Solid Waste Management System

1. Solid waste management is a term that is used to
refer to the process of collecting and treating solid
wastes. It also offers solutions for recycling
items that do not belong to garbage or trash. As
long as people have been living in settlements and
residential areas, garbage or solid waste has been
an issue. Waste management is all about how
solid waste can be changed and used as a valuable
resource.
What is Solid Waste Management

2. “Solid-waste management, the collecting, treating,
and disposing of solid material that is discarded
because it has served its purpose or is no longer
useful. Improper disposal of municipal solid waste
can create unsanitary conditions, and these
conditions in turn can lead to pollution of the
environment and to outbreaks of vector-borne
disease—that is, diseases spread by rodents and
insects.”

3. Categories of Waste
Organic waste: Kitchen waste, waste from food
preparation, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits,
and market places.
Combustibles: Paper, wood, dried leaves,
packaging for relief items etc. that are highly
organic and having low moisture content.
Non-combustibles: Metal, Tins, Cans, bottles,
stones, etc.
Toxic waste: Old medicines, paints, chemicals,
bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide
containers, batteries, shoe polish.

4. Recyclables: Paper, glass, metals, plastics.
Ashes or Dust: Residue from fires that are used for
cooking.
Construction waste: Rubble, roofing, broken
concrete etc.
Hazardous waste: Oil, battery acid, medical waste,
industrial waste, hospital waste.
Dead animals: Carcasses of dead livestock or other
animals.
Bulky waste: Tree branches, tires etc.
Soiled waste: Hospital waste such as cloth soiled
with blood and other body fluids.

5. Various Sources of Solid Waste
Every day, tonnes of solid waste are disposed of at various
landfill sites. This waste comes from homes, offices,
industries and various other agricultural related activities.
The following are major sources of solid waste:
1. Residential
Residences and homes where people live are some of the
major sources of solid waste. The garbage from these places
includes food wastes, plastics, paper, glass, leather,
cardboard, metals, yard wastes, ashes and special wastes like
bulky household items such as electronics, tires, batteries, old
mattresses and used oil.

6. 2. Industrial
Industries are known to be one of the biggest contributors to solid waste. They
include light and heavy manufacturing industries, construction sites,
fabrication plants, canning plants, power and chemical plants.
These industries produce solid waste in the form of housekeeping wastes, food
wastes, packaging wastes, ashes, construction and demolition materials,
special wastes, medical wastes as well as other hazardous wastes.
3. Commercial
Commercial facilities and buildings are yet another source of solid waste today.
Commercial buildings and facilities, in this case, refer to hotels, markets,
restaurants, godowns, stores and office buildings.
Some of the solid wastes generated from these places include plastics, food
wastes, metals, paper, glass, wood, cardboard materials, special wastes and
other hazardous wastes.

7. 4. Institutional
The institutional centers like schools, colleges, prisons, military barracks and
other government centers also produce solid waste. Some of the common solid
wastes obtained from these places include glass, rubber waste, plastics, food
wastes, wood, paper, metals, cardboard materials, electronics as well as various
hazardous wastes.
5. Construction and Demolition Areas
Construction and demolition sites also contribute to the solid waste problem.
Construction sites include new construction sites for buildings and roads, road
repair sites, building renovation sites and building demolition sites. Some of the
solid wastes produced in these places include steel materials, concrete, wood,
plastics, rubber, copper wires, dirt and glass.

8. 6. Municipal Services
The urban centers also contribute immensely to the solid waste crisis in
most countries today. Some of the solid waste brought about by the
municipal services include street cleaning, wastes from parks and
beaches, wastewater treatment plants, landscaping wastes and wastes
from recreational areas, including sludge.
7. Treatment Plants and Sites
Heavy and light manufacturing plants also produce solid waste. They
include refineries, power plants, processing plants, mineral extraction
plants and chemical plants.
Among the wastes produced by these plants, there are industrial
process wastes, unwanted specification products, plastics, metal parts,
just to mention a few.

9. 8. Agriculture
Crop farms, orchards, dairies, vineyards and feedlots are also sources of
solid wastes. Among the wastes they produce are agricultural wastes,
spoiled food, pesticide containers and other hazardous materials.
9. Biomedical
This refers to hospitals and biomedical equipment and chemical
manufacturing firms. In hospitals, there are different types of solid
wastes produced.
Some of these solid wastes include syringes, bandages, used gloves,
drugs, paper, plastics, food wastes and chemicals. All these require
proper disposal or else they will cause a huge problem for the
environment and the people in these facilities.

10. Solid Waste: Composition, Characteristics and Methods of Collection
Waste characterization means finding out how much paper, glass, food waste, etc. is
discarded in your waste stream. Waste characterization information helps in planning how to
reduce waste, set up recycling programs, and conserve money and resources.
Their composition are yard waste, food waste, plastics, wood, metals, papers, rubbers,
leather, batteries, inert materials, textiles, paint containers, demolishing and construction
materials as well as many others that would be difficult to classify.

11. Composition and Characteristics
The composition and characteristics of municipal solid wastes vary throughout
the world. Even in the same country it changes from place to place as it depends
on number of factors such as social customs, standard of living, geographical
location, climate etc. MSW is heterogeneous in nature and consists of a number
of different materials derived from various types of activities. Even then it is
worthwhile to make some general observation to obtain some useful conclusions.
•The major constituents are paper and organic matter;
•Metal, glass, ceramics, plastics, textiles, dirt and wood are generally present
although not always so, the relative proportions depending on local factors;
•The average proportion of constituents reaching a disposal site(s) for a particular
urban area changes in long term although there may be significant seasonal
variations within a year.

12. For these reasons an analysis of the composition of solid waste, for rich and poor countries
alike, is expressed in terms of a limited number of constituents. It is useful in illustrating the
variations from one urban center to another and from country to country. Data for different
degrees of national wealth (annual per-capita income) are presented in Table 3.3. Waste
composition also varies with socio-economic status within a particular community, since
income determines life-style – consumption patterns and cultural behaviour.

13. Several conclusions may be drawn from this comparative data:
•The proportion of paper waste increases with increasing national income;
•The proportion of putrescible organic matter (food waste) is greater in countries of low income
than those of high income;
•Variation in waste composition is more dependent on national income than geographical location,
although the latter is also significant;
•Waste density is a function of national income, being two to three times higher in the low-income
countries than in countries of high income;
Moisture content is also higher in low-income countries; and
•The composition of waste in a given urban center varies significantly with socio-economic status
(household income).

14. Collection of Solid Waste:
Collection is the first fundamental function of solid waste management. Solid
waste collection refers to the gathering of solid waste from place to place such as
residential, commercial, industrial and institutional areas as well as public parks.
Methods of Collection:
There are generally two methods of collection:
(i) Hauled container system:
In this system the container is hauled from the collection point to the final point of
disposal, processing facility or transfer station.
(ii) Stationary container system:
In this system the container is emptied into the collection vehicles at the point of
collection.
Door Step Collection:
Under the principle of users pay, beneficiaries pay, and polluters pay, MCH has
introduced the scheme of collecting user charges from bulk garbage generators in the
city.

15. RESOURCE RECOVERY AND RECYCLING
Many components of municipal solid wastes can be reused as secondary material.
Among these are papers, cardboard, plastic, glass, ferrous metal, aluminum, and other
nonferrous metals. These materials must be separated from MSW before they can be
recycled. In this section, material recycling, and separation methods are first briefly
presented, followed by bioconversion and refuse derived fuel (RDF) methods. Refuse-
derived fuel (RDF) is a fuel produced from various types of waste such as municipal solid waste
(MSW), industrial waste or commercial waste. which can be used as substitute for fossil fuels in
e.g. cement plants, lime plants, coal fired power plants or as reduction agent in steel furnaces.
Many components of MSW are currently recycled. Among these are paper and paper
products. These products are recycled in manufacturing building materials such as roofing
felt, insulation and wallboard, and are also used to manufacture cartons and containers. Plastic
is recycled to produce insulating material, sheets, bags, and structural material. Energy is
recovered from combustion of organic wastes. Other components of MSW (1990) estimate that
approximately 13% of MSW is currently recycled, and a 14 percent fraction is incinerated.

16. Solid Waste Disposal
Solid waste disposal management is usually referred to the process of collecting and treating
solid wastes. It provides solutions for recycling items that do not belong to garbage or trash.
Solid waste management can be described as how solid waste can be changed and used as a
valuable resource.
Improper disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary conditions, and these
conditions in turn lead to pollution of the environment. Diseases can be spread by
rodents(Rats) and insects. The tasks of solid waste disposal management are complex
technical challenges. They can also pose a wide variety of economic, administrative and social
problems that must be changed and solved.

17. Methods of Solid Waste Disposal and Management:
Here are the methods of solid waste disposal and management:
1) Solid Waste Open Burning
2) Sea dumping process
3) Solid wastes sanitary landfills
4) Incineration method
5) Composting process
6) Disposal by Ploughing into the fields
7) Disposal by hog feeding
8) Salvaging procedure
9) Fermentation/biological digestion

18. 1. Solid Waste Open Burning
Solid waste open burning is not the perfect method in the present scenario.
2. Sea Dumping Process
This sea dumping process can be carried out only in coastal cities. This is very costly procedure
and not environment friendly.
3. Solid wastes sanitary landfills
Solid wastes sanitary landfills process is simple, clean and effective. In this procedure, layers are
compressed with some mechanical equipment and covered with earth, leveled, and compacted.
A deep trench of 3 to 5 m is excavated and micro-organisms act on the organic matter and
degrade them.
In this procedure, refuse depth is generally limited to 2m. Facultative bacteria hydrolyze
complex organic matter into simpler water soluble organics
4. Incineration method
Incineration method is suitable for combustible refuse. High operation costs and construction
are involved in this procedure. This method would be suited in crowded cities where sites for
land filling are not available.
It can be used to reduce the volume of solid wastes for land filling.

19. 5. Composting process
Composting process is similar to sanitary land-filling and it is popular in developing countries.
Decomposable organic matter is separated and composted in this procedure. Yields are stable end
products and good soil conditioners. They can be used as a base for fertilizers.
6. Disposal by Ploughing into the fields
Disposal by ploughing into the fields are not commonly used. These disposals are not environment
friendly in general.
7. Disposal by hog feeding
Disposal by hog feeding is not general procedure in India. Garbage disposal into sewers including
BOD (Biochemical oxygen Demand) and TSS(Toxic Shock Syndrome) increases by 20-30%. Refuse is
ground well in grinders and then fed into sewers.
8. Salvaging procedure
Materials such as metal, paper, glass, rags, certain types of plastic and so on can be salvaged,
recycled, and reused.
9. Fermentation/biological digestion
Biodegradable wastes are converted to compost and recycling can be done whenever possible.
Hazardous wastes can be disposed using suitable methods.

20. Vermicompost
Vermicompost (vermi-compost) is the product of the decomposition process using various
species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a
mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. This
process is called vermicomposting, while the rearing of worms for this purpose is called
vermiculture.
Vermicast (also called worm castings, worm humus, worm manure, or worm faeces) is the end-
product of the breakdown of organic matter by earthworms. These castings have been shown
to contain reduced levels of contaminants and a higher saturation of nutrients than the organic
materials before vermicomposting.

21. Incineration (Destroying waste by burning)
It is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained
in waste materials.
Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-energy facilities.
Incineration and other high-temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal
treatment".
Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas and heat. The ash is mostly
formed by the inorganic constituents of the waste and may take the form of solid lumps or
particulates carried by the flue gas.
The flue gases must be cleaned of gaseous and particulate pollutants before they are dispersed
into the atmosphere.
In some cases, the heat that is generated by incineration can be used to generate electric
power

22. Biomedical waste
Biomedical waste or hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially
infectious) materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical
waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (e.g. packaging, unused
bandages, infusion kits etc.), as well research laboratory waste containing biomolecules or
organisms that are mainly restricted from environmental release.
Biomedical waste is generated from biological and medical sources and activities, such as the
diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of diseases. Common generators (or producers) of
biomedical waste include hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, emergency medical services,
medical research laboratories, offices of physicians, dentists, veterinarians, home health care and
morgues or funeral homes.

23. Effects of medical waste on the environment
Improper management of health care waste can have both direct and indirect health
consequences for health personnel, community members and on the environment. Indirect
consequences in the form of toxic emissions from inadequate burning of medical waste, or the
production of millions of used syringes in a period of three to four weeks from an insufficiently
well planned mass immunization campaign.
The most serious effect that biomedical waste has on our seas is the discharge of poisons
into the waters that could then be consumed by ocean life creatures. Toxins would interject
into the food chain and eventually reach humans who consume sea creatures. Human
exposure to such toxins can stunt human growth development and cause birth defects.[1
The high volume of plastic use in the medical field also poses a dangerous threat to the
environment

24. Management
Biomedical waste must be properly managed and disposed of to protect the environment,
general public and workers, especially healthcare and sanitation workers who are at risk of
exposure to biomedical waste as an occupational hazard. Steps in the management of biomedical
waste include generation, accumulation, handling, storage, treatment, transport and disposal.
The development and implementation of a national waste management policy can improve
biomedical waste management in health facilities in a country
Biomedical waste should be collected in containers that are leak-proof and sufficiently strong to
prevent breakage during handling. Containers of biomedical waste are marked with a biohazard
symbol. The container, marking, and labels are often red.
The goals of biomedical waste treatment are to reduce or eliminate the waste's hazards, and
usually to make the waste unrecognizable. Treatment should render the waste safe for
subsequent handling and disposal. There are several treatment methods that can accomplish
these goals.It include secregating the bio waste

25. There are many licensed Common Bio Medical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities
(CBWTDF) or Common Treatment Facility (CTF) in the country.
The training of Health Care Facility staff and the awareness of the Hazards of Bio Medical
waste is still a challenge in most of the country. The compliance is being enforced through
penalties and via awareness. The CTF are operational in most Tier 1 cities and Tier 2 cities of
India and compliance is high today because of *NGT(National Green Tribunal) act. But lack
of awareness lead to issues of improper segregation. In Tier 2 and 3 cities the general waste
is also mixed with Bio Medical waste.
* The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 is an Act of the Parliament of India which enables the
creation of a special tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to
environmental issues.

26. The latest guidelines for segregation of bio-medical waste recommend the following
color coding:
•Red Bag – Syringes (without needles), soiled gloves, catheters, IV tubes etc. should
be all disposed of in a red colored bag, which will later be incinerated.
•Yellow Bag – All dressings, bandages and cotton swabs with body fluids, blood bags,
human anatomical waste, body parts are to be discarded in yellow bags.
•Cardboard box with blue marking – Glass vials, ampules, other glass ware is to be
discarded in a cardboard box with a blue marking/sticker.
•White Puncture Proof Container (PPC) – Needles, sharps, blades are disposed of in
a white translucent puncture proof container.
•Black Bags – These are to be used for non-bio-medical waste. In a hospital setup,
this includes stationary, vegetable and fruit peels, leftovers, packaging including that
from medicines, disposable caps, disposable masks, disposable shoe-covers,
disposable tea cups, cartons, sweeping dust, kitchen waste etc.