SOLID WASTE COLLECTION & DISPOSAL

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 3 In rural areas…
Management of household level solid waste
A: Sorting out or segregation at Household
 generating awareness to sort out waste at the household level by keeping bio
degradable and non bio degradable waste in separate colour bins of 5 to 10
liters capacity each(e.g. green color bin for bio degradable waste and blue
bin for non bio degradable waste )
 Reusable segregated non biodegradable waste may be reutilized at
household level

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B. Treatment/ management of biodegradable household

level waste:
 Efforts should be made to treat the segregated bio
degradable waste at the household level by adopting any
one of the following technologies and reuse the treated
products:
 Composting
 Vermi composting
 Biogas plant

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C. Treatment/ management of household level non

biodegradable waste:
 Some of the sorted out non bio degradable waste will be of
recyclable type. Households may be encouraged to keep
such waste separately and sell to the rag pickers and
kabadiwalas and keep the non-recyclable products for
subsequent transportation for community level
management.

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Management of Community level solid waste

A: Collection and Transportation

 Self Help Groups or group of unemployed youth
in the village may be identified for collection
and transportation of household waste to
community storage/ treatment site. Each
member may be responsible for collection of
waste for about 75- 100 households.
 SHG members may be given suitable number of
carts or tricycles for collection

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 B: Treatment of community level biodegradable waste:

Once the segregated waste is collected at the community
level, the biodegradable waste may be treated by
adopting any of the following technology options:
 (a) Composting
 (b) Vermi composting
 (c) Biogas plant

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C: Treatment/ management of non biodegradable waste:

 The non bio degradable waste may be

further sorted into various categories (e.g.
plastic, paper, metals, cloth etc). Those
which are recyclable may be sold to
kabadiwalas or recycled at the community
level by adopting suitable technologies
some of which are discussed separately.
Those waste materials which can neither be
recycled nor sold may be sent to the landfill
sites in the village.

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9 Urban areas
Activity Explanation
Element
Waste Activities in which materials are identified as no longer
gathering being of utility and value and gathered together for
disposal
On site Activities linked with the handling, storage, and
handling, processing of solid wastes at or near the point of origin.
storage and
processing.
Collection Activities linked with the gathering of solid wastes and
and transport transporting wastes after collection to the site where
the collection vehicle is emptied.
Processing Activities linked to the methods/processes, equipments
and recovery and machineries used to recover usable materials, re-
cycle or conversion products or energy from wastes.
Disposal Activities associated with ultimate disposal of solid
wastes, by conversion to harmless products and, land-
filling.
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10 Disposal methods - Dumping

 In this method the refuse IS dumped in low lying areas

partly as a method of reclamation of land. As a result
of bacterial action -refuse decreases considerably in
volume and is converted into humus, the method
through popular in cities. It is not quite satisfactory
because of the following drawbacks.
 (1) The refuse is exposed to flies and rodents.
 (2) It is a source of nuisance from smell and unsightly
appearance.
 (3) The loose refuse is dispersed by the action of wind.
 (4) Drainage from dumps contributes to the pollution
of surface and ground water.

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 11 Sanitary Land Filling
 This method is simple, efficient and cheap.
 It consists of providing a deep wide trench (3.5 m x 6.0 m)
and filling it up with refuse up to a depth of 2.0 m.
 The refuse is then compacted by rollers or bulldozers and
covered with 1-2 m thick earth.
 The bacteria and fungi in refuse start the work of
decomposition of organic substances and convert them into
stable substances. The temperature in the sanitary landfill will
be around 60° to 70° C during the first two weeks and will start
dropping afterwards.
 The top of the fill is covered by a layer of earth or ash,
properly leveled, with sides sloping at 45° to the horizontal.

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 12 Incineration
 It involves burning of combustible refuse in an incinerator.
 All sorts of bacteria, Insects etc. are destroyed and the
remaining noncombustible ashes, metals. Etc. have little
sanitation problems.
 The heat produced during burning of the refuse can be
utilised for the production of steam and’ other purposes.
 It is the most sanitary method of disposal of refuse. It is
recommended for crowded cities and populated areas due
to lack of suitable land.
 However, because of the large amount of smoke and gases
emitted in this process, it causes air pollution.

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 13 Composting
 Composting is a method of combined disposal of refuse
and night soil or sludge. It is a process of nature.
 In this organic matter breaks down under bacterial
action. These results in the formation of relatively stable
humus like material called compost.
 It has considerable manurial value for the soil. This
method of refuse disposal is popular In India.
 The following methods of composting are now in use:
i) Bangalore method.
ii) Indore method
iii) Mechanical composting.

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Bangalore method
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 It is a satisfactory method of disposal of town Wastes and night-soil.
Trenches of 4.5 to 10m long, 1.5 to 2.5 m wide and 0.90 m deep is dug.
Depths greater 0.9 m are not recommended because of slow
decomposition.
 The pits should be located on leeward side by not less than 800 m away
from city limits. The trench is alternately filled with layers of refuse (150
m) and night soil (50 mm) till the heap rises to 300 mm above the
ground level.
 The top layer should be of refuse at least 250 mm In thickness. Then the
leap is covered with excavated earth.
 Within 7 days, as a result of bacterial action, considerable heat (upto
70°C) Is generated In the compost mass. This Intense heat persists over 2
to 3 weeks. This serves to decompose the refuse and night soil and to
destroy all pathogenic and parasitic organisms. At the end of 4 to 6
months, decomposition Is complete. The resulting manure is a well
composed material of high manurial value.

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 15 Indore method
 A modification of the above method is the aerobic method
called Indore method of composing.
 The operation in filling the pit is similar to the Bangalore
method except that the top 600 mm portion of the trench Is
left unfilled.
 Turning of the mass is then done at intervals of 5 to 7 days
twice or thrice thereby enabling material both outside and
inside to be fully decomposed aerobically under the action of
atmospheric oxygen. All the pathogenic organisms and fly
larvae are thoroughly destroyed.
 The compost mass may be converted into humus in a period
of 15 to 20 days.

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16 Mechanical composting

 In this method, the refuse is first cleared of salvable

materials such as rags, bones, metal, glass and items,
which are likely to interfere with the grinding
operation.
 It is then pulverised in order to reduce the size of
particles to less than 40 mm.
 The pulverised refuse is then mixed with sewage in a
rotating machine and incubated.
 The factors which are controlled in the operation are
a certain carbon-nitrogen ratio, temperature,
moisture, pH and aeration. The entire period of
composting is completed in 4 to 6 weeks.

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17 Fermentation or Biological
Digestion
 In this method. The garbage is placed in air tight sealed
tanks without air for 10 days and in presence of air for 15 to
20 days.
 If necessary, the drainage collected at the bottom of the
tank is re-circulated to keep the garbage wet.
 The digested residue is stable and is good soil conditioner.

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18 Pyrolysis

 This is also known as destructive distillation.

 In this process solid wastes are either
shredded until they are finely ground or
partly shredded and then heated in an
oxygen free atmosphere.
 Most organic substances are split through a
combination of thermal cracking and
condensation reactions into gaseous, liquid
and solid fractions.
 This process is highly endothermic.
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Ploughing in Fields &
Ploughing in Fields
Grinding and Discharging to Sewers
This method of refuse disposal is used only on
small scale. It is suitable for summer camps etc.

Grinding and Discharging to Sewers

In this method. The refuse is well ground in house
or commercial grinders and is discharged into
the sewer. This method is not common in India.
But is used in America and other Western
Countries.

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20 Salvaging

 Salvaging is the removal of certain elements

such as paper, Rags, Glass, Plastics, Scrap
metals etc. from waste having marketable
value.
 Separation of salvable materials from refuse is
usually done by hand-picking at smaller plants
and by means of mechanical devices at larger
ones. Scavengers will be interested in the
collection of these materials.
 However hand separation is not consistent with
human dignity and is a source of insanitation.

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21 Dumping Into the Sea

 Solid wastes cause pollution to the aquaculture if they are

dumped into the sea along the coast.
 But radioactive substances are packed in containers and
taken deep into the sea and then dumped.
 These containers reach the bottom of the sea. In due
course they lose their radioactivity

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