Origin and types of waste

WASTE MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Martin Kubal
Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague
What is waste ?
 words to describe waste

three categories of terms:

1) loss / uselessness
(déchet, refuse, garbage, rifiuti, residuo, Abfall)

2) dirty or repulsive nature of material

(immondice, immondizia, ordure)

3) material that makes up the waste

(boues, spazzatura, Müll, Schmutz, rubish)
 antique period

- Both total and unit amounts of wastes produced by human

population was generally very small (low population densities,
insignificant exploitation of natural resources)

- Common wastes produced: ashes, human + animal + agricultural

wastes (all biodegradable) → minimum environmental impact.

- Principles of today´s waste treatment processes already known in

the urbanized areas (landfills, incineration, composting, recycling)

- Principles of modern waste management already known and

applied.
Imperial Rome was supplied with large quantities of high quality water. Waste was
frequently emptied into street-side openings to the Roman sewers. The sewers
carried off sewage, urban runoff, and drainage water together.
 middle age period

- Total and unit amounts of waste, as well as types of waste,

practically the same as in antique.

- Quality of waste management in urbanized localities much

lower compared to antique period*.

- Poor waste management in many big cities → significant

reduction in population through widespread diseases (plague,
cholera, typhoid fever).

* Craig Taylor: The Disposal of Human Waste: A comparison between Ancient

Rome and Medieval London (Past Imperfect, Vol. 11, 2005, pp.53-72)
City residents disposed of waste in one of two ways - they dumped it onto the
unpaved city streets, or contained it in cesspits at the lower level of buildings. One of
three things subsequently happened to it. Much of what ended upon the street was
eaten by the pigs and other livestock that freely roamed the city. A good deal of it
was simply absorbed into the earth, creating a rich and fragrant mud. The excess
waste from cesspits, as well as some of the rich mud, was collected and used as
fertilizer, both within and outside the city.
 renaissance and baroque period

- Total and unit amounts of wastes similar to prior periods.

Structure of waste practically unchanged.

- Development in natural and technical science provided deeper

view into the relationship between waste management and human
health or mortality → new requirements for cities development and
expansion.
 industrial revolution

- Amount of waste significantly increased due to more intensive

processing of raw materials and demographic growth.

- New type of waste from industry.

- Urban organic waste became valuable fertilizers for growing

agriculture production.

- Demolition waste required for urban development.

Elevation of the ground level resulting from accumulation of urban waste. Muddy
areas were changed into developable land by deposition of demolition rubble and
other solid waste.
modern
modern
modern
 contemporary definition of waste

Waste is an unavoidable by-product of most human

activity.

"Wastes" are substances or objects which are disposed of or

are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed
of by the provisions of national law. (Basel Convention)

"Waste" shall mean any substance or object in the categories

set out in Annex I which the holder discards or intends or is
required to discard (EU Council Directive 75/442/EEC).
 types of waste
according to origin:
- municipal waste
- industrial waste
- agricultural waste
- special types of waste (hazardous, mining, construction
and demolition, radioactive, clinical ….)

- Over 1.8 billion tonnes (1 800 000 000 t) of waste are

generated each year in Europe. This equals to 3.5 tonnes per
person.
 types of waste – municipal waste
Municipal waste is generated by households, commercial activities
and other sources whose activities are similar to those of
households and commercial enterprises.

Municipal waste is made up to residual waste, bulky waste,

secondary materials from separate collection (e.g., paper and
glass), household hazardous waste, street sweepings and litter
collections. It is made up of materials such as paper, cardboard,
metals, textiles, organics (food and garden waste) and wood.

Municipal waste represents approximately 14% of all waste

generated.
 types of waste – industrial waste

Industrial waste comprises many different waste streams arising

from a wide range of processes – such as production of basic
metals, food industry, wood processing, paper production.

About 40 million tonnes of industrial waste is generated in Europe

every year.

Waste from the manufacturing sector continues to rise, despite

national and international declarations to reduce waste from
manufacturing industry, to introduce cleaner technologies and other
waste minimisation initiatives and to work towards manufacturing
practices that are sustainable in the long term.
 types of waste – agricultural waste

Agricultural waste is composed of organic wastes (animal excreta

in the form of slurries and farmyard manures, spent mushroom
compost, soiled water and silage effluent) and waste such as
plastic, scrap machinery, fencing, pesticides, waste oils and
veterinary medicines.

There are a number of potential environmental impacts associated

with agricultural waste if it is not properly managed not least of
which is the run-off of nutrients to surface waters which can cause
over enrichment of the water body. Leaking and improper storage
of agricultural waste can also pose a serious threat to the
environment should the waste reach surface waters.
 special waste – hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is a waste which may pose a substantial present or

potential hazard to human health or the environment when
impropoerly treated, stored or disposed of, or otherwise mismanaged
or cause or contribute to an increase in mortality, or an increase in
irreversible or incapacitating illness.
Hazardous waste represents approximately 1% of all waste
generated in Europe..

Hazardous waste is typically the subject of special legislation and

requires special management arrangements to ensure that
hazardous waste is kept separate from and treated differently to non-
hazardous waste.
 special waste – minig waste

Mining waste arises from prospecting, extraction, treatment and

storage of minerals.

Mining and quarrying activities give rise to the single biggest waste
stream at 29% of the total quantity of waste generated in Europe. It
is made up of topsoil, overburden, waste rock, waste from the
processing of the ore body (tailings) which may also include process
water, process chemicals and portions of the remaining materials.

Large areas of land are used for depositing mining waste and this
activity has the potential to cause environmental pollution if not
properly controlled.
 special waste – construction and demolition waste

It arises from activities such as the construction of buildings and civil

infrastructure, total or partial demolition of buildings and civil
infrastructure, road planning and maintenance.

Construction and demolition waste makes up approximately 25% of

all waste generated in the EU with a large proportion arising from
the demolition and renovation of old buildings. It is made up of
numerous materials including concrete, bricks, wood, glass, metals,
plastic, solvents, asbestos and excavated soil, many of which can
be recycled in one way or another.

Construction and demolition waste has been identified as a priority

waste stream by the European Union.