The Development of a Waste Management System in Kerbala during Major Pilgrimage Events: Determination of Solid Waste Composition

Abstract

Several religious events take place annually in Kerbala, Iraq, attracting approximately 20 million pilgrims. Consequently, huge amounts of solid waste are generated which have a direct effect on both the environment and human health. The management of such waste poses a serious and complex problem for the city authorities. Therefore, establishing accurate and reliable information about this issue is valuable in terms of waste management planning and resource recovery application. The aim of this study is to analyze the composition of said solid waste during these religious events. To achieve this goal, a field investigation was conducted at three temporary transfer stations, over 10 days, during one event in Kerbala. Sampling and data analysis were carried out based on the ASTM D5231-92 (2003) standard method. Sixty samples of unprocessed solid waste were collected and manually sorted into six different categories: organics, plastics, paper, metals, glass and miscellaneous wastes. The results show that organic waste constituted the main waste category (57%) with paper, plastics and miscellaneous at 15%, 14.6% and 6.5%, respectively. These findings indicate that because of the high percentage of food waste, there exists a strong potential for energy generation or composting. In addition, plastics, papers, metals and glass have the potential to be separated and collected for recycling purposes. These results can be taken as a baseline for developing a successful waste management system in Kerbala city and other cities that have similar major pilgrimage events.