonnes by the year
2020.
• At present, the per capita generation of solid waste in
Malaysia varies from 0.45 to 1.44kg per day depending on
the economic status of an area. Average per capita
generation is 0.85 kg/[Link]
• In Malaysia around 60% of waste generated arises from
urban sector consisting mainly of sewage, domestic and
commercial solid wastes, whereas the agro-industrial
contributes to 20% and the rest from the industrial sector
and construction.
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Factors that affect
waste generation rates
• Source • Legislation
reduction/recycling • Public attitudes
• Geographic location • Size of households
• Season • Population density
• Home food waste • Pay-As-You Throw
grinders Programs
• Collection frequency • Population increase
• GNP trend, per capita
income
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End
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