Basic terms related to solid waste

Ash: the non-combustible solid by-products of incineration or other burning process.

Bulky waste: large wastes such as appliances, furniture and trees and branches that cannot be handled by normal MSW processing methods.

Co-disposal: the disposal of different types of waste in one area of a landfill or dump. For instance, sewage sludges may be disposed of with regular solid wastes.

Biodegradable material: any organic material that can be broken down by microorganisms into simpler, more stable compounds. Most organic wastes (e.g. food, paper) are biodegradable.

Compost: the material resulting from composting. Compost, also called humus is a soil conditioner and in some instances is used as a fertilizer.

Composting: biological decomposition of solid organic materials by bacteria, fungi, and other organisms into a soil-like product.

Disposal: the final handling of solid waste, following collection, processing, or incineration. Disposal most often means placement of wastes in a dump or a landfill.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA): an evaluation designed to identify and predict the impact of an action or a project on the environment and human health and well-being. Can include risk assessment as a component, along with economic and land use assessment.

Environmental risk assessment (EnRA): an evaluation of the interactions of agents, humans, and ecological resources. Comprised of human health risk assessment and ecological risk assessment, typically evaluating the probabilities and magnitudes of harm that could come from environmental contaminants.

Garbage: in everyday usage, refuse in general. Some MSWM manuals use garbage to mean "food wastes," although this usage is not common.

Landfilling: the final disposal of solid waste by placing it in a controlled fashion in a place intended to be permanent.

Leachate: liquid that has seeped through a landfill or a compost pile and has accumulated bacteria and other possibly harmful dissolved or suspended materials.

Putrescible: subject to decomposition or decay. Usually used in reference to food wastes and other organic wastes that decay quickly.

Refuse: all kinds of wastes in solid state excepting excreta from residential, commercial and industrial area.

Refuse-derived fuel (RDF): fuel produced from MSW that has undergone processing. Processing can include separation of recyclables and non-combustible materials, shredding, size reduction and pelletizing.

Rubbish: a general term for solid waste. Sometimes used to exclude food wastes and ashes.

Waste-to-energy (WTE) plant: a facility that uses solid waste materials (processed or raw) to produce energy. WTE plants include incinerators that produce steam for district heating or industrial use, or that generate electricity; they also include facilities that convert landfill gas to electricity.

The objective of solid wastes

management to control,

collect, process, dispose of

solid wastes in an

economical way consistent

with the public health

protection

Solid waste management (SWM) is associated with the

• control of waste generation • its storage

• collection

• transfer and transport • processing and

• disposal

in a manner that is in accordance with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, public attitude and other environmental considerations. However the newer concepts of ‘Waste management’ talk about ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle of waste’ over and above waste disposal.

Solid Waste Management

Typical SWM System: Functional Elements

SWM system refers to a combination of various functional elements associated with the management of solid wastes. The system, when put in place, facilitates the collection and disposal of solid wastes in the community at minimal costs, while preserving public health and ensuring little or minimal adverse impact on the environment.

The functional elements that constitute the system are:

(i) Waste generation (ii) Waste

storage (iii) Waste collection (iv)

Transfer and transport (v)

Processing (vi) Recovery and

Functional Element Of

MSW Management

• Waste generation

• Waste handling, sorting, storage, and processing at the source

• Collection

• Separation, processing and transformation of solid wastes

• Transfer and transport • Energy Generation • Disposal

Waste Generation

Wastes are generated at the start of any process and thereafter at every stage as raw materials are converted into goods for consumption.

The source of waste generation determines quantity, composition and waste characteristics.

For example, wastes are generated from households, commercial areas, industries, institutions, street cleaning

and other municipal services. Identification of waste Waste generation encompasses activities in

which materials are identified as no longer being value and are either thrown away or gathered together for disposal

Material flow and Waste generation

Material Flow and the generation of solid wastes in a technological society or

flow of materials and waste in industrial society

How and where solid wastes are generated in our technological society?

• Socio-economic background: – The buying power

– Income level • Cultural background • Locality:

– Urban

– Rural setting

Waste Handling and separation, storage and

processing at the source

Handling also encompasses the movement of loaded containers to the point of collection.

Separation of waste components is an important step in the Handling & storage of solid waste at the source.

On site storage is of primary importance of public health concern and aesthetic consideration.

Processing at the source involves activities such as compaction and yard waste composting

The heterogeneous wastes generated in residential areas must be removed within 8 days due to shortage of storage space and presence of biodegradable material.

Some of the options for storage are plastic containers, conventional dustbins (of households), used oil drums, large storage bins (for institutions and commercial areas or servicing depots) etc. Obviously, these vary greatly in size, form and material.

News paper, card board, bottles, yard wastes, aluminium cans and ferrous materials C1

Slide 12

C1 Handling and separation involves the activities associated with management of wastes until they are placed in storage containers for collection.

The cost of providing storage for solid wastes at the source is normally borne by the home onwer or appartment owner in the case of individuals or by the management of commerical and industrial properties.

Collection

It includes gathering of solid wastes and recyclable materials, also transport of these materials, after collection, to the location where the collection vehicle is emptied.

This location may be a material processing facility. A transfer Station or a landfill disposal site.

This includes gathering of wastes and hauling them to the location, where the collection vehicle is emptied, which may be a transfer station (i.e. intermediate station where wastes from smaller vehicles are transferred to larger ones and also segregated), a processing plant or a disposal site.

Collection depends on the number of containers, frequency of collection, types of collection services and routes.

Typically, collection is provided under various management arrangements, ranging from municipal services to franchised services and under various forms of contracts. Collection services for Industries vary widely.

Separation, processing and transformation of solid waste

The separation and processing of waste that

have been separated at the source and the separation of commingled waste usually occur at a materials recovery facility, transfer station, combustion facilities and disposal sites.

Transformation processes are used to reduce the volume and weight of waste requiring disposal to recover conversion products and energy.

e.x. organic fraction of MSW can be transformed by variety of biological (aerobic composting) and chemical (Combustion – recovery of energy in the form of heat) processes.

Occurs primarily in location away from the source of waste generation

Processing often includes the separation of bulky items, separation of waste components by size using screens, manual separation of waste components, size reduction by shredding, separation of ferrous metal using magnets etc.

Selection of process: depend on the waste management

objectives to be achieved.

Transfer and Transport

This functional element involves:

• the transfer of wastes from smaller collection vehicles where necessary to overcome the problem of narrow access lanes to larger ones at transfer stations

• the subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to disposal sites.

The factors that contribute to the designing of a transfer station include the type of transfer operation, capacity, equipment, accessories and environmental requirements

The transfer usually take place at a transfer station. Motor vehicle (most common) Rail car and Barges

Disposal

Disposal is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, be they residential wastes, semi-solid wastes from municipal and industrial treatment plants, incinerator residues, composts or other substances that have no further use to the society.

Thus, land use planning becomes a primary determinant in the selection, design and operation of landfill operations.

A modern sanitary landfill is a method of disposing solid waste without creating a nuisance and hazard to public health. Generally, engineering principles are followed to confine the wastes to the smallest possible area, reduce them to the lowest particle volume by compaction at the site and cover them after each day’s operation to reduce exposure to vermin.

One of the most important functional elements of SWM, therefore, relates to the final use of the reclaimed land.

Integrated Solid Waste Management

Solid municipal waste

Waste management is the process of managing waste that is created and implementing disposal methods that reduce harm to the environment.

Waste reduction is the process of reducing the total amount of waste produced and also using waste for alternative purposes.

Waste Management Waste reduction

Which do you think is more important, managing waste or reducing waste?

Integrated Solid Waste Management

Integrated Solid Waste Management

Burying waste in sanitary landfills and burning waste in mass burn incinerators.

Reusing, recycling and composting

Waste Management Waste reduction

if integrated waste management is implemented on a large scale in the United States that between 75-90% of municipal solid waste could be eliminated due to the variety of strategies in place.

Integrated Solid Waste Management

Relationships between the management options comprising integrated waste management: (a) interactive and (b) hierarchical

Priorities of Integrated Waste Management

First priority: Primary prevention of pollution and waste

• Eliminate or reduce the amount of harmful chemicals used in production, reduce packing materials for products and make products that last longer and are easier to recycle, reuse and repair.

• This first priority targets large industry and attempts to reduce the overall waste produced at the source.

Second priority: targets small businesses and individuals and focuses on secondary

prevention of pollution and waste.

This step involves educating and encouraging people to buy reusable products, repair broken items, recycle, reuse products and compost.

Third priority is very different from the first two and focuses solely on waste management including treating waste to reduce toxicity, burying or incinerating waste and releasing some waste into the environment for dispersal or dilution.

• Minimizing solid waste

§ Minimizing packaging

§ Recyclable

Paper, plastics, metals, glass, wood

§ Reusable ?

Textiles, leather, rubber, metals, wood

§ Compostable

Yard trimmings, food scraps (vegetable)

Prevention

Preparing for re-use

Recycling

Other

Recovery

Disposal

Using less material in design and manufacture. Keeping products for longer; re use. Using less hazardous materials

Checking, cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, whole items or spare parts

Turning waste into a new substance or product. Includes composting if it meets quality protocols.

Includes anaerobic digestion, incineration with energy recovery, gasification and pyrolysis which produce energy (fuels, heat and power) and materials from waste: some backfilling Landfill and incineration without energy

25

Chokepoints of MSW Policy

Reduce

Reduce

• LoweringAmount of Wastethe Produced

Reuse

Reuse

• Using materials_repeatedly

Recycle

Recycle

• Using materials to make new products

Recovery

Recovery

• Recovering energy from waste

Landfill

Landfill

• Safe disposal of waste

26

Refuse

Waste hierarchy refers to 3 Rs/4 Rs

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse

27

Refuse

Use containers that are already at home

28

Reuse

29

Recycle

30

Reduce

Reduce Waste

– Reduce office paper waste by implementing a formal policy to duplex all draft reports and by making training manuals and personnel information available electronically.

– Improve product design to use less materials.

– Redesign packaging to eliminate excess material while maintaining strength.

– Work with customers to design and implement a packaging return program.

– Switch to reusable transport containers.

– Purchase products in bulk.

Reuse

- Reuse corrugated moving boxes internally.

- Reuse office furniture and supplies, such as interoffice envelopes, file folders, and paper.

- Use durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, cups, and glasses. - Use incoming packaging materials for outgoing shipments.

- Encourage employees to reuse office materials rather than purchase new ones.

Donate/Exchange - old books - old clothes - old computers

- excess building materials

- old equipment to local organizations

Employee Education

- Develop an “office recycling procedures” packet.

- Send out recycling reminders to all employees including environmental articles.

- Train employees on recycling practices prior to implementing recycling programs.

- Conduct an ongoing training process as new technologies are introduced and new employees join the institution.

Employee Education

• education campaign on waste management that includes an extensive internal web site, quarterly newsletters, daily bulletins, promotional signs and helpful reference labels within the campus of an institution.

Conduct outreach program adopting an ecologically sound waste management system which includes:

• waste reduction

• segregation at source • composting

• recycling and re-use • more efficient collection

• more environmentally sound disposal

1. construction of backyard compost pit

2. construction of storage bins where recyclable and reusable materials are stored by each household

3. construction of storage centers where recyclable and reusable materials collected by the street sweepers are stored prior to selling to junk dealers 4. maintenance of cleanliness in yards and streets

5. greening of their respective areas 6. encouraging others to join

Residents may be organized into small groups to carry

out the following

• The involvement of people and public sector could improve the efficiency of solid waste management

• Public awareness

• House to house collection of waste

• Availability of collections bins with enough capacity

• Storage facility to avoid unhygienic and unsanitary conditions

38

• Resource recovery • Composting • Vermi composting • Energy recovery • Incineration • Pyrolysis • Gasification • Bio-methanation or anaerobic digestion

Useful Options

Over the years, the problems faced due to MSW were highlighted by civic and environmental activists.

This resulted in framing rules for MSW in the year 2000 (MSWM, 2000; GOI) which are directed by the Supreme Court and MoEF.

In October 2004, specific directions to the larger cities to meet the requirements of these rules were issued by Supreme Court.

In 2005 Ministry of Urban Development giving priority to MSWM has allocated grants to the tunes of Rs 25000 million covering 423 classes I towns as part of 12th

finance committee.

Hazardous waste (Management, Handling & Trans boundary movement) rules-2008 framed under the Environmental (Protection) Act – 1986