ENV 107

Introduction to Environmental Science

Summer 2020
Faculty: ARK
Lecture on Solid Waste Management

North South University

Waste
Solid Waste Management
 Waste
Any unwanted or discarded material from residential, commercial,
industrial or agricultural activities that may cause environmental
problems.
‘Any rubbish, Junk, garbage, sludge from a wastewater
treatment plant, water supply treatment or air pollution
control facility and other discarded material are known as
solid waste. Solid Waste comes from industrial,
commercial, mining and agricultural operations and from
community activities.’(EPA, 2020)

• Waste and its management is a problem in both urban and rural

areas
 Solid Waste
•Waste material that cannot be easily passed through a pipe
•Non liquid, non soluble materials ranging from municipal garbage to
industrial waste that contain complex and sometime hazardous substance
•Comprises a very wide range of materials that come from a variety of
sources
•When solid wastes accumulate, water may pass through and pick up
soluble components; as a result, the distinction between solid and liquid
waste may become blurred

Liquid Waste
•One that can be passed through a pipe i.e. sewage or watery mud
•May become separated or concentrated into a more solid form as a result of
treatment procedures or natural settling processes
Waste
 Types of solid waste
• Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their
source:
• Household waste or municipal waste: includes food, paper,
cardboard, plastic, textiles, leather, glass, metal, ashes, electronics
waste etc.
• Industrial waste: includes toxic chemicals, oil, debris from
construction site, packaging waste, ashes etc.
• Commercial: Paper, plastics, glass and metals etc
• Mining waste :Discarded piles of waste rock
• Biomedical waste or hospital waste: medicine bottles, expired
medicines, syringes, medical instruments such as scissors, blades
Agriculture waste: includes pesticides, crops, water coming from the
fields also consists of small amount of toxic chemicals.
• Nuclear waste: includes radioactive substances coming from
reactors, fuel (uranium, thorium, plutonium etc). Its highly
dangerous and requires proper disposal.
 Types of waste according to properties

• Bio-degradable: can be degraded (paper,

wood, fruits and others)
• Non-biodegradable: cannot be degraded
(plastics, bottles, old machines, cans,
containers and others)
Risks associated with poor management of solid waste
 Waste Sources
• The principal sources of solid waste are agriculture and mining

• More than half of all solid waste is generated by agricultural sector,

which includes farms, orchards, ranches and animal feedlots

• Second largest solid waste generator is mining

– Waste occurs as discarded piles of waste rock; most of this material is
disposed of at the mine site
– Another major component of solid mine waste is tailings- slags and
sludge left over after processing

• Other industries also generate solid waste in the form of paper,

cardboard, scrap metal, wood, plastics, glass, tires, and rags
– Many industrial waste materials are potentially reusable or recyclable

• Some waste from stores, offices, and small industries is set by the side of
the road and collected along with residential waste. Together they
comprise municipal solid waste, the smallest but fastest-growing source
of solid waste
Major Sectors of Waste in Bangladesh
Composition of Municipal Solid Waste in Dhaka

Dhaka City Corporation waste composition

Brick chips, Glass
Dust, Const. 0% Metal
13% 0%
Plastic,
Textile
Polyethylene,
3%
Rubber,
Leather
2%

Paper
1%

Food/ organic
waste
81% 0.56 kg/ca/day
 Solid Waste Management Waste Sources
• Health Care Waste:
• Surgical items, pharmaceuticals, blood, body
parts, wound dressing materials, needles and
syringes are medical or clinical sources of waste.
And they come from medical or clinical care
facilities like hospitals, clinics, surgical theaters,
veterinary hospitals, labs etc.
Solid Waste
 Solid Waste Management Waste Sources
• Agricultural Sources of waste:
• Empty pesticide containers, old silage wrap, out
of date medicines and wormers, used tires,
surplus milk, cocoa pods, corn husks are sources
of agricultural waste. And they come from
horticulture, livestock breeding, market gardens,
seedling nurseries kind of agricultural activities.
 Waste Sources
• Industrial Source of waste:
• Chemical plants, cement factories, power plants,
textile industries, food processing industries,
petroleum industries are sources of waste from
manufacturing and processing industries.
 Solid Waste Sources
Construction or Demolition Source of Waste:
Building material construction waste is concrete
debris, wood, huge package boxes and plastics.
Demolition waste is demolition of old buildings
and structures.
 Solid Waste Sources
• Mining Source:
• The overburden material, mine tailings, harmful
gases released by blasting are mining waste
sources and they have the potential to disturb
the physical, chemical and biological features of
the land and atmosphere.
• Commercial, radioactive, electronic are also
source of waste.’(BYJU'S, 2020)
  Solid Waste Management
Solid waste produced in homes, schools, offices, and
small commercial establish­ments accounts for a relatively
small proportion of total solid waste generation, but it
presents a major disposal problem. In addition to being
the fastest-growing category of solid waste, the majority
of municipal solid waste is generated in areas of high
population density, where land may not be available on
which to dispose of the waste. Environmental and human
health problems can result if municipal wastes are
disposed of improperly, whether in open dumps, inactive
landfills, or active landfills that are improperly
engineered.
 Problems of Solid Waste Management
Solid Waste management is a problem in both urban
and rural areas. Particularly in developing countries,
many areas still have inadequate waste management;
poorly controlled open dumps and illegal roadside
dumping remain a problem. Such dumping spoils scenic
resources, pollute soil and water resources, and is a
potential health hazard to plants, animals, and people.
Illegal dumping can be reduced through raising
awareness, education, and alternative. Environmental
problems of unsafe, unsanitary dumping are made
known and funds are provided for cleanup and
inexpensive collection and recycling of trash at sites of
origin.
 Objectives of waste management

• Store, collect, transport, treat and dispose

safely
• Prevent pollution
• Avoid danger to public health
• Minimise detriment to local environment
• Improve amenity value of disposal sites.
 Objectives of waste management

• ‘Objectives of Waste Management:

• The objectives of waste management are:
• To protect the environment through effective
waste management techniques
• Protect health, well-being and environment
• Prevent pollution
• Reduce and reuse of waste
• Minimize the production of waste’(arora, 2019)
 Early Concepts of Waste Disposal
• Early concept of waste disposal was “dilute and disperse”

• Factories were located near rivers- easy disposal of waste into the
river

• With a few factories and sparse population, volume of waste

produced was relatively small- dilute and disperse seemed to
remove the waste from the environment

• As industrial and urban areas expanded, the concept of dilute and

disperse became inadequate

• “Concentrate and contain”- a new concept on managing materials

and eliminating waste; but not always achieved
 Early Concepts of Waste Disposal
In the past, their population was rare and factories were few. So,
people discarded waste by mixed and emitted rubbish near
rivers. As the waste was relatively less so dilute and disperse
of waste into the river was easy and removed waste from the
environment. But now as population increased, industrial and
urban areas expended so using the concept of dilute and
disperse are no longer possible.
 Modern Trends
• Environmentally preferable concept is to consider wastes as
resources out of place

• Economically feasible to reuse and recycle more resources

• Waste, if produced, would be a resource to be used again

– This is referred to as the “Zero waste” movement

• Waste from one part of the system would be a resource for another
part

• In developing countries, waste management programs involve

simply moving waste from one site to another and not really
managing it; this is a problem
 Modern Trends
In modern trends ‘zero waste’ concept is used. In this concept,
people reuse and recycle waste. For that, waste from one of
the system would be a resource for another part’
 Integrated waste management (IWM)
• Integrated waste management (IWM) is best defined as a
set of management alternatives that includes the reuse,
source reduction (reduce), recycling, composting, landfill
and incineration,
• At least 50% reduction of solid waste can be achieved
through
– Better design of packaging to reduce waste (10%
source reduction).
– Establishment of recycling programs (30% reduction),
and
– Large-scale composting programs (10% reduction).
 Integrated waste management (IWM)
• Reuse, Source reduction (reduce), recycling, composting,
landfill and incineration are set of management alternatives
known as Integrated Waste Management (IWM). But 3Rs is
the major concept:
• -Reuse
• -Reduce
• -Recycling
• -What we use to make the best use of it, we should
consume less and that will help to reduce garbage. If
garbage generates, we should reduce it.
• - We should make the best use of everything by reuse after
properly cleaning it.
• - By giving waste pickers, we can recycle things.
Integrated waste management (IWM)
 Modern trends of Waste Management
Reuse:
• Waste reuse occur when materials or products can be
used in their original form.
• No need of physical and or chemical treatment
• Some minor physical treatment may be required such as
washing or minor repair.

Recycle:
• Waste products require significant physical or chemical
treatment.
• Usually differs from the original one

Regenerative Use:
• Raw kitchen wastes to Bio energy plant
• Composting
 Integrated waste management
• The major concept of IWM is 3Rs:
– Reuse
– Reduce
– Recycling
• At least 50% reduction of solid waste can be
achieved through
– Better design of packaging to reduce waste (10% source
reduction).
– Establishment of recycling programs (30% reduction), and
– Large-scale composting programs (10% reduction).
3Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

• Reduce the amount of garbage generated.

Make sure that whatever is being thrown is
being done so after it has been used and
refused to the maximum extent possible.
Consuming fewer resources and this process
greatly reduces the garbage.
• Reuse: Reuse everything to its maximum after
properly cleaning it.
• Recycle: Keep things which can be recycled to
be given to rag pickers or waste pickers.
 Integrated waste management (IWM)
• Reuse:
• -Reuse packaging materials and before shopping we can
bring our shopping bag.
• -Before throwing anything, we can use them and make
new things.
• - We can donate people and local charity materials which
are not necessary for us.
 Integrated waste management (IWM)
• Reduce:
• We can do this for reduce solid waste:
• -We should buy products with less packaging because 30%
of the waste in our landfills comes from product packing.
So, for shopping, we should use less packaging.
• -We should print less pages from the internet and try to
use both sides of the page.
• -Paper plated, cups, plastic utensils we should recycle and
buy less because the waste makes up 41% of the
municipal solid waste.
• - Before purchasing something we should know their
review and history to understand if they are durable,
sustainable.
 Integrated waste management (IWM)
• Recycle: -By recycling we can refillable beverage
containers or old aluminum cans and glass bottles and
remodel into new cans and bottles.
• -We should separate those products which are recyclable.
• - We should use the local market for recycling products
and also municipal garbage companies if they provide
recycling service.’(Alam, 2014)
Integrated waste management
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO REDUCE THE WASTE YOU
GENERATE
• Keep track of the waste you personally generate: Know
how much waste you produce. This will make you
conscious of how to reduce it.
• Recycle as much as is possible and practical: Take your
cans, glass, and paper to a recycling center or use curbside
• pickup. Take your hazardous materials such as batteries,
cell phones, computers, paint, used oil, and solvents to a
hazardous waste collection site.
• Reduce packaging: Whenever possible buy your food items
in bulk or concentrated form.
• Use durable products: Choose automobiles, light bulbs, furniture,
sports equipment, and tools that will last a longer time.
• Reuse products: Some things may be used several times. For
example, you can reuse boxes and shipping “bubble wrap” to
ship packages.
• Purchase products made from recycled material: Many bottles,
cans, boxes, containers, cartons, carpets, clothing, floor tiles, and
other products are made from recycled material. Select these
whenever you can.
• Purchase products designed for ease in recycling: Products as
large as automobiles along with many other items are being
designed with recycling in mind. Apply pressure to manufacturers
to produce items that can be easily recycled.
 Recycling
Recycling refers to the extraction of usable raw materials,
such as metal, glass, pulp and waste products such as
manufactured objects, paper and cardboard, cans, jars, and
bottles. Recycling is the reprocessing of waste materials for
the original purpose or for other purposes; e.g, refillable
beverage containers or old aluminium cans and glass
bottles are usually melted and recast into new cans and
bottles.
It is worthwhile for industries to consider recycling as a
means of avoid­ing large tipping fees for the disposal of
solid wastes at dumpsites.
Some studies have shown that industrial recycling rates
improve noticeably when tipping fees increase because
high tipping fees make it economically beneficial for
companies to recycle their wastes.
 Benefits of Recycling

• Prevents emission, water pollutants

• Saves
•energy,
•spaces,
•raw materials,
• Creates jobs,
• Conserves resources for future generation
 Benefits of Recycling
There are many environmental benefits in using recycle
materials;
•Saving in money, energy, raw materials and land space (Only
5-10% of energy is needed if recycled materials used in
production)
•Reduce pollution, because it could drastically cut waste
volume and reduce the pressure on dis-posal systems (Reduce
Water effluent by 78%).
• Recycling lowers our demands for raw resources,
•Reduces energy consumption and air pollution (Air
emission is reduced by 95%)
• Better alternative to either dumping or burning
wastes
Separation of waste for recycling
Recycling Strategies
Recycling Strategies
Recycling Strategies
Recycling
Recycling in China
 Recycling in Dhaka city

PLASTIC GLASS
120,000 urban poor from the informal sector are involved in
the recycling trade chain of Dhaka city. 15% of the total
generated waste in Dhaka (mainly inorganic ) which
amounts 475 tonnes/day are recycled daily.
 Recycling in Dhaka city

ALUMINIUM PAPER
􀂃
 Recycling in Dhaka city

BONES
POLYTHENE
􀂃
What are health effects?
 Waste Management Plan
• Defined as a set of management alternatives which combine different
strategies to properly reduce and/or dispose off waste

The steps of Integrated Waste Management are:

• Sorting
• Storage
• Collection of Waste
• Disposal of Solid Waste

• Solid disposal processes include:

– Composting
– Incineration
– Open Dump
– Landfill
 Composting
• Process in which organic materials such as lawn clippings
and kitchen scraps decompose to a rich, soil-like material

• Disadvantage: necessity to separate organic material from

other waste

• Probably economically advantageous only when organic

material is collected separately from other waste
 Composting
• Food waste such as banana peels, fruit waste, coffee grinds
and eggshells, yard waste such as grass clippings and leaves
can be used as a composting and source of composting.
• A natural process that turns organic material into a dark rich
substance is known as composting.
• Composting is an organic condition for the soil. Process in
which organic materials such as grass clippings, pruning, fruits
and vegetables, house plants, manure, kitchen scraps, leaves,
straw decompose to a rich, soil-like material.
 Composting

Composting is the breakdown of organic waste by

soil microorganisms. Composting is a biochemical
process in which organic materials such as lawn
clippings and kitchen scraps decompose to a rich,
soil-like material. It is a process of rapid, partial
decomposition of moist, solid, organic waste by
microorganisms. As a waste management option
large-scale composting is generally carried out in
the controlled environment of mechanical
digesters.
 Composting
It is the process of handling and processing of
solid waste to produce humus including separation
of non compostable materials. It is a biochemical
process through which moist, solid, and organic
waste materials decompose to make the soil rich in
materials by the action of organisms.

Types of Composting:
• Aerobic composting in presence of O2
e.g. Aerated static pile, In-vessel etc.
• Anaerobic composting/digestion in absence of O2 e.g.
Biogas production
Composting
Management of solid waste: Composting
Management of solid waste: Composting
Composting
 Incineration
• Burning of refuse in a specially designed facility

• All incinerators, even modern ones, generate residual ash,

which may contain toxics

• Some incinerators use the heat they generate to produce

electricity

• Modern incineration facilities have special devices in

smokestacks to trap pollutants, but it’s expensive. Plants
themselves are also expensive
 Incineration
• By incineration process, burning reduced items in a specially
designed facility.
Botkin and Keller
Environmental Science
 Open Dump
• In the past, solid waste was usually accumulated in open dumps,
where the refuse was piled up without being covered or otherwise
protected

• Although open dumps have been closed in recent years and new
open dumps are discouraged, many are still being used worldwide

• Dumps have been located wherever land is available, without regard

to safety, health hazards and aesthetic degradation

• Common sites are natural low areas, such as swamps or floodplains;

and hillside areas above or below towns
• Sometimes refuse is ignited and allowed to burn or leveled
and compacted

• Generally open dumps:

– create a nuisance by being unsightly
– provide breeding grounds for pests
– create a health hazard
– pollute the air, groundwater and surface water

• Fortunately, open dumps are giving way to the better

planned and managed landfills
Open Dumping
Open dumping
Present Dumping Practice in Dhaka

Are the workers safe?

What should be done?