Waste Management Organization Research Articles

The design of copper‐coating overpack for the high‐level radioactive waste disposal concept in Japan

AbstractFor the geological disposal system in Japan, a vitrified waste will be contained in a metal overpack, which, in turn, will be surrounded by a thick bentonite buffer. The overpack is aiming to prevent the contact of groundwater to vitrified waste during the high radioactivity and heat generation period of the first 1,000 years at least after emplacement. Within the Japanese program, consideration for overpack candidate materials has included carbon steel, copper–steel composite, and titanium–steel composite. Within the extensive safety assessment conducted in 2000, steel was selected. This selection was partly based on the manufacturability of carbon steel, as well as its well‐understood corrosion behavior. However, the understanding of copper corrosion and welding/manufacturing technologies have greatly progressed over the past two decades. In this study, we focus on the copper‐coated container developed by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, because this technology is seemingly effective to maintain very long‐term containment of hundreds of thousands of years, with a low cost of manufacturing within the Canadian program. We are investigating the applicability of the copper‐coating technologies in terms of the corrosion allowance and mechanical design.

A Strategic Decision Framework for a Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Management in the Oil Producing Region

The study aimed to investigate how managing the growing water demand and wastewater production by treating and reclaiming Water from the Wastewater in Delta State. Mainly to carry out a comparative feasibility study and develop a decision support system (DSS) or strategy/planning framework for a sustainable alternative for water/wastewater treatment and management in oil & gas industries, Water, wastewater industries and authorities in Delta State. Data was collected using a mixed approach. Primary data was collected using semi-structured interviews and closed-ended questionnaire survey. Descriptive analysis was applied in analysing the questionnaires, and thematic analysis was used in analysing the interviews. It was concluded that a centralised system is required to collect rainwater and wastewater, and recycle Water in Delta state for reuse, and reduce dependence on freshwater. It will be an improvement to the direct collection of wastewater from individual houses by private waste management organisations that drain the sewage systems. It was found that causes of water and wastewater problems in Delta State, Nigeria include: government regulation; financial problem; lack of sufficient land for development; pollution; high population; using potable Water for non-potable use; water shortage; poor technology; lack of people’s awareness on water, and poor maintenance. Based on this, grey water reuse, decentralised system of water reclamation and education and awareness of wastewater management were recommended to solve the water and wastewater problems found in the state. Microscale solutions such as ponds, permeable pavements, rain gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, wetlands, and green roofs were recommended. In addition to the recommendations, a strategic framework/decision support system for sustainable alternatives for oil, gas, water and wastewater industries and authorities was developed.

Challenges of implementing the policy and strategy for management of radioactive waste and nuclear spent fuel in Indonesia

Indonesia has policies and strategies for the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel that arises from the use of nuclear research and development facilities, including three research reactors, and the use of radioisotopes in medicine and industries. The Indonesian government has provided extensive facilities such as an independent regulatory organization (BAPETEN) and a centralized radioactive waste management organization (CRWT-BATAN). Further, the presence of regulations and several international conventions guarantee the protection of the public from all risks due to handling radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. However, the sustainability of radioactive waste management in the future faces various challenges, such as disposal issues related to not only to site selection but also financing of radioactive waste management. Likewise, the problem of transportation persists; as an archipelago country, Indonesia still struggles to manage the infrastructure required for the transport of radioactive materials. The waste from the production of the radioisotopes, especially from the production of 99Mo, requires special attention because BATAN has never handled it. Indonesia should also resolve the management of NORM from various activities. In Indonesia, the definition of radioactive waste does not include NORM. Therefore, the management of this waste needs revision and improvement on the regulations, infrastructure, and technology.

An update on the copper corrosion program for the long‐term management of used nuclear fuel in Canada

AbstractIn 2012, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization developed a comprehensive proof test plan (PTP) to evaluate the feasibility and safety of their copper‐coated used fuel container and their novel bentonite buffer box emplacement concept to be employed in its proposed deep geological repository for the long‐term management of used nuclear fuel. Research within the PTP includes several programs to evaluate the possible extent of damage that may be caused by various copper corrosion mechanisms: oxic‐, radiolytic‐, anoxic‐, and sulfide‐induced, with particular attention being paid to the possibility of localization of any of these processes. Programs remain on track to support and refine a maximum copper corrosion allowance of <1.27 mm over a one million year emplacement in a deep geological repository.

Status, Problems and Challenges for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Assiut Governate

The increase of urbanization, population growth, and economic expansion generates a mounting quantity of solid waste in many developing countries. Solid waste management is one of the critical problems in Egypt. Currently, more than 95 million tons of solid waste have been generated from various sectors in Egypt. Per capita waste generation is from 0.2 kg to 0.6 kg which varies depending on household and economic size of the population. Assiut governorate is one of the deep-rooted governorates with area of 25926 Km2 representing 2.6% of Egypt area with total estimated population of 4.4 Million. The amount of waste collected from Assiut is 635.224 tons/year from 11 Markaz, including: 11 cities, 2 districts, 55 rural Local Councils, 235 villages and 1083 hamlets. Assiut has two sites for Mechanical/Biological Treatment (MBT) of waste and landfill in Assiut and Qusiya. Solid waste management (SWM) in the governorate is the overall responsibility of the governorate and its affiliated municipalities, districts and Local Councils. Recently, in 2017 a new organizational structure in the governorate is responsible for the SWM planning, as well as for the monitoring of the services and operations. Central Agency For Organization & Administration approved the new Solid Waste Management organization (EEAA, 2018). This paper provided detail analysis of the status of solid waste generation, management, challenges and solution for solid waste management in Assiut Governorate.

Leadership for management of high-level radioactive waste in Japan

High-level radioactive waste (HLW) management in Japan stalled prior to selecting any candidate sites for a literature survey, the first step of a staged programme for selecting a disposal site. The situation deteriorated after the Fukushima Daiichi accident. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan has suffered a loss of national/international credibility in the geological disposal project. In this study, the authors first examine the history of HLW management in Japan, assess how leaders in different key organisations communicated with each other and identify the rationale for the resulting characteristics of the overall programme. The objective is to investigate the problems encountered and the solutions adopted from a perspective that highlights what were, in retrospect, missed opportunities. A further goal is to look to the future and, from lessons learned, to determine a leadership role to allow HLW management to move forward for the next stage of selecting candidate sites. Communication for correct scientific input between leaders of relevant organisations is of critical importance. Alliance with key organisations and commitment by the government are also required. To win credibility and sympathy with geological disposal, ethical responsibilities should be taken by leaders of these organisations. The authors assume that the quality of HLW management could be enhanced by servant leadership.

Development of Generic Criteria for Evaluating the Disposability of Thermally Treated Wastes

The potential to generate wasteforms with enhanced properties that support safe storage and disposal is one of the key factors driving thermal treatment of radioactive waste. Depending on the specific treatment method and waste substrate, thermal treatment can greatly reduce chemical reactivity, yielding a primary product that is more durable than wasteforms produced via non-thermal routes and with reduced potential for gas generation and other detrimental behaviour in a storage / disposal environment. On the other hand, thermal treatment can concentrate radioactivity into a smaller volume, potentially affecting waste handling and / or classification. It also generates secondary wastes whose management requires consideration as part of a holistic evaluation of thermal treatment. Moreover, some thermal treatment routes do not generate a primary product that is directly disposable without further conditioning. Generic disposability criteria have been derived that can be used to evaluate the primary products from any form of thermal treatment. These generic disposability criteria highlight the factors that are relevant for waste product disposability and the ways in which thermal treatment can impact on these factors (both positively and negatively). They are equally applicable to any packaging or disposal concept, regardless of the engineered barriers that are present, and in any disposal environment, regardless of its characteristics and the nature of the host rock / geology. They could aid waste management organisations in developing their own disposability criteria, tailored to a particular context, for application in national waste management programmes.

The Study of the Age of Compost on the Quality of the Produced Compost (A Case Study of Compost Municipal Waste Management Organization)

The Study of the Age of Compost on the Quality of the Produced Compost (A Case Study of Compost Municipal Waste Management Organization)

Thermal treatment for radioactive waste minimisation

Safe management of radioactive waste is challenging to waste producers and waste management organisations. Deployment of thermal treatment technologies can provide significant improvements: volume reduction, waste passivation, organics destruction, safety demonstration facilitation, etc. The EC-funded THERAMIN project enables an EU-wide strategic review and assessment of the value of thermal treatment technologies applicable to Low and Intermediate Level waste streams (ion exchange media, soft operational waste, sludges, organic waste, and liquids). THERAMIN compiles an EU-wide database of wastes, which could be treated by thermal technologies and documents available thermal technologies. Applicability and benefits of technologies to the identified waste streams will be evaluated through full-scale demonstration tests by project partners. Safety case implications will also be assessed through the study of the disposability of thermally treated waste products. This paper will communicate the strategic aims of the ongoing project and highlight some key findings and results achieved to date.

Managing risk factors for substance abuse among employees in the waste management sector: Perspectives from an Africa-based public waste management organization

The unique case of substance abuse among employees in the waste management sector seems inadequately described. Based on the perspectives of employees recently released from treatment centers for substance abuse, and their supervisors at a public waste management organization in South Africa, this study explored and described the risk factors for substance abuse in the waste management sector. As part of a collective case study, data were collected through semistructured interviews with employees (n = 10) and a focus group discussion with supervisors (n = 8). Recommendations are offered to manage the risk factors for substance abuse in the waste management sector.

Informing energy justice based decision-making framework for waste-to-energy technologies selection in sustainable waste management: A case of Iran

Due to problems such as limited land area for waste disposal and waste-borne diseases, waste management organizations have increasingly been offering technologies for recovering energy from waste. These technologies can help governments, local authorities, developers and investors for mitigating climate change and building sustainable societies. The suitable waste-to-energy production technology selection is a complex issue in waste supply chain management that must not only be assessed in terms of both socioeconomic and environmental criteria. With the purpose of balance between energy trilemma issues in the context of waste-to-energy generation and develop sustainable waste management strategies in the waste chain, energy justice criteria must also be taken into consideration. The paper considers the application of an integrated multi-criteria decision-making model consisting of fuzzy decision-making trail and evaluation laboratory method, the analytic network process and the simple additive weighting approaches. The integrated method can be applied to select the suitable technology in a sustainable manner, taking into account energy justice criteria. The applicability of proposed model is demonstrated by a case study of the technology selection in the city of Behbahan, Iran. It includes various technologies for waste-to-energy generation and ranks technologies from the most to least preferred as: Anaerobic digestion, Gasification, Pyrolysis, and Incineration.

DEPOSIT REFUND SYSTEM FOR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS IN LATVIA: LEARNINGS WITHIN THE BALTIC STATES

INTRODUCTION
 One of the main global environmental problems we are facing is the increasing the amount of waste. There are numerous policy instruments used to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. Many EU member states use producer levies, packaging and resource taxes, deposit-refund systems and producer responsibility systems (Bailey, 2017; Watkins et al., 2017).
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 In this article we conduct comparative analyses and evaluate the effectiveness of deposit-refund systems for beverage packaging in the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Data used in the study is obtained from statistical databases of the Central Statistical Bureau, Eurostat and Euromonitor, as well as from stakeholders of the deposit-refund system - beverage manufacturers, retailers and waste management organisations. When necessary data was not available, we made calculations and approximations using analogies with neighbouring countries, e.g. regarding the quantity of different kinds of beverage containers (plastics, glass, cans) delivered to the market, the average weight of containers, changing trends etc.
 RESULTS
 To stimulate the rate of beverage packaging collection and recycling, both Estonia (2005) and Lithuania (2016) have introduced deposit-refund systems. Both are mandatory centralized systems with collection rates over 90%. The strengths of the Estonian system are a result of sophisticated IT solutions, differentiated EAN coding logic, elasticity and good management. The Lithuanian system is one of the most technologically advanced systems. One of its positive features is the lease of taromats, reducing the upfront investment costs for retailers and producers.
 DISCUSSION
 Previous research shows that the introduction of a deposit-refund system increases the collection rate of beverage packaging (Dewey, Denslow, Chavez, Romero, & Holt, 2011; Lavee, 2010) but requires substantial organisational and financial resources. It is more economically viable to introduce a deposit system when separate waste collection system is already in place. The results of this study are similar.
 CONCLUSION
 
 Latvia needs a DRS in order to achieve PET goals and reduce environmental pollution;
 The required score and distribution is about the same
 A DRS has to be operated by a non-profit organisation consisting of manufacturers and retailers;
 The recommended deposit is 10 cents;
 Provision should be made for the inclusion of beverage cartons and alcoholic beverage bottles;
 Provision should be made for the inclusion of refillable glass bottles and jars.

CONTRADICTIONS IN LEGISLATION ON MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURING OF MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

Introduction. The rapid development of the pharmaceutical industry makes the impact on the environmeте to be very important. The solution of the problem is related to waste management and, accordingly, the legislative regulation of waste management at medicinal products enterprises. Materials and methods. The methods of the scientific hypothetical-deductive cognition, general logical methods, and methods of research: analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalization, induction were applied. The objects of research were laws and regulations governing relations in the field of waste management in the production of medicines, as well as departmental letters. Results. This article analyzes the contradictions occurring in federal laws and departmental regulations related to the management of medical waste in medicinal products manufacturing, which, on the one hand, may cause the violation of citizens' rights to a healthy environment and sanitary and epidemiological well-being, on the other hand to become the reason of restrictions in development of business. The legislative definition of medical waste was shown to include, besides other things, wastes from medicinal products manufacturing, which leads to the withdrawal of pharmaceutical enterprises waste from the general field of waste legislation. At the same time, there is a transfer of regulation of medicinal products manufacturing waste management to the sanitary legislation field. However, in practice, there is a situation of double regulation by the departmental acts of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare and Federal Service for Supervision over Natural Resource Management. Discussion. The analysis of the experience in the field of the organization of pharmaceutical waste management in the foreign practice (WHO, EPA) has been introduced, where the concept of pharmaceutical waste was introduced, within which hazardous chemical waste, controlled substances (narcotic, psychotropic, hormones) and biomedical wastes are selected. Conclusion. The analysis of federal regulations, sanitary norms, and rules, norms of Federal Service for Supervision over Natural Resource Management affecting the management of waste (medical waste) in the production of medicines, shows their limited applicability to modern high-tech industries, which requires bringing the regulatory and legal acts in line and improving the standardization.

СУСПІЛЬНО-ГЕОГРАФІЧНЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ЕКОЛОГІЧНОЇ ПОВЕДІНКИ НАСЕЛЕННЯ (НА ПРИКЛАДІ МІСТ КИЄВА ТА ЧЕРНІГОВА)

The research considers theoretical principles of ecological behaviour of the population. The main factors influencing the ecological behavior of a person are described. In this topic, factors of environmental behavior were divided into groups: external (arising from environmental conditions) and internal (physical and mental characteristics of the person). External factors include social, cultural, economic, legal and other components. They influence other components (economic factors interact not only in their own circle, but also affect the social, cultural and environmental environment). Internal factors of environmental behaviour depend on the characteristics of human nature, motivational settings, values and mental properties of the individual in relation to the environment. Motivation is one of the reasons for behaviour or a strong internal stimulus. It has been established that certain factors have an impact on several social groups (ecological taxation, the actual installation of containers for the sorting of garbage), while others – only on individuals (description in the works of the literature of the nature of the native land). An analysis of the sociological survey among residents of Kyiv and Chernihiv regarding the ideas about sustainable development and the acuteness of environmental problems was conducted. An analysis of the environmental problems of the city of Chernihiv revealed that the organization of waste management and the necessity of building a waste recycling plant are the most acute problems of the city’s residents. Residents of the capital are more concerned about the quality of drinking water. Another major concern is the issue of waste management and management. The third position relates to air pollution. The study allowed for information on the public awareness of the main provisions of the Rio Conventions, the place of environmental values in the hierarchy of social values of citizens, the availability of knowledge about environmental problems, understanding of the state of the environment from sustainable development of society, the use of eco-friendly measures in everyday life. The degree of readiness and attraction of the population to the main types of ecological behaviour is analyzed. Correlation between the level of education and the measures that respondents are prepared to do and are already doing to improve the environmental situation of their city are observed. Mechanisms of stimulation of ecological behaviour of the population are considered. It is determined that the economic mechanism covers two groups of regulators of the environmental behavior of the population. The first of them makes it difficult to limit the ecological and destructive activity of pollutants in the environment. The second – encourages business entities to improve the state of the environment by activating the environmental activities of producers of goods and services. It has been established that the economic mechanism that exists in Ukraine is more oriented to regulating environmental behaviour that limits environmental degradation activities. This mechanism does not stimulate the spread of environmentally sound technologies, limits the introduction of environmentally-oriented innovations in production and does not encourage environmental activities. The importance of environmental education and ecological education as an important mechanism of ecological behaviour of the population is emphasized.

Recovery and treatment of hazardous waste. Modern management of hazardous waste in Poland

The organization of comprehensive hazardous waste management makes the number of facilities at which the hazardous waste is treated decrease. The desired result of such measure is the limitation of number of potential sources of environmental contamination and greater economic effects (than in case of individual enterprises). One cannot also omit the fact that the comprehensive hazardous waste management has a positive impact on the choice of optimal technology of disposal of hazardous waste and this in turn is related with enabling the introduction of modern technologies, full application of technological operations, increase in work efficiency, obtaining lower operating costs and ensuring the environment protection at a proper level. In case of waste disposal, residues coming from that process can be utilized economically. Economic and ecological considerations require minimizing the consumption of primary raw materials from nature and use of any waste arising at different stages of cargo turnover and material trading to the border of economic profitability.In the article legal acts regulating the management of hazardous waste have been analyzed. Methods of recovery and treatment of hazardous waste applied in the Malopolska province have been discussed. Economic and technological criteria for the selection of technology of hazardous waste disposal have been analyzed.

Incorporating External Data Into a BI Solution at a Public Waste Management Organization

Organizations are showing an increasing interest in incorporating external data into their business intelligence solutions. Such data allows for advanced analytics and enables more comprehensive and inclusive decision-making. However, external data incorporation is relatively unexplored in the literature, and scientifically published details on up-and-running BI solutions are very sparse. In addition, published literature concerning the incorporation of external data into BI solutions is often rather synoptic or rather old (originating from data warehouse related literature). Therefore, the authors present the results of an action case study at a public waste management organization, illustrating detailed aspects of external data incorporation related to the back-end of the solution such as data selection, source characteristics, acquisition technologies and frequencies, and integration approaches. Given that the external origin of the data poses specific problems that must be overcome in order to allow for successful incorporation initiatives, special attention was paid to such problems.

Investigating the source separation rate of municipal solid waste and economical and social determinance in Iran (2017)

Background: Municipal solid waste is a serious environmental issue in human societies. The source separation is a necessity for efficient municipal waste management (MSW). Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the source separation rate of MSW in several Iranian cities, as well as to identify the determinance of the participation level in source separation. Methods: In this study, the source separation rate of waste in 12 cities of Iran was evaluated by information from waste management organizations and the economical and social determinance were reviewed. Data were analyzed by Excel. Findings: In some cities, despite the coverage of about 90% of the training plans, the rate of source separation of MSW was less than 40%, and the average of source separation for all studied cities was 13.46%. The value of dry solid waste in all studied cities was estimated 705/000 tons per year which about 610/000 tons are collected as the mix with other wastes. Awareness and education as the cultural factors and social trust, economic issues, and the continuity of the source separation plan as the social factors have been effective in people's participation in these projects. Conclusion: Higher source separation rate in the wastes at the urban area requires consideration of all determinance in the planning and policy of WMS.

Organization of municipal solid waste sorting: local aspect

The approach to organization of municipal solid waste sorting is developed. It is proposed to introduce a logistics system for the management and handling of solid waste at the local level. The system provides a sequence of logistics operations for planning and organization of waste management.

Management of plastic bottle and filter waste during the large-scale Flint Michigan lead contaminated drinking water incident

Waste management challenges associated with the Flint, Michigan drinking water disaster were investigated. In October 2015, more than 97,000 people were directed not to use their lead contaminated water, but instead use emergency drinking water and in-home filters. Waste generated overwhelmed Flint’s initial waste management capacity. Case study results demonstrated that public and private partnerships enabled water distribution and waste collection/recycling activities. Points of distribution (PODs) were established and provided emergency supplies, increased waste management efficiency, and were relocated months after the initial response. Tens of millions of water bottles and thousands of in-home water filters were supplied to the community. Water bottle and faucet filter recycling was encouraged by the establishment of drop-off locations and an expanded curbside pickup program. During January 2016, the recycling participation rate increased from 13% to 27%. However, procedures for POD siting and estimating water demand needed for long-term incidents were not found. A lack of material flows entering and leaving Flint inhibited a better understanding of waste management. Communities seeking to better prepare for large-scale emergencies should: (1) pre-identify the roles of waste management organizations, (2) setup a procedure for estimating and documenting emergency water supply materials entering and exiting the community, (3) determine POD locations in advance, (4) draft public notifications about waste management activities, and (5) centralize all data archiving.

Generation rates and current management of municipal, construction and demolition wastes in Tehran

Lack of reliable data is one of the most important constraints of solid waste management. We investigated generation rates of solid waste in Tehran and the factors affecting generation rates. Data were collected from the statistical center of Tehran Waste Management Organization (TWMO). The data analysis showed that the municipal solid waste (MSW) generation was increased from 2006 to 2012; however, because of a decline in gross domestic production (GDP) per capita, a decline of the MSW generation was observed between 2012 and 2014. The correlation coefficient between the total MSW and GDP was 0.91. Thus, the MSW generation rate in Tehran was highly correlated with the GDP per capita and the rate was predictable with a high confidence. The MSW per capita per day in Tehran was 0.96 kg and 76% of the MSW was landfilled. Construction and demolition (C&D) wastes per capita per day was 5.2 kg and 81% of them were landfilled. A low recycling rate indicated that the education programs and/or public participation for waste reduction and recycling in recent years have not been efficient and a revision should be made to the current program.