Household solid waste sustainable management in the Khenifra region, Morocco

Abstract

Khenifra region is facing a steady increase in household waste production in the last few years linked to population growth, consumption patterns, and living standard changes. This increase is making local authorities suffering in waste management when they are using traditional technics (collect and dumping in landfill). This study is aiming to characterize solid waste in this region for suitable management. Based on samples collected from trucks arriving to landfill site (4 km from Khenifra city), we used characterization method (MODECOM references) to distinguish between three fraction size particles (large, > 250 mm; medium, 250–80 mm; fine, < 80 mm) and 10 categories (organic materials, paper, cardboard, plastics …). This operation is repeated on 4 sectors in Khenifra region with a frequency of 2 campaigns in the season. A matter characterization has been done on the fine fraction (< 80 mm) to facilitate monitoring procedure and reducing environmental emissions. As results, during the two campaigns, the household waste is mainly composed by fermentable waste between 66 and 69%, and the rest is packaging waste (paper, paperboard, glass, textile, and plastic). The glass percentage is significantly varying on the two periods with a large difference between rural and urban sectors. The waste humidity is 67–85% successively in dry and wet season. The lower calorific value average is 408 kcal/kg caused by the humidity rate. Taking into consideration the biodegradable organic matter and moisture content, composting is the suitable solution for sustainable management, while the glass, paper, and plastics should be a part of recycling method.