Comprehensive study on social, compositional and thermal aspects of household solid waste for waste-to-energy potential estimation in Tashkent city

Abstract

The management of household solid waste (HSW) has emerged as a key issue in developing nations. A critical analysis of the physical and chemical components of MSW management and infrastructure is necessary to address current socioeconomic issues. According to the World Bank projections, the annual global generation of solid waste from municipalities is expected to reach 2.59 billion tons by 2030 and and 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050. Inadequate handling of waste products frequently results in harm to the environment, the spread of diseases, and the generation of greenhouse gases, all of which have contributed to climate change and global warming. The waste-to-energy (WtE) strategy, which drastically reduces waste volume and produces renewable energy, has been adopted by a number of countries to address these issues. In this study, the social, compositional, and thermal aspects of household solid waste in a typical Tashkent District were studied. A Social survey was conducted to investigate residents’ behavior towards waste sorting. The survey was conducted in the Uchtepa district of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The composition of household solid waste was studied to explore the fractional distribution of the waste in the area. The American Society for Testing and Materials (5231–92) and European PN-EN standards were used for sampling, sorting, and for the rest of the analyses. Subsequently, proximate and ultimate analyses were performed to better understand combustion properties. A high heating value was identified to estimate the energy generation potential of household solid waste. Social survey results showed that the waste generated in the apartments will be discarded either on the day of its generation or the maximum after three days. Overall, 52 % of the respondents chose to sort their waste, compared to 48 % who had no real desire to separate their household solid waste. Food waste, plastics, and paper constituted 70 % of the total waste generated in the district. The mixed waste sample had a high heating value of 23.87 Mj/kg. The analysis revealed an energetic potential of HSW generated from the landfill as thermal energy.