Municipal Waste Research Articles

Inventory analysis and environmental life cycle impact assessment of hotel food waste management for bio-circular economy development in Zimbabwe.

This study is an inventory analysis and environmental life cycle assessment of hotel food waste management that seeks to inform efforts towards the development of bio circular economy in Zimbabwe. An audit of food waste generation and an inventory analysis of the prevailing food waste management practices at three selected hotels was undertaken. The greenhouse gas emissions from the prevailing disposal of food waste at dumpsites and the proposed biological treatment of food waste were evaluated using the Tier 1 FOD method and Tier 1 method of biological treatment using the 2019 refined 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines. Environmental life cycle assessment was also conducted for the open dumping, composting, and anaerobic digestion. The average food waste generation within the Zimbabwean hospitality industry was estimated at 1.63kg/guest/day, with a minimum and maximum of 1.01 and 2.25kg/guest/day, respectively. Source-separated food waste is currently being collected indiscriminately by municipal waste collection trucks for final disposal at the official landfills or dumpsites. This calls for the need for an offtake system of the source-separated food waste in the form of composting or anaerobic digestion. Study results showed that the disposal of food waste at solid waste disposal sites contributes to the highest greenhouse gas emissions, followed by composting with a 75% reduction in greenhouse emissions. Anaerobic digestion brings about a maximum reduction in greenhouse emissions of 97%. Environmental life cycle assessment results also show that anaerobic digestion is the best method leading to net negative environmental impacts.

Destructive Effects of Slag from Municipal Waste Incineration Plants on Cement Composites

Destructive Effects of Slag from Municipal Waste Incineration Plants on Cement Composites

Emission of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Unidentified Organofluorine from Swedish Municipal Waste Incineration Plants

Emission of Perfluoroalkyl Acids and Unidentified Organofluorine from Swedish Municipal Waste Incineration Plants

Synergistic effects of nano titanium dioxide and waste glass powder on the mechanical and durability properties of concrete.

This study investigates the combined use of waste glass powder and nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the mechanical and durability properties of the concrete. Waste glass being one of the major municipal wastes going into the landfill sites can be used as a pozzolanic material in the concrete, in this study cement is replaced with waste glass powder by 10% along with nano TiO2, it is used as an addition to cementitious material by 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%. Fresh and mechanical properties like setting time, workability, compressive strength and flexural strength is evaluated along with durability properties such as sorptivity, acid, sulphate and chloride attacks, elevated temperature test. Scanning electron microscope is done to understand the morphology of the blended concrete. Combined use of glass powder and nano TiO2 is found beneficial in mechanical and durability parameters whereas addition of nano TiO2 has resulted in decreased workability of the concrete.

Numerical Simulation of the Diffusion Characteristics of Odor Pollutants of Waste Bunkers in Waste Incineration Plant

This paper utilizes the waste bunker of a waste incineration plant as the analysis model. It analyzes the airflow characteristics under various unloading door opening states and the air flow velocity through CFD simulation. The simulation analysis results show that when one unloading door is opened, it is recommended to adjust the opening amplitude or set an air outlet to optimize the airflow distribution. If two unloading doors are opened, it is advised to prioritize the two middle unloading doors (M4, M5) or the two rightmost doors (M7, M8). Furthermore, the exhaust port located relatively far from the unloading door should be closed to reduce the turbulence of the airflow. When all unloading doors are opened, the air flow velocity at the unloading door needs to be increased to achieve an efficient exhaust effect and prevent negative pressure problems at low speed. The results offer theoretical support for odor control technologies and provide valuable design recommendations for air outlets and unloading doors in municipal waste incineration plants. Additionally, this study proposes optimization strategies and effective solutions for addressing odor pollutant diffusion in waste incineration facilities.

Determination of Particle Size for Optimum Biogas Production from Ouagadougou Municipal Organic Solid Waste

Anaerobic digestion’s contribution to sustainable development is well established. It is a sustainable production process that enables energy to be saved and produced and efficient pollution control processes to be implemented, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of our societies. Optimizing biogas yields from the anaerobic digestion of municipal organic waste is crucial for maximum energy recovery and has become an important topic of interest. Substrate particle size is a key process parameter in biogas production and precedes other pretreatment methods for most organic materials. This study aims to evaluate the impact of particle size and incubation period on biomethane production from municipal solid waste. Sampling of municipal solid waste was carried out in waste pre-collection in the city of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Waste characterization showed lignocellulolytic green waste (grass, dead leaves), waste composed of fruit and leafy vegetables and leftover food waste. TableCurve 3D v4.0 software was used to develop an optimal mathematical model to correlate particle size and biomethane productivity to describe optimal production parameters. Particle sizes ranging from 2000 to 63 µm high biogas production values, specifically 385.33 and 201.25 L·kg−1 of MSV. PCA analysis clearly showed a high correlation between particle size and biogas production, with optimum production recorded for size 250 µm with a biomethane production value of 187.53 L·kg−1 of MSV. The average relative errors and RMSE for CH4 content were improved by 24.31% and 44.97%, respectively. The data calculated with the developed mathematical model and the existing experimental data were compared and permutated to validate the model. This work enabled the identification of a mathematical model that describes the correlations between the input parameters of an experiment and the monitored parameters, as well as the definition of the particle size that allows for the optimal production of biomethane.

Simulation-based genetic algorithm for optimizing a municipal cooperative waste supply chain in a pandemic

The quantity of medical waste produced by municipalities is on the rise, potentially presenting significant hazards to both the environment and human health. Developing a robust supply chain network for managing municipal medical waste is important for society, especially during a pandemic like COVID-19. In supply chain network design, factors such as the collection of non-infectious waste, transporting infectious waste from hospitals to disposal facilities, revenue generation from waste-to-energy initiatives, and the potential for pandemic outbreaks are often overlooked. Hence, in this study, we design a model incorporating COVID-19 parameters to mitigate the spread of the virus while designing an effective municipal medical waste supply chain network during a pandemic. The proposed model is multi-objective, multi-echelon, multi-commodity and involves coalition-based cooperation. The first objective function aims to minimize total costs, while the second objective pertains to minimizing the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak. We identify optimal collaboration among municipal medical waste collection centers to maximize cost savings. The COVID-19 prevalence risk level by the waste in each zone is calculated pursuant to their inhabitants. Additionally, we analyze a system dynamic simulation framework to forecast waste generation levels amid COVID-19 conditions. A metaheuristic based on the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II is used to solve the problem and is benchmarked against exact solutions. To illustrate our approach, we present a case study focused on Tehran, Iran. The results show that an increase in the amount of generated waste leads to an increase in the total costs of the supply chain.

Solid waste management in the city of Bordj Bou Arreridj between efficiency and difficulty

Sustainable waste management is becoming the focus of debates on environmental and economic issues, waste recovery has become a new logic, improving the quality of life of citizens and the environment and adding economic value to waste. In Algeria, landfill, which is simple or even "wild", was for a long time the final destination of this waste, because of its low cost compared to other sectors such as incineration or composting, without any other concern to recover this waste. Indeed , the recycling rate of municipal waste is only 7 % in Algeria (2012) and the targets for Algeria are respectively 20 % (2015) and 25 % (2020) according to the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly Report on Waste Management at Local and Regional Levels in the Mediterranean, Brussels, 2014. The technical landfill center of the city of Bourdj Bou Arreridj comes to eradicate the uncontrolled landfills in the city, but it has experienced several weaknesses and malfunctions in the way of exploitation.pain The objective of this study is to demonstrate by a qualitative/quantitative approach that an effective waste management in the town of Bourdj Bou Arreridj requires a selective collection and a good choice of the treatment of this household and similar waste which contains 75% fermentable/recoverable waste (organic matter) and more than 24% recyclable waste.

Features of Landfill Reclamation in the North-Western Region of Russia

Ecological and climatic features of solid municipal waste landfills in the north-western region of the Russian Federation are considered. It was noted that it is impossible to use the land for the intended purpose, stipulated by regulatory documents, immediately after completion of waste disposal. The incorrectness of the current regulatory documents in relation to the north-western region of Russia is emphasized. The expediency of reclamation in two stages is substantiated: at the first stage, the sanitary-hygienic direction is carried out – the creation of phytocenoses of anti-erosion and aesthetic purpose, at the second stage (after 2–3 decades and more) after assessment of the ecological situation in the landfill area the direction of reclamation is chosen and the target (economic) land use is established.

A location-sizing and routing model for a biomethane production chain fed by municipal waste

A location-sizing and routing model for a biomethane production chain fed by municipal waste

The dynamics and assembly patterns of airborne pathogen communities in the municipal food waste treatment system and its risk implications

The dynamics and assembly patterns of airborne pathogen communities in the municipal food waste treatment system and its risk implications

Optimizing Waste Separation in Traditional Minority Communities: A Game Theory Approach for Sustainable Municipal Waste Management

Successful solid-waste management relies heavily on citizen involvement and cooperation, particularly through effective source separation. By ensuring that waste is sorted correctly at source, costs are reduced, the quality of recycled products is improved, and waste handling becomes more efficient—resulting in significant cost savings for municipal authorities (MAs) and mitigating causes of air pollution, water pollution, and soil contamination.This study explores enhancing waste separation in local authorities populated by traditional minority groups through stakeholder cooperation. The aim is to improve economic, social, and environmental utilities while identifying the mechanism that best maximizes the well-being of all players involved.Employing mixed methods and game-theory tools, we conduct twenty-one in-depth interviews with local minority leaders to define the parameters of the service function. The utility functions of all players serve as a basis for game-theory modeling that allow us to identify Nash equilibria, compare their efficiency, and formulate the mechanism optimally.The results of the study show that when an influential local player fosters cooperation and trust among residents, effective waste separation is achieved, enhancing the well-being of all involved.

Artificial intelligence and IoT driven system architecture for municipality waste management in smart cities: A review

Numerous devices, including sensors, RF ID, and other types of smart devices, have been developed as a result of the Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. Urban areas can become smart by monitoring and collecting data about their surroundings through the deployment of technologies with powerful computational capabilities and those that are converted into intelligent things. Waste management is among the most significant issues in smart cities, a rise in metropolitan regions and faster increases in population are the main reasons. When it comes to gathering data about waste management, intelligent services can serve as the front line. Waste management with IoT support is a common example of a service offered by smart cities. Various duties, like gathering, processing, and use of waste in appropriate facilities, are included in waste management. The present study proposed an updated waste management system architecture design after reviewing existing artificial intelligence and IoT-based waste management systems and automation in smart cities. The proposed system architecture deals with the automation of municipality trash in smarter urban areas, using IoT technology and sending notification messages based on sensor data relating to the dustbin state, such as full or empty. The notifications are sent simultaneously to the municipality office and the waste carrier vehicle driver, so that waste can be emptied on time. The proposed system architecture represents a scalable and adaptable model for municipalities that aim to transform their waste collection processes and play a key step in minimizing municipality waste in smart cities. By deploying this proposed system architecture with smart sensors and IoT devices, municipalities can monitor waste levels to ensure that bins are emptied when it is necessary. This reduces the frequency of waste collection, lowers fuel consumption, and minimizes operational costs. The Route optimization algorithms further enhance efficiency by determining the most efficient paths for waste collection trucks, so they can reduce travel time and fuel emissions.

Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessment Resulting from Processing Municipal Organic Waste into Bahan Bakar Jumputan Padat for Co-firing in Power Plants; Case Study: Bagendung Landfill Cilegon City

One type of biomass that can be used as fuel for co-firing in power plants is Bahan Bakar Jumputan Padat (BBJP)/Solid Waste Fuel. BBJP is a non-hazardous waste derivative that cannot be recycled. The production process of BBJP is strictly regulated by the Indonesian national standard (SNI) 8966:2021. The definition, characteristics and specifications of BBJP are much closer to Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) than Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). The utilization of BBJP reflects the dedication to reducing waste in landfills with a circular economy concept approach as well as the transition of the energy mix in Indonesia. To the present day, the production capacity of BBJP at Bagendung landfill in Cilegon City, Banten Province, has successfully produced 30 tons/day of organic municipal waste with an average BBJP product yield ranging between 11-15 tons/day. This research is intended to assess the Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) generated from the processing of municipal waste into BBJP. There are three main processes that produce GHG emissions, namely during bio drying processing, the use of machinery that produces emissions from electricity and the transportation process that produces combustion emissions in diesel fuel. As a result, direct GHG emissions arising from all waste processing activities into BBJP consist of 10 pollutants, namely CH4, N2O, CO, NH3, CO2, NOX, SO2, NVMOC, PM2.5 and ID(1,2,3,c,d)P. CO2 emission is the largest pollutant, accounting for 96.70% of the entire BBJP process.

European waste management regulations in Spanish local administrations: Compliance assessment and integration Frontiers

AbstractThis research analyzes the impact of European directives, particularly the Waste Framework Directive, on municipal waste management in Spain, with a focus on Law 7/2022 promoting circular economy principles. Through an assessment of waste management ordinances in 980 municipalities, the study found that over 60% of local ordinances have not yet fully incorporated the latest regulatory requirements, indicating significant delays in adapting to European regulations. The findings reveal notable disparities in compliance, with larger municipalities showing higher adaptation rates compared to smaller ones. Additionally, regions like Catalonia and the Balearic Islands have adopted innovative approaches, including ‘pay‐as‐you‐throw’ schemes and community composting. The study underscores the critical need for better integration of circular economy principles, enhanced monitoring, and increased public awareness to promote sustainable waste management practices. By identifying regulatory gaps, this research aims to provide practical insights for improving local waste management policies and fostering greater compliance with EU mandates.

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Municipal Waste on Energy Incineration Technology for Power Generation Using Life Cycle Assessment Methodology

The life cycle assessment methodology is a comprehensive environmental impact evaluation approach rooted in the “cradle-to-grave” concept. This study takes a municipal solid waste incineration power plant in central China as an example to comprehensively explore the potential ecological and environmental impacts of municipal solid waste incineration power generation through life cycle assessment methods. Burning one ton of waste can recover 7342 joules of thermal energy. Compared with traditional landfill, incineration can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 30%, with a potential global warming impact of −0.69 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent. Amongst environmental impacts, land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems possess the greatest potential toxicity, followed by the harmful effects on human health and the influence of ozone-producing photochemical pollution. Lastly, there comes terrestrial acidification, whereas other types of effects can be relatively disregarded in comparison. In the process of waste incineration power generation, the potential impacts of global warming, ionizing radiation, and fossil resource scarcity are less than zero, indicating that this is an environmentally friendly process. In response to the above-mentioned environmental impacts, it is necessary to pay attention to improving incineration efficiency, optimizing leachate treatment, reducing coal use, and controlling acidic gas emissions in the process of urban solid waste incineration power generation. This research offers insights into advancing environmentally sustainable technologies for utilizing waste as an energy resource.

Circular Economy: Municipal Solid Waste and Landfilling Analyses in Slovakia

The pursuit of shifting Slovakia towards a circular economy is met with a multitude of obstacles, including the pervasive consumerist mindset among Slovakians. This mindset favors packaged food, leading to its improper disposal in municipal waste instead of being recycled. Furthermore, the inclination towards landfills poses a significant challenge in the management of municipal solid waste (MSW). To address this issue, a quantitative analysis was conducted using developed and validated models, incorporating various factors related to MSW management in Slovakia. Our study confirmed the significance of parameters such as MSW management costs and population size in the amount of MSW generated. Furthermore, our findings include a short-term forecast for MSW generation in Slovakia for the next two years. These results, based on quantitative data, provide valuable insights for policymakers and waste management authorities in Slovakia, emphasizing the urgent need for a transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy.

Attitude of Romanian students and their families concerning waste management

Abstract Waste recovery, recycling included, is an important step in waste management, preceding final disposal. In 2018, according to Eurostat, the recycling rate of municipal waste was 47% in the European Union and only 11.1% in Romania. Thus governmental institutions have implemented new measures in order to reduce environmental pollution by ineffective waste management. In 2022, 535 students aged 22-24.5 years, males and females, studying in Craiova (one of the six largest academic cities of Romania), were asked to answer an 18-item questionnaire regarding their and their families’ attitude towards waste recycling. Most of the students (60.7%) were residents in the university city, while the others - in smaller cities or in villages of the region. Only 38.3% of the subjects (N = 205) declare their families recycle waste; the most common excuse for no-recycling (37.8%) is the lack of recycle bins in the house proximity. Only 20 families (3.7%), all of them living in Craiova, take the fried oil to collecting points in supermarkets; most of the others eliminate it in the sewerage system, especially those from outside the city (p < 0.01). Seventy-five students (14%) are not able to mention any recent measure taken by the government in order to reduce plastics environmental pollution; the others discuss about the increased number of recycle bins around the city (53.2%), recycling of single-use plastics (34.5%) or use of biodegradable bags (25.2%). No-recycling (42%), using daily his/her own car (18.7%, p < 0.01 males vs. females), using too much plastics (11.2%) are the most frequent self-reported students’ disregards for the environment. Most of the subjects consider environmental health of essential importance (88.7%) and would like to participate in environment protection actions (92.5%). Romanian students seem to have a positive attitude and like to be involved in the environment protection, without a significant influence regarding the gender and the residence place. Key messages • Education and information are essential tools to make people ecologically aware. • Recycling is one of the best ways to have a positive impact on both natural and community environment.

CAPTURE—Computational Analysis and Predictive Techniques for Urban Resource Efficiency

ABSTRACTMunicipal waste management (MWM) poses significant challenges in the context of rapid urbanisation and population growth. Accurate forecasting of waste production is crucial for designing sustainable waste management strategies. However, traditional forecasting methods often struggle to capture the complexities of waste generation dynamics. This paper proposes a novel methodology leveraging deep learning techniques to forecast municipal waste production. By harnessing the power of deep neural networks, our approach transcends the limitations of conventional models, providing more accurate and impactful predictions. We integrate heterogeneous data sources, including demographic and territorial information, into a comprehensive graph representation of municipalities. Graph Neural Networks are then employed to extract intricate spatial and temporal patterns from the graph structure. Empirical validation through a case study in the Apulia region demonstrates the effectiveness of our methodology in furnishing accurate forecasts for waste production. Our framework is adaptable and scalable, making it suitable for application across diverse geographical areas. This research contributes to advancing waste management practices by providing stakeholders with actionable insights for informed decision‐making.

Prediction of municipal waste generation using multi-expression programming for circular economy: a data-driven approach.

The existing surge in municipal waste generation (MWG), characterized by swiftly changing and uncontrollable factors, poses a significant challenge to sustainable development. This prompted the need for improved predictive models to guide strategic waste management within the circular economy framework. This study aims to develop a predictive model using multi-expression programming (MEP) to assess MWG. The model was developed using historical data on socioeconomic and environmental factors and validated via comparative analyses with artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), and multiple linear regression (MLR) using various evaluation metrics. The parametric and sensitivity analyses of the MEP model were also conducted. The MEP, ANN, RF, and MLR models have a coefficient of determination (R2) (for testing datasets) of 0.977, 0.974, 0.957, and 0.964, respectively. The MEP model is superior in terms of accuracy and performance for the prediction of MWG when compared to the other three models. The sensitivity analysis revealed the relative importance of each input variable in the established MEP model. The novelty of this research lies in the application of MEP to predict MWG and the formulation of a new mathematical model that links socioeconomic and environmental factors with MWG. The model can be used by waste management authorities to optimize waste collection, transportation, and disposal infrastructure for an effective circular economy and sustainable development. This model also aids in the development of effective waste management policies.