Municipal Waste Sorting Research Articles

Exploring paths underpinning the implementation of municipal waste sorting: Evidence from China

Urban residents' waste sorting plays a pivotal role in addressing the pressing challenge of the “waste siege” in China and is also closely associated with the quality of urban governance. We draw on the Technology–Organization–Environment framework to identify six key variables affecting municipal waste sorting in China: digital technology innovation, attention allocation, publicity and education, enforcement intensity, economic development level, and volunteer resources. Using the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method to analyze the effect of conditions on municipal waste sorting, the results show the following: 1) A single condition is insufficient to ensure high levels of municipal waste sorting. We propose that the “multiple concurrency” of technological, organizational, and environmental conditions creates diverse paths for promoting municipal waste sorting. 2) We then identify three paths for waste-sorting promotion, which all require technological, organizational, and environmental conditions. In addition, the two paths obtained for low levels of municipal waste sorting are not the opposite of those obtained for high levels. By observing the above five paths of waste sorting, we deduced that digital technology innovation is indispensable in driving waste sorting, and 3) Our cross-case comparisons show that there are effective paths to waste-sorting governance that work for cities regardless of their location or piloting. In some cases, high levels of attention allocation and high levels of publicity and education are substitutes for each other. We recommend that local governments refer to their own unique characteristics and resource endowments when tailoring waste-sorting strategies.

МНЕНИЕ МЕДИЦИНСКИХ РАБОТНИКОВ О ПРОБЛЕМЕ ОТВЕТСТВЕННОГО ПОТРЕБЛЕНИЯ

Significance. “Responsible consumption and production”, numbered 12, is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations. Health professionals are part of the social circle of the majority of the country's population. The level of trust in health professions makes it possible to believe that the lifestyle of doctors and people associated with healthcare (as well as the lifestyle of teachers, educators, media personalities) can often serve as an example to follow in terms of responsible consumption provided the media develops and raises awareness of its significance. The purpose of this study is to measure the attitude of health professionals towards responsible consumption. Material and methods. Attitudes were measured via a questionnaire developed by the research team. The electronic survey included 2923 respondents signed in the "Doctor's guide" mobile application, including doctors - 65% (Group 1), nursing staff -9% (Group 2) and students and technical staff - 26% (Group 3). Frequency comparison was undertaken using Chi-squared test. Relevant risk and potential error were calculated. Data analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2016. Results. With a more frequent declaration of the need for waste sorting, doctors in everyday life practice it less often than nurses: 39.7% vs. 46.6%. More than 5% of the respondents believe that there are no waste processing enterprises in Russia at all. Only a quarter of the respondents explain their disengagement in waste sorting for recycling by personal traits and motives. More than a tenth of the respondents are ready to engage in waste sorting only if there are incentives or prohibitions, more than 5% associate their unwillingness with the lack of skills to sort waste, as well as the presence of strong opponents to waste sorting in their inner circle. There was no difference in the distribution of the responses across all three groups of the respondents about the dual system of municipal waste sorting (everything that belongs to the category of “recyclables” must be thrown in the blue container) operating in the Republic of Tatarstan and the Moscow region. Almost 14% of the surveyed health professionals neither had the slightest idea about this system or plan to sort waste, while about 55% did not know, but are going to use this system. Half of those who knew about the dual sorting system (15.9% of the respondents) doubt that it can be trusted. A fifth of the respondents do not know where to dispose of hazardous household waste that cannot be thrown in a regular waste container and note that there are no hazardous waste drop-off sites. Conclusion. The study demonstrates that health professionals have a low commitment to responsible consumption. As to medical disposables, doctors consider their replacement with reusable analogues acceptable and rational more often than nurses. In general, health professionals do not share the idea of a long-term and careful use of household items with a possible subsequent donation or re-sale.

Development of a mathematical model of the process of sorting municipal solid waste using elements of similarity of technical systems

The article studies the similarity of ensuring the technical condition of the solid municipal waste sorting line system. The functional dependence of the productivity of the waste sorting line is given, partial expressions and numerical values of the criteria for similarity of the functioning of the sorting process are obtained. A generalized criterion of similarity of the state of the solid municipal waste sorting process is also obtained, the nature of the influence of the parameters of functional dependence on the value of the output characteristic is investigated.

Gameful Learning for a More Sustainable World

Municipal waste sorting is an important but neglected topic within sustainability-oriented Information Systems research. Most waste management systems depend on the quality of their citizens pre-sorting but lack teaching resources. Thus, it is important to raise awareness and knowledge on correct waste sorting to strengthen current efforts. Having shown promising results in raising learning outcomes and motivation in domains like health and economics, gamification is an auspicious approach to address this problem. The paper explores the effectiveness of gameful design on learning outcomes of waste sorting knowledge with a mobile game app that implements two different learning strategies: repetition and elaboration. In a laboratory experiment, the overall learning outcome of participants who trained with the game was compared to that of participants who trained with standard analogue non-game materials. Furthermore, the effects of two additional, learning-enhancing design elements – repetition and look-up – were analyzed. Learning outcome in terms of long-term retention and knowledge transfer were evaluated through three different testing measures two weeks after the training: in-game, through a multiple-choice test and real-life sorting. The results show that the game significantly enhanced the learning outcome of waste sorting knowledge for all measures, which is particularly remarkable for the real-life measure, as similar studies were not successful with regard to knowledge transfer to real life. Furthermore, look-up is found to be a promising game design element that is not yet established in IS literature and therefore should be considered more thoroughly in future research and practical implementations alike.

Key Determinants of Municipal Waste Sorting in Slovakia

The Slovak Republic does not meet the targets of the waste economy in the long run. In order to meet these objectives, it is necessary to make changes to the current system of municipal waste management. Building on an empirical analysis, this paper focuses on the evaluation of the production of municipal waste and the factors that influence the level of municipal waste sorting as a prerequisite for the maximal re-use, recovery, or recycling of municipal waste. The type of fee for municipal waste was confirmed as the most significant factor for the higher rate of municipal waste sorting, and pertinent recommendations were suggested according to the needs of Slovak municipalities.

Development of the level of sorting of municipal waste in the selected locality

Waste management is one of the essential areas that everyone in the world should carry about. Waste collection and treatment help to reduce the risk of the spread of various diseases. Municipal waste is waste produced in households by the population. Municipal waste can be sorted into other components, such as plastic, paper, glass, metals, and biodegradable waste. These types of waste are in most urbanized areas collected separately. The sorting level offers accurate information about each urbanization, to what extent its population is involved in separated waste collection. The paper focuses on analyzing the waste collection system in the selected locality and will examine the local waste sorting level development during the last few years.

Metal recovery from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash as a tool of circular economy

Municipal solid waste contains metals in various amounts in many cases. The metals become part of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash and can be recovered. The article describes the role of recovered metals in the circular economy based on the analyses of metal recovery, the triple layered business model, and the SWOT analysis. Based on the results of the examination of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, setting them in the strengths-threats quadrant, the positive internal factors (quantified by +1.11) meet the negative factors in the environment (quantified by −0.62). The strength – heavy metal recovery, reduction of toxicity, risk reduction (due to lowering the toxicity), and re-use of process material, where possible, overcome the threats including the sorting of municipal waste in most countries, remediation of empty mines by filling with fly ash, soil, water and air contamination, land take, and social acceptance of the recycled materials for a successful recovery of metals from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash. Yet, not only the economic and environmental view is important but also the social aspect of metal. The circular representation of metal recovery is shown and the questions for the future are outlined.

Artificial Intelligence in the Sorting of Municipal Waste as an Enabler of the Circular Economy

The recently finalized research project “ZRR for municipal waste” aimed at testing and evaluating the automation of municipal waste sorting plants by supplementing or replacing manual sorting, with sorting by a robot with artificial intelligence (ZRR). The objectives were to increase the current recycling rates and the purity of the recovered materials; to collect additional materials from the current rejected flows; and to improve the working conditions of the workers, who could then concentrate on, among other things, the maintenance of the robots. Based on the empirical results of the project, this paper presents the main results of the training and operation of the robotic sorting system based on artificial intelligence, which, to our knowledge, is the first attempt at an application for the separation of bulky municipal solid waste (MSW) and an installation in a full-scale waste treatment plant. The key questions for the research project included (a) the design of test protocols to assess the quality of the sorting process and (b) the evaluation of the performance quality in the first six months of the training of the underlying artificial intelligence and its database.

From pioneer to promotion: How can residential waste diversion non-profit organizations (NPOs) best co-evolve in modern China?

Against the background of China's policies to intensify efforts in residential municipal waste sorting, some non-profit organisations (NPOs) have shown that they can make a significant difference in changing residents’ behaviours. However, this is a very new policy and implementation context for schemes of tasks, facilities and responsibilities that previously did not exist – even the formal roles for community-level governance officers, NPOs and other stakeholders are still evolving. Here we use a SWOT-PEST analysis to analyse the current operating context of six pioneering NPOs over the last year, to extract generalisable learning to accelerate scaling up as China widens the policies. The results show that the NPOs benefit much from having or establishing a network with the grass-roots level community, and nurturing a positive interaction with all stakeholders: their ability to interface lowest-level government structures with the public was key. The government's support for NPOs in terms of finance or facilities was important, but introductions to stakeholders was crucial. Most NPOs struggled with growing too fast, and insufficient expertise in operational details (such as keeping facilities clean). To be sustainable, they needed more experience in communicating their core goals (e.g. environmental), in terms that the urban planners and funders would appreciate. Non-alignment with current government waste agenda was not seen.

Centralized standards and local taxation in municipal waste management

AbstractIn the EU, standards for municipal waste sorting and recycling are established by the European central institutions, being mostly based on the available estimates of recyclable materials. In a simple model of co‐production in municipal waste management with local taxation, we assess that central bodies enjoy more discretion and can set more ambitious targets in jurisdictions with stronger environmental preferences and/or lower expenditure needs. Incentives to engage in waste sorting and recycling are found to be less powerful with citizens who are less sensitive to the environmental preservation, and all the more when the public input has a high cost. This points to the conclusion that standards should be differentiated across jurisdictions, with due consideration of the local preferences and costs of waste management.

Porous resin-bonded recycled denim composite as an efficient sound-absorbing material

Recently, a growing interest has been focused on utilizing alternative recycled sound-absorbing construction materials. This study investigates phenolic resin-bonded recycled denim as a potential replacement to synthetic sound absorbers. To this end, the discarded denim was collected from municipal waste sorting plants and shredded to back down into fiber form. Solid novolac resin and fibers were fed to the air-laid machine. The hybrid structures were then introduced to an oven to cure the resin and form an integrated flexible structure. Nonwoven composites at different bulk densities (61–102 kg/m3) and resin contents (10–35%) were produced. The sound absorption coefficient (SAC) of composite samples was determined using the impedance tube method. The relationship between SAC versus frequency was modeled using a logarithmic regression and the phenomenological model of Johnson-Champoux-Allard (JCA). Additionally, the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) values of the samples were compared with those of some commercially available glass wool nonwovens of the same physical properties. The results showed that the mechanism of sound absorption for samples is viscosity resistance, in which SAC at low frequencies is low, however at high frequencies is quite significant. The results of the statistical analysis confirmed that both the bulk density and resin content have a significant effect on the SAC. It was found that SAC rises with increasing the areal density and bulk density, and this raise is more pronounced at higher bulk densities. It was also observed that for samples of the same bulk density, SAC increases with increasing the resin content. The results indicated that resin-bonded recycled denim composites could successfully compete with commercial glass wool samples for noise control, apart from being environmentally friendly and economically viable.

Multicriteria Assessment of the Quality of Waste Sorting Centers—A Case Study

In this paper, the quality of the municipal waste sorting process in seven waste management centers in Slovenia was assessed using the qualitative multicriteria analysis (MCA) method DEX (Decision EXpert) implemented in DEXi software, which is based on multicriteria decomposition of the problem and utility functions in the form of “if–then” decision rules. The study was based on eight types of secondary raw materials. The quality of the secondary raw materials, the regularity of the delivery of secondary raw materials to recycling units based on the sorting efficiency, and the loading weight of the individual baled fractions in the transport of secondary raw materials for recycling were the main parameters used in the model. The final assessment shows “good” waste management service in centers A and D. Centers B, C, and F were rated “average”. The “bad” rating was assigned to centers E and G.

‘The biggest challenge is that we have to tell people how to sort.’ Waste management and the processes of negotiation of environmental citizenship in Slovenia

ABSTRACTThis article departs from the concept of environmental citizenship. Focus is on the experiences of representatives for Slovenian municipal waste management companies and business sector service companies engaged in the collection and recycling of electronic waste, and their attempts to increase the amount of separately collected municipal waste. They do so by engaging the Slovenian citizens to undertake separate sorting. Theoretically, the focus is on the processes of negotiating citizen engagement and, more specifically, attempts to incentivise the separate sorting of municipal waste which, it is argued, also helps foster the image of a particular kind of citizen. This article understands the informants’ experiences as being intimately linked to, and constitutive of, contemporary waste management discourses where attention is increasingly paid to the activities and behaviours of individual citizens. Noteworthy, while the concept of environmental citizenship can be said to allow citizens to practise sustainability (a concept that is otherwise seemingly quite abstract), the waste management policies of today seem to be increasingly relying on this active citizenship. It is at the intersection of these phenomenon that the negotiation practices of Slovenian waste management authorities happen.

Financing pro-ecological investments in the Częstochowa municipal enterprise

The paper presents the opportunities for funding ecological investments with the example of the Czestochowa Municipal Enterprise. Modernizations of facilities and technologies are usually very capitalintensive investments. High costs of operation and changes introduced to programs of waste management have stimulated creation of various forms of support for the enterprises, including companies involved in municipal waste management. Both Poland and the European Union provide financial support to enterprises for ecological and innovative purposes. For nearly 15 years, both national and international programs have offered their support for changes in the system of waste management. The Czestochowa Municipal Enterprise has been successful in meeting legal requirements. Subsidies from the EU operational programs (nearly a third of investments in 2004-2014) allowed for the achievement of a high level of investments. One should emphasize performance of such tasks as municipal waste sorting plant, composting facility, station of bulky waste disassembly, station of construction debris fragmentation or municipal point of dangerous waste collection. 200 points of selective waste collection have been created in the community and educational campaigns were performed concerning waste sorting. Each of these units represents a necessary component of modern and ecological waste management. Nowadays, waste landfills represent modern enterprises with huge economic potential, whereas investments and subsidies allow for the development and building infrastructure of the municipal industry which is essential in development of cities and villages.

Inhalable dust, endotoxins and (1\u20133)-\u03b2-d-glucans as indicators of exposure in waste sorting plant environment

The aim of the study was to assess the levels of inhalable dust, endotoxins and (1–3)-β-d-glucans as agents harmful to the respiratory tract of workers of municipal waste sorting plants and interaction between these agents based on the measurements taken in two plants with different processing capacities. The study was conducted in summer season in two waste sorting plants (WSPs) differing in processing capacity. Samples of bioaerosol for inhalable dust (gravimetric method), endotoxins (LAL test in kinetic, chromogenic version) and (1–3)-β-d-glucans (Glucatell test in kinetic version) were collected from 42 sorting workers using individual aspirators with glass fiber filters during the work shift. Average geometric concentrations (geometric standard deviation; min–max) of inhalable dust, endotoxins and (1–3)-β-d-glucans were: WSP1: 1.7 mg m−3 (2.2; 0.6–6.9 mg m−3); 15.9 ng m−3 (2.1; 5.4–78.9 ng m−3), 55.1 ng m−3 (1.8; 20.7–188.6 ng m−3) and WSP2: 0.8 mg m−3 (2.2; 0.2–3.8 mg m−3), 9.8 ng m−3 (2.4; 1.6–29.7 ng m−3), 45.0 ng m−3 (3.2, 5.7–212.9 ng m−3), respectively. A significantly higher concentration of inhalable dust was recorded in WSP1 with bigger processing capacity compared to WSP2 (less processing capacity). Significant (p < 0.05) and very high correlations (Spearman rank R > 0.7) were found between the concentrations of all analyzed harmful agents. Processing capacity of waste sorting plants differentially affects the concentrations of inhalable dust, whereas concentrations of endotoxins and glucans are less clearly affected. This suggests that relative concentrations of endotoxin and glucan are depending on the waste sorting capacity.

Analysis of Principles of Selection of Secondary Waste Segregation Installation Elements on The Area of Selected Municipality

Abstract In recent years systemic changes in waste management have affected searching and implementation of solutions that increase waste recovery including those intended for recycle. The article presents a predicted amount of municipal waste intended for recovery based on their selected streams. For the needs of a conceptual solution the area was determined, which was operated by the mentioned installation. The paper uses the indicators of waste accumulation: mass, volume, bulk density and irregularity of their collection in 2011-2013 for determination of the sorting plant efficiency. Elements of the installation, which should enable optimization of the waste recovery process optimization, were selected. Moreover, frames of technological efficiency of the suggested solution were defined. The aim of the paper was an attempt to select parameters of a municipal waste sorting plant with location under conditions of Stary Sącz city.

Microbiological air quality at municipal waste sorting plant

Abstract Municipal waste plants can be a source of biological contamination of the environment, depending on the method of operation and the type of collected waste. The aim of this study was the quantitative characteristics of airborne microorganisms at the Barycz municipal waste sorting plant in Cracow. Bioaerosol measurements of indoor and outdoor air of the municipal waste sorting plant were performed during the summer season using a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor. The highest concentration of bacterial and fungal aerosol was observed in the medium fraction sorting room (129.02×103 cfu·m-3 and 116.21×103 cfu·m-3, respectively). There were statistically significant differences in the concentrations of bacterial and fungal aerosol between indoor and outdoor air. The calculations showed a significant correlation between the concentration of bioaerosol and particulate matter. Based on the analysis of bioaerosol particle size distribution, it was found that the concentration of bacteria and fungi has a maximum value in the diameter range 3.3-7.0 μm. The study confirmed that the municipal waste sorting plants can be causing exposure to microbiological agents.

Research into the hygienic qualities of paper recovered by mechanical sorting of municipal waste

The R 80-plant of Imperial- Krauss-Maffei-Industrieanlagen GmbH, Munich, is a mechanical sorting unit for municipal waste with a capacity of 5 t/hr. It uses a dry process and has been developed to the point at which it is suitable for commercial application. Paper and cardboard are the principal components in municipal waste, having 20–40% weight percentage and 30–60% volume percentage. Some 61% of the available paper and cardboard could be recovered by mechanical sorting of 31 tons of municipal waste in the R 80-plant and were used as ‘raw material’ for paper in conventional paper mills. After the production of different grades of paper a research, subsidized by German state authorities, was made checking the bacteriological contamination of these papers with a view of their range of application, e.g. for packing purposes. These results are encouraging. If certain precautions are taken there is no objection against the commercial use of such papers. The precautions are thermal and/or chemical treatments of the waste paper and a thorough purification of the effluents of the paper mill. There is evidence of a wide range of application for such papers, which will contribute to the progress of recycling valuable materials from waste.