CHAPTER 7

Solid Waste

Engr. Jessa Mae A. Gomez

 Municipal Solid Waste
 Aka “trash” or
“garbage”.

 Consists of common
household waste, as
well as office and retail
waste.

 Excludes industrial,
hazardous and
construction waste.
MSW Composition
 Why More Plastic?
Desirable properties of
plastic include:

 Reusable
 Durable
 Light weight
 Unbreakable
Waste Management Practices

• The primary
method of
waste disposal
is landfilling.
 Recycling and Composting
Reduce in all of the following:
 Volume of material ending up in landfill
 Amount of methane generated in landfills
 Amount of energy needed to transport
material to a landfill
 Generation of rich organic matter
(composting)
 Leachate
 Rain filtering through landfills leaches toxic materials.

 More contaminants are leached when solid waste is

crushed into small particles and put in contact with
water because of increased surface area per unit
volume than larger particles.

 Contaminated leachate can seep from the bottom of

landfills.

 Older, unlined landfills may have water pollution

problems.
Properties of a Good Landfill
 Located away from surface water,
water table and drinking water
sources.
 Not near people.
 Deep enough to hold a high
volume of garbage.
 Monitoring wells for methane and
leachate
 Piping system for leachate
 The best soil in which to engineer
a landfill is high in clay with sand
or gravel above it.
Sources, Composition, and
Properties of Solid Waste
Outline
1. Sources of Solid Wastes

2. Types of Solid Waste

3. Composition of Solid Waste

4. Determination of the Composition of MSW in the

Field

5. Types of Materials Recovered from MSW

6. Future Changes in Waste Composition

 Sources and Types of Solid Wastes

Sources of solid wastes in a community are:

• Residential
• Commercial
• Institutional
• Construction and Demolition
• Municipal Services
• Treatment Plant Sites
• Industrial
• Agricultural
Sources and Types of Solid Wastes
 MSW includes all the community waste with the
exception of industrial process waste and
agriculture wastes

 It is important to define the various types of solid

wastes that are generated and the sources to design
and operate of the functional elements associated
with the management of solid waste
Sources and Types of Solid Wastes
Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes within a Community

Types of solid wastes Typical facilities, Source

activities, locations
where wastes are
generated

Food wastes, paper, cardboard, Single and multifamily Residential

plastics, textiles, leather, yard dwellings
wastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes,
special wastes (e.g., bulky items,
consumer electronics, white goods,
batteries, oil, tires), and household
hazardous wastes

Industrial process waste, scrap Light and heavy Industrial

materials, etc. Non - industrial waste manufacturing,
including food wastes, construction fabrication, construction
and demolition wastes, rubbish, sites, power and
ashes , hazardous wastes, ashes, chemical plants
special wastes
Sources and Types of Solid Wastes
Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes within a Community (Cont’d)

Types of solid wastes Typical facilities, Source

activities, locations
where wastes are
generated

Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, Stores, hotels, Commercial

food wastes, glass, metals, special restaurants, markets,
wastes, hazardous wastes office buildings, etc.

Same as commercial Schools, hospitals, Institutional

prisons, government
centers
Wood, steel, concrete, dirt, etc. New construction sites, Construction and
road repair, renovation Demolition
sites, demolition of
buildings, broken
pavement
 Sources and Types of Solid Wastes
Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes within a Community (Cont’d)

Types of solid wastes Typical facilities, Source

activities, locations where
wastes are generated

Street sweepings; landscape and tree Street cleaning, Municipal

trimmings; general wastes from parks, landscaping, parks, Services (excluding
beaches, and other recreational areas; beaches, other recreational treatment facilities)
sludge areas, water and
wastewater treatment plants

Spoiled food wastes, agricultural Field and row crops, Agricultural

wastes, rubbish, hazardous waste. orchards, vineyards, dairies,
feedlots, farms, etc.
Nature of Municipal Solid Waste

 Organic (Combustible)
 Inorganic (non-combustible)
 Putrescible
 Recyclable
 Hazardous
 Infectious
Composition of Solid Wastes
Composition is the term used to describe the
individual components that make up a solid waste
stream and their relative distribution

Information on the composition of solid wastes is

important in evaluating equipment needs, systems
and management programme and plans
Composition of Solid Wastes
The residential and commercial portion makes up
about 50 to 75 percent of total MSW generated in a
community.

 The actual percentage distribution will depend on

 The extent of construction and demolition
activities
 The extent of the municipal services provided
 The types of water and wastewater treatment
process that are used.
Typical Physical Composition of Residential MSW

Percent by Weight Moisture percent

Component
Range Typical Range Typical
Organic
Food wastes 6 – 26 15 50 – 80 70
Paper 25 – 45 40 4 – 10 6
Cardboard 3 – 15 4 4–8 5
Plastics 2– 8 3 1–4 2
Textiles 0– 4 2 6 – 15 10
Rubber 0– 2 0.5 1–4 2
Leather 0– 2 0.5 8 – 12 10
Yard wastes 0 – 20 12 30 – 80 60
Wood 1– 4 2 15 – 40 20
Misc. organics
In-organics
Glass 4 – 16 8 1– 4 2
Tin cans 2– 8 6 2–4 3
Aluminum 0– 1 1 2–4 2
Other metal 1– 4 2 2–6 3
Dirt, ash etc 0 – 10 4 6 – 12 8
 Composition of Solid Waste

The percentage distribution values for the

components in MSW vary with
 Location
 Season
 economic conditions
 population
 Social behavior
 Climate
 Market for waste materials
 Other factor
Determination of the Composition of MSW in the Field

 Because the heterogeneous nature of solid wastes, determination of

the composition is not an easy task

 More generalized field procedures based on common sense and

random sampling technique have evolved for determining
composition

 The procedure for residential MSW can be summarized as following

 The load is first quartered
 One part is then selected for additional quartering unit a sample
size of about 200 lb is obtained
 It is important to maintain the integrity of each selected quarter
regardless of the odor or physical decay
 make sure that all the components are measured
Determination of the Composition of MSW in the
Field
The field procedure for component identification for
commercial and industrial waste involves the analysis of
representative waste samples taken directly from the
source, not from a mixed waste load in a collection
vehicle. Due to the fact that these wastes are so variable.
Types of Materials Recovered from MSW
 Aluminum

 Paper
 Plastics
 Glass
 Ferrous Metals (Iron and Steel)
 Nonferrous waste
 Yard waste collected separately
 Construction and demolition wastes
These Sorting Facilities are Well Organized and Materials are Separated for
Further Processing
Types of Materials Recovered from MSW
 Recycling is the best way to solve solid waste
management problem. This process exists in all cities .
However, the recycling system differs from developing
countries and developed countries .

 Developed countries have well organized source

separation and recycling system while in the
developing countries the system of recycling is not
effective because it is still in the hands of informal
sectores
Developing Countries Have Recycling System Starting From Curbside Collection
System. Separate Colored Collections Bins are Provided to Deposit Separate
Waste Material
These Scavengers Collect the Recyclables and
Separate in their Own Premises
Separation of Recyclable and Placing Separately
Recyclables Collected from Scavengers are Deposited in
One Place
 Future Changes in Waste Composition

 In terms of solid waste management planning, knowledge of future

trends in the composition of solid waste and quantities are of great
importance.

 Food Waste
 The quantity of residential food waste collected has changed
significantly over the years as a result of technical advances
and change in public health

 Food processing and packaging industry and the use of kitchen

food waste grinders have effected the quantity of food waste

 The percentage of food waste, by weight, has decreased from

about 14 percent in the early 1960s to about 9 percent in 1992.
 Future Changes in Waste Composition

 Paper and Cardboard

 The percentage of paper and cardboard found in MSW has increased greatly
over the past half century , rising from about 20 percent in the early 1940s to
about 40 percent in 1992

 if the U.S. postal rate for bulk mail were increased to first class mail, a
significant reduction would occur in the amount of paper collected for
disposal

 Yard Wastes
 The percentage of yard waste has also increased significantly, due primarily to
passage of laws that prohibit burning of yard wastes.

 By weight, yard waste currently accounts for about 16 to 24 percent of the

waste stream

 Environmental conditions such as droughts have also affected the quantities

of yard wastes collected in certain locations
 Future Changes in Waste Composition

 Plastics
 The percentage of plastics in solid waste has increased
significantly during the past 50 years

 the use of plastics has increased from almost non-measurable

quantities in the early 1940s to between 7 and 8 percent, by
weight, in 1992

 It is anticipated the use of plastic will continue to increase, but at

a slower rate than during the past 25 years
THANK YOU!