Abstract
A methodology for the rapid assessment of waste composition was assessed by examining municipal solid waste from five rural communities throughout Central America and the Caribbean. Target waste components were minimized and a sieve-shaker table was employed to maximize the quantity of waste that could be sorted in an efficient and timely manner. Food waste (along with other fine materials) was the largest component by weight, but plastics represented a major fraction. To illustrate potential utility of composition study results, the data were used to estimate the methane generation potential, L0, of each municipality’s waste stream. While the approach does not provide the statistical rigor of more standardized waste composition methodologies, the technique does provide a tool for rapid assessment of local waste characteristics.
Highlights
Adequate solid waste management systems (SWMS) have lagged in developing countries behind other infrastructure needs
Rapid waste composition studies were performed on waste from five rural communities in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras
By characterizing only a limited number of categories and using a shaker-table to quickly screen out difficult to identify components, the methodology allows for rapid data collection while providing valuable information regarding relative amounts of biodegradable waste, recyclable materials, and components destined for landfill
Summary
Adequate solid waste management systems (SWMS) have lagged in developing countries behind other infrastructure needs. In particular, do not have the resources to construct and maintain the infrastructure that supports the use of conventional waste collection vehicles. While rural municipalities are often legally responsible for municipal solid waste (MSW) collection for all residents, the burden often falls to informal businesses. An unmanaged dump site is established over several years or decades. While this creates a single, isolated source of pollution, it concentrates the liquid and gaseous emissions. Whereas most of the waste dumped twenty years ago in rural areas may have been predominantly organic and biodegradable, the proliferation of plastics, electronics, and other environmentally persistent materials within current waste streams warrant modern SWMS
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