Solid waste management is an important issue in many Indian cities. Solid waste is defined as all waste arising from human and animal activities that is normally solid and discarded. It consists of organic and inorganic materials. The composition of solid waste varies between countries and changes over time. Solid waste has negative impacts on human health such as chemical poisoning, diseases, and odor pollution. It also harms the environment by releasing greenhouse gases, contaminating soil and water, and causing visual pollution. Solid waste is classified based on its source such as residential, commercial, and industrial. It can also be classified based on its type such as garbage, ashes, combustible materials, and hazardous wastes. The sources and types of solid waste are described. The

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING-II
Unit- V
L-47
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
PART-I

2. Common scenario in Indian cities

3. Solid Waste

4. 1. INTRODUCTION
Definition:-
‘Solid wastes are all the wastes arising
from human and animal activities that
are normally solid and that are
discarded as useless or unwanted’
* Solid waste may consist of organic and
inorganic waste materials such as product
packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing,
bottles, kitchen refuse, paper, appliances, paint
cans, batteries etc

5. Composition of Solid waste in India
The composition of municipal waste varies
greatly from country to country and changes
significantly with time.

7. Life cycle of
solid waste

8. Waste
management
hierarchy

9. Impacts of solid waste on
human health
 Chemical poisoning through chemical
inhalation of toxic gases emitted from solid
wastes
 Uncollected waste can obstruct the storm
water runoff resulting in local area flooding
 Low birth weight
 Cancer
 Congenital malformations (Related to eyes)
 Neurological disease (Related to brain)
 Odour pollution

10. Nausea and vomiting because of foul
smell.
Increase in hospitalization of diabetic
residents living near solid waste disposal
sites.
Mercury toxicity from eating fish with high
levels of mercury.
Problem of flies, mosquitoes, rodents
(rats etc) and related diseases (Malaria,
plague etc.)

11. Impacts of solid waste on
Environment.
Waste breaks down in landfills to form
methane, a potent greenhouse gas
Change in climate and destruction of
ozone layer due to waste biodegradable
Visual pollution, unpleasant sights
 Leaching: is a process by which solid
waste enter soil and ground water and
contaminating them.

12. 2. CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID
WASTE
A] Source based
1) Residential
2) Commercial
3) Institutional
4) Municipal
5) Industrial
6) Agricultural

13. B] Type based classification
1. Garbage:- Results from handling, sale,
storage, preparation, cooking and
serving of food. Comprises of
putresceble organic matter. Needs
special attention in handling, storage and
disposal
2. Ashes and residues:- remaining from
burning of combustible materials.
3. Combustible and non combustible:-
paper, wood, rubber etc are combustible
materials while metals, glass etc are non
combustible wastes

14. 4. Bulky wastes:- out of service Refrigerators,
ACs, Furniture are catagorised under bulky
waste
5. Street wastes:- wastes resulting from different
street activities such as cleaning, sweeping
etc. Examples are paper, plastic, garden
wastes
6. Bio-degradable and non biodegradable:
Wastes capable of organic decomposition are
biodegradable wastes.
Examples:- food waste
Wastes not capable of organic decomposition are
non biodegradable wastes.
Examples:- Ferrous metals, glass etc

15. 7. Dead animals:- Dead bodies of
animals such as rats, dogs, cats etc.
8. Abandoned vehicles:- Large
abandoned vehicle after their utility.
Cars, Vans etc
9. Construction and demolition
waste:- Waste resulting from
construction and demolition
activities.

16. 10. Farm wastes:- Waste resulting
from farm yard activities. Agro waste
11. Hazardous wastes:- Wastes
capable of posing danger to human
health. Examples:- DDT, Petroleum
waste
12. Sewage wastes:- Results from
sedimentation and digester tanks of
waste water plant

17. 3. Sources of Solid wastes
Solid wastes come from a variety of sources
including:
 Residential
 Commercial
 Institutional
 Construction and Demolition
 Municipal Services
 Treatment Plant Sites
 Industrial
 Agricultural

18. Source
Typical
facilities,
activities or
locations
Types of solid wastes
Residential
homes, flats,
apartment
blocks,
chawls ,
slums etc
food wastes, paper,
cardboard, plastics,
textiles, yard wastes,
wood, glass, metals,
special wastes (e.g.
bulky items such as
heavy goods, batteries,
oil, tyres), household
hazardous wastes

19. Commercial
Shops, restaurants,
markets, office
buildings, hotels,
motels, print shops,
service stations,
auto repair shops
etc
Paper,
cardboard,
plastics, wood,
metals, food
wastes, glass,
special wastes
(as above),
hazardous
wastes
Institutional
Schools, hospitals,
universities,
prisons,
government centres
etc
As above in
commercial

20. Construction
and
demolition
New construction
sites, road
repairs, building
demolition
Wood, steel, concrete,
dirt etc
Municipal
services
(excluding
treatment
works)
Street cleaning,
landscaping,
parks and
beaches, creek
bed cleaning,
litter bins
Special wastes, rubbish,
litter, sweepings,
debris, general wastes
Treatment
plant sites
Water, wastewater,
industrial
treatment
processes etc
Effluent plus residual
sludges

21. Municipal
solid waste
(MSW)
All of the above All of the above
Industrial
Construction,
fabrication,
light and heavy
manufacturing,
refineries,
chemical plants,
power stations,
demolition etc
Industrial process wastes,
scrap materials etc. Non-
industrial wastes including
food wastes, rubbish,
ashes, demolition and
construction wastes,
special wastes, hazardous
wastes
Agricultural
Crops, dairies,
feedlots,
piggeries, farms
etc
Spoiled food wastes,
agricultural wastes,
rubbish, hazardous wastes

22. Factors affecting generation of
Solid waste
1. Geographic location
2. Seasons
3. Collection frequency
4. Population diversity
5. Extent of recycling and salvaging
6. Public attitude
7. Legislation

23. DEGRADATION PERIOD OF
SOME SOLID WASTES

24. The type of litter we generate and the approximate time it
takes to degenerate
Type of litter Approximate time it takes
to degenerate the litter
Organic waste such as vegetable
and fruit peels, leftover foodstuff,
etc.
a week or two.
Paper 10–30 days
Cotton cloth 2–5 months
Wood 10–15 years
Woolen items 1 year
Tin, aluminium, and other metal
items such as cans
100–500 years
Plastic bags one million years?
Glass bottles undetermined

25. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF
SOLID WASTE

26. 4.Physical Properties of solid
wastes
1. Density
 This is the weight per
unit volume and is
expressed as kg/m3
 Critical factor in design
of landfills
 Inert waste such as
construction and
demolition waste may
have higher density.
COMPONENT
DENSITY
(kg/m3)
Food wastes 288
Paper 81.7
Plastics 64
Garden
trimmings
104
Glass 194
Ferrous
metals
320

27. Procedure for finding out
density of solid waste
1. Cubical container of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm
(or any known volume) is taken and empty wt is
recorded.
2. Solid waste is filled to overflow in the cubical
container.
3. Compaction is done by tamping the container
thrice.
4. For compaction container is lifted up 6cm
above the ground and dropping down squarely.

28. 5. The top of container is leveled with
the help of a straight edge.
6. Finally container is weighed.
Density = (Wt of container filled with
solid waste – empty wt of
container) / volume of container

29. 2.Moisture Content
•The ratio of the weight of water to the
total weight of the wet waste.
•Moisture increases weight of solid wastes
•Plays important role in incineration.
•Wastes should be protected from rain and
other water.

30. M=[(w-w1)/w]x100
M=Moisture content
w1=weight of sample after drying at 1050
C
w= initial weight of sample
Above table shows moisture content of some
common wastes

31. Type of Waste
Moisture
Content
Range (%)
Moisture
Content
Typical (%)
RESIDENTIAL
Food wastes (mixed) 50 - 80 70
Paper 4 - 10 6
Plastics 1 - 4 2
Yard Wastes 30 - 80 60
Glass 1 - 4 2
COMMERCIAL
Food wastes 50 - 80 70
Rubbish (mixed) 10 - 25 15

32. CONSTRUCTION &
DEMOLITION
Mixed demolition
combustibles
4 - 15 8
Mixed construction
combustibles
4 - 15 8
INDUSTRIAL
Chemical sludge (wet) 75 - 99 80
Sawdust 10 - 40 20
Wood (mixed) 30 - 60 35
AGRICULTURAL
Mixed Agricultural waste 40 - 80 50
Manure (wet) 75 - 96 94

33. 3. Particle Size and Distribution
•Important for the recovery of materials.
•Important for design of mechanical
separators
Sc= l
Sc= [(l+w)/2]
Sc= [(l+w+h)/3]
Sc= Size of component
l= Length in mm
w= Width in mm
h= Height in mm

34. 4. Field Capacity
•The field capacity of MSW is the
total amount of moisture which can
be retained in a waste sample
subject to gravitational pull.
•Field capacity of residential and
commercial sources are in the range
of 50 - 60%.

35. 5. Permeability of Compacted
Wastes
•The hydraulic conductivity of
compacted wastes is an important
physical property because it governs
the movement of liquids and gases in a
landfill.
•Permeability depends on the other
properties of the solid material include
pore size distribution, surface area and

36. CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF
SOLID WASTE

37. 5. Chemical properties of solid
wastes
1. Proximate Analysis
Proximate analysis includes four tests –
1) Loss of moisture when heated to
105°C for 1 hour;
2) Volatile combustible matter (loss on
ignition);
3) Fixed carbon; and
4) Ash (weight of residue after
combustion).

38. TYPE OF
WASTE
MOISTURE VOLATILES CARBON ASH
Mixed food 70.0 21.4 3.6 5.0
Mixed paper 10.2 75.9 8.4 5.4
Mixed
plastics
0.2 95.8 2.0 2.0
Yard wastes 60.0 30.0 9.5 0.5
Glass 2.0 - - 96-99
Residential
MSW
21.0 52.0 7.0 20.0
Typical Proximate Analysis Values (% by weight)

39. 2. Fusing Point of Ash
•This is the temperature at which the
ash resulting from the burning of
waste will form a solid (clinker) by
fusion.
•Typical fusing temperatures are
from 1100 - 1200°C.

40. 3.Elemental Analysis
•This is also known as ultimate analysis
and involves the determination of carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, Sulphur,
and ash.
• The results of this analysis is used to
characterize the composition of the
organic matter in wastes.
• This is important for C/N ratios for
biological decomposition.

41. 4.Energy Content
•The energy content of the
components of waste can be
determined using a boiler system,
laboratory bomb calorimeter, or
by calculation using elemental
composition.
•The SI unit of measurement is
kJ/kg.

42. Objective Questions
1. Pick out odd one
i. Paper, wood, cardboard, glass
ii. Paper, tree leaves, food waste, plastic
2. Paper waste requires _____ weeks to
disintegrate.
3. Leftover Food items require _______
time to disintegrate.
4. In India ___ % of solid waste is
biodegradable

43. Theory Questions
Q1. Classify the solid wastes based on
a. Sources
b. Types
Q2. Write short notes on
1. Physical characteristics of solid waste
2. Chemical characteristics of solid wastes
Q3. Explain procedure for finding out
density of solid waste.

44. END OF PART-I