Solid Waste Planning Research Articles

MSW Management in São Paulo City and the National Policy of Solid Waste

The objective of this paper is to present a brief overview of the current situation of solid waste in Brazil, as well as the importance of the National Policy of Solid Waste as the main regulatory milestone of the country, clarifying the role of society, government and the private sector. Moreover, this law is essential for determining the closing of dumps, encouraging municipal consortia and establishing a hierarchy for solid waste management through waste reduction at source, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and disposal. Also, it aims to understand how São Paulo, the most important city of Brazil, is currently facing the problem and what are the scenarios and proposals indicated in the Integrated Management Solid Waste Plan of the city to get the sustainable solid waste management of São Paulo in operation.

Sustainable GIS Based-ANN's Solution for Landfill Suitability Analysis

Sustainable suitability analysis for landfill sites is an important and necessary issue for authorities of solid waste planning in the fast growing zones, due to the increasing complexity coming from dealing with various disciplines and requirement and the needy of satisfaction. A combination of geographic information systems including spatial analysis, and artificial neural network ANNs were employed in this study for decision-makers in the sustainable suitability analysis problems in Malaysia and GIS was used to manipulate and present spatial data. The GIS analysis reveals three distinct groupings based on actual conditions of the case study area, environmental factors, economic factors and social factors which are reflection of different factors contributing to the sustainable development. The result shown that ANNs has good information extraction and evaluation functions of the suitability value based on the exact relationship between the input criteria and the output landfill site data with high coefficient of determination (R2) which help decision-makers to analysis sustainable suitability for landfill sites.

The fate of waste in Hawaii: Technology assessment and solid waste planning in Hawaii, 1968–78

In this article I consider the initial period of solid waste management planning in the US state of Hawaii. The State encountered a number of economic and ecological controversies during its solid waste management planning, a process that was prompted by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Some issues, like project financing, were common across the US, while others, such as the potential of waste materials to reduce reliance on imported food and materials, were more unique to Hawaii. The controversies from this initial planning period were never quite fully resolved; as they lingered, they were interpreted differently across the Islands. Based on a close reading of government, advocacy group, waste industry and news media documents, I examine the controversies over solid waste management of the time and consider how the ‘dual nature’ of waste in Hawaii—simultaneously an ecological threat and (potential) economic input—shaped the adoption of solid waste management systems there. This article adds to an expanding literature examining infrastructure in environmental and technology histories.

Solid waste management under uncertainty: a generalized fuzzy linear programming approach

In this study, a generalized fuzzy linear programming (GFLP) method is developed to identify optimal waste-flow-allocation schemes under uncertainty. A stepwise interactive algorithm (SIA) is advanced to solve the GFLP model and generate solutions expressed as fuzzy sets. This solution method can handle fuzzy sets with known membership functions, regardless of the shapes of these functions. Moreover, solutions expressed as fuzzy sets can also be obtained through SIA. The developed method is applied to a case study of waste allocation planning problem under uncertainty. The results indicate that reasonable solutions can be obtained for planning waste allocation practices. Compared with interval solutions derived from interval linear programming method, the fuzzy solutions obtained through GFLP can provide more information. Therefore, the decision-makers can make tradeoffs between system stability and plausibility and thus identify desired policies for solid waste planning under uncertainty.

A Model for the Implementation of a Two-Shift Municipal Solid Waste and Recyclable Material Collection Plan that Offers Greater Convenience to Residents

ABSTRACT Separating recyclables from municipal solid waste (MSW) before collection reduces not only the quantity of MSW that needs to be treated but also the depletion of resources. However, the participation of residents is essential for a successful recycling program, and the level of participation usually depends on the degree of convenience associated with accessing recycling collection points. The residential accessing convenience (RAC) of a collection plan is determined by the proximity of its collection points to all residents and its temporal flexibility in response to resident requirements. The degree of proximity to all residents is determined by using a coverage radius that represents the maximum distance residents need to travel to access a recycling point. The temporal flexibility is assessed by the availability of proximal recycling points at times suitable to the lifestyles of all residents concerned. In Taiwan, the MSW collection is implemented at fixed locations and at fixed times. Residents must deposit their garbage directly into the collection vehicle. To facilitate the assignment of collection vehicles and to encourage residents to thoroughly separate their recyclables, in Taiwan MSW and recyclable materials are usually collected at the same time by different vehicles. A heuristic procedure including an integer programming (IP) model and ant colony optimization (ACO) is explored in this study to determine an efficient two-shift collection plan that takes into account RAC factors. The IP model has been developed to determine convenient collection points in each shift on the basis of proximity, and then the ACO algorithm is applied to determine the most effective routing plan of each shift. With the use of a case study involving a city in Taiwan, this study has demonstrated that collection plans generated using the above procedure are superior to current collection plans on the basis of proximity and total collection distance. IMPLICATIONS RAC is essential to the achievement of a successful tandem MSW and recyclable material collection plan. This study has proposed an optimization model and a metaheuristic tool to determine the routing plan. Through a real case study, a two-shift routing/scheduling plan is obtained by using the proposed procedure, which is to be superior to the existing collection plan. In short, local authorities that propose to determine a two-shift MSW and recyclable material collection plan should consider the proposed model as a basis of their operations.

GESTÃO DE RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS URBANOS NA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DE CURITIBA: POLÍTICA REGIONAL DE COMPOSTAGEM

A questão dos resíduos sólidos tem adquirido cada vez mais relevância nas discussões referentes ao planejamento urbano. E, na busca pela sustentabilidade ambiental as soluções contidas na esfera municipal perdem eficiência, visto que os sistemas ambientais sofrem degradações em extensões que extrapolam os limites do município. Neste sentido, destaca-se a figura do Consórcio Intermunicipal, integrando municípios vizinhos com problemas comuns, que reúnem esforços em busca de soluções. Acreditando neste pressuposto foi que em 2001, 17 municípios da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba (RMC) constituíram o Consórcio Intermunicipal Para Gestão de R.S.U.. Dentre as atividades do consórcio, está o Plano de Gerenciamento do Tratamento e Destinação de Resíduos Sólidos (PGRS), que propõe a substituição do atual Aterro Sanitário da Caximba por uma Planta de Tratamento, processando o lixo e aterrando apenas os rejeitos últimos. Porém, este novo sistema proposto não apresenta estratégias de implantação na prática. Neste sentido, este artigo propõe a elaboração de uma Política Regional de Compostagem, definindo diretrizes de planejamento territorial, de modo a viabilizar a prática da compostagem na RMC.

Inexact fuzzy-stochastic mixed integer programming approach for long-term planning of waste management–––Part B: Case study

In this study, a solid waste decision-support system was developed for the long-term planning of waste management in the City of Regina, Canada. Interactions among various system components, objectives, and constraints will be analyzed. Issues concerning planning for cost-effective diversion and prolongation of the landfill will be addressed. Decisions of system-capacity expansion and waste allocation within a multi-facility, multi-option, and multi-period context will be obtained. The obtained results would provide useful information and decision-support for the City's solid waste management and planning. In the application, four scenarios are considered. Through the above scenario analyses under different waste-management policies, useful decision support for the City's solid waste managers and decision makers was generated. Analyses for the effects of varied policies (for allowable waste flows to different facilities) under 35 and 50% diversion goals were also undertaken. Tradeoffs among system cost and constraint-violation risk were analyzed. Generally, a policy with lower allowable waste-flow levels corresponded to a lower system cost under advantageous conditions but, at the same time, a higher penalty when such allowances were violated. A policy with higher allowable flow levels corresponded to a higher cost under disadvantageous conditions. The modeling results were useful for (i) scheduling adequate time and capacity for long-term planning of the facility development and/or expansion in the city's waste management system, (ii) adjusting of the existing waste flow allocation patterns to satisfy the city's diversion goal, and (iii) generating of desired policies for managing the city's waste generation, collection and disposal.

Searching quality data for municipal solid waste planning

Effective waste reduction and recycling is predicated upon credible data on refuse generation and disposal. Despite improvements in the quality of data for municipal solid wastes (MSW) disposal, dependable generation and recycling statistics to support planning, regulation and administration are lacking. The available aggregates on national waste production from two sources do not conform to each other and fail to serve the requirements of local solid waste planning. As recycling estimates will be difficult to discern, the collection of generation data based on weighing waste samples at generator sites has been portrayed as the key for developing sustainable local databases. The coefficients developed from the databases for the various categories of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional wastes can be used as variables for waste generation models.

Describing variability of MSW composition data with the log-logistic distribution

Variations in solid waste composition data are necessary as inputs to solid waste planning, yet uncertainty exists regarding which probability distributions might be generally valuable to describe the variability. Twenty-two detailed analyses of solid waste from British Columbia, Canada, were fitted to distributions using the BestFit software. Alternative distributions were ranked based on three goodness-of-fit parameters and twelve waste fractions. The log-logistic distribution was found to be the most able to fit over the wide range of composition types considered. The results were demonstrated to be insensitive to the number of waste components or to the choice of a two- or three-parameter distribution. Although other distributions were able to better match the waste composition for individual waste types, the log-logistic distribution was demonstrated to fit, overall, a wide variety of waste composition types.

Wastewater and Waste-Generated Pollution at the Southeastern Black Sea Region

Increasing amount of solid waste and wastewaters arising from municipalities and other sources and their consequent disposal has been the source of major environmental problems in Turkey. Geological and geographical formations of the eastern Black Sea coasts of Turkey do not permit appropriate and economical solutions to be found easily for the removal of solid wastes and wastewaters. All of the municipal and industrial solid wastes mixed with hospital and hazardous wastes are dumped to the nearest lowlands and river valleys or directly into the sea. Although major cities have outfalls, most of the settlements in this area dispose of their wastewaters directly into the shallow coastal sea waters. Existing heavy industry in this area dispose of their wastewaters and inorganic toxic materials, either directly into coastal waters or deep anoxic strata, via their outfalls and submarine tailings placements. Solid wastes with their high organic and inorganic strength and quantities are the major polluting substances in comparison with the wastewaters. In this study suitability of an applied solid waste planning system for 22 villages and two major cities along the southeastern Black Sea coastline and environmental problems related to the solid waste and wastewater disposal in this region were discussed.

Monitoring quantity and characteristics of municipal solid waste in Dhaka City

A reliable estimate of the quantity of solid waste generation in the city is very important for proper solid waste planning and management. However, reported estimates of solid waste generation vary widely and lead to questionability. The reported values have been derived on the assumption of demography, standard rate of waste generation by households, density values, number of trucks engaged for waste transportation and monitoring of truck movement at dump sites, etc. This diverse nature of the available data and the question of accuracy necessitate a rigorous study that has tried to document the waste quantity in the recently formulated master plan of Dhaka City. The socio-economic parameters, behavioral characteristics, generation sources, seasonality, and per capita growth rate are considered in estimating the waste quantity along with its future projections. The findings from the estimation of waste quantities state that seasonal differences in the municipal solid waste stream are not substantial. The most seasonably variable material in the municipal solid waste stream is food waste. Residential waste is relatively homogeneous. Although there are some differences in waste generation depending on demographic and other local factors, most households dispose of essentially similar types of wastes. Variation occurs in waste composition dependent upon income levels and category of sources. Variation also occurs based upon the extent of source reduction and recycling opportunities. As opportunities exist to recycle wastes, the recycling facilities might have to grow at a similar pace to the generation of waste. Physical and chemical characteristics of solid waste are important to implement the waste disposal and management plan for the selection of resource and energy recovery potentials. A number of studies have been conducted to determine the composition of wastes including moisture content and calorific value. The data show that the moisture content in city waste is significantly higher and the calorific value is much lower, which determines the viability of composting or anaerobic digestions rather than waste combustion.

Practical applications for global positioning system data from solid waste collection vehicles

Studies of municipal solid waste collection systems have traditionally relied upon information collected from time and motion studies or truck logs. This type of data collection has been expensive, the volume of data collected has been small, and the reliability of the data has been suspect. A recent project in Hamilton, Ontario, monitored five municipal solid waste collection vehicles using a global positioning system (GPS) as an alternative to traditional data collection methods. The study found that the GPS data are reliable, accurate, and suitable for a range of solid waste planning purposes. Data collection was automatic and relatively inexpensive. Analysis of the data identified significant differences in the performance of the vehicles on different routes. Data collection using GPS is an improvement over traditional data collection methods, but the large volume of data generated will provide challenges for waste managers. Key words: data collection, global positioning system, municipal solid waste, refuse collection, automatic vehicle location.

Municipal solid waste composition determination supporting the integrated solid waste management system in the island of Crete

A one-year survey was conducted in the greater region of Crete (located at the lower region of the Aegean Sea) for the purpose of identifying waste composition (including chemical and physical characterization), as well as any seasonal variation. The investigation was carried out repeatedly at seven landfills and one transfer station in Crete, in four phases. Each sampling phase corresponded to a season (autumn, winter, spring, summer). ASTM D5231-92(2003) standard method and RCRA Waste Sampling Draft Technical Guidance were used. Hand sorting was used for classifying the collected wastes into the following categories: plastics, paper, metals, aluminium, leather–wood–textiles–rubbers, organic wastes, non-combustibles and miscellaneous. Further analysis included proximate and ultimate analysis of combustible materials. Metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury were also investigated. The results show that there has been a significant decrease of organic wastes during the last decade due to the increase of packaging materials, as a result of a change in consumption patterns. Three main waste categories were determined: organic wastes, paper and plastics, which combined represent 76% of the total waste in Crete. Furthermore, a high fraction of glass and a seasonal variation of aluminium indicate a strong correlation of waste composition with certain human activities, such as tourism. There is also a variation between the municipal solid waste (MSW) composition in the region of Crete (2003–2004) and MSW composition suggested in the National Solid Waste Planning (2000) [National Solid Waste Planning, 2000. Completion and particularization of Common Ministerial Act 113944//1944/1997: National Solid Waste Planning, June 2000]. The results of this survey are to be utilized by the regional solid waste authorities in order to establish an integrated waste treatment site, capable of fulfilling the regional waste management demands.

City Renaissance on a Garbage Heap: Newark, New Jersey, and Solid Waste Planning

This article examines the efforts over the past thirty years at producing an urban landscape based on reusing waste for input into production. The article is a case study of Newark, New Jersey's, efforts to construct a resource recovery facility as the cornerstone of their industrial development policy. This innovative approach to economic development was replete with the rhetoric of “closed-loop” systems similar to the current proposals for developing a sustainable employment and economic base for cities. Despite the emphasis on environmentally sound economic development, the resource recovery experiment was both an economic and environmental debacle. Several of the assumptions that guided resource recovery as a mechanism for revitalization continue to inform planning.

A derivative algorithm for inexact quadratic program – application to environmental decision-making under uncertainty

Inexact quadratic programming (IQP) is an extension of conventional quadratic programming for handling both nonlinearities in cost objectives and uncertainties with modeling parameters. It has been a useful tool for environmental systems analysis. However, inefficiency in its solution method has existed, leading to difficulties in its practical application. In this study, a derivative algorithm (DAM) is proposed for solving the IQP. It improves upon the existing method through provision of a quantitative expression for uncertain relationships between the quadratic objective function and the decision variables. The DAM requires much lower computational efforts than the existing algorithm, which is especially meaningful for the IQP's application to large-scale problems. The developed DAM is applied to a hypothetical problem of municipal solid waste management and planning. Detailed solution steps are provided to clearly demonstrate the method's advantages.

Adopting a Unit Pricing System for Municipal Solid Waste: Policy and Socio-Economic Determinants

Concerns about the environmental and aesthetic damages of municipal solid waste pollution have triggered policy reform at all levels of government. As part of this effort, public officials are integrating market-based policy instruments such as unit pricing into their solid waste plans. Despite the economic advantages of unit pricing, constituency response has been mixed and hence adoption rates have been below expectations. If the associated gains are to be realized, public officials must identify the key factors that influence this decision. To that end, this research empirically estimates the determinants of unit pricing adoption at the community level of analysis. Based on data for all cities and towns in Massachusetts, the results indicate that demographics, socio-economic attributes, fiscal capacity, and policy instruments influence this decision.

Bias Issues in the Utilization of Solid Waste Indicators

Abstract Solid waste planning is a multi-disciplinary field requiring information about the physical, environmental, social, and economic implications of a system. Current environmental indicators for solid waste do not adequately inform decision-makers about all of these attributes. Therefore, the indicators do not facilitate a holistic approach to environmental planning and policymaking. As a result, a number of biases exist in their use. This paper begins with a discussion of the solid waste indicators suggested for the United Nations' Habitat II Conference, including the shortcomings and potential biases associated with their use. Then, drawing upon experiences with complex solid waste systems, the paper presents an expanded set of indicators along with a methodology for their application.

A multi-attribute spatial decision support system for solid waste planning

Solid waste planning addresses situations which involve a variety of factors such as economic costs, legislative requirements, land use, pollution generation, resource usage and equity in the number and demographics of people effected by a plan. In making decisions about solid waste systems, the trade-offs between these factors must be considered, leading to large amounts of data and information that must be organized and analyzed. Unfortunately, many municipal solid waste planners do not have the resources needed to manage all of the relevant information, leading to incomplete consideration of relevant factors, or satisficing in selecting an alternative. To assist in improving the solid waste decision-making process, a study of planning processes was completed, and a specific spatial decision support system (SDSS) developed to address the multi-attribute and geographical nature of solid waste systems. This is done by providing analytical tools both for developing plans and for evaluating a number of impacts associated with a plan. The SDSS includes expert systems and model management capabilities to supply, organize and analyze relevant data, and a GIS to help planners understand the spatial nature of particular programs and how they may impact the public and the environment.

Municipal Solid Waste Management: Institutional And Socio-economic Constraints—experience From The Mediterranean Region

Based on nine case studies of Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems in the Mediterranean region this article attempts to draw some general conclusions on the socio-economic constraints for improved solid waste management. Both policy formation, planning approach, institutional capacity, cost-effectiveness and financing models are assessed. The article points at three general findings: firstly, there is a great need for improving the planning and management capacity at the municipal level; secondly, there is an immense potential for facilitating a more cost-effective municipal solid waste planning and management through improved counselling and technical "back-stopping" from a national or regional body; thirdly, the national legislative framework for municipal solid waste management should specify policy objectives and measures which are operational and introduced in a realistic time schedule.

Municipal Solid Waste Management: Institutional and Socio-Economic Constraints—Experience From the Mediterranean Region

Based on nine case studies of Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems in the Mediterranean region this article attempts to draw some general conclusions on the socio-economic constraints for improved solid waste management. Both policy formation, planning approach, institutional capacity, cost-effectiveness and financing models are assessed. The article points at three general findings: firstly, there is a great need for improving the planning and management capacity at the municipal level; secondly, there is an immense potential for facilitating a more cost-effective municipal solid waste planning and management through improved counselling and technical "back-stopping" from a national or regional body; thirdly, the national legislative framework for municipal solid waste management should specify policy objectives and measures which are operational and introduced in a realistic time schedule.