Efficient Solid Waste Management Research Articles

Local strategies for efficient management of solid household waste – the full-scale Augustenborg experiment

A system with property-close source-separation of thirteen different solid household waste fractions in a residential area in southern Sweden, including the implementation of new systems for source-separation of food waste, waste electric and electronic equipment, hazardous waste and fat, oils and grease was monitored over a 2-year period. Continuous weighing of disposed waste and repeated waste composting analyses were used to investigate recycling behaviour of households in the area and to monitor the composition of disposed waste. Results show that 34% of the total amount of generated waste was currently diverted to material recycling. The removal of recyclables from residual waste could be significantly increased, as more than 80% of all waste in the area (bulky waste excluded) was either covered by the Producer Responsibility Ordinances on packaging and newspaper or constitutes food waste suitable for biogas production. Food waste still represented almost 30% of all residual waste in the study area and was thus the fraction with the greatest potential (on weight basis) for increased source-separation.

Open waste burning in Cameroonian cities: an environmental impact analysis

Lack of technology and efficient management of solid waste coupled with poverty have motivated most developing countries to sort for cheap waste disposal methods with negative consequences on the environment. Open burning at waste dumps causes serious toxicological impacts. Most organic solid waste excluding plastics when burned cause considerably little environmental pollution. However, non-stoichiometric combustion of waste plastics produces significant amounts of various aliphatic and aromatic compounds, acidic gases, dust and smoke. These products pollute the air, water and soil generating significant health problems with related socioeconomic impacts on human, animals and plants. Some of these pollutants are toxic and/or carcinogenic, form acid-rain and influence climate change. Critical discourse and research on environmental toxicology resulting from air pollution with related health risk and impacts have been catalysed by the enactment of major environmental regulations and increased awareness. The new clean air act amendment of 1990 is estimated to require about $25billion annually for its implementation in the United States, indicating the gravity of the pollution problem. Understanding, controlling and mitigating the impacts of chemical pollution from multiple sources related to open burning of plastics is complex. This paper uses content analysis of relevant literature and field observations to analyse, evaluate and identify characteristic pollutants including their transmission potentials, sources and impacts on human health with the assessment, prevention and management of related risk. An affordable technology-based approach applied within a bottom-up management strategy to prevent and control pollution offers a sustainable solution underpinned by resource and energy recovery from waste.

Role of NGOs, CBOs and Private Organizations for Efficient Management of Municipal Solid Waste in Kathmandu Valley

This paper attempts to discuss the role of Community based, nongovernmental and private institutions for the management of municipal solid waste in Kathmandu Valley. It is based on secondary information available from different sources. Studies reveal that private institutions, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and Non Governmental Organizations are collecting about 60% of the total waste generated within Kathmandu Valley from door-to-door of the generators. These institutions are also contributing to reduce about 40% of the municipal cost for the collection of waste. Study reveals that household segregation and compositing is considered as the best option for the efficient management of municipal solid waste in the cities of developing countries like Kathmandu. This is possible only through the involvement of CBOs, NGOs and private sector.

Analysis of Nsukka Metropolitan Abattoir Solid Waste and Its Bacterial Contents in South Eastern Nigeria: Public Health Implication

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the quantum of waste generation and management and presence of major bacteria genera of public health importance in Nsukka municipal abattoir/slaughter house. The environment and public health implications of unhygienic sanitary condition at the abattoir and environs as a consequence of poor waste disposal and management were studied. A total of 194 kg of solid (rumen/stomach) wastes was generated daily without any clearly defined system of disposal and management. Forty-five rumen/stomach waste samples were examined for bacterial isolates using standard procedures. The isolation frequency showed that E. coli, Bacillus sp., and Staphylococcus sp. were more frequently isolated, followed by Streptococcus sp., Salmonella sp., and Campylobacter sp. Appropriate strategies for efficient solid waste disposal and management in our abattoirs were recommended.

Use of Life-Cycle Analysis To Support Solid Waste Management Planning for Delaware

Mathematical models of integrated solid waste management (SWM) are useful planning tools given the complexity of the solid waste system and the interactions among the numerous components that constitute the system. An optimization model was used in this study to identify and evaluate alternative plans for integrated SWM for the State of Delaware in consideration of cost and environmental performance, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The three counties in Delaware were modeled individually to identify efficient SWM plans in consideration of constraints on cost, landfill diversion requirements, GHG emissions, and the availability of alternate treatment processes (e.g., recycling, composting, and combustion). The results show that implementing a landfill diversion strategy (e.g., curbside recycling) for only a portion of the population is most cost-effective for meeting a county-specific landfill diversion target Implementation of waste-to-energy offers the most cost-effective opportunity for GHG emissions reductions.

Vermicomposting of vegetable waste: A bio- physicochemical process based on hydro-operating bioreactor

The increasing waste generation rate, high collection cost and dwindling financial resources are the major problems faced by most of the developing countries for efficient solid waste management. In some cities, the organic waste (market, municipal, household) are dumped indiscriminately or littered on the streets causing environmental deterioration. Biological processes such as composting followed by vermicomposting to convert vegetables waste (as valuable nutrient source) in agriculturally useful organic fertilizer would be of great benefit. Therefore this technique is studied in the present research work. A simple and potentially inexpensive Hydro Based Operating Bioreactor (HBOB) was developed for aeration and turning of plant biomass for efficient aerobic composting process. The composting process was done viz ambient, mesophilic, thermophilic and cooling down stages for a period of two weeks. After cooling stage, the partially decomposed material was used further as bedding for earthworms for vermicomposting. Experiments were conducted to determine the changes in the physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, moisture content and C/N ratio). The dominant species of microorganisms at different temperatures during entire process of composting and vermicomposting were investigated. Self heating of the ingredients due to microbial activity occurred within the bioreactor at the thermophilic stage of the composting process. The vermicompost developed in the HBOB was found to have comparatively high value of nutrients such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese and copper which can serve as a natural fertilizer giving high yield of plants. The vermicomposting has proved very effective and efficient for developing compost from vegetable waste.

Informal sector initiative in the primary sub-system of urban solid waste management in Lagos, Nigeria

The study investigates the operations of an informal initiative; the “ barro’ boys” in the primary sub-system of urban solid waste management. The study is focused on 2 of the 20 local government councils in Lagos State, Nigeria. All the barro’ boys identified in Mushin and Kosofe local government areas were purposively sampled through structured interview. Information on the residents’ perception of the operators’ services were obtained from 392 households through systematic random sampling technique. The study identified that the operators of the initiative are educationally low in status, single by marital status, young adults all of whom are below the age of 35 years. The main activity of the initiative is collection of waste from the source of generation and no form of sorting is practiced. The equipment used is human driven cart which is either owned or rented. No definite method of service charge exists. The service is available throughout especially from Monday to Saturday. The operators’ minimum daily income is Naira 1000 (Naira 128=US$1). The initiative also produced dump site touts and several clandestine waste dump sites. The study further established that residents use environmentally unfriendly storage receptacles which aggravate the problems of effective collection. Though the residents were apprehensive of their properties’ security in the hands of the initiative's operators, it is still the most popular means of disposal as 71.3% of the waste produced in the two council areas is disposed through them. In addition, the index of satisfaction (residents’ satisfaction index, RSI) on each attribute of “service availability”, “cost, in relation to the service provided”, “politeness of the initiative's operators” and “reliability of the service rendered” is higher than the aggregate satisfaction ( RSI ¯ ) of their service. The study concludes that with the popularity of the illegal, but highly cherished service of the barro’ boys, integrating them into the existing system to evolving an effective and efficient urban solid waste management is more realistic than the consideration to outlaw the initiative.

The municipal solid waste system and solid waste characterization at the municipality of Veles, Macedonia

A short-term study to characterize the solid waste stream in the Municipality of Veles, Macedonia, was performed during a 1 week period in the summer of 2002. In this study, several important parameters of the municipal solid waste stream were assessed. It was estimated that the average daily generation rate is 1.06 ± 0.56 kg/cap/day, while the specific weights of the uncompacted and compacted solid waste are approximately 140.5 kg/m 3 and 223 kg/m 3, respectively. Furthermore, it was estimated that the daily generated volume of uncompacted waste is 7.5 ± 4 L/cap/day. Although the short-term study is characterized by numerous limitations, in the absence of other existing data, such a study with direct measurements could significantly contribute to the development of an efficient solid waste management system in countries with economies in transition like Macedonia.

The benefits and costs of alternative solid waste management policies

In the last few years controlling the size and composition of the solid waste flow has moved substantially up the public policy agenda in many countries. With this has come the question of what are the appropriate types of public interventions in the economy to control this flow. The most dramatic of the interventions have involved adoption of high recycling targets for specific fractions of the waste stream and special measures to deal with packaging waste, especially in a number of European countries. Questions are being raised about whether the targets and inventions are warranted on the basis of economic analysis, especially about the costs and benefits of the objectives and the instruments to achieve them. This paper reviews the published and some unpublished literature through the spring of 1993 and generally finds that the conceptual and empirical basis on which to predicate efficient and effective solid waste management policy is still rather incomplete. The only principled basis for public interventions thus far established in the economics literature is that for user fees at the household level. The paper analyzes the role of waste management fees or user charges in rationalizing investment in waste management technology and finds that, while there is wide agreement that the prices are not right in this environmental area, there is little focus on the role that such fees can play in motivation source reduction at the consumer or household level. A number of recommendations are made for using economic instruments for efficient solid waste management.