Solid Waste Management Strategies Research Articles

Degradation of potato peels using amylase- and pectinase-producing fungal strain in an electrochemical cell and by-product analysis

ABSTRACT Degradation of the waste using amylase- and pectinase-producing fungal strains in Microbial fuel cells (MFC) can be a sustainable and economic strategy for solid waste management. An isolate of the fungal strain Aspergillus niger, which showed amylase and pectinase activities was implemented for potato peel waste degradation. MFC was constructed and the highest OCV was observed using KMnO4 in catholyte (1586 ± 63 mV/m3) with anode graphite electrode-coated MWCNT. MFC in fed-batch mode was also performed by adding 10% of the sample every 24 h, and an improved result was obtained. The power density observed with 100-ohm and 1000-ohm external resistors was 119 ± 7 W/m3 and 42 ± 9 W/m3, respectively. From MFC operation at an optimised condition removal rate of COD, ammoniacal-nitrogen, reducing sugar and TSS were 37.69%, 67.72%, 72.64%, and 65.95% respectively. Sugar and byproduct analysis in digested product was done by HPLC, various value-added products were generated from waste sample.

Characteristics and management of municipal solid waste in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria

Increased urbanization and population lead to increased consumption of manufactured goods. This ultimately results in increased production of waste. Identifying its composition is crucial for planning an effective solid waste management strategy. This study assesses the characteristics and composition of the waste generated within the Uyo Capital City Development Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This is to aid in developing a scientifically supported waste management pilot system for the state. Direct waste sorting and characterization were conducted on the municipal solid waste arriving at the landfill during the study period. Over 50% of the generated wastes are recyclables and composed of plastics, metals, and paper, while the fraction of organic waste is over 30%. Similarly, the waste generation per capita is 1.34 kg/person/day, while the generation forecast over the next ten years is estimated to increase by approximately 40%. Furthermore, over 9,000 surveys were completed by residents to establish a problem statement about the existing waste collection and disposal system, and possible solutions. Importantly, a majority of survey respondents were willing to source-separate their wastes and supported paying a fee for adequate waste collection. This strongly indicates that an integrated waste management system could be established to generate value from the collected waste. Supplementary revenue can be generated through composting, recycling, and land reclamation.

Comprehensive review of solid waste management strategies and disposal approaches

Solid waste management is a worldwide concern with substantial environmental, social, and economic ramifications. This review provides a complete assessment of solid waste management from an Indian viewpoint. It presents an overview of the current state, difficulties, and prospects in solid waste management, focusing on environmental sustainability and public health. The goal is to give a comprehensive overview of many approaches utilized to manage and reduce the expanding problem of solid waste. It examines a variety of waste management techniques, such as landfill disposal, recycling, composting, waste-to-energy practices, and waste elimination and minimizing. Many municipalities across the country prefer landfilling for the removal of solid waste. In landfills, waste is transformed through chemical, biological, and physical processes, functioning as an environmental furnace. Therefore, soil cover thickness, barriers, leachate collecting, landfill gas recovery, and flaring facilities are essential for sustainable landfilling. The benefits of composting and anaerobic breakdown for decreasing the environmental effect of biological waste are examined in this review. Hazardous chemicals in landfills can have severe ecological and public health consequences. It looks into the benefits of effective dangerous waste disposal, such as pollution control and resource recovery. Mining and reusing landfills for diverse uses, such as renewable energy generation and recreational areas, have the potential to be beneficial. The article discusses upcoming solid waste management trends and technologies such as intelligent garbage collection mechanisms, reuse and recycling concepts, and sustainable packaging solutions. It emphasizes the potential of these advances to improve overall waste management effectiveness and sustainability.

Reverse logistics and sustainability: the case of the Federal Institute of Acre, Brazil

The implementation of sustainable practices in the educational context is fundamental to foster a culture of environmental and social responsibility. This study investigates reverse logistics practices at the Rio Branco Campus of the Federal Institute of Acre (IFAC), aiming to identify implemented actions, challenges faced, and propose strategies to strengthen the institutional commitment to sustainability. Using a mixed-method approach, we combined documentary analysis of the internal regulations and the Institutional Development Plan (IDP) with semi-structured interviews with members of the academic community. The documentary analysis revealed institutional alignment with sustainable practices, evidenced by environmental and social responsibility goals in IFAC's IDP. However, the lack of specific guidelines for post-consumer reverse logistics suggests the need for improvement. Interviews highlighted employees' awareness of sustainability and reverse logistics as positive, but pointed to the lack of clear guidelines as a gap. Although the Rio Branco Campus of IFAC demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, there is room for improvement in integrating post-consumer reverse logistics practices. We recommend the inclusion of specific goals and strategies for solid waste management in the IDP, as well as a more comprehensive approach to sustainability in institutional policies. These final considerations establish a basis for future research and practical improvements, aiming to strengthen the institutional commitment to sustainability at IFAC.

Zeolite prepared from high-calcium ladle furnace slag and fly ash for Pb2+ removal

The stockpiling of industrial solid waste and lead (Pb) pollution have become a worldwide problem, which can be potentially solved by using solid waste such as ladle furnace slag (LFS) and fly ash (FA) to prepare Pb adsorbents. In this paper, zeolites prepared from untreated high-calcium LFS and FA were used to remove Pb2+ by adsorption. The optimal adsorption conditions were an adsorbent dose of 1 g/L, pH 5, a contact time of 180 min, and an initial Pb2+ concentration of 300 mg/L. The zeolites prepared from high-calcium solid waste had a Pb2+ adsorption capacity of 292.8 mg/g and an adsorption efficiency of 97.6 %. Adsorption mainly occurred via the ion exchange of Pb2+ with Ca2+ and Na+, as well as the complexation of Pb2+. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir model were used to analyze adsorption kinetics and isotherm data, supporting the occurrence of chemisorption and monolayer adsorption. Regeneration experiments demonstrated that the zeolite synthesized in this study exhibited good repeatability and cost-effectiveness. The zeolites derived from LFS and FA-based geopolymers removed Pb2+ from wastewater, offering new perspectives on utilizing high-calcium industrial waste and advancing geopolymer-based adsorbents for sustainable industrial solid waste management and water pollution treatment strategies.

Mobile Application for Monitoring Trash Collection Schedules and Promote Efficient Solid Waste Management

This mobile application is pioneering an innovative solid waste management strategy that utilize mobile technology. This study describes the journey from ideation to implementation using the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC). The application layouts are intended to produce a profound user interface and improve user experience which includes features such as Trash Collection Schedule Tracker, Dynamic Blogspot, and Junkshop’s Recycling Transactions. This application emphasizes user-centric design and incremental development as a community-driven solution to facilitate solid waste management. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights towards the creation of an effective mobile application for sustainable waste management practices.

Plastic solid waste management strategies: An overview of implications on environment and health

Plastic solid waste management strategies: An overview of implications on environment and health

Solid waste characteristics and management strategies at ST Theresa (STT) and Holy Cross (HC) hospitals in Chirumanzu rural District, Zimbabwe

AbstractManagement of solid waste from rural hospitals is among major problems affecting developing countries. This is mostly attributed to inadequate data related to quantity and quality of hospital solid waste. Similarly, information related to rural hospital solid waste characteristics and management is limited in Zimbabwe. However, SDGs complemented by Zimbabwe Vision 2030, NDS 1 advocates for sustainable solid waste management. Hence, enough data related to characteristics of solid waste from rural hospitals are required to attain sustainability. This research focuses on hospital solid waste characteristics and management strategies at STT and HC rural hospitals. Descriptive cross sectional research design which triangulates qualitative and quantitative paradigms was utilized. Interviews, observations, questionnaires were used to collect data. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences whereas qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. Solid waste generated at STT encompasses non-hazardous (77.35%), hazardous waste (22.65%). At HC solid waste consists of non-hazardous (79%) and hazardous waste (21%). Respondents at STT (70.4%) and HC (72.7%) noted that solid waste was increasing. Solid waste was increasing due to various factors namely high use of disposable materials at HC (35.1%), STT (42.5%) and increase of patients at HC (30%) and STT (29.7%). Solid waste was indiscriminately stored in various types of containers although pedal operated bins and sharp containers were highly used at STT (72.4%) and HC (69.1%). Waste receptacles were transported to disposal sites using wheelbarrows and manual handling. Open pits and burning were among disposal strategies but incineration was regarded as the golden approach at STT (44.8%) and HC (41.8%). Inappropriate hospital solid waste management was due to shortage of finance at STT (38.1%) and HC (30.9%) and unawareness among health workers. Although it was worsened by lack of all stakeholder participation at STT (79.0%) and HC (76.4%). Consequently, the study recommended application of strategies which support circular economy, integrated approach, raising awareness of health workers and provision of enough resources to rural hospitals.

Economic and environmental comparison of emerging plastic waste management technologies

Recovery of plastics may need to move beyond traditional mechanical methods and adopt emerging recycling processes including dissolution/precipitation, solvolysis, and pyrolysis. We investigate the costs and climate impacts of optimal solid waste management (SWM) strategies when deploying emerging recycling processes. Introducing a mix of emerging recycling technologies can reduce SWM system costs, increase plastic recycling rates, and potentially help SWM systems achieve net reductions in life cycle emissions. Recycling programs that rely solely on traditional mechanical recycling incur higher system costs, but can achieve the lowest life cycle emissions, regardless of whether the rejected plastic streams are landfilled or treated in waste-to-energy. In a future with increased recycling, SWM systems that utilize fully commercialized dissolution/precipitation and chemical recycling can further improve the cost advantage and the emission reduction potential. The sensitivity analysis demonstrates that enhancing waste collection and refining emerging recycling technologies can considerably increase the economic and environmental performance of SWM.

Analisis Pengelolaan Limbah Medis Padat di Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah Haji Abdoel Madjid Batoe (RSUD HAMBA) Kabupaten Batanghari

Regional General Hospital Haji Abdoel Madjid Batoe (RSUD HAMBA) Batanghari Regency is included in the ten hospitals that produce the most solid medical waste in 2021. In 2022, 115,781 kg of waste is generated, consisting of 14,425 kg of infectious solid waste and 14,425 kg of non-infectious waste 101.356 kgs. If the increase in medical waste is not addressed and managed seriously, it will cause massive environmental degradation. The purpose of this research is to analyze the management of solid medical waste (Sorting and Container, Transportation, Storage and Processing) and develop a solid medical waste management strategy at HAMBA Hospital in Batanghari Regency according to Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation P.56/Menlhk-Setjen/2015. The process of sorting and container has been separated directly from the waste producer, transportation and storage are transported by special officers (Cleaning Service) and stored in the temporary storage area (TPS) of B3 waste. Processing using its own incinerator which already has a permit. The strategy for managing solid medical waste at HAMBA Hospital in Batanghari Regency with a SWOT analysis, namely, establishing cooperation with other hospitals and health centers, providing education and training budgets for management officers and operators to obtain B3 waste management competency certification.

Environmental Perception of Solid Waste Management in the Hurtado Balneary, Colombia

Environmental perception serves as a powerful tool for identifying community needs and potential within their surroundings. This study assessed tourists’ environmental perception regarding solid waste and its impact on the Hurtado Balneary, located in Valledupar, Colombia. The investigation delved into the environmental attitudes and behaviors of 769 balneary users by employing a combination of observation, photographic documentation, and a comprehensive 21-question online survey. The findings are 98.8% of participants acknowledged the adverse effects of solid waste on the environment, with 98% demonstrating a willingness to participate in waste management efforts. Furthermore, 42.13% exhibited limited awareness regarding waste management practices, reflecting a concerning lack of public interest and commitment (41.61%). Statistically significant disparities (p > 0.05) emerged 59% of waste items were not appropriately disposed of in designated receptacles. Reasons for this included a lack of a sense of belonging (50.2%) and inadequate environmental education (45.6%). Ninety-six percent expressed the need for river conservation signage, while 59.8% did not undertake any form of environmental training. The study’s implications extend beyond the Hurtado Balneary, potentially informing solid waste management strategies in other aquatic environments. This investigation aligns with three Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 12, emphasizing responsible consumption and production; SDG 13, addressing climate action; and SDG 15, advocating for life on land and below water.

Assessment of Solid Waste Disposal Practices and Management Strategies in Eke Okigwe Market, Imo State, Nigeria

Effective solid waste management is necessary to safeguard environmental and public health in communities. However, inadequate disposal practices and facilities pose sustainability challenges in many locales. This study assesses waste management strategies and practices in Eke Okigwe Market, Nigeria. A mixed-methods approach was employed using survey of 220 participants found the most common primary disposal methods were burning (41.5%) and waste collection services (36.9%). Major challenges included inadequate infrastructure (42.2%), lack of storage facilities (22.5%), and insufficient collection (9.2%). Awareness of regulations was high (74.4%) but compliance varied from full (23.2%) to partial (46.4%). Vendors/owners (53.6%) and administrators (27.7%) were the main stakeholders, displaying moderate (50%) to limited (17.7%) collaboration. Air pollution (40.9%), health hazards (36.4%), and soil contamination (13.6%) were top environmental concerns. Semi-structured interviews revealed a mandatory biweekly collection program organized through unsanitary open dumps. An informal fee-based system operated via waste pickers. Governance required upgrade, as sub-administrators reported to an executive committee. Key findings were triangulated. Collection frequency significantly predicted disposal methods (R2=47.5%), with less improper disposal associated with higher frequency. Awareness positively correlated with compliance (r=.750). Disposal methods also correlated negatively with challenges faced (r=-.673) and collection frequency (r=-.689). This mixed methods case study characterized multifaceted waste management challenges. Upgrades to infrastructure, stakeholder integration, and education programs are needed for optimized, sustainable practices aligned with regulations through coordinated multi-level reforms.
 
 Received: 16 November 2023 / Accepted: 28 December 2023 / Published: 5 January 2024

Research on the Combustion Performance of Municipal Solid Waste in Different Sorting Scenarios: Thermokinetics Investigation via TG-DSC-FTIR-MS.

Waste sorting is regarded as one of the most important strategies for municipal solid waste (MSW) management. The changes in the combustion parameters after MSW sorting had a significant impact on the actual operation of the boiler. In the present study, the effects of heating rate on combustion characteristics and dynamics of MSW in different sorting scenarios were studied using the thermogravimetry (TG)-differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)-mass spectrometry (MS) technique. TG-DSC analysis showed that the heat released from MSW combustion at different heating rates ranged from 1394.1 to 4130.1 J/g. According to the TG-DTG curves, the combustibility of 30% sorted MSW was increased by 1.2 times compared to that of the unsorted scenario. In the 30% sorted scenario, the average activation energies were estimated to be 161.24 and 159.93 kJ/mol based on the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) methods, respectively. Based on the Coats-Redfern (CR) method, the minimum activation energies for unsorted and 20% sorted scenarios were 148.74 and 135.53 kJ/mol at 523 to 606 K, respectively, while they were 29.42 and 33.22 kJ/mol at 606 to 780 K. XRF analysis showed that the alkali and alkaline earth metal oxides in the ash contributed to a high risk of slagging and scaling. This work can provide a scientific basis for the real situation of MSW incineration.

Analysis of practices and factors of solid waste management among urban households of Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia

The management of solid waste is crucial for urban areas to prevent the spread of diseases, reduce pollution, enhance cleanliness, promote resource recovery, and create employment opportunities. This study aims to examine the practices and factors related to the management of solid waste among urban households in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia. A survey was conducted with 200 participants from four districts in two sub-cities. The survey utilized an interview questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the multinomial logit regression model. The results indicate that various factors such as gender, age, education, employment status, income, family size, and attitude significantly influence the selection of solid waste disposal methods by households. Gender significantly influences the preference for nearby containers over open spaces when it comes to waste disposal. Females are 7.55 times more inclined than males to choose nearby containers instead of open spaces. Age also plays a substantial role, with respondents aged 46-64 being 604 times more likely to utilize nearby containers. Respondents aged 65 and above are 69 times more likely, while respondents aged 31-45 are three times more likely to use nearby containers. Education level is also a significant factor, as individuals holding college diploma or higher degree are more likely to opt for nearby containers and door-to-door pickers rather than open spaces. Retired individuals are less likely to utilize door-to-door pickers compared to government employees. The decision between nearby containers and open spaces for waste disposal is influenced also by family size. The likelihood of choosing nearby containers decreases by 45% with each unit increase in family size. Attitude also plays a role in the preference for door-to-door pickers over open spaces. The likelihood of using door-to-door pickers increases by 64% for each unit increase in attitude. Individuals with higher incomes are unexpectedly inclined towards using open spaces as a method of waste disposal, possibly due to their increased consumption levels, resulting in higher generation of solid waste in their households. To promote a clean, healthy, and sustainable urban environment, the government needs to formulate and implement solid waste management strategies that effectively consider the specific demographic and socio-economic characteristics of households.

Leveraging environmental, social, and governance strategies for sustainable tannery solid waste management towards achieving sustainable development goals

AbstractTannery solid waste (TSW) management is vital for promoting sustainable development in the leather industry. However, sustainable management of TSW is challenging as it contains hazardous chemicals. Implementing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices can support managing TSW towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, it is not easy to implement ESG practices for TSW management since numerous challenges exist in the system. To assist TSW management through ESG implementation, it is imperative to investigate the interactions among challenges and mitigation strategies. However, the existing decision‐making models cannot deal with the uncertainty and vagueness on a border scale during interaction evaluation and alternatives ranking. Additionally, there is a shortage of scientific works on ESG practices in emerging economies. Therefore, this study, for the first time, offers an integrated novel Dombi t‐norm and Dombi t‐conorm grounded interval valued Fermatean fuzzy sets (IVFFSs) Delphi, an extended IVFFSs‐weighted influence non‐liner Gause system (WINGS), and novel IVFFSs‐TODIM approach which is utterly lacking in the present literature. Also, the study offers a strategic roadmap to understand the interlinkage of findings with SDGs. The results of the IVFFSs‐WINGS analysis confirmed that the “Lack of solid waste management policy” is the most critical challenge for ESG implementation. Further, IVFFSs‐TODIM analysis confirmed that the “Policy development for TSW management complying with ESG and SDGs” is the top ESG challenges mitigation strategy for TSW management. The study's findings will provide guidance for government agencies, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders of the emerging economies tannery industry for successful implementation of ESG practices, thus helping to achieve SDGs.

MARINE DEBRIS COMPOSITION AT THE UMS OUTDOOR DEVELOPMENT CENTRE BEACH USING THE TRASH ANALYSIS METHOD

Marine debris is a ubiquitous pollutant due to its persistence, durability, and flexibility. Many negative environmental and economic impacts of marine debris have been studied, including habitat destruction, diseases, and mortality, which can jeopardise ecosystem services. It has become a major concern, especially since Malaysia has adopted the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to quantify the composition of debris collected from the UMS Outdoor Development Centre beach through trash analysis. On average, 5111 items/day with a total weight of 356.8 kg were collected during the 3-day sampling period. Based on the analysis, the most abundant type of debris at the beach is plastic (88.6%), which comprises plastic bags, food wrappers, and plastic bottles, followed by paper (8.4%). Findings from this study provide insights into the severity of marine debris, especially plastic materials and their origin in the study areas. This can be valuable evidence to raise the urgency for the local government and the policymakers to enforce stricter laws and better solid waste management strategies in the affected areas. Further studies on the composition of debris during seasonal changes to understand the transportation pattern of debris by water currents and wind movement are recommended.

Evaluation of the performance of the compost plant for optimal operational evaluation.

Composting is a municipal solid waste management strategy that can reduce municipal waste mixtures to diminish the volume and weight of disposable materials, decrease leachate emissions, recycle resources, and reduce the costs required for waste disposal. Today, the wave of consumerism in the current world and the advancement of technology has led to producing diversified waste around the globe, so the growth rate of all countries, including Iran, is increasing dramatically. This research was studied from a practical point of view for the first time in Karaj. We used a method based on a meta-heuristic algorithm to analyze the data. The results of these studies show that units that are part of large industries have a greater environmental approach than other smaller food industries because most of the smaller food industries have environmental experts or other findings; an environmental group is considered costly and troublesome. Therefore, the present research focuses on the thorough assessment of a compost plant's operational performance to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Technical, environmental, and economic viewpoints are all included in the assessment's multidimensional approach. Moreover, this case study of the Karaj compost factor summarizes the effectiveness of the method based on a meta-heuristic algorithm adopted for waste management. Therefore, it can be said that the root of the existing problems concerning the proper management of food industry waste in Karaj is due to the lack of environmental experts in the industry.

Developing an extended producer responsibility system for solid waste management in Jordan using multi-criteria decision-making approach.

To move from a traditional end of pipe approach into a more sustainable solid waste management system, the Jordanian Government has recently passed a set of new regulations The National Solid Waste Management Strategy has put a road map to encourage circular economy practices. One of the considered policy instruments is the adoption of the extended producer responsibility (EPR). The current study aimed to adopt a multi-criteria decision-making method to select the most convenient EPR structure within the Jordanian context. The study used analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy AHP (FAHP) techniques to select the suitable type of producer responsibility organization (PRO) structure. A four-level hierarchy model was constructed with 4 criteria, 10 sub-criteria and 3 PRO alternatives. The analysis revealed that the legal and administrative criteria is the most important one (0.47) followed by environmental criteria (0.22), whereas the least important ones were socio-economic (0.17) and technical criteria (0.13). The most preferable PRO alternative was found to be PRO with profit. There were slight differences between all weight values under AHP and FAHP. Despite the availability of several laws, there is a need to develop the legal and administrative framework to enable the adoption of EPR in Jordan. Research should be the first step in the process of EPR system design. None of the previous studies conducted used the AHP and FAHP in assessing and selecting the EPR systems.

Pluralizing the urban waste economy: insights from community-based enterprises in Ahmedabad (India) and Kampala (Uganda)

The delivery of urban basic infrastructure services is often guided by the modern infrastructure ideal, which aims for technical innovation, economic efficiency and uniformity through long-term, centralized management approaches. In rapidly growing urban centres of the global South, however, heterogeneous infrastructure configurations have long involved multiple systems in varying degrees of coexistence. This paper explores how community-based enterprises – organizations that aim not to turn a profit but rather to generate human well-being – contribute to, complement or conflict with wider municipal solid waste management strategies. It does so through two case studies, focused on Luchacos, a local enterprise turning waste into briquettes in an informal settlement of Kampala, Uganda; and the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a cooperative of waste pickers in Ahmedabad, India. Drawing on empirical data and policy analysis, the research finds that, given the necessary state support, community-based enterprises can contribute to a range of sustainability and development objectives.

High potential of coupling the source-separation and incineration promotion to reduce costs based on city-level cost-benefit analysis of municipal solid waste management strategies in China

To screen the optimum strategy of municipal solid waste (MSW) management toward the goal “zero-waste city” in China, in this study, a tailored system including six indicators of waste of land resource, greenhouse gas emissions, human toxicity, energy recovery, biomass recovery, and paper/plastic recovery were developed and total costs were quantified based on city-level cost-benefit analysis considering the city socioeconomic characteristics. Results show that the systemic change scenario which couples the MSW source-separation, incineration promotion, and biosolid land application has the best performance in total net cost reduction by US$154 billion during 2021–2030, of which US$80 billion is external cost. Due to the change in external cost of land resources, the marginal cost of MSW treatment varies significantly with city groups, with megalopolises being 3 times as other city groups. The high external cost of land resources further underscores the importance of reducing the final landfilled waste mass for megalopolises.