Industrial waste management in Tehran

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the present status of industrial waste management in Tehran and outlines the principle guidelines and policies regarding collection, handling, and safe disposal of industrial solid wastes in the Tehran metropolitan area. Through field study carried out from 1988 to 1993, all functional elements of waste management of 67 large-scale factories of different categories were surveyed. In this investigation, a close contact with each factory was required, thus, a questionnaire concerning all functional elements and the organizational structure of the industrial waste management system was prepared and distributed among 67 factories. It was found that collections of 21, 30, and 49% of the industrial waste collection are carried out by municipal public services, private companies and factories, respectively. This has resulted in some illegal dumping and improper disposal. Only 58% of the factories dispose their wastes in the Kahrizak landfill, while the others dispose their wastes in different unsanitary and illegal ways, such as open burning, dumping at road sides, and any available land in and around the factory.