Environmental Engineering: (Solid Wastes)

Environmental Engineering
(Solid Wastes)
Feb. 2023
Solid Waste
According to EPA solid waste is Including:
• Any discarded item;
• Things intended for reuse or recycle,
• Sludge
• Hazardous waste
but excluding:
• Radioactive
• In-situ mining wastes
Population!
“The more concentrated the population the

greater the problem of solid waste”
Classification
Refuse or solid waste:
• The point of origin: domestic, institutional,
commercial, industrial, street, demolition
or construction;
• The nature of materials: organic,
inorganic, combustible, noncombustible,
putrescible, non-putrescible.
Classification
Generated SW (EPA2010)
Generated SW Now and Future!
• Waste generation has increased massively
around the world in recent decades, and
there are no signs of it slowing down.
• Worldwide municipal solid waste generation is
expected to have increased by roughly 70
percent to 3.4 billion metric tons by 2050!
• This is due to a number of factors: population
growth, urbanization, and economic growth,
as well as consumer shopping habits.
SW Management
SW Management
1. Identification of waste and its minimization
at the source;
2. Collection, segregation and storage at the
site of collection;
3. Transportation;
4. Treatment;
5. Energy recovery;
6. Disposal.
Estimating Truck Capacity (FYI!)
Properties of Uncompact SW (FYI!)
Waste Pyramid
Reduce
• The best way to deal with waste is to not have any!

possible?!
• Reducing the amount of waste you have to throw out
actually prevents waste from piling up in the first place.
• To reduce your waste, avoid unnecessary packaging and
items designed to be used only once. Example:
– Reduce the need for ’single use’ plastic bags by
bringing your own bags when you shop, and use a
travel mug when you buy coffee.
– Choose durable, reusable products to make less waste.
Reuse
• Reusing items can save energy and money,

and prolong the item’s useful life.
• Extend the life of items you buy by reusing

them.
Recycle
• Every day we use products made from

recycled materials.
• Recycling saves money, energy, and the
environment.
Compost
• Composting is nature's way of recycling
organics.
• When you compost, you convert vegetable
scraps, leaves, grass clippings and other
materials into a nutrient rich soil material.
• You can use finished compost in your garden
and around shrubs or other plants to help
them grow.
• Composting also reduces the amount of
materials that need to be disposed of,
reducing those related costs.
Utilization of Wastes
Contd.
Processing and Beneficial Use
• Processing reduces the volume of materials
to be landfilled and can create products such
as fuel oils and steam for electricity
generation.
• Beneficial use means the reuse of solid
waste as a substitute for raw material in
manufacturing, as construction material or
fill, as a fuel, or as an agricultural soil
improvement.
Waste to Energy
• Waste-to-Energy facilities accept our solid
waste and combust it at very high
temperatures, producing heat that is used
to convert water into steam. The steam is
used to run turbines that generate
electricity.
• Scrubbers, filters, and other pollution
control equipment reduce pollutants
released during the incineration process.
Ash and other residues from this process
are landfilled or e.g. utilized in concrete!
Waste to Energy
• On the productivity of the ecosystem
(green plants, atmospheric oxygen)
• On other organism (microorganism, insects,
animals)
• On climate (global warming, ozone hole,
acid rain)
Waste to Energy-Advantages
1. The total quantity of waste gets reduced by
nearly 60 to 90% depending upon the
characteristics of waste and the adopted
process;
2. As the quantity reduces the demand for land
required for landfill as disposal also reduces;
3. The cost of transportation also reduces as
the quantity reduces;
4. The overall environmental pollution reduces.
What is Landfill?
A land disposal site employing an engineered

technique of disposing of solid wastes on land in
a manner that minimizes environmental hazards
by spreading the solid wastes to the smallest
practical volume and applying and compacting
cover material at the end of each day.
Landfill
• Today’s landfills are very different from the old

ones where people just dumped their garbage
in an open area;
• Landfills are constructed and operated to strict
environmental standards, including liners to
protect groundwater;
• Within waste pyramid, landfilling waste is the
lowest priority of the solid waste management
options.
Landfill-Points to be Considered
• Site selection;
• Site preparation;
• Equipment;
• Operation;
• Environmental considerations;
• Leachate.
Site selection
• Public opposition;
• Proximity of major roadways;
• Speed limit;
• Load limits on roadways;
• Bridge capacities;
• Underpass limitations;
• Traffic congestions;
• Transportation distance in time;
Cont..
• Diversions;
• Hydrology;
• Availability of cover materials;
• Climate e.g. floods, snow, etc.
• 30m from rivers;
• 160m from drinking water well;
• 65m from houses, schools and parks;
• 3000m from airport runways;
• Etc.
Landfill Design
• Volume;
• Liner selection;
• Leachate collection;
• Final cover.
Landfill
• Air pollution
• Water pollution
• Land pollution
• Waste management
• Sustainability
• Global climate change
Typical Landfill Schematic
Typical Gases in SW Landfill
Landfill fire-Thessaloniki-Greece-
2006
Explosion-Loscoe-UK-1986
Construction Waste Materials
U.S. companies generated 600,000,000

tones of construction and demolition wastes
in 2018 (EPA)!
CWM-Types
Concrete:
it accounts for about 68% of all construction
and demolition waste by weight.
The world uses 50,000,000,000 tons of fine
and coarse aggregates every year!
Therefore, Crushed concrete aggregate from
construction and demolition projects is a
highly appealing option.
Contd.
Bricks:
Bricks are also can be reused in new projects
as long as they have retained their engineering
condition.
Companies may want to send their bricks for
recycling. Brick recycling involves crushing the
bricks into tiny pieces for reuse as filling
materials.
Contd.
• Wood;
• Ceramic or Tyles;
• Insulation materials;
• Plastics;
• Glass;
• Ferrous metal;
• Nonferrous metal;
• Stone;
• Asphalt;
Importance of proper CWM
Management
• It promotes environmental
responsibility: It keeps unnecessary and
unsafe waste and toxic materials and gases
out of our soil, air and water.
• It supports public health: It
keeps hazardous materials away from areas
where people could come into contact with
them and become ill.
Contd.
• It encourages sustainability: It
enables reuse and recycling of many
materials and slows natural resource
consumption.
• It saves money: Companies can reuse
their construction wastes and avoid
disposal penalties.
Disposal Methods for construction
Wastes
1- Reuse of C&D waste:
Reusing waste materials is the most
sustainable and environmentally friendly
disposal method. Benefits?
• Reducing consumption of raw materials;
• Reducing fossil fuel emissions from the
creation of new products;
• Minimizing landfill waste.
Contd.
2- Recycling of C&D waste:
If construction companies cannot reuse waste,
they can recycle their wastes like plastic,
aluminum and old concrete which is a
sustainable option. They can use recycled
materials in their new projects or selling to
other companies.
Contd.
3- Land Disposal:
For materials that companies cannot reuse or
recycle, incineration or waste-to-fuel and/or
sending waste materials to a licensed landfill
can be the best options.
However, some hazardous items may need to
go to a concrete-lined landfill that can prevent
leaks and ensure adequate environmental
protection as hazardous wastes require
treatment before disposal.
Conclusion
1. Waste is a misplaced resource!
2. Reduction, and reuse of solid waste
increases the efficiency of the process that
must be the main aim of any civil engineer!
3. Commercial utilization of solid waste, makes
it sustainable;
4. Increased awareness, education, training,
incentive and people’s participation all
combined can achieve the aims and
objectives of the waste management.
Questions?

Environmental Engineering: (Solid Wastes)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Environmental Engineering: (Solid Wastes)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Environmental Engineering: (Solid Wastes)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Environmental Engineering

“The more concentrated the population the

• The best way to deal with waste is to not have any!

• Reusing items can save energy and money,

• Extend the life of items you buy by reusing

• Every day we use products made from

A land disposal site employing an engineered

• Today’s landfills are very different from the old

U.S. companies generated 600,000,000

You might also like