Part 1 - Solid Waste Management

ESC 351 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
I SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Prof.Dr. Nilgün Cılız
Boğaziçi University
SOLID WASTE - Solid Waste Disposal - Resource Recovery - Hazardous Waste
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is the collection of solid and semisolid materials
discarded by a community, excluding hazardous and radioactive materials.
Refuse is a fraction of the MSW produced by a household.
Leachate is a highly contaminated liquid that comes from solid waste.
Leachate collects chemical and biochemical contaminants as it percolates through

the solid waste.
Alternative methods of solid waste collection and management

IMPORTANCE OF ROUTE OPTIMIZATION AND TRANSFER
STATIONS
 Transfer stations: A system of smaller collection stations to which the

waste is delivered by garbage trucks and from which the waste is delivered
to the final disposal site. Successfully applied in large communities.
Alternative methods of solid waste collection and management
 Green cans on wheels: These garbage cans are emptied into the trucks
by means of hydraulic lift which is both economic and safe.
 Route optimization: Choosing the most cost efficient route for garbage
trucks and optimal collection frequencies.
Solid Waste – SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL - Resource Recovery - Hazardous Waste
Unprocessed refuse disposal
 Dumps are land sites where wastes are discarded in a disorderly fashion
without regard to protecting the environment.
 Dumping results in serious problems such as proliferation of rodents and

insects, odor, air pollution and creates public health concerns
 Nowadays, dumping sites have been replaced with sanitary landfills

Refuse disposal with proper processing
Sanitary landfills are controlled disposal sites for non-hazardous solid wastes,
where compacted waste materials are spread in layers and covered by the
covering material (usually earth) on daily basis
Unlike dumps, sanitary landfills are engineered operations, designed and

operated under certain accepted standards
Two main properties of sanitary landfills are:
1. Compaction of refuse
2. Application of a cover
The structure of a sanitary landfill

http://beginwiththebin.org/images/innovation/landfill/landfill_large.jpg
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/print/volume-18/issue-9/features/bioenergy/extending-renewable-electricity-
generation-for-decades-at-closed-landfill-sites.html
http://www.arcsouthern.com/bioreactor.asp
Solid Waste – Solid Waste Disposal – Resource Recovery – HAZARDOUS WASTE
Landfilling
Site closure
 Impervious cap must be placed on top of the closed landfill to prevent

infiltration of water
 Surface runoff waters on closed landfill surface must be collected and

managed
 Surrounding surface water, ground water, soil and air quality must be
monitored
 Limited access to the area must be maintained

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/displndfill.htm
 In a sanitary landfill, the compacted daily refuse is placed in separate

compartment areas called cells.
 Cells are arranged in rows and layers of adjoining cells called lifts.
 A typical cell is has dimensions of 15.25m x 15.25m x 4.26m and can store
about 2,500 tons of waste.
 Landfills are covered with a compacted clay and plastic liner from the
outside to prevent to contamination of the ground water and surrounding
environment
 Leachate collection system collects the contaminated water percolating

through the landfill
 Gravel layer provides a convenient, porous medium for passage of water
 Fabric/geotextile mat layer protects the plastic liner from tearing by the
adjacent gravel layer
 Most modern landfills also have a methane collection system that collects
methane gas formed during the decomposition of waste.
 Once the landfill is completely full and need to be closed, a final cap is
applied to seal off the top of the landfill.
Landfill Processes
Two main by-products of a landfill are (1) Leachate and (2) Gas:
Leachate is a highly contaminated liquid that comes from solid waste.

Although the volume of a leachate is relatively low, its pollutional capacity is
very high.
Gas produced in a landfill as a result of anaerobic decomposition is mostly

methane and carbon dioxide
Anaerobic decomposition takes place inside landfills, degrading the

organic portion of the solid waste placed in a landfill. Slow process!
Landfills go through 4 stages:
1. Aerobic decomposition occurs in the first stage while oxygen is still

available. This period lasts from few days up to several months
2. Anaerobic decomposition starts once the oxygen has been used up. At
this stage only CO2 is produced by acid forming organisms.
3. Anaerobic methane production starts in the third stage once the

methane-forming organisms take over. CH4 starts to accumulate in this
stage and temperature raises to 55 0C
4. Steady-state condition is reached in the fourth stage during which

microbial activity is stabilized and CO2 – CH4 fractions become
approximately equal.
Volume reduction prior to disposal
 Incineration is a process of destruction of waste materials by controlled

burning at high temperatures.
 Incineration can reduce the volume of waste by a factor of 10 to 20.

 Ash is produced as a result of incineration and it is usually more stable
than the municipal solid waste (MSW). Ash itself contains metal oxides,
glass particles.
Problems associated with incineration
 The ash may contain high amounts of heavy metals and toxic substances
and may be difficult to dispose
 Incinerators have high capital costs and operating expenses
 Air pollution
Volume Reduction
Shredding (or pulverizing) of solid wastes is another method of volume

reduction. Advantages of shredding include:
 Avoiding fly, rat and odor problems
 Shredded material does not need to be covered with soil in a landfill area!
Solid Waste – Solid Waste Disposal – RESOURCE RECOVERY - Hazardous Waste
Recycling
 The most difficult part of the recycling option is convincing people to

participate in recycling of materials.
 Educational programs must be performed to raise the community

consciousness about the importance and benefits of recycling.
 Recycling containers must be provided that are readily available and

identifiable
 Necessary improvements and modifications must be made on material

collection vehicles
Recycling Basics
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that
would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new
products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.
Benefits of Recycling
•Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
•Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals
•Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
•Saves energy
•Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate
change
•Helps sustain the environment for future generations
•Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing
industries in the United States
Steps to Recycling Materials

Recycling includes the three steps below, which create a continuous
loop, represented by the familiar recycling symbol.
•Step 1: Collection and Processing
•Step 2: Manufacturing
•Step 3: Purchasing New Products Made from Recycled Materials
Step 1: Collection and Processing
There are several methods for collecting

recyclables, including curb side collection,
drop-off centres, and deposit or refund
programs.
After collection, recyclables are sent to a

transfer station to be sorted, cleaned
and processed into materials that can be
used in manufacturing. Recyclables are
bought and sold just like raw materials
would be, and prices go up and down
depending on supply and demand in the
world.
1,2,3,4
Step 3: Purchasing New Products Made from Recycled Materials
You help close the recycling loop by buying new products made from recycled
materials. There are thousands of products that contain recycled content.
When you go shopping, look for the following:
•Products that can be easily recycled
•Products that contain recycled content
Below are some of the terms used:

•Recycled-content product –(Pre-consumer part) The product was
manufactured with recycled materials either collected from a recycling
program or from waste recovered during the normal manufacturing
process. The label will sometimes include how much of the content was
from recycled materials.
•Post-consumer content - Very similar to recycled content, but the
material comes only from recyclables collected from consumers or
businesses through a recycling program.
•Recyclable product - Products that can be collected, processed and
manufactured into new products after they have been used. These
products do not necessarily contain recycled materials. Remember not
all kinds of recyclables may be collected in your community so be sure
to check with your local recycling program before you buy.
29

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ESC 351 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

I SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Refuse is a fraction of the MSW produced by a household.

Leachate is a highly contaminated liquid that comes from solid waste.

Leachate collects chemical and biochemical contaminants as it percolates through

Alternative methods of solid waste collection and management

 Transfer stations: A system of smaller collection stations to which the

Alternative methods of solid waste collection and management

Unprocessed refuse disposal

 Dumping results in serious problems such as proliferation of rodents and

 Nowadays, dumping sites have been replaced with sanitary landfills

Refuse disposal with proper processing

Unlike dumps, sanitary landfills are engineered operations, designed and

Two main properties of sanitary landfills are:

The structure of a sanitary landfill

 Impervious cap must be placed on top of the closed landfill to prevent

 Surface runoff waters on closed landfill surface must be collected and

 Limited access to the area must be maintained

The structure of a sanitary landfill

 In a sanitary landfill, the compacted daily refuse is placed in separate

The structure of a sanitary landfill

 Leachate collection system collects the contaminated water percolating

 Gravel layer provides a convenient, porous medium for passage of water

Leachate is a highly contaminated liquid that comes from solid waste.

Gas produced in a landfill as a result of anaerobic decomposition is mostly

Anaerobic decomposition takes place inside landfills, degrading the

Landfills go through 4 stages:

1. Aerobic decomposition occurs in the first stage while oxygen is still

3. Anaerobic methane production starts in the third stage once the

4. Steady-state condition is reached in the fourth stage during which

Volume reduction prior to disposal

 Incineration is a process of destruction of waste materials by controlled

 Incineration can reduce the volume of waste by a factor of 10 to 20.

Problems associated with incineration

 Incinerators have high capital costs and operating expenses

Shredding (or pulverizing) of solid wastes is another method of volume

 Avoiding fly, rat and odor problems

 The most difficult part of the recycling option is convincing people to

 Educational programs must be performed to raise the community

 Recycling containers must be provided that are readily available and

 Necessary improvements and modifications must be made on material

Steps to Recycling Materials

There are several methods for collecting

After collection, recyclables are sent to a

Below are some of the terms used:

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