5.

12 ¥ SOLID WASTE AND ITS MAN AGE MEN T

. 5.12.1 Solid Wast e
•
The wt1ste m,uai,rlr which h,we hct:n rejected fiJr further use 1md which can neither
rw1di(J' csrapt into the lltmosphere nor can be transported by water into streams are called
solid ui.tstl'.
All the discarded solid materials from munici pal, agricul tural and industrial
activities arc includ ed in solid wastes.

5.12.2 Types and Sources of Solid Wastes

The various types of solid wastes are briefly described below:

(A) Municipal Wastes These include garbage (i.e. biodegradable food waste),
rubbish (i.e. nonbiodegradable solid waste from homes, offices, markets, hotels, etc.).
Construction 1md Demolition Wasies: Sludges from septic tanks; wires; condui ts pipes;
ashes; abandoned vehicles, etc. ·

(BJ Special Wastes These include hazardous wastes like toxic substances (pes-
ticides, heavy metal sludges); radioactive wastes; biological waste; explosives, inflam-
mable substances, corrosive materials, etc..
(C) Domestic Wastes These·include wastes generated from domes tic cookin g
and serving of food.
Examples Garbage, waste paper, plastic, cloth, etc.

(D) Agricultural Wastes These :wastes result from farms, feed lots and. live-
stock yards.
Examples (.sorn residues, baggasse from sugarcane manures, paddy husk, etc .
1 .
(E) Industrial Wast es The~e include ~he following:
(i) Process Wastes Here, waste depend s on the products being manufactured.
Examples Plastic wastes, rubber wastes, metal scraps, food-processing wastes, etc.
(ii) Non-p rocess Waste s Here, waste is ':ommo n to all industries.
Examples Office and cafeteria wastes, packing wastes, etc.

(F) E-Waste It is a new form of waste from ;discarded mobile phones, mobile
chargers, remotes, CDs, headphones, batteries, compu ters/1V s, monitors, printers,
CPUs, LCD/P lasma TVs. etc. It is also known as electronic waste.
About 11,000 meuic tonnes ofE-waste is generated in Delhi annually (Hindusta~ •
Times, March 12, 20 l O). A recent report has labelled India as rhe second biggest 0

E-waste contrib utor in Asia. ·

5.12.3 Causes of Generation of Solid Wastes
The main causes for the rapid growth in the quantity of solid-waste generation are
described below:
(i) Overpopulation Solid waste generated per person multiplied by total
population results in increased generation of solid waste every day.
(ii) Urbanisation Urbanisation requires various construction acuvmes like
construction of buildings, markets, shopping malls, roads, railways, airports,
bridges, dams, water supply and sewage disposal systems. Each construction activity
also generates solid wastes.
(iii) Affluence Consumers with high purchasing capacity discard 'obsolete
goods'. This leads to solid waste generation.
(iv) Advances in Technology These lead co large-scale production of goods
for consumption-based society preferring disposable items and almost every item
'packaged'. All these results in ·generation of huge quantities of solid wastes.

5.12.4 Effects of Solid Wastes

The accumulation and improper handling of solid wastes results in various health
and environmental hazards. Some of these effects are described below:
(i) Flies and mosquitoes breed on choked drains and gully pits through solid
wastes. These flies and mosquitoes then contaminate food and water. In
turn, diseases like diarrhoea, amoebic dysentery, bacillary dysentery, malaria,
dengue, etc. result.
(ii) Stray animals and scavengers invade the roadside garbage dumps. It results
in harming the aesthetic beauty of the surroundings.
(iii) Bad odours pollute the air as a result of decomposition of organic solid wastes.
(iv) Percolation of decomposed garbage cause pollution of underground water
and land. The crops and water supply get contaminate d and result in
occurrence of cholera, hepatitis, jaundice, gastro-intestinal diseases.
(v) ¾1$\ living in solid waste dumping sites rapidly multiply in numbers and
may.cause plague and other diseases.
(vi) £-waste is either burnt or buried, So it can have harmful effects on the
environment. This is because E-waste· contains many hazardous materials
like lead, mercury, cadmium, flame retardants, etc.

5.12.5 ~ t e Mana,ge ~nt

Important solid-waste management practices are briefly described below:

(i) Source Reduction It involves changing the design manufacture or use of

products and materials to reduce the amounts of solid-waste generation.
Examples Two-sided copying of paper, backyard c;omposting, etc.
• 0

(ii) Recycling From the wastestream; paper/glass/plastic/metal, etc., are sorted,

collected, processed and then manufactured, sold and purchased as new products.
]
i
Advantages Energy saving, prevention of emission of many greenhouse gases/
water polluranrs, job creation, resource conservation for future and reduced need nr
t
new landfills and incinerators.
I I

I
(iii) Treatment Suitable treatment is given depending on the nature of solid wastes.

(iv) Disposal Solid wastes can be disposed in combustion facilities and Luu.I
fills.
The most preferred method for solid waste management is source reduction
(including reuse). It is followed by recycling and composting. Lastly, disposal ol
solid waste is done.
A hierarchy of waste management is illustrated in Fig 5.28.

_,_:AVOID
Minimize Increasing
, :..~, R~iycle · preference
'. ,\\ ' .. w.r.t.
environmental
desirability
and order of
exploration

Fig. 5.28 Waste-management hierarchy

· 5.12.6 e_5olid-Waste Disposal

The various methods commonly employed for disposal of solid waste are exphincd
below.

(A) Composting Composting is the thermophilic and aerobic decomposition of

organic matter present in solid waste by microorganisms, ma)nly bacteria and fangi. As
a result of this ~omposting process, the organic matter is tr.µisformed into a stable
humuslike substance, w?ich is a valuable manure for crops.
I . .

(i) Classification of Composting Techniques Based on Oxygen Use

(a) Aerobic Composting It requires high temperature and results in rapid
decomposition of organic matter. Odours are also absent.
(b) Anaerobic Composting It requires low temperatures. Decomposition of
organic matter of solid waste is slow. It needs minimum attention.
(ii) Vermicomposting It uses a special kind of earthworm and a container of food
scraps. After some time, the food is replaced with worin droppings, a rich brown
matter that serves as excellent natural plant food (manure).
Advantages ofVermicomposting Over Conventional Composting
• Vermicomposting needs less space th:m normal composting.
• Vermicomposcing is ideal for apartments in high-density urban areas.
(B) Illegal Dumping/Open Dumping/Fly Dumping/Midnight Dumping
It is the disposJI of solid waste by dumping in open areas, dumped from vehicles
~tlong r'.Jadsides, and/or dumped late at night.

(i) Advantages lt is done to avoid either the tim e and cffon required for proper
disposal or m avoid disposal fees.

(ii) Disadvantages
(a) lllcg1.l dumping of nonhazardous wastes often attract more waste, even the
luzardous wastes.
(b) Illtgal dump sites divert land from more productive uses.
(c) Property values decrease as a result of illegal dumping.
(d) Public nuisance is created by illegal dump sites.

(CJ Land Damping

Solid wastes are dumped in low-lying areas outside the city/town limits. These areas
have no provision of leachate collection and treat~ent. Moreover, landfill gas is
neither coilecred nor used.

{i) Advantages
,(a) It requires no planning.
(b) It is cheaper.
llo

(ii) Disadvantages
(a) The waste is untreated, uncovered and not segregated. It is the breeding
ground for flies, · other insects, rats, etc., that spread diseases.
(b) R.1inwater run-off from these dump sites contaminates nearby land and
water thereby spreading diseases.

(DJ Landfills
A landfill; fte is a pit that is dug in the ground. The solid waste is dumped and the
pit is covered with.a layer of soil to form a cell. The process is repeated every day
so that many cells completely -fill .the landfill site. Finally, about 1 m of earth-layer
covering is done. .

(i) Advantages
(a) Breeding of insects is prevented.
(b) Landfill sites can be developed as parks or parking spaces.

(ii) Disadvantages
All types of wastes are dumped in landfill sites without segregation. When rainwater
seeps thrl)ugh them, it gets contaminated and in turn pollutes the surrounding area
and grm uid ,vatcr. •
• D
 (E) Sanit ary Landfills
Sttnitrtr-.y land{fi'f!
,
site.i. J:J,tve 1mer
. systems and oth .,r,, .1 . . , . ,
II II
tnllttlln m u. ·1·,. . . . er Sd1{:gtttli{ ,LJ to j)}( {'tilt OF!JZ/iU t: 1.-,.: '/"
· ' · um.
hydrogcolo .. l
1cse sites are - ,·. ,.
. ,
· I h -~
consist ent w1t1 t e econom il· c, , n,;1dcr,: ri11:1 ·, I
I
I
g1ea rcqu1remcnrs, climatic conditions and topography .

Lc·achatc
cuikction syst..:m

Liner to prevent
water and soil
contarn ination

Undisturbed ground
(a)

.Scientific l;fp~~~f '}(i.l

Sanitar y
Landfill
:• · ij;f~-tji;i !iJ~1il:iiiiii;~);

:\:}f-,:;,r;,,, ,_'. ,\!\;:'t·.. . • • . : .•' ,f .{:': ·-•v • 'f

. ''.7• •>•(·:''j;~,:.,:~•. :');(• • . , '. •'!•. • h -, • .-: ;•;'' ~•·•_,. • '~~ :" ·{<:> :

(aJ ... ;K~J~yl;{~rriit and pfo;sfic"lii(e{fi Jn$tal,le<l:it! thi base of the ground to prevent water and soil

·.·(~i~:i•:*i:~o;f~~;, .t~;it;d
. ;:{
.. ·, ~·,>,_t•;·f-.i.,:.,'. '.;;:..._:\' r
~i.th ar~i·or soil .'o fom1 a cell,
~~p ~eJI 1s eqtnpp~d_ }Vl~h ,~gas ven!·to collect methane gas fonned for further use.:·• .;;,. •, .' :' w- ·,.. ;/.· ••. : :, ." ' ). f'

·: / I;e,iuilµllcis the liquid"(~ay raipwaty() that seeps through solid waste and has ex_!facts of
$ . ,·. '! ;

' \'di'.sso(~e<(or, s~spend~d !Il*teria.,lfrom\L ' _, , . ·.' .

'1 . . . .. ,
.·•/.,> µJi,;Jie tollectio,f sy~i,~ }~onsists .ofperforcited 'P\~S in a layer of sand. It helps in
., ,.. ·{d11-~?iB?•~!J?~~~~~i/•)::: }·t[,{f'.·:.·.::·.::·· :' ·: ..,·:: -· ._·•·. way. . . ,_, 1

- .... Many cells are made orie above the another in a scientific · -. , · -
(C) ,Th~ top ~ii ,~ cov~~ ;it~-~bo~t I ni ,of eart~ l_ ayer 'to prevent breeding of pests and disease
··· · vectim: · · ·' ·
' · · f;. \ · ·
• . -... ; . , . ;."•·
,. • .... ,,~ .~?_

(b)

Fig. 5.29 Sanitary landfill

. .
 "' °"' 11 n l onrnenrm 5(Uc11cs

(i) Advantages
(a) Tl1t·siceis,••·ll
. '. · vl •·•ll llVt.:•I· •
l IL: gtOlllll IW,lllT I.I)II c; SO lllll Ingl'Olllll I W :lll'I' po II 1111011
·
lS avo1Llcd.
(b) The sire is easily an:essil,k; so the process is low i11 rnsl.
(c) Thr sire is at kast 1.5 km downwind from 1hc rn11111H.'rt-i:tl and rcsidrn1ial
areas; so it is not olfrnsivc Lo d,e surrounc..ling c11viro11111rn1.
(d) The finished s.mitary lanJfill can he used for the dcvdoprm·111 of regions of
recreation like parks, golf courses, etc.
(ii) Disadvantages
(a) Leachate from sanitary bndfill site can contaminate the groundwater.
(b) The sites cannot be used in future as productive farmland.
(c) In a sanitary landfill, about 60% of methane gas (odourless) is generated.
When its concentration in air reaches about 5%, it is explosive and so very
hazardous. •
(d) Aesthetic problems may arise as a result of poorly operated landfill operations.

(F) Combustion
Solid waste is burned at high temperature in combustion facilities.
(i) Advantages
(a) Energy is generated.
(b) Amount of waste is reduced by up to 90% in volume and 75% in weight.
(ii) Disadvantages
(a) Cost increases with rise in the moisture content of solid waste. This is because
energy is required for preheating the solid waste.
(b) Ash formed after combustion has high concentrations of dangerous toxins
such as dioxins and heavy metals. It results in air and water pollution.

(G) Incineration
ft is the controlled combustion of organic solid wastes so as to convert them into
incombustible residue and gaseous products. The weight and volume of solid waste is
reduced ancfpften energy is also produced.

(i) Advan'tages I 1
•

(a) As the volume of the waste is reduced, in taking the waste to the ultimate
disposal site, less transportation cost is required.
(b) Larger wastes can be accommodated in a given landfill area because
incineration reduces the land requirement to one-third.

(ii) Disadvantages
(a) Not applicabl.e for radioactive wastes
(b) High capital and operational costs
(c) Air pollution chances if incineration is not properly done
(d) Highly trained manpower is needed