Inert Waste Research Articles

Advancing self-compacting concrete performance with the use of combined marble waste as fine and coarse aggregates

Environmental protection through waste recycling is one of the major challenges of our time. Inert waste, mainly generated by industry, makes up a significant portion that harms the environment due to its accumulation in nature.The primary objective of this study is to examine the influence of marble waste valorization as sand and gravel on the rheological and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC). For this study, marble was used as fine aggregate sand (MAS) at rates of 10%, 20%, and 30%, and as coarse aggregate gravel (MAG) at a rate of 100%. The results of this study demonstrate that the introduction of marble waste (MW) as aggregate positively influenced the rheological characteristics, notably reducing the need for superplasticizer dosage. Additionally, in terms of mechanical outcomes, the use of MAG led to improved mechanical strengths.

Physical and mechanical characterization of solid waste collected from rural areas of China: Experimental study

To support the landfill design and waste management in rural areas of China, solid waste covering eight provisional regions was collected and tested in the laboratory to characterize its physical properties (composition, moisture content, specific gravity, dry unit weight) and mechanical properties (compressibility and shear strength). The results show that, compared with solid wastes from urban areas (MSW), solid waste from rural areas (RSW) comprised a much lower content of soil-like, gravel, and inert waste and a significantly higher content of combustible waste, thereby yielding a much lower specific gravity and dry unit weight. Similar to MSW, the compression index of RSW correlated well with its physical properties. However, its strength properties displayed divergence. Notably, the friction angle φ' of RSW remained relatively consistent, ranging from 28.4° to 30.9°. This narrow range is attributed to RSW's higher combustible-to-inert (CI) ratio compared to MSW. The cohesion intercept c' of RSW ranged from 13.5 to 24.9 kPa, showing a positive correlation with the fiber content without considering contribution from paper waste. This finding combined with data from the literature further revealed that the trend of increasing cohesion intercept with increasing fiber content became weakened over time. Relationships between φ' and c' versus C/I for RSW observed in this study will serve as an extension to the existing finding reported for MSW in the literature, i.e., for predominately combustible waste with C/I exceeding 10, constant values of strength parameters (i.e., moderate values φ' = 30°, c' = 20 kPa) are recommended. The results of this study are useful for the capacity design and slope stability analysis of landfills as well as waste recycle and reuse, ensuring a sustainable development of environment in China.

Development of Sustainable Construction Materials from Inert Waste Mixtures Using the Mechanosynthesis Process.

This research investigates the potential of mechanosynthesis to transform inert waste mixtures into sustainable construction materials. Three waste streams were employed: recycled glass, recycled concrete, and excavated soils. Two alternative material formulations, F1 (50% recycled concrete, 30% recycled glass, 20% excavated soil) and F2 (60% excavated soil, 20% recycled concrete, 20% recycled glass), were developed. Cement pastes were produced by partially substituting cement (CEM I) with 50% of either F1 or F2. Characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and mechanical testing, were performed. Cement pastes incorporating milled waste materials exhibited significantly enhanced compressive strength compared to their unmilled counterparts. At 28 curing days, compressive strengths reached 44, 47, 45, and 49.7 MPa, and at 90 curing days, they increased to 47.5, 50, 55, and 61 MPa for milling conditions of 200 rpm for 5 min, 200 rpm for 15 min, 400 rpm for 5 min, and 400 rpm for 15 min, respectively. In addition, F1 formulations showed higher compressive strengths than the reference CEM II and CEM III pastes. These results highlight the efficacy of mechanosynthesis in valorizing construction waste, mitigating CO2 emissions, and creating environmentally friendly construction materials.

Optimization of industrial-scale composting of dewatered pig slurry and olive mill waste using discarded tennis balls as an inert bulking agent

Material shortages in composting may pose limits or logistical problems in certain regions, which can be addressed with inert and reusable wastes. Very little research has been conducted on the subject of using alternative synthetic wastes as structuring agents to improve composting process parameters. The present work aimed to evaluate the use of used tennis balls (TB) as an inert bulking agent. Composting was carried out in an industrial composting plant with a ternary mixture of olive mill waste, the solid fraction of dewatered pig slurry, urban pruning residues, with the addition of TB as a synthetic bulking agent. Composting process parameters, monitored throughout the composting cycle, showed that TB significantly affected the thermal composting process parameters, with increases in operating temperatures, exothermic index, and mineralization of organic matter. Also, compost properties were seen to be of equal or superior quality at the end of the composting with addition of TB. These are the first experimental results testing the effect of a spherical synthetic reutilized product such as TB on composting processes, which was additionally carried out at an industrial scale, showing that using discarded materials such as used tennis balls can improve the efficiency and economy of composting.

Evaluation of energy potential of MSW in the Tamale metropolis, Ghana: An assessment of solid waste characteristics and energy content

ABSTRACT In the present investigation, a thorough examination of waste composition was undertaken in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana. The methodology employed was carefully designed, incorporating both commercial and residential sectors as well as various socioeconomic classes. Source-based sampling of waste materials covered a range of locations, including households, markets, hotels, and restaurants, while socioeconomic-based categorization followed the zoning of the metropolis. Waste audit sampling involved collecting a total of 90 batches of solid waste over the three-month period from August to October 2023. The primary objectives were to physically characterize the waste and evaluate its chemical properties through proximate and ultimate analysis of waste fractions, aiming to determine the waste-to-energy potential and compatibility with waste-to-energy technologies. The study revealed that the Tamale Metropolis generates 176.1 tons/day of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) at a rate of 0.47 kg/capita/day. Organic matter constituted the majority (44.9%), followed by inert, miscellaneous, and plastic waste at 20% each. The remaining 14.3% comprised paper, metal, glass, leather, and textile components. Notably, the hospitality sector exhibited the highest organic matter content at 62.3%, contrasting with average households and markets at 44.9% and 13.1%, respectively. Moisture content ranged from 5.4% to 12.6%, volatile solids from 21.8% to 77.2%, and gross calorific values from 7.9 MJ/kg to 28.9 MJ/kg. Household waste demonstrated the highest energy content at 6693.8 kcal/kg, followed by hotels/restaurants (2003.94 kcal/kg) and markets (1883.62 kcal/kg). This study’s findings offer valuable insights that can inform the development of effective policies by regulatory bodies such as the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) and the Ghana Ministry of Energy, as well as city authorities like the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency. These insights can be used to address waste and energy challenges in the metropolis. Implications: The findings reveal critical insights with substantial implications for stakeholders and regulatory bodies. It emphasizes the waste-to-energy potential of various waste fractions, highlighting the need for sustainable municipal waste management strategies. Particularly, the high organic content in the hospitality sector presents significant energy recovery opportunities. For bodies like the Public Utility Regulatory Commission and the Ghana Ministry of Energy, this data is crucial for developing policies that support waste-to-energy technologies. Additionally, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency can use these insights to improve local waste management practices, customizing interventions to address specific sectoral waste composition. The study also underlines the importance of ongoing monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of these strategies over time.

Primaquine-5,6-Orthoquinone Is Directly Hemolytic to Older G6PD Deficient RBCs in a Humanized Mouse Model.

Primaquine and Tafenoquine are the only approved drugs that can achieve a radical cure for Plasmodium vivax malaria but are contraindicated in patients who are deficient in glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDd) due to risk of severe hemolysis from reactive oxygen species generated by redox cycling of drug metabolites. 5-hydroxyprimaquine and its quinoneimine cause robust redox cycling in red blood cells (RBCs) but are so labile as to not be detected in blood or urine. Rather, the quinoneimine is rapidly converted into primaquine-5,6-orthoquinone (5,6-POQ) that is then excreted in the urine. The extent to which 5,6-POQ contributes to hemolysis remains unclear, although some have suggested that it is a minor toxin that should be used predominantly as a surrogate to infer levels of 5-hydroxyprimaquine. In this report, we describe a novel humanized mouse model of the G6PD Mediterranean variant (hG6PDMed-) that recapitulates the human biology of RBC age-dependent enzyme decay, as well as an isogenic matched control mouse with human nondeficient G6PD hG6PDND In vitro challenge of RBCs with 5,6-POQ causes increased generation of superoxide and methemoglobin. Infusion of treated RBCs shows that 5,6-POQ selectively causes in vivo clearance of older hG6PDMed- RBCs. These findings support the hypothesis that 5,6-POQ directly induces hemolysis and challenges the notion that 5,6-POQ is an inactive metabolic waste product. Indeed, given the extreme lability of 5-hydroxyprimaquine and the relative stability of 5,6-POQ, these data raise the possibility that 5,6-POQ is a major hemolytic primaquine metabolite in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: These findings demonstrate that 5,6-POQ, which has been considered an inert waste product of primaquine metabolism, directly induces ROS that cause clearance of older G6PDd RBCs. As 5,6-POQ is relatively stable compared with other active primaquine metabolites, these data support the hypothesis that 5,6-POQ is a major toxin in primaquine induced hemolysis. The findings herein also establish a new model of G6PDd and provide the first direct evidence, to our knowledge, that young G6PDd RBCs are resistant to primaquine-induced hemolysis.

Analysis of the Gravimetric Composition of Urban Solid Waste from the Municipality of Belém/PA

This article aimed to evaluate, using statistical tools, the generation and composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the city of Belém, Pará, from nine urban collection sectors in the municipality and the average nominal income of the population. Approximately 900 kg of urban solid waste was collected from the municipality in the period from 2021 to 2022. Statistical tests were carried out on hypotheses with 5% significance in comparative evaluations and their respective average nominal incomes. The results indicated that the organic fraction corresponded to 55.57% of the waste generated in the municipality, 14.26% was inert waste (potentially contaminating), and 0.67% was miscellaneous waste. It was observed that the waste generated by families with high purchasing power tended to contain higher percentages of recyclables while in families with lower purchasing power, the highest percentages tended to be organic. Knowledge of the generation of MSW is fundamental for the choice and dimensioning of operations and processes involved in the management chain at the municipal level. The decentralization of services offered based on solid waste management would enable greater success in serving the population.

Properties of products obtained in the process of solidification and stabilization of fly ash resulting from thermal treatment of sewage sludge

The article presents an analysis of the results of research on the composition of fly ash from the thermal processing of sewage sludge [SSA] collected from three incineration plants located in Warsaw, Cracow and Łódź. It determines the leaching values of selected heavy metals from the tested fly ash and ordinary class concrete C20/25 with partial replacement - up to 20% of cement with fly ash. The laboratory tests performed showed that they have a comparable granulometric composition. In contrast, the physico-chemical properties of the tested fly ashes differ from ashes from coal combustion traditionally used in concrete technology. SSA is characterized by an average lower content of silicon, iron, and aluminium oxides with a much higher content of phosphorus oxides. Leaching tests indicate low mobility of heavy metals, meeting Polish regulations regarding the possibility of using SSA in construction for specific applications. At the same time, they do not pose a significant threat to human health or the environment. Construction waste containing SSA may be disposed of in inert waste landfills.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Resources and Waste Quantities from Buildings (as Urban Mining Potential) Generated by the European Metropolis of Lille: A Methodology Coupling Data from Construction and Demolition Permits with Geographic Information Systems

The aim of this article was to conduct a spatial and territorial analysis of the urban mining potential of the European Metropolis of Lille (MEL), which had 1,174,273 inhabitants in 2018. This involved quantifying construction and demolition waste (CDW) deposits and analyzing their spatial distribution. The chosen quantification approach utilized building and demolition permits as input data, along with waste diagnostics for Construction and Building Materials Products (CBMPs) obtained from stakeholders in the building sector. Waste quantities were estimated using the production rate calculation method (GRC). Specifically, the calculation based on surface area combined with GIS geographic information systems. CDW quantities were categorized by demolition rehabilitation and construction; by type (hazardous non-hazardous inert); and by urban fabric. For the MEL area, the findings revealed that building sites covered the largest surface area, with over 8 million m² being constructed between 2013 and 2022. The construction activity, including renovation, is expected to constitute approximately 20% of the MEL’s building stock from 2013 to 2022. During the same period, 5.51% of the MEL’s building stock was demolished. This corresponds to nearly 6 million tons of CDW being generated during this period, averaging 661318 tons per year. Demolition sites contributed 73% of the total CDW production, compared to 22% for new construction and 4% for renovation sites. Inert waste continued to dominate the composition of waste, accounting for 90% of the total with 9% for non-hazardous waste and 1% for hazardous waste. Semi-detached and grouped houses business fabrics and townhouses or collective fabrics were identified as the primary type of waste-producing urban fabrics. Furthermore, our GIS-based methodology enabled the analysis of CDW quantity distribution by municipality, providing essential data for understanding the urban mining potential and the disparity between construction material requirements for new buildings and resources derived from building demolition. This approach facilitates the assessment of (1) a geographical area’s reliance on construction materials, and (2) the significance of reusing and recycling products equipment materials and waste (PEMW) in new construction to achieve circular economy objectives and to comply with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) channel initiated in France in 2023. Over the period from 2013 to 2022, annual construction material requirements remained significantly higher than resources from building demolition and rehabilitation, ranging between 29% and 35%. Additionally, the analysis indicated a potential 41% rate of substitution of new construction materials with secondary primary materials in the MEL, varying by municipality and typology, with higher rates in rural communities and lower rates in urban communities.

Recycling of Mine Wastes in the Concrete Industry: A Review

The mining industry generates a substantial amount of waste materials, including tailings and waste rocks, which, if not managed correctly, pose threats to the environment and public health due to their long-term accumulation and disposal. Simultaneously, the construction sector consumes important amounts of natural resources like water and rocks. However, research shows that inert mining waste can serve as a substitute for conventional raw materials in construction, particularly in concrete. This review focuses on using mining waste as an alternative to concrete technology to promote cleaner practices in construction and circular economy in mining. Mining waste, with its physical characteristics and chemical composition, can function as diverse components in concrete, such as sand, aggregates, and binders. This article assesses these properties and explores their incorporation into concrete production, aiming to stimulate further research and development, foster environmentally responsible approaches, and underline the direct link to reaching SDGs to achieve sustainability in the construction industry.

Sustainable and integrated approaches for carbon capture and rapid remediation of Cr- and Zn-contaminated soils

Soil contamination is a growing concern for sustainable development worldwide. Conventional remediation approaches, such as using ordinary Portland cement (OPC) or lime are limited due to high CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and natural resource consumption. This paper proposes a sustainable method using CO2 and a waste from steel production (ladle slag, LS) for rapid remediation of Cr and Zn-contaminated soils. Contaminated soils spiked by Cr and Zn with various initial concentrations were treated with 10% LS and subjected to conventional and CO2 curing for different periods. The results demonstrated that LS with conventional curing could reduce leaching concentrations of Cr and Zn in contaminated soils. However, it necessitated 28 days to meet the criteria of inert waste and drinking water standards. In contrast, LS with CO2 curing required significantly less time (32 h for Cr and 8 h for Zn) to achieve lower leaching concentrations of Cr and Zn than those with 28-day conventional curing. After CO2 curing for 152 h for Cr- and 80–120 h for Zn-contaminated soils, leaching concentrations of Cr and Zn were 1.5–4 times and 6–72 times lower than those with 28-day conventional curing, respectively. Simultaneously, carbon capture was increased from 10.6% to 17.5% and 19.9%, respectively, with the initial Cr and Zn concentrations increased from 0 to 8000 mg/kg. The strength of Cr- and Zn-contaminated soils with CO2 curing also effectively enhanced up to around 3.3–3.6 times and 1.3–3.3 times higher than those with 28-day conventional curing, respectively.

A Study on Physical Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste of Jammu City on the basis of Socioeconomic Status of the Population

Generation of waste has been associated with humans since dawn of civilization. But in recent decades due to factors like ever increasing population, urbanization and industrialization, the amount of waste generated has spiked to enormous proportions. The composition of waste has significantly changed since plastic was first used in the middle of the 19th century. MSW management is a significant environmental concern in India. Jammu City generates an immense amount of solid waste, approximately 350–400 metric tons (MT) daily, with an individual generation rate of around 0.55 kg per day. MSW management in Jammu City is handled by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC). In the city, MSW collection, transportation, and disposal are all handled by JMC. MSW of Jammu city is disposed at Kot Bhalwal which is an open landfill site. As of now no prior treatment of MSW is being done. Present study attempts to assess the current state of MSW management in Jammu city. Sampling was done in the month of July, 2022 from 15 different wards classified in the basis of socioeconomic status and physical characterization of MSW was conducted. This paper analyzes the results obtained from physical characteristics of MSW from three diverse socioeconomic groups HIG, MIG and LIG. This would help in understanding the waste generation pattern of different socioeconomic groups. MSW from MIG contains large proportion of organic matter (55%) and is thus suitable for composting and bio-methanation, however MSW collected from HIG locality contain high proportion of inorganic materials like paper/cardboard, plastic, polythene and textile waste and therefore it is suitable for Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facility. MSW from Jammu city also contain high fraction of inert waste (20% to 45%). Inert waste can be easily disposed but when it is mixed with MSW it increases the volume and weight of total MSW and therefore increase the difficulty if MSW management. This study also explores the alternative approaches to MSWM in Jammu city. Data generated by present study will be beneficial to JMC for designing future course of action for management of MSW of Jammu City.

Role of indigenous microbial communities in the mobilization of potentially toxic elements and rare-earth elements from alkaline mine waste

This study aims to evaluate the role of indigenous microorganisms in the mobilization of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and rare-earth elements (REE), the influence of the bioavailability of carbon sources that might boost microbial leaching, and the generation of neutral/alkaline mine drainage from alkaline tailings. These tailings, with significant concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), were mainly colonized by bacteria belonging to the genera Sphingomonas, Novosphingobium and Solirubrobacter, and fungi of the genera Alternaria, Sarocladium and Aspergillus. Functionality analysis suggests the capability of these microorganisms to leach PTE and REE. Bio-/leaching tests confirmed the generation of neutral mine drainage, the influence of organic substrate, and the leaching of higher concentrations of PTE and REE due to the production of organic acids and siderophores by indigenous microorganisms. In addition, this study offers some insights into a sustainable alternative for reprocessing PMC alkaline tailings to recover REE.

INFLUÊNCIA DO PROCEDIMENTO DE AJUSTE GRANULOMÉTRICO DE AMOSTRAS DE CERÂMICA VERMELHA AGREGADA COM RESÍDUOS DE ROCHAS ORNAMENTAIS PARA CLASSIFICAÇÃO CONFORME CRITÉRIOS DA ABNT

INFLUENCE OF THE PROCEDURE FOR GRANULOMETRIC SAMPLE ADJUSTMENT OF RED CERAMIC AGGREGATED WITH DIMENSION STONE WASTES FOR CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO THE ABNT CRITERIA’S. In order to clarify questions about the granulometric preparation of samples for the classification of solid wastes according to the Brazilian technical standard (NBR 10004/04), solubilization tests were carried out on red ceramic specimens made with conventional clay aggregated with ornamental rock residues. Samples were prepared by fragmentation and milling to verify the effects on metals releasing to the extractor medium. The specimens were made with 80% clay, 20% residue and 10% (m/m) moisture and sintered at 1000 °C. The data show that ceramics made with conventional clay, when discarded, will produce non inert wastes, as well as the ceramics made with dimension stone wastes added to the conventional raw material, according to the granulometry of its particles. After all, the metals concentration in the solubilization test are influenced by the sample granulometry. This paper shows that the method of granulometric adjustment should be detailed in the technical standard for solubilization tests (NBR 10006/04), in order to ensure the reliability of the method for classification of solid wastes.

Advanced Studies of Inert Landfill Fine Fraction Mass – Hunting for Values from Waste

The maintaining solution for keeping and storing waste over the last century has been landfilling as its costs are the lowest. A sustainable approach such as Landfill Mining (LFM) can be applied to recover Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and other valuable metals from waste that make fundamental assets in terms of economy and essential for developing industrial technologies. This study investigated concentrations of REEs and other metals in waste material. Samples from Ida-Virumaa (Estonia) landfilled waste fine fraction was taken to see the element concentration proceeded through sequential extraction. Additionally, the method of clay modification was developed that may serve as a sorbent to extract the REEs from the inert landfill fine fraction waste using hydroxyapatite modified clay. The amount of REEs might become of industrial interest if a feasible landfill mining approach for remediation of landfills and degraded industrial soils would be applied together with innovative recovery methods, e.g., sorption by modified clays.

Protected Natural Areas and Renaturation: the Nature Reserve “Grotta di Santa Ninfa” (Trapani, Sicily, Italy)

The Nature Reserve “Grotta di Santa Ninfa” (Trapani, Sicily, Italy) protects an area of geological and naturalistic interest extended for about 140 ha and included in a larger Special Conservation Area. Since its establishment, the Managing Body has started the actions of environmental restoration of the plateau above the chalky slope where the entrance of the Grotto opens, altered before the establishment of the Reserve by widespread discharges of inert waste. This work describes the actions carried out and the results obtained.

Experimental Investigation on the Properties of Street and Sidewalk Cleaning Waste

Abstract One of the municipal waste streams is street cleaning waste, classified under code 20 03 03. They are not considered hazardous waste. Due to the lack of other management technology, they are sent to landfills. This waste, among other things, by its high chloride content especially after winter, can contribute to changes in the salinity of surface and groundwater and soil salinization, which consequently contributes to changes in the local environment and entire ecosystems. As it is deposited entirely in landfills, it also contributes to the salinity of leachate generated here. The Regulation of the Minister of Economy of July 16, 2015, on allowing waste to be deposited in landfills, the total organic carbon in waste deposited in non-hazardous and inert waste landfills must not exceed 5% of dry weight. The purpose of this article is to present a study of the quality of the waste on parameters like water content, organic and mineral fraction in the dry weight of the waste, and fractional separation. The water content of the waste ranged from 12–27%, while the mineral fraction in the dry weight was 91–94%. The smallest fraction below 0.05 mm accounted for 0d 1.8 to 4.5%.

Modelling the complementary role of inert slag aggregate and waste glass on concrete mechanical strengths using the response surface and design-of-experiment approach

Recycling steel slag (SS) and waste glass (WG) in concrete represents a sustainability measure to promote the production of cost-effective and eco-friendly concrete. This study assessed the weight replacement effects of steel slag (SS) with coarse aggregate (up to 100 %), those of waste glass (WG) with cement (up to 30 %), and the water-to-binder ratio on the workability, density, compressive strength, and splitting strength. Multiple blends of the binary binders were examined using the design of experiments (DoE) approach to evaluate the technical feasibility of SS and WG and their synergistic effects in enhancing the properties considered. The second-order polynomial model used was sufficiently accurate to yield high correlation levels between the responses and the studied variables with high determination coefficient up to 98 %. The inclusion of WG in concrete produced with a 100 % replacement level of SS effectively addressed the site rheological pumping problems with higher strength, 58 % more in compressive and 33 % more in splitting strengths.

Sustainable solid waste management system using technology-enabled end-of-pipe strategies

Ever Increasing accumulation of solid waste, attributed to population growth and rapid urbanization, is a serious issue for all nations. This creates hindrance in implementing sustainable solid waste management systems (SWMS), which contribute to socio-economic-environmental-operational (SEEO) benefits for the nations and their citizens. Limited understanding of various solid waste management (SWM) practices, their operational sequence, and other system constraints pose numerous challenges for the concerned authorities and policymakers. This paper provides a framework depicting three broad categories of strategies for managing solid waste: preventive, end-of-pipe (EOP), and environmental restoration. Among these, the research emphasizes on EOP strategies, being suitable alternative as per current requirements, to deal with massive amounts of generated waste. It further adopts Grey-DEMATEL approach to models the causal relationship among EOP strategies to identify the most influential strategy, which influences other ones. The model suggests waste segregation to be the major enabler for other EOP strategies, as it has maximum overall significance value (R + C) between 1.18 and 1.41 and it is the only one with positive value in “net-effect” computation (R–C), compared to other strategies with negative (R–C) values. This would enable concerned authorities to understand and follow the sequence of actions. Finally, a comprehensive framework is proposed for effective, efficient, and sustainable methods of handling different types of solid waste using technology-enabled EOP strategies. A case study is performed to demonstrate the significance of waste segregation towards SEEO benefits. It indicates that technology-based solutions at decentralized depots and establishment of biogas plant in the vicinity of garbage collection point leads to reduction in transportation cost and energy saving in efficient manner. The ground level implementation of our research in an Indian city resulted in the reduction of daily vehicle requirement from 25 to 20 vehicles, leading to approx. 25% savings in overall transportation costs thereby cutting exchequer's bill by up to $ 2820/month. It also reveals that mechanized and decentralized solutions were not effective for inert waste, its disposal to landfill was more suited alternative.

Waste classification and separation practices from Türkiye and selected countries of the world

Waste is an integral part of our lives. It is a fundamental by-product of human activities. Waste is divided into several groups, including medical, hazardous, municipal, biodegradable, industrial, and inert waste. Both the waste producer and its owners have many obligations imposed upon them by the appropriate standards and laws in force in each country. Waste classification and segregation have many benefits, including less environmental pollution; improved living conditions for plants, animals, and humans, and the ability to obtain better raw materials for recycling through segregation. In this study, waste classification and separation systems are assessed. Waste classification method that considers the source, basic composition, and physical, chemical, and biological properties of the waste. Manual, mechanical, and optical systems were used to separate the waste. Nowadays, smart waste classification and segregation systems are being developed for automation. They separate mixed waste effectively. It is a very modern and efficient method that requires less work to function properly than basic waste classification and segregation methods. It is also a faster, more professional method that avoids incorrect sorting of waste. It can be called a future-oriented way of waste disposal and should gradually be introduced into our civilization. Examples of this technology include smart bins, automatic bottle vending machines, and automatic segregation/sorting. Solving the waste classification and separation problem is one of the issues that need special attention in the coming years. The constant development of technology related to this topic is a staple of the circular economy.