QUANTIFICATION OF SOLID WASTE IN SCHOOL CANTEENS - A CASE STUDY FROM A HULU SELANGOR MUNICIPALITY, SELANGOR

Abstract

Obtaining empirical data on solid waste generation and composition is imperative to promote efficient waste management in schools. The paper aims to examine the characteristics and composition of waste generated ‘during food preparation’ stage and ‘after consumption’ stage, waste per capita and the assumption of economic valuation of solid waste for recycling. In this study, solid waste was quantified with transparency through adopting the direct weighing method to obtain reliable and accurate information of solid waste generated at the selected ten school canteens in Hulu Selangor municipality, Malaysia. Based on the result gathered, the total quantity of solid waste generated at 10 school canteens is about 162.8 kg/day with the average solid waste of 19.6 g per capita per day. The total assumption of the economic value of solid waste per day for recycling in all 10 schools’ canteens is about RM 30.70, which shows that recyclable materials have high revenue potential, as well as economic benefits. The present study empirically promotes the transparency of solid waste quantification at the school level, which could help identify hotspots and strategies with the greatest potential for waste reduction.