Solid Waste: Definitions, Characteristics and Perspectives

SOLID WASTE : DEFINITIONS,
CHARACTERISTICS AND
PERSPECTIVES.
•Statutorydefinition:The term ''solid
waste''means any garbage, refuse, sludge from
a waste treatment plant, water supply
treatment plant, or air pollution control facility
and other discarded material…
Types of solid wastes.

• > Municipal wastes
• > Industrial wastes
• > Hazardous wastes
•Food waste
•Rubbish
•Ashes & Residue
•Demolition & construction
Municipal •Special waste
•Treatment plant waste
Industrial
•Rubbish
•Ashes
•Demolition & construction
Industrial •Special waste
•Hazardous
Hazardous
•Radioactive
•Chemicals
•Biologicals
Hazardous •Flammables
•Explosives
Municipal waste
Component Description
Food wastes • Animal, fruit or vegetables residue (garbage) – from
handling,preparation, cooking and eating of foods.
• Putrescible – decomposes rapidly in warm weather.
Rubbish • Combustible and noncombustible solid wastes – food wastes or

putrescible materials.
• Combustible : paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, rubber, leather,
wood, furniture and garden trimmings.
• Noncombustible : glass, crockery, tin cans, aluminium cans,
ferrous and non ferrous metals, dirt and constructions wastes.
Ashes and • Materials remaining from burning of wood, coal, coke and other
residues combustion wastes. (not include from power plants).
• compose of fine, powdery materials, cinders, clinkers and small
of burned and burned materials.
Demolition and •Demolition waste : Waste from razed buildings and
construction wastes structures.
• Construction waste : Remodelling, repairing of
residential, commercial, and industrial buildings and
similar structure.
• Include dirt, stones, concrete, bricks, plaster, lumber,
shingles and plumbing, heating and electrical parts.
Special wastes • Street sweepings, roadside litter, catch-basin debris,
dead animals and abandoned vehicles.
Treatment-plant wastes • Solid and semisolid wastes from water, wastewater
and industrial-waste treatment facilities.
Industrial wastes
HAZARDOUS ELECTRONIC WASTE
A more realistic landscape

(the one we see today in
Asia) would be the
mountains of e-waste filled
with broken Sony plasma
screens, Panasonic DVD
players and colored iPod
shells.
Is the waste a “hazardous waste”?
Statute: The term ''hazardous waste'‘ means a solid
waste, or combination of solid wastes, which… may
(A) cause, or significantly contribute to an increase in
mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or
incapacitating reversible, illness; or
(B) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human
health or the environment when improperly treated, stored,
transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed.
Characteristic wastes
•Ignitability
•Corrosivity
•Toxicity
•Reactivity
RCRA Hazardous Waste definition
Characteristic wastes:
Ignitability:
A liquid which has a flash point less than 140 degrees F is
regulated as an ignitable hazardous waste. Examples include
most organic solvents.
Corrosivity:
A waste aqueous solution having a pH of less than or equal
to 2, or greater than or equal to 12.5 is considered to be a
corrosive hazardous waste.
RCRA Hazardous Waste definition
Toxicity:
Toxicity is determined by a laboratory test known as the
"Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure", or TCLP. The
TCLP test must be conducted on any waste which contains
any of the specified TCLP contaminants.
Reactivity:
Any chemical waste which reacts violently with air and/or
water or liberates toxic gases is considered to be a reactive
hazardous waste.
Physical Composition
1.Individual components identification

2.Particle size analysis
3.Moisture content
4.Densityof solid waste
Changes in Composition
Particle Size
• The size of component materials in solid

wastes is important in the recovery of the
material, esp. by mechanical means (e.g.
magnetic separator, trommel screens).
• Data presented in Fig 10-1 & 10-2 is a
general indication of particle size
distribution.
Moisture Content
• Mass of moisture per unit mass of wet or

dry material.
• Wet mass moisture content:
• Table 10-4 typical data on moisture
content of MSW
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
•Important in evaluating alternative processing & energy

recovery options.
•If SW are to be converted to fuel, 4 most important
properties:
–Proximate analysis (moisture, volatile matter, ash
residue after burning, fixed (remainder) carbon.
–Fusing point of ash
–Ultimate/Elemental analysis: % of C,H,O,N,S, ash
–Heating value (energy value)
•Table 10-6, typical proximate analysis data for MSW
MSW ENERGY CONTENT
•Defined as the number of heat units evolved when unit mass of

material is completely burned and is measured in joules per gram
(J/g) or British thermal units per pound (Btu/lb).
•Measured by burning a sample and measure the heat released
(calorimetric analysis).
•Table 10-7: Typical data on energy content & inert residue for SW.
•To evaluate the feasibility of energy recovery as an integral part of a
solid waste management system.
•The energy content of is a function of composition of the waste,
moisture content and ash content.
CHEMICAL CONTENT
• To derive an approximate chemical formula for the

organic portion of the SW.
• Important where energy recovery from solid waste is
being considered.
• Table 10-8 Typical data on ultimate analysis of the
combustible components in MSW
• Example 10-4 estimate the overall chemical
composition of SW sample (pg 586)
CHANGES IN COMPOSITION
• Technological change in food processing & packaging, changes

in world economy affects composition of SW.
• For example, prior to energy crisis 1974, no ash is SW.
• Now, there is an increase in ash.
• An increase in waste oils.
• An increase in food packaging
waste.
Polystyrene (Styrofoam)Takeout Food Packaging Pollution
Solid Waste Management (SWM)
•Objective: To minimize the adverse environmental effects caused by

indiscriminate disposal of solid waste (esp hazardous waste).
•Important to consider:
–Materials flow in society
–Reduction in raw material usage
–Reduction in SW quantity
–Reuse of materials
–Materials recovery
–Energy recovery
–Day-to-day SWM
MATERIALS FLOW IN SOCIETY
•Fig 10-3 indicates how & where solid wastes are generated in a
technological society.
•Solid waste starts from start of process (mining of raw material).
•SW are generated at every step.
•Therefore, must reduce the amount of raw material consumption,
increase recovery rate & reuse of material.
•Concept is simple, but hard to apply.
REDUCTION IN RAW MATERIALS USAGE
•Example: Reduction in car size, reduce amount of

steel. Cars now are smaller than in 1950s.
•But some may argue on the decrease of jobs in
mining industries.
•Increase in oil price increases use of alternative
fuels as source of energy.
Source Reduction
•Consumers
•Federal and state levels
•Private sectors
•Material design
•Increase durability
•Substitute w/less toxic material
•Increase product effectiveness
Most efficient at the product/process

design phase
REDUCTION IN SOLID WASTE
QUANTITIES
Reduction
•Several ways to reduce solid waste:

–Reduce amount of raw material used in
manufacturing of products
–Increase the useful life of product
–Reduce packaging material.
REUSE OF SOLID WASTE MATERIALS
•Reuse (Recycle) when a product has

utility in more than 1 application.
Recycling and Composting
Returning raw material to the market
•Saves precious resources

•Stretches landfill capacities
•Improves ash efficiency and quality in incinerators by
removing non-combustible material
•Improves compost quality by removing non-
compostable material (glass, plastics)
•Can be problematic if not handled properly e.g.
Recycling oils, solvents, etc…e.g. Composting
pesticide-contaminated grass clippings contaminating
ground water
MATERIALS & ENERGY RECOVERY
•Some materials are suitable for recovery.

•70% of waste is organic.
•Generate energy (biomass)
Combustion or Waste-to-Energy
Incineration of wastes.
•Reduces the volume of wastes dramatically up to nine
fold (1/9th)
•Energy may be recovered in the form of steam or
electricity
•Stretches landfill capacities
•Avoids high transportation costs to far-located landfills
•Disadvantages:
•High cost
•Highly sophisticated for safe and economical operation
•Public skeptical about their safety

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SOLID WASTE : DEFINITIONS,

Types of solid wastes.

Rubbish • Combustible and noncombustible solid wastes – food wastes or

A more realistic landscape

1.Individual components identification

• The size of component materials in solid

• Mass of moisture per unit mass of wet or

•Important in evaluating alternative processing & energy

•Defined as the number of heat units evolved when unit mass of

• To derive an approximate chemical formula for the

• Technological change in food processing & packaging, changes

•Objective: To minimize the adverse environmental effects caused by

•Example: Reduction in car size, reduce amount of

Most efficient at the product/process

•Several ways to reduce solid waste:

•Reuse (Recycle) when a product has

Returning raw material to the market

•Saves precious resources

•Some materials are suitable for recovery.

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