Waste Management

WASTE MANAGEMENT
SASIKUMAR NATARAJAN

WHAT IS WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste management is the activities and actions required to
manage waste from its inception to its disposal. This includes
the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste,
together with monitoring and regulation of the waste
management process.
SASIKUMAR NATARAJAN - EDUCATIONALIST & HOSPITALITY TRAINER

classification of waste
Two main waste categories can be established based on the distinct legislation and policy
instruments usually in place:
• non-hazardous or solid waste
• hazardous waste.
• Non-hazardous/solid waste is all waste which has not been classified as hazardous:
paper, plastics, glass, metal and beverage cans, organic waste etc. While not hazardous,
solid waste can have serious environmental and health impact if left uncollected and
untreated.
• Hazardous waste is waste that has been identified as potentially causing harm to the
environment and human health and therefore needs special, separate treatment and
handling. Chemical and physical characteristics determine the exact collection and
recycling process. Flammability, corrosiveness, toxicity, ecotoxicity and explosiveness are
the main characteristics of hazardous waste.
• E-waste is waste from electric and electronic equipment such as end-of-life computers,
phones and home appliances. E-waste is generally classified as hazardous because it
contains toxic components (e.g. PCB and various metals).
• Medical waste originates from the human and animal healthcare systems and usually
consists of medicines, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, bandages, used medical equipment,
bodily fluids and body parts. Medical waste can be infectious, toxic or radioactive or
contain bacteria and harmful microorganisms (including those that are drug-resistant).
• Radioactive waste contains radioactive materials. The management of radioactive waste
differs significantly from that of other waste. Auditing the management of radioactive
waste is not the subject of this MOOC.

Characteristic of Waste
1. Ignitability
Any waste that is flammable and can create fires. Examples of this include
liquids with flashpoints below 140 °F, nonliquids with the potential to ignite via
specific conditions and compressed gases.
2. Corrosivity
Any waste (typically acids and bases) that can rust and decompose and has the
ability to melt through steel materials. Examples of this include aqueous wastes
with an acidity level of equal to or less than 2 pH or equal to or greater than 12.5
pH.
3. Reactivity
Any waste that is explosive, unstable under normal conditions. Examples of this
include any waste capable of explosion and detonation that may produce toxic
gases.
4. Toxicity
Any waste that is fatally poisonous when ingested or absorbed. Examples of this
include lithium-sulfur batteries and other materials that can cause death when
swallowed.

HOW TO HANDLE THE WASTE

1. Evaluate your waste – to be able to handle the waste properly, the
company first needs to determine whether the waste is hazardous or not,
and whether handling of that particular waste is regulated by legislation.
This step is often called classification or categorization of the waste.
2. Store your waste – depending on the type of waste, there will be different
requirements in terms of storage facilities. Waste can be in solid or liquid
form, so it is important to store it according to its characteristics. Hazardous
waste must be stored in a sturdy, leak-proof container that is kept closed
when not adding or removing waste.
3. Label the waste – nonhazardous waste doesn’t have to be labeled in any
special way. On the other hand, hazardous waste labeling is often prescribed
by law and in most countries, the company must obtain a license for even
generating some kinds of hazardous waste. The label for marking packed
hazardous waste usually contains the following information:
•Warning: HAZARDOUS WASTE

4. Transport and dispose your waste properly – the company is responsible for
its hazardous waste forever. To help ensure that hazardous waste is transported
and disposed of properly, and to reduce your liability, choose a transporter that
fulfills the legal requirements.
5. Plan for emergencies – handling hazardous waste leaves room for emergency
situations caused by mistreatment of the waste or any other cause. Plan for
emergencies to Maintain spill and appropriate emergency
response equipment in an accessible area.
6. Train personnel – training all employees who have any role in handling,
storing, or otherwise managing hazardous waste is a necessary step for ensuring
compliance with hazardous waste rules. Personnel must be familiar with each
waste’s hazards, appropriate safety procedures, and all aspects of compliance.
7. Keep records – the purpose of keeping records is to provide evidence that the
waste is stored according to the procedures. The usual records to be kept are
the ones of generated waste by type and amount, and records of waste
deployed to an authorized organization.

WASTE DISPOSAL METHODS
• Recycling
• Incineration
• Composting
• Sanitary Landfill
• Plasma Gasification
Recycling
Recycling serves to transform the wastes into products of their own genre
through industrial processing. Paper, glass, aluminum, and plastics are
commonly recycled. It is environmentally friendly to reuse the wastes instead
of adding them to nature. However, processing technologies are pretty
expensive.

Incineration
Incineration features combustion of wastes to transform them into base components,
with the generated heat being trapped for deriving energy. Assorted gases and inert ash
are common by-products. Pollution is caused by varied degrees dependent on nature of
waste combusted and incinerator design. Use of filters can check pollution. It is rather
inexpensive to burn wastes and the waste volume is reduced by about 90%. The nutrient
rich ash derived out of burning organic wastes can facilitate hydroponic solutions.
Hazardous and toxic wastes can be easily be rid of by using this method. The energy
extracted can be used for cooking, heating, and supplying power to turbines. However,
strict vigilance and due diligence should be exercised to check the accidental leakage of
micro level contaminants, such as dioxins from incinerator lines.
Composting
It involves decomposition of organic wastes by microbes by allowing the waste to stay
accumulated in a pit for a long period of time. The nutrient rich compost can be used as
plant manure. However, the process is slow and consumes a significant amount of land.
Biological reprocessing tremendously improves the fertility of the soil.

Sanitary Landfill
This involves the dumping of wastes into a landfill. The base is prepared of a
protective lining, which serves as a barrier between wastes and ground water, and
prevents the separation of toxic chemicals into the water zone. Waste layers are
subjected to compaction and subsequently coated with an earth layer. Soil that is non-
porous is preferred to mitigate the vulnerability of accidental leakage of toxic
chemicals. Landfills should be created in places with low groundwater level and far
from sources of flooding. However, a sufficient number of skilled manpower is
required to maintain sanitary landfills.
Plasma Gasification
Plasma gasification is an environment-friendly waste disposal method. It is used to
convert commodity recyclables extracted from the municipal solid waste in the
landfill into energy. The carbon-based materials are exposed to high temperatures and
converted to syngas, a gas which can either be directly combusted or further refined
into chemicals and higher-grade fuels. The non-organic part of the waste is converted
to slag – cooled, tightly bound solid waste which can be used in construction as a raw
material. Industries that strive to achieve zero waste prefer this waste disposal
method.

WASTE COLLECTION
In waste management systems, the area collection-transfer-transportation plays a
central role. It cause for 60 to 80% of the total costs of waste disposal and
therefore there are significant saving possibilities on improvements in its
organization and implementation. The waste collection process contains the way
from filling of containers to loading of the collection vehicle. Because of a variety
of residential, commercial, and industrial development, it is impossible to collect
waste with just one system. A variety of collection systems are used that
respective legal requirements to be used accordingly. Each collection method has
compatible container systems and vehicles with dedicated loaders.

WASTE COLLECTION
Simple Emptying Method
The Simple Emptying Method is used for the removal of household and small-
scale commercial waste with mobile containers which are drained at the
consumer. A lot of different standardized containers are used. These containers
are emptied by combination top-loaders that can pick up many different container
sizes. Some container systems have been modernized to include self-
compactors. With this system it is possible to charge 2 to 3 times to container
volume.
Exchange Method
At this method, full containers are exchanged with empty containers at their
location. This method is suitable for high density waste, e.g. construction debris
and sludge, as well as for low density waste from institutions or large hotels.
Because of economy, these containers have minimum capacities of 4 m3.
One-Way Method
In the one-way method, waste is picked up in clear plastic or paper bags whose
volume is limited to a maximum of 110 L. The bags are picked up by hand, so
there are no emptied containers to be returned to the curb and the containers are
not cleaned.

WASTE COLLECTION
Special Collection Systems
Vacuum extraction and hydraulic flushing are two kinds of special collection systems.
Both the pneumatic vacuum transport systems and the hydraulic flushing method
combine collection and transport processes, but they have low importance.
Container Systems / Bins
Holding of waste for a temporary period of time. There are different storage systems in
use. To ensure efficient and mechanized waste collection, the number and size of
containers must be standardized. Today, wheeled containers with capacities of 110 to
1.000L. A waste container, also known as a dustbin, garbage can, and trash can is a
type of container that is usually made out of metal or plastic. In 1875, the first
household rubbish bins were introduced in Britain to create a regulated system of
collection.
Skips are commonly used to hold open-topped loads of construction and demolition
waste, garden waste or other waste and litter types. The construction debris may
originate from a building, renovation, or demolition site; building supplies can be
delivered to a site in a skip that is later used to remove waste.

Compactor
The compactor is a general term for referring to the compaction mechanisms used
in different industries to reduce the size of their waste materials. Trash compactors that
cramp down waste materials, there are also soil compactors meant for compressing the
soil and other elements present in it. These particular compactors are utilized for many
purposes like preparing a site for industrial, commercial or residential projects. It also
help corporations by reducing the frequency of emptying out the trash containers.
Bumping down the volume of garbage in them makes more room for storing other waste
materials.
Trash Barrels / Eurobin
The smallest, standardized garbage cans are round with capacities of 35 to 50 L. They are
made of galvanized sheet metal or plastic. The next in size standardized cans are made
exclusively of plastic, with capacities up to 120 L capacities. small amounts of garbage are
collected in a variety of trash barrels and dumpsters. Due to the rising quantities of
waste, large sheet metal and plastic containers with wheels were developed. The
transport by the consumer and handling by the collection crew is effortless with these
containers.
WASTE COLLECTION

How to Start a Waste Management Business
Choose a sector in the waste management
industry:
The waste management sector is broad and involves both small and large
corporations. To simplify the issue, you should consider various elements,
such as the budget, individual capacity, and business complexity. Every
niche in the industry needs different means and modes of waste recycling.
• Non–Hazardous Waste Collection and Management
• Hazardous Waste Collection and Management
• Medical Waste Collection and Management
• Radioactive waste collection and local hauling
• Recyclable material collection and hauling
• Removal and hauling of rubble, construction and demolition debris
• Waste transfer station operation
• Municipal solid waste (MSW) collection and hauling
• Animal Waste Management

Required Equipment
Few important equipment needed to run a successful waste management business.
Following list of important tools and equipment that are needed:
1) Waste Collection Truck: You can either use a second-hand van or truck or buy a new
one to transport client’s waste to recycling or disposal facilities. To save money, you can also
opt for a rented junk removal truck instead of buying a new one initially. The truck should
have a large load capacity and good fuel economy.
2) GPS System: For those who do not have a smartphone or are unfamiliar with your service
area’s layout, you would also need a reliable GPS system.
3) Heavy Duty Work Wears: To remove dirt and garbage, you would need durable work
clothes, gloves, and rubber boots. Loose fitting trousers are suited for both indoor and
outdoor jobs and are also comfortable. Clothes should be such that they prevent household
and garden pests from biting you.
4) Shovel and Rake: These are needed to remove dirt, leaves, sand and other debris.
5) Heavy-duty Protection: These include facial masks and goggles, dirt and product
separator to prevent any contamination from dust and dirt.
6) Incinerators, trash cans, dustbins, and waste bags.
7) Hose and pipes for the continuous supply of water.

LEGAL REQUIREMENT
First thing is to register your company name according to the requirements of your
local government and guidelines for waste carriers. Contact your local chamber of
commerce to gain more insights for this as registration laws differ for every country
and state.
• Special permits or licenses will also be taken for transporting scrap metal or
any kind of scrap. In some areas, licenses are needed to haul large amounts
of materials for commercial purposes, failure of which can impose heavy fines.
There are also special waste removal permits in major cities worldwide which
must be obtained before starting the business. In some countries, you will
need a certificate from the transportation department to transport your scrap
metal. Additionally, one might also need an employer identification number to
hire employees.
• Also, in most countries, one cannot operate a business without having some of
the basic insurance cover required by the waste management industry.

CHALLENGES IN WASTE / RECYCLING INDUSTRY
• Poorly Trained/Managed Employees
• Employee Retention
• Excessive Downtime
• Overcoming Language/Cultural Issues
• Recruiting Employees In Areas With Low Unemployment
• Lack Of Industry Expertise
• Poor Or Nonexistent Processes
• Poor wages and timing
• Overcoming Poor-quality Recyclables
• Lack Of SAFETY Awareness
• Lack of Equipment
• Landfill knowledge
• Grooming and PPE

THANK YOU

Waste Management

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