TYPES AND

CLASSIFICATION
OF MSW

What is Solid
Solid WasteWaste?
(also referred to as rubbish, trash,
refuse, garbage, or junk) is unwanted or unusable
materials.

What is Solid Waste Management?

SWM is the control of generation, storage,
collection, transfer and transportation, processing
and disposal of solid wastes.
This includes all technological, financial,
institutional and legal aspects involved to solve
the whole spectrum of issues related solid wastes
Objective: Reduction in generation and proper
disposal..
2

2- Waste Characterization

2-Waste Characterization
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4

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Introduction
Waste Generation Rates
Waste Composition
Waste Trends

2- Waste Characterization

Main elements of waste characterization:

Waste sources and types
Waste generation rate
Waste composition

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2- Waste Characterization

Important of waste characterization:

It is necessary to monitor and
control existing waste management
systems and to make regulatory,
financial, and institutional
decisions.

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Classification based
on
type
Biodegradable
Non-biodegradable

consist of organic
matter and can be
degraded

Paper, food waste, vegetables and

fruit peels, wood, etc.

consist of
inorganic and
recyclable
materials which
cannot be
degraded

Plastics,Glass,Metals

Classification of solid
wastes

Type

Description

Source

Garbage

Wastes from the preparation, cooking and serving of food,

market refuse, waste from the handling, storage, and sale of
produce and meat.

Households, institutions and

commercial concerns such
as hotels, stores,
restaurants, market, etc

Combustible
& noncombustible

Combustible (primarily organic) paper, cardboard, cartons,

wood, boxes, plastic, rags, cloth, bedding, leather, rubber,
grass, leaves, yard trimmings etc.

Ashes

Residue from fires used for cooking and for heating building
cinders

Type
Bulky
wastes

Classification of solid
wastes
Description
Source
Large auto parts, tyres, stoves, refrigerators,
other large appliances, furniture, large crates,
trees branches, stumps etc

Streets, sidewalks,
alleys, vacant plots
etc.

Street
Street sweepings, dirt, leaves etc.
wastes
Dead
Dogs, cats, rats, donkeys etc.
animals
Abandone Automobiles and spare parts
d vehicles
Constructi Roofing and sheathing scraps, rubble, broken
on &
concrete, plaster, conduit pipe, wire, insulation
demolition etc
wastes

Construction and
demolition sites

Type
Industrial
wastes

Classification of solid
wastes
Description
Source
Solid wastes resulting from industrial processes
and manufacturing operations, such as food
processing wastes, boiler house ashes, wood,
plastic and metal scraps etc.

Hazardou Pathological wastes, explosives, radioactive

s wastes materials etc.

Factories, power
plants etc

Animals & Manure, crop residues etc.

agricultur
al wastes

Households,
hospitals, institutions,
stores, industry etc
Livestock, farms,
feedlots and
agriculture

Sewage
Coarse screening grit, septic tank sludge,
treatment dewatered sludge.
residue

Sewage treatment
plants and septic
tanks.

Category

Degeneration TimeType of waste

Approximate time taken
Solid Wastes
to degenerate
Organic waste such as A week or two
vegetable and fruit
peels, food waste etc

Biodegradable

Non-biodegradable

Paper

Upto 30 days

Cotton cloth

2-5 months

Woollen items

1 year

Wood

upto15 years

Tin, aluminum, and 100-500 years

other metal items such
as cans
Plastic bags

One million years?

Glass bottles

Undetermined
10

2- Waste Characterization

2.1 Waste sources and types

There are eight major classifications
of solid waste generators based on
waste source:
Residential, Industrial, Commercial,
Institutional, construction and
Demolition, Municipal services,
Process, and Agricultural.

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2- Waste Characterization
Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes

Types of solid wastes

Typical waste
generators

Food wastes, paper, cardboard,

Single and multifamily
plastics, textiles, leather, yard
dwellings
wastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes,
special wastes (e.g., bulky items,
consumer electronics, white goods,
batteries, oil, tires), and household
hazardous wastes
Housekeeping wastes, packaging,
food wastes, construction and
demolition materials, hazardous
wastes, ashes, special wastes

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Source
Residential

Light and heavy

Industrial
manufacturing,
fabrication, construction
sites, power and
chemical plants

All of the above should be included as municipal solid waste.

2- Waste Characterization
Continue Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes

Types of solid wastes

Typical waste
generators

Source

Paper, cardboard, plastics,

wood, food wastes, glass,
metals, special wastes,
hazardous wastes

Stores, hotels,
restaurants, markets,
office buildings, etc.

Commercial

Same as commercial

Schools, hospitals,
prisons, government
centers

Institutional

Wood, steel, concrete, dirt, etc.

New construction
sites, road repair,
renovation sites,
demolition of
buildings

Construction
and Demolition

6/34 All of the above should be included as municipal solid waste.

2- Waste Characterization
Continue Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes

Types of solid wastes

Typical waste
generators

Source

Street sweepings; landscape

and tree trimmings; general
wastes from parks, beaches, and
other recreational areas; sludge

Street cleaning,
landscaping, parks,
beaches, other
recreational areas,
water and wastewater
treatment plants

Municipal
services

Industrial process wastes, scrap Heavy and light

Process
materials, off-specification
manufacturing,
products, slag, tailings
refineries, chemical
plants, power plants,
mineral extraction and
processing
7/34All of the above should be included as municipal solid waste.

2- Waste Characterization
Continue Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes

Spoiled food wastes,

agricultural wastes,
hazardous wastes (e.g.,
pesticides)

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Crops, orchards,
vineyards, dairies,
feedlots, farms

Agriculture

2- Waste Characterization

MSW includes:
Residential, commercial,
industrial, institutional,
construction, demolition,
process, and municipal services.

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2- Waste Characterization

Some sources are commonly excluded,

such as industrial, construction and
demolition, and municipal services.
In high income countries, only 25
percent to 35 percent of the overall waste
stream is from residential sources.

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2- Waste Characterization

If municipal waste stream includes

construction and demolition waste, the
quantity of waste is doubled.

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2- Waste Characterization

2.2 Waste Generation Rates

Factors Influence Waste Generation
Rates:
Socioeconomic development,
Degree of industrialization,
Climate.
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2- Waste Characterization

Greater the economic wealth and the

higher percentage of urban population,
the greater the amount of solid waste
produced
Low income countries have the lowest
percentage of urban populations and the
lowest waste generation rates,

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2- Waste Characterization

As GNP increases toward the middle

income range, the per capita waste
generation rates also increase,

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2- Waste Characterization
Table 2: Current Urban Municipal Solid Waste Generation
Current Urban GNP Per
Capita

Country

MSW
(1995 US $)
Generation
(kg/capita/day)

MSW
Generation
(kg/capita/day)

GNP Per
Capita

Country

0.73

1,410

Middle
Income

0.64

490

Low Income

0.50

200

Nepal

0.76

980

Indonesia

0.49

240

Bangladesh

0.52

1,050

Philippines

0.45

240

Myanmar

1.10

2,740

Thailand

0.55

240

Vietnam

0.81

3,890

Malaysia

0.60

310

Mongolia

1.64

30,990

High Income

0.46

340

India

1.59

9,700

0.69

350

Lao PDR

Korea,
Republic of

0.79

620

China

5.07*

22,990

Hong Kong

0.89

700

Sri Lanka

1.10

26,730

Singapore

1.47

39,640

Japan

*Enormous quantities of
15/34 construction and demolition waste

2- Waste Characterization

2.3 Waste Composition

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Factors Influence Waste Composition:

Geographical location,
Standard of living,
Energy source, and
Weather

2- Waste Characterization

Percentages based on a weighted average

of the compositions for individual
countries
Compositions for municipal solid waste
based on wet weight
Different definitions and methodologies
for determining composition
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18/34

Figure 1: Waste Composition of Low, Middle, and

High Income Countries

Waste Composition of Low Income

Countries

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Waste Composition of Middle Income

Countries

18/34

Waste Composition of High Income

Countries

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2- Waste Characterization

Conclusion
Low and middle income countries have
a high percentage of compostable
organic matter (40 to 85%)
Percentage of consumer packaging
wastes increases relative to the
populations degree of wealth and
urbanization.
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2- Waste Characterization

Conclusion
Presence of paper, plastic, glass, and
metal becomes more prevalent in the
waste stream of middle and high income
countries.

Continue

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2- Waste Characterization

Figure 2: Variations in Waste Generation and Composition

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2- Waste Characterization

2.4 Waste Trends

Figure 3: United States
Material Consumption
Trends, 1900-89 (millions
of tones)

22/4

2- Waste Characterization

Japan has experienced waste trends

comparable to the United States. Waste
quantities were rising until 1970,
declined temporarily after the 1973
energy crisis, and then rose again
slightly.
Since 1990, generation rates have
stabilized due to an economic slow-down
and the implementation of waste
reduction policies.
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2- Waste Characterization

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Figure 4: China City Waste Composition

2- Waste Characterization

China is also experiencing rapid

population and economic growth.
Consequently, municipal solid waste is
increasing in excess of 10 percent per year.

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2- Waste Characterization

MSW quantities have increased

from 1.19 million tones in 1985 to
1.50 million tones in 1993
Composition shifting towards
plastic and paper packaging a
reflection of improved living
standards.

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2- Waste Characterization
2025 Urban
MSW
Generation
(kg/capita/day)

0.6-1.0

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2025
Urban
Populati
on
(% of
Total)

GNP
Per
Capita
in
2025
( US $)

Country

48.8

1,050 Low
Income

0.6

34.3

360

Nepal

0.6

40.0

440

Bangladesh

0.6

47.3

580

Myanmar

0.7

39.0

580

Vietnam

0.9

76.5

560

Mongolia

0.7

45.2

620

India

0.8

44.5

850

Lao PDR

0.9

54.5

1,500 China

1.0

42.6

1,300 Sri Lanka

Table 3: 2025 Urban Per Capita Municipal

Solid Waste Generation

0.8-1.5

61.1

3,390

Middle
Income

1.0

60.7

2,400

Indonesia

0.8

74.3

2,500

Philippines

1.5

39.1

6,650

Thailand

1.4

72.7

9,400

Malaysia

1.1-4.5

88.2

41,14
0

High
Income

1.4

93.7

17,60
0

Korea,
Republic of

4.5

97.3

31,00
0

Hong Kong

1.1

100.0

36,00
0

Singapore

1.3

84.9

53,50
0

Japan

2- Waste Characterization

Waste generation rate for low income

countries increase by approximately 0.2 kg
per capita per day
Packaging wastes, such as paper, plastic,
and glass, will increase as economies
increase

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2- Waste Characterization

Middle income countries should anticipate

increase of about 0.3 kg/c.d
Overall, waste composition is predicted to
become even more variable as the
percentage of compostable matter
declines, and packaging wastes, especially
paper and plastic, increase.

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2- Waste Characterization

Figure 5: Total Waste Quantities and Volumes Generated by Low, Middle

30/34
and High Income Countries (per day)

2- Waste Characterization

MSW Status By 2025:

Urban populations from low and middle
income countries will triple their current
rate of MSW generation
Low income countries will generate more
than twice as much MSW than all of the
middle and high income countries

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2- Waste Characterization

Continue MSW Status By 2025:

Such a dramatic increase will place
enormous stress on limited financial
resources and inadequate waste
management systems.
Per capita MSW generation rate in high
income countries is expected to remain
stable or even decrease slightly due to the
strengthening of waste minimization
programs.
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2- Waste Characterization
Continue

MSW Status By 2025:

Overall MSW composition for high income

countries is predicted to be relatively
stable;
A different trend when comparing waste
volume; Average waste densities of 500
kg/m3, 300 kg/m3, and 150 kg/m3 were
used to calculate the volume of waste
generated for low, medium, and high
income
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2- Waste Characterization
Continue

MSW Status By 2025:

Low income countries currently produce

the highest quantity of waste on mass
basis; high income countries generate the
most waste on volumetric basis.
Increase in volume result of paper,
plastics, bulky wastes, and other multimaterial packaging in high income
countries. Low and middle income
countries have a larger percentage of high
34/34density organic matter and ash residues

Future Changes in Waste Composition

In terms of solid waste management planning, knowledge

of future trends in the composition of solid waste and

quantities are of great importance.
Food Waste

The quantity of residential food waste collected has

changed significantly over the years as a result of
technical advances and change in public health
Food processing and packaging industry and the use of
kitchen food waste grinders have effected the quantity
of food waste
The percentage of food waste, by weight, has decreased
from about 14 percent in the early 1960s to about 9
percent in 1992.

Future Changes in Waste Composition

Paper and Cardboard

The percentage of paper and cardboard found in MSW has
increased greatly over the past half century , rising from about
20 percent in the early 1940s to about 40 percent in 1992
if the U.S. postal rate for bulk mail were increased to first class
mail, a significant reduction would occur in the amount of
paper collected for disposal
Yard Wastes
The percentage of yard waste has also increased significantly,
due primarily to passage of laws that prohibit burning of yard
wastes.
By weight, yard waste currently accounts for about 16 to 24
percent of the waste stream
Environmental conditions such as droughts have also affected
the quantities of yard wastes collected in certain locations

Future Changes in Waste Composition

Plastics
The percentage of plastics in solid waste has increased
significantly during the past 50 years
the use of plastics has increased from almost nonmeasurable quantities in the early 1940s to between 7
and 8 percent, by weight, in 1992
It is anticipated the use of plastic will continue to
increase, but at a slower rate than during the past 25
years

Nature of Municipal Solid Waste

Organic (Combustible)

Inorganic (non-combustible)
Putrescible (Bio-degradable)
Recyclable
Hazardous
Infectious

Typical Physical Composition of Residential MSW

Component

Percent by Weight

Moisture percent

Range

Range

Typical

Typical

Organic
Food wastes

6 26

15

50 80

70

25 45

40

4 10

Cardboard

3 15

48

Plastics

2 8

14

Textiles

0 4

6 15

10

Rubber

0 2

0.5

14

Leather

0 2

0.5

8 12

10

Yard wastes

0 20

12

30 80

60

Wood

1 4

15 40

20

Glass

4 16

1 4

Tin cans

2 8

24

Aluminum

0 1

24

Other metal

1 4

26

Dirt, ash etc

0 10

6 12

Paper

Misc. organics
Inorganics

Composition of Solid Waste

The percentage distribution values for the
components in MSW vary with
Location
Season
economic conditions
population
Social behavior
Climate
Market for waste materials
Other factor

Determination of the Composition of MSW in the Field

Because the heterogeneous nature of solid
wastes, determination of the composition is
not an easy task
More generalized field procedures based on
common sense and random sampling
technique have evolved for determining
composition
The procedure for residential MSW can be
summarized as following
The load is first quartered
One part is then selected for additional
quartering unit a sample size of about 200
lb is obtained
It is important to maintain the integrity of

Determination of the Composition of MSW in the Field

The field procedure for component
identification
for
commercial
and
industrial waste involves the analysis of
representative waste samples taken
directly from the source, not from a
mixed waste load in a collection vehicle.
Due to the fact that these wastes are so
variable.

Types of Materials Recovered from MSW

Aluminum
Paper
Plastics
Glass
Ferrous Metals (Iron and Steel)
Nonferrous waste
Yard waste collected separately
Construction and demolition
wastes

Types of Materials Recovered from MSW

Recycling is the best way to solve solid
waste
management
problem.
This
process exists in all cities . However, the
recycling system differs from developing
countries and developed countries .
Developed countries have well organized
source separation and recycling system
while in the developing countries the
system of recycling is not effective
because it is still in
the hands of
informal sectors

Developed Countries Have Recycling System

Starting From Curbside Collection System.
Separate Colored Collections Bins are Provided to
Deposit Separate Waste Material

These Sorting Facilities are Well Organized and

Materials are Separated for Further Processing

Separation of Recyclable and Placing

Separately

In Developed Countries The Scavengers

Collect the Recyclables and Separate in
their Own Premises

Recyclables Collected from Scavengers are

Deposited in One Place

Waste
Characteristics

60

Physical
Density of waste
Bulk/ Mass
Moisture content
Size

Chemical
Lipids
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Natural fibres
organic materials
Non-combustibles
CHONS
etc.

Thanks