Capita Solid Waste Generation Research Articles

Effects of socio-economic status and daily variation on municipal solid waste composition: a preliminary analysis for sustainable planning and development in Aligarh City.

In the context of developing countries such as India, with great differences in people's living standards and different communities, municipal solid waste (MSW) management is one of the most promising problems in front of municipal organizations. Unlike every city in India, Aligarh City also faces the same problem of municipal solid waste management. This problem not only affects the esthetic view but is also hazardous to people nearby health. Currently, solid waste collected is either dumped in landfill unscientifically or partially treated by A to Z waste management (limited) by composting. In the present study, an effort was made to know about the per capita waste generation and variations in the quantity of different components of the MSW in five different regions of the city with dissimilar living standards. Also, weekly variation was analyzed in the study. One-way ANOVA analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences is performed to investigate the variations in the mean composition of different components. The per capita solid waste generation in Aligarh City was found to be 0.42 kg/person/day. From the analysis, we came to know that compostable component (35.4%) is the highest, then inert (24.6%), plastic (12.2%), paper (10%), textile (9.2%), and sand (8.6%). After analysis, the results can help sort out the problem of MSW management in the city by selecting appropriate units as per the composition of MSW.

Wetland health assessment using DPSI framework: a case study in Kolkata Metropolitan Area.

Wetlands are among the most valuable components of the ecosystem, playing an important role in preventing floods, maintaining the hydrological cycle, protecting against natural hazards, and controlling local weather conditions and ecological restoration. The Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) is considered one of the most ecologically valuable regions in terms of wetland ecosystem, but due to haphazard development and human activities, the wetlands of the city are under constant threat of degradation. Therefore, this study aims to assess the factors responsible for wetland health and their dynamics using Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact (DPSI) framework. To assess wetland health during 2011-2020, seventeen indicators and four sub-indicators were selected to calculate weights using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The results showed that most of the municipalities in the healthy category were in the pressure (P) section in 2011, while fluctuations were observed in the impact (I) section in several wards during 2011-20. The condition section (S) showed the overall change in the water, vegetation, and built-up categories from 2011 to 2020, so the most dominant category was "healthy," followed by "unhealthy" and "poor." The highly significant factors worsening wetland health were population density (B1), road density (B3), per capita wastewater generation (B5), per capita solid waste generation (B7), biological oxygen demand (D1a), dissolved oxygen (D1b), pH (D1c), and total coliform (D1d). The results of the study can help develop sustainable conservation and management of the wetland ecosystem in the KMA urban area and at the global level with similar geographical conditions.

Solid waste quantification and characterization in university of Nigeria, Nsukka campus, and recommendations for sustainable management

Quantification and characterization of municipal solid waste are the bases for a proper solid waste management planning but the needed collection, transportation, characterization and disposal are grossly under-investigated and scarcely implemented in Nigerian Universities. This study, therefore, quantified and characterized the waste generated in the university of Nigeria, Nsukka campus using ASTM D5231-92 method, and recommended possible integrated solid waste management strategies for a sustainable management of the waste. The average daily solid waste generation in the university was estimated to be 2,218.66kg during the 6-month study period from 24th February to 18th August in 2017/2018 academic session with organic and polythene representing the largest portion at 32.36% and 34.29%, respectively. Glass/bottle, textiles/leather, rubber, wood, e-waste, sanitary, medical, polystyrene food pack and metal wastes represented 0.97%, 2.69%, 0.28%, 0.82%, 0.98%, 2.16%, 0.16%, 1.04% and 1.67%, respectively. The campus has a per capita solid waste generation rate of about 0.06kg/day. About 96.58% of the total waste is recyclable, and has about 51.85% biomass potential. Analysis of variance showed that differently dominated areas of the campus have different quantities and compositions of wastes mainly due to significant variation of organic and polythene components across the differently dominated areas. The barriers against effective solid waste management and recommendations for integrated solid waste management strategies were made to include solid waste generation reduction, re-usage, recycling, composting, and proper training and provision of incentive and other fiscal policies.

Characteristics and Forecasting of Municipal Solid Waste Generation in China

The clear understanding of characteristics and trends of solid waste generation is essential for the optimization of waste collection and treatment systems. Taking 651 cities in China as a sample, this study adopts correlation analysis and the Q-type clustering model to explore the characteristics and general trends of solid waste generation (SWG) of five cities of different scale from 2007 to 2016. The results show that the trends of average amount and the annual per capita SWG are diversified in cities of different scale. The permanent residents and regional GDP have prominent impacts on SWG in large cities, megacities, and super megacities compared to those from small and medium-sized cities. The urban area is highly correlated with the SWG of all cities. Nearly one third of cities are characterized by high population density, high economic growth and low SWG. Furthermore, the factor models are developed to forecast the amount of SWG, which have a descriptive capacity of 96%, 95.4%, 92.6%, and 84.2% for the overall cities, large cities, medium-sized cities and small cities respectively.

Assessment of reuse, recycle, and recoverable potential of solid waste

A study was conducted to assess the reuse, recycle, and recoverable potential of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Generation rate, waste type, and physicochemical analysis of MSW were evaluated. Results of MSW analysis indicated that the total amount of MSW generation rate per day at Haramaya University (HU) is estimated to be 2608.56 kg/day. The per capita solid waste generation rate is estimated to be 0.134 kg/cap/day. The three waste categories that contributed the greatest proportion of the total sorted waste at all sources are compostable organic matter (57.31%), papers (16.26%), and fines (10.98%) respectively. These three waste categories accounted for approximately 84.55% of the total waste sorted. The remaining 15.45% of the sorted waste were plastic material (5.82%), miscellaneous (4.45%), cardboards (2.37%), metals (1.30%), glass (0.87%), and textiles (0.63%). The particle size distribution of compostable organic matter is 42.76% (greater than 50 mm), 53.2% (between 10-50 mm), and 4.04% (less than 10 mm). The result shows that a large proportion of compostable organic waste is found in the particle size range of 10-50 mm. The physicochemical composition of selected compostable organic waste was compared with standard values suitable for the composting process. The study further revealed that there has been a generation rate of potentially recyclable were 169.45 tonnes/year papers and carton, 59.49 tonnes/year plastic material, and 11.82 tonnes/year metals (can). These materials should be collected separately (source separation) and can also be a means of income generation to the institute.

Characterization of Household Solid Waste in Bauchi Metropolis

Solid waste generation and management in Bauchi metropolis is a replica of what is obtained in other parts of Nigeria. It is characterized by improper collection; transportation and disposal coupled with lack of data to facilitate in planning for sustainability. This study assessed the volume and composition of solid waste generated in Bauchi metropolis and the socio-economic factors that influenced these characteristics. The data used were collected from the selected households through the use of structured household survey questionnaire, direct waste characterization study, semi-structured interviews, direct observations and review of available documents on solid waste management. Various statistical test procedures, including means, standard deviation, frequencies, spearman's correlation and regression, statistical package for social science, (SPSS) were used in the research investigation. From the result of the study, it was discovered that the average per capita waste generation for Bauchi metropolis was 0.30kg/cap/day. High organic content characterizes the waste composition. The waste volume and composition was found to be significantly influenced by socio-economic factors as monthly income, (r= 0.871; P<0.05), level of education, (r=0.356; P<0.05), household size, (r=0.361, P< 0.05) and domestic business activities, (r = 0258; P < 0.05) as the study indicates a very strong relationship between the daily per capita solid waste generation and the socio-economic and demographic variables with (R=0.961) and (R-square-coefficient of multiple determination 0.926).

Does Craigslist Reduce Waste? Evidence from California and Florida

There is much discussion but little research on the environmental impacts of online platforms associated with the sharing economy. Economic theory suggests that falling transaction costs in secondhand markets increase incentives for people to exchange rather than discard used goods. This paper uses difference-in-difference methods to estimate Craigslist's effect on solid waste by exploiting a natural experiment in how the platform expanded across California and Florida. The econometric results suggest that Craigslist reduced daily per capita solid waste generation by about one third of a pound, though the estimates are not very precise. A plausibility analysis of the weight of items posted on Craigslist concludes that the 200 million annual for-sale posts created by Californians and Floridians can reasonably account for waste reductions of roughly this magnitude.

Physico-chemical characterization of biochars from solid municipal waste for use in soil amendment

The fast economic and demographic growth lead to generation of large amounts of solid wastes placing Qatar on top of most nations with a per capita solid waste generation of nearly 2.5 milliontons/year of which 60% is organic. A substantial amount of this solid waste ends up in landfills generating greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. At the same time, the soil in most of the country is depleted and/or naturally poor. These issues can be addressed through conversion of this waste into biochar to improve soil quality and act as carbon sink. The objectives of this study were to (1) produce biochar from 4 different groups (paper, soft materials, hard wood, and mixed materials) at 3 different pyrolysis temperatures (300, 500, and 750°C) and residence times (2, 4, and 6h), and (2) evaluate biochars⿿ properties relevant to soil applications, namely physico-chemical properties [yield, pH, bulk density, ash, total surface area (TSA), surface charge (SC), and electrical conductivity (EC)] and elemental composition. Feedstocks were ground and pelleted then pyrolyzed under N2 using a Lindberg furnace equipped with a retort using the above conditions. Results showed that biochars⿿ pH, TSA, and ash content increased with temperature while the yield recovery and SC were higher at low temperature, with 94% biomass recovery observed for hard wood at 300°C versus 23% at 750°C. The pH of the four types of biochar increased from 5.7 at 300°C for hard wood to 12 at 750°C for mixed materials which make them suitable for a range of pH remediation in both acidic and alkaline soils. The TSA was limited in all biochars produced at 300°C but reached 241m2g⿿1 and 163m2g⿿1 for hard wood and mixed materials produced at 750°C, respectively. This suggests that biochars produced at high temperature can provide an internal surface area for soil microbiota while contributing to retention of water and nutrients. The C content increased as the temperature increased to reach 97% and 62% at 750°C for HW and mixed materials, respectively, suggesting that biochars obtained at high temperature could increase the soil CEC and sequester carbon in the soil for long term. SEM analysis clearly showed the development of well-defined pores as the temperature increases. This study suggests that solid waste-based biochars have the potential to enhance soil properties, if produced under careful selection of precursor and pyrolysis conditions.

Household-level determinants of residential solid waste generation rates: a study from Nablus-Palestine

In this work, we elucidate the relation of various household-level socioeconomic and demographic attributes with the residential per capita solid waste generation rate in the Nablus district of Palestine. The data collection phase entailed an extensive survey of 992 dwellings, thus probing and quantifying key socioeconomic and demographic indicators of each household. Meticulous estimation of the amount of waste generated by each household was conducted at the waste generation point. Relevant statistical tests (ANOVA and Pearson tests) were performed to identify the significant relationships between the socioeconomic/demographic variables and the residential per capita solid waste generation rate, as well as amongst the variables themselves. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that the waste generation rate decreased as the family’s income decreased, as parents tended to spend more time at home, as the number of individuals living in the household increased, and as the household tended to purchase its grocery needs in just the needed quantities. Age of dwelling residents was also significant. By showing how these variables affect the waste generated per capita, an argument was made to support their consideration when designing future waste management systems, not only for Nablus, but also for many other cities with similar profiles.

Seasonal analysis of the generation and composition of solid waste: potential use—a case study

Ensenada health officials lack pertinent information on the sustainable management of solid waste, as do health officials from other developing countries. The aims of this research are: (a) to quantify and analyze the household solid wastes generated in the city of Ensenada, Mexico, and (b) to project biogas production and estimate generation of electrical energy. The characterization study was conducted by socioeconomic stratification in two seasonal periods, and the biogas and electrical energy projections were performed using the version 2.0 Mexico Biogas Model. Per capita solid waste generation was 0.779 ± 0.019 kg per person per day within a 98 % confidence interval. Waste composition is composed mainly of food scraps at 36.25 %, followed by paper and cardboard at 21.85 %, plastic at 12.30 %, disposable diapers at 6.26 %, and textiles at 6.28 %. The maximum capacity for power generation is projected to be 1.90 MW in 2019. Waste generated could be used as an intermediate in different processes such as recycling (41.04 %) and energy recovery (46.63 %). The electrical energy that could be obtained using the biogas generated at the Ensenada sanitary landfill would provide roughly 60 % of the energy needed for street lighting.

Impact of family income and size on per capita solid waste generation: A case study in Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat Division of Batticaloa

The generation of solid waste has become an increasing environmental and public health problem everywhere in the world, especially in developing countries. The rate of generation of solid waste in the society is increasing with an increase of population, technological development, and the changes in the life styles of the people. As family size and income are the most significant factors affecting the quantity of solid waste from household consumption, a study on the relationship among these is vital in the decision making on waste management strategies. Therefore, a study was conducted at Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat areas of Batticaloa district to find out the correlation among residential solid waste generation, family size and income. The household sector is one of the primary sources of solid wastes in the study area. This study covered 100 houses with different socioeconomic levels such as income level and family size. There were six components of solid waste; food waste, paper, polyethylene, plastic, glass and metal which were evaluated in this study.Present study revealed that residential solid waste generation showed non-significant positive correlation (r = 0.184, p&gt;0.05) with monthly income whereas significant positive correlation (r = 0.476, p&lt;0.01) was found with the family size. Based on monthly income, generation of food, paper, plastic and glass waste showed non-significant positive correlation while non-significant negative correlation was found with polyethylene waste. Further, residential waste generation such as food, paper, plastic and metal showed significant positive correlation with family size whereas generation of glass and polyethylene waste showed non-significant positive correlation with family size.Keywords: Family size, Food waste, Income level, Plastics, Solid wasteDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/josuk.v5i0.4087 J Sci.Univ.Kelaniya 5 (2010): 13-23

Evaluation of dry solid waste recycling from municipal solid waste: case of Mashhad city, Iran

The recycling for recovery and reuse of material and energy resources undoubtedly provides a substantial alternative supply of raw materials and reduces the dependence on virgin feedstock. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential of dry municipal solid waste recycling in Mashhad city, Iran. Several questionnaires were prepared and distributed among various branches of the municipality, related organizations and people. The total amount of solid waste generated in Mashhad in 2008 was 594, 800 tons with per capita solid waste generation rate of 0.609 kg person(-1) day(-1). Environmental educational programmes via mass media and direct education of civilians were implemented to publicize the advantages and necessity of recycling. The amount of recycled dry solid waste was increased from 2.42% of total dry solid waste (2588.36 ton year(-1)) in 1999 to 7.22% (10, 165 ton year(-1)) in 2008. The most important fractions of recycled dry solid waste in Mashhad included paper and board (51.33%), stale bread (14.59%), glass (9.73%), ferrous metals (9.73%), plastic (9.73%), polyethylene terephthalate (2.62%) and non-ferrous metals (0.97%). It can be concluded that unfortunately the potential of dry solid waste recycling in Mashhad has not been considered properly and there is a great effort to be made in order to achieve the desired conditions of recycling.

Estimating the quantity of solid waste generation in Oyo, Nigeria

The study established waste multipliers that could be used in conjunction with the population figure of a city to estimate the quantity of solid waste generation in the developing world. Oyo, a traditional city in Nigeria was the focus of the study. Two sets of data were collected. The first was the information on the socio-economic attributes of residents obtained from 648 households through questionnaires administered using a systematic random sampling technique. The second was the measurement of waste generated in 25% of the households for a week in each of the 12 months of the year. The study established that 23.3% of the residents surveyed have educational qualifications beyond secondary school, with 51.2% engaged in occupations requiring very little or no formal education and 50.9% were in the low-income group. The daily per capita solid waste generation was 0.129 kg. The highest (9.8%) and lowest (6.5%) of the annual quantities of waste were produced in October and February, respectively. Similarly, 20.2% of the weekly generation was produced on Saturday and the 10.2% produced on Thursday was the lowest. Animal dung, which accounted for 18.0%, constituted the highest component of the total solid waste generated. The study further established that the organic component of the waste generation was 75.4%. The results of the regression analysis R2 significant at 0.001 showed that income, household size, social status, occupation, education and season of the year explained 88.8% of waste generation in Oyo. It was established that 50.90 tonnes of solid waste was generated per day in the city in 2005, and the daily generation in the year 2008 is estimated to be 55.20 tonnes. The study concluded that with an average annual population growth of 13 000 people for the town, an additional 1.3 acres of land will need to be legally acquired annually, implying that 10.92-19.68 hectares ill be required as dump site(s) over the next 20-30 years.

Economic evaluation of a landfill system with gas recovery for municipal solid waste management: a case study

Economic activity uses resources, which leads to waste generation. With rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, per capita solid waste generation has increased considerably. Solid waste generation data for last two decades shows an alarming increase. Owing to its improper and untimely collection, the transport and disposal of municipal solid waste poses a severe threat to various components of the environment and also to public health. This paper describes the merits and demerits of various technological aspects of solid waste management. Landfill technology, as it is the most widely employed and is regarded as the most suitable and simple mechanism, especially for tropical countries such as India, is emphasised. All possible costs and benefits and externalities are examined. A cost-benefit analysis of a landfill system with gas recovery (LFSGR) has been carried out for Mumbai city's solid waste, accounting for certain external costs and benefits, and found that it could make a huge difference of savings of about Rs. 6.366 billion (approx. $0.l40 billion) per annum with reference to the existing system of waste disposal.