Solid Waste-Landfill23

Solid Waste
Common household and commercial

waste
Known as refuse, municipal solid
waste (MSW)
Garbage, Trash, Rubbish
Solid Waste Hierarchy
Avoidance Source Reduction
Recycling Materials recovery
Energy Recovery Or transform to a product
Landfilling Lowest in hierarchy

Solid Waste Disposal
 Sources
 Disposal Regulations
 Recycling
 Composting
 Collection
 Processing
 Landfilling
 Incineration
Sources
 Municipal Wastes: 24 lb/capita/day
– metal wastes – paper wastes
– plastic wastes – yard wastes
– food wastes – glass wastes
 Industrial Wastes
 Agricultural Wastes
 Mining Wastes
MSW Disposal in US
Municipal Wastes
 paper wastes: 32%  metal wastes: 8%
– newspapers, books, – beverage & food containers,
magazines, packaging scrap appliances
– good recycling potential – good recycling potential
 yard wastes: 19%  plastic wastes: 10%
– grass clippings, brush, – recycling programs
leaves developed
– varies seasonally & – recycling codes
geographically  food wastes: 8%
 glass wastes: 7% – declined from 15% in ‘85
– bottles, glass jars – affected by garbage disposals
– almost all can be recycled
Plastic Recycling Codes
 Polyethylene terephthalate, PETE-1
 High-density polyethylene, HDPE-2
 Polyvinyl chloride, PVC-3
 Low-density polyethylene, LDPE-4
 Polypropelyne, PP-5
 Polystyrene, PS-6
 Other, 7
Industrial Classes
US Dept. of Commerce,
Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC)
SW Regulations
 1965: Solid Waste Disposal Act
– early recognition of MSW
– promoted better management
– supported R&D
 1970: Resource Recovery Act
– more emphasis on recycling & energy recovery
– PHS investigated disposal of hazardous wastes
 1976: Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA)
– control of hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal
– has been amended and reauthorized many times
Functional Elements of a SW
Management System
Recovery or to improve
subsequent handling
Waste
Generation
Waste handling,
separation,storage and
processing at the source
Small to Truck & routing

large truck Collection
Separation and
Transfer &
processing and
Transport
transformation of SW
Disposal
Recycling
Recycling is the recovery and reuse of a product which
would otherwise be thrown away.
Preliminary steps for a recycling program:
• An accurate analysis of the sources and content of the solid
waste stream.
• Evaluation of any existing recycling programs. Existing
programs must be integrated into the new or expanded
program.
• Identification of public attitudes about recycling.
• Determine what markets exist for the potential recycled
materials. (It does no good to collect materials for recycling if
no market exists for their use!)
• Determine the best recycling options.
Recycling Options
 Drop-off Centers
– can be staffed or unstaffed
 Curbside Collection
– more effective, but more expensive
 Voluntary vs. Mandatory Recycling
– enforcement?
Composting
 controlled aerobic partial degradation of
organic wastes
 natural microbial processes: fungi, bacteria,
protozoa
 especially useful for leaves that used to be
burned
 waste volume reductions of 40-75%
 wastes placed in windrows which are
periodically mixed
Elements of Composting
 Collection
– curbside, drop-off, required public education
 Preprocessing
– grinding, separating, wetting, screening
 Composting Parameters
– oxygen: supplied by natural aeration
– nitrogen: C/N ratio varies with season
– temperature: heat release
– moisture: at least 50%
Elements of Composting (Cont.)
 Multi-Level Composting
– Minimal-Level: 12x24 ft. windrows turned annually,
center become anaerobic, 3 yrs.
– Low-Level: 6x12 ft. windrows mixed monthly to
quarterly, watered, 1.5 yrs.
– Intermediate-Level: same but turned weekly,
specialized equipment, 5 wks.
– High-Level: 10x200 ft., forced air, water & N added,
2-10 wks., then left for 3-12 month.
 Compost Uses: landscaping, gardening, farming
Collection
Collection Vehicles
Commonly used for

trash collection
Also used where

recyclables are collected
Compression to 50%
See problem 11.1
Solid Waste Processing
 Sorting
– at point of generation, transfer station, or at
landfill
– mechanical or manual
» magnets, compressed air, inertia devices
 Compaction
– low pressure in collection vehicle
– high pressure at transfer station or landfill
 Shredding
Landfilling
 The legal and controlled placement of wastes in the
ground
 Dumping is illegal or uncontrolled
 Material undergoes chemical and biological
changes
 Water is present which promotes biodegradation
and carries away dissolved substances: Leachate
 Leachate collection and recirculation
Leachate Characteristics
Siting Restrictions
The landfill disposal regulations provide the following
restrictions on landfill location:
• Prohibit the placement of a landfill facility near an airport because of
dangers from scavenging birds.
• Require the landfill to be located outside the 100 year floodplain or the
landfill design must prevent the washout of solid waste during a 100 year
flood.
• Prohibit the placement of a new landfill or expansion of an existing landfill
into or on a wetland.
• Prohibit the placement of a landfill within 200 feet of an earthquake fault.
• Prohibit the placement of a landfill in an area with a high probability of a
strong earthquake.
• Prohibit the placement of a landfill in an area with unstable soil.
• Require existing landfills which cannot meet the airport, floodplain, or
unstable area requirements above, to close within five years. The state may
grant a maximum of a two year extension.
Operational Requirements
 Exclusion of hazardous waste from the landfill.
 Provide at least six inches of daily soil cover over new solid waste
placed in the landfill.
 Control disease vectors such as rodents and insects.
 Monitor methane concentrations in the landfill and buildings.
(Methane is explosive when combined with the oxygen in air.)
 Elimination of most open burning.
 Control public access.
 Construct run-on and run-off controls for water.
 Meet water quality discharge requirements (NPDES) to surface
water.
 Prohibit all liquid wastes except small quantities of household
liquid wastes.
 Maintain records indicating compliance.
Design Requirements
 Synthetic membrane liner at least 30 mils
thick
 Soil liner at least 2 ft. thick
 Hydraulic conductivity no more than 10 -7
cm/s
 Other state-approved designs possible
Landfilling: Area Method
Trench
Method
From Sincero & Sincero, 1996

From Davis & Cornwell, 1991

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Solid Waste

Common household and commercial

Recycling Materials recovery

Energy Recovery Or transform to a product

Landfilling Lowest in hierarchy

Small to Truck & routing

Commonly used for

Also used where

From Sincero & Sincero, 1996

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