Solid Waste Management

INTRODUCTION

• Like water sources, the sources in the Geosphere shall also be

protected

• RA 9003 has suggested some Solid Waste Management

Programs to help protect land resources

• In this section, we will discuss in some detail some solid waste

programs
 SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
(SWM)
• SWM is the collection, treatment, and disposal of solid material that
is discarded because it has served its purpose or is no longer useful

• Improper disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary

conditions, and these conditions in turn can lead to pollution of the
environment and to outbreaks of vector-borne disease—that is,
diseases spread by rodents and insects

• The tasks of solid-waste management present complex technical

challenges
 SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT (SWM)

EARLY WASTE MANAGEMENT

• In ancient cities, wastes were thrown onto unpaved streets and roadways,
where they were left to accumulate

• It was not until 320 BCE in Athens that the first known law forbidding this
practice was established. At that time a system for waste removal began
to evolve in Greece and in the Greek-dominated cities of the eastern
Mediterranean
 SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT (SWM)

EARLY WASTE MANAGEMENT

• In ancient Rome, property owners were responsible for cleaning the
streets fronting their property. Organized waste collection was associated
only with state-sponsored events such as parades

• Disposal methods were very crude, involving open pits located just
outside the city walls. As populations increased, efforts were made to
transport waste farther out from the cities.
 SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT (SWM)

EARLY WASTE MANAGEMENT

• After the fall of Rome, waste collection and municipal sanitation began a
decline that lasted throughout the Middle Ages

• Near the end of the 14th century, scavengers were given the task of
carting waste to dumps outside city walls
 SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT (SWM)
EARLY WASTE MANAGEMENT
• But this was not the case in smaller towns, where most people still
threw waste into the streets

• It was not until 1714 that every city in England was required to have an
official scavenger

• Toward the end of the 18th century in America, municipal collection of

garbage was begun in Boston, New York City
 SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT (SWM)

DEVELOPMENTS IN WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Improvements in SWM were seen in the latter part of the 19th century

• Water tight garbage cans and sturdier vehicles to collect garbage were
introduced in the US

• A refuse incinerator was installed in England in 1874

 SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT (SWM)

DEVELOPMENTS IN WASTE MANAGEMENT

• By the start of 20th century, many US cities are using incineration but
most still used primitive ways of managing wastes like open dumping in
land and/or water

• In the first half of 20th century, there are improvements such as garbage
grinders, compaction trucks, & pneumatic collection system
 DEVELOPMENTS IN WASTE MANAGEMENT
• In the mid-20th, open dumping and incineration
were causing problems in all aspects (i.e. air,
water, land)
• This saw the rise of sanitary landfills which were
SOLID WASTE designed and operated in a manner that
MANAGEMENT minimized risks to public health and the
environment
(SWM) • New incinerators were designed to recover heat
from the waste and installed with air pollution
control
• Also, solid waste management through the
reduction, reusing, and recycling was also
emphasized during the end of the century
Davao City Sanitary Landfill
 MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES

• It is the garbage we produce in our houses, offices, and cities, accounts

for a small percentage of total waste by weight, but it is one of our most
important challenges in waste management.

• Municipal solid waste is hard to reuse and recycle because it contains

many different kinds of materials, yet it amounts to about 250 million
metric tons per year in the United States
 MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES

• Despite considerable progress in the past 20 years, only about 30 percent

of our glass bottles and jars, less than 50 percent of aluminum drink
cans, and less than 7 percent of our plastic food and beverage containers
are being recycled

• Money, energy, land, and many other resources can be saved if recycling
can be improved
 SOLID WASTE
CHARACTERISTICS (PH)

• The EMB conducted a Waste Analysis and Characterization Studies

(WACS). This was a consolidated report of the from SWM Plans from
Regional Offices

• According to WACS, 56.7% of the wastes comes from Residential

Sources (i.e. kitchen scraps, yard wastes, paper and cardboard, glass
bottles, plastic container, sando bags, foils, soiled tissue and diapers,
including cleaning agents, batteries, and waste electrical and
electronics equipment (WEEE)
 SOLID WASTE
CHARACTERISTICS (PH)

• Commercial sources (27.1%) includes private and public markets

• Institutional sources (12.1%): government offices, educational and

medical institutions

• Industrial source, 4.1%

 SOLID WASTE
CHARACTERISTICS
• WACS also published that 52.31% of MSW are Biodegradable Wastes
• Kitchen Wastes & Food Wastes
• Garden and Yard Wastes
• 27.78% of MSW are Recyclables
• Plastic Packaging
• Paper and Cardboard
• Metals, Glass, Textile, Leather, Rubber
• 17.98% of MSW are Residuals
• 1.93% comes from Special Wastes including WEEE, bulky wastes, and
other hazardous materials
 WASTE GENERATION RATES

Range Mean
COVERAGE
(kg/capita/day) (kg/capita/day)
Metro Manila (NCR) 0.55 – 0.59 0.69
NCR + Some Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) 0.53 – 0.79 0.69
Other cities and provincial capitals (excluding NCR/HUCs) 0.29 – 0.64 0.50
All LGUs in the country, excluding Metro Manila 0.10 – 0.71 0.34
Municipalities (cities and some capital towns excluded) 0.10 – 0.64 0.31
PHILIPPINES (Nationwide) 0.10 – 0.79 0.40
Metro Manila’s waste generation continues to increase as it
contributes 22.2%, 24.5%, and 26.7% to the country’s solid waste in
the years 2010, 2014 and 2020, respectively
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMS
 Sanitary Landfill

Incineration
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMS
Recycling

Composting
 SANITARY LANDFILL
• Sanitary landfills are sites where waste is isolated from the environment until
it is safe

• It is considered when it has completely degraded biologically, chemically and

physically

• In high-income countries, the level of isolation achieved may be high

• The ways of doing this should be adapted to local conditions

• The immediate goal is to meet, to the best extent possible, the four stated
basic sanitary landfill conditions, with a longer-term goal to meet them
eventually in full.
 FOUR BASIC
REQUIREMENTS

• Full or partial hydrogeological isolation – Leachate collection and

treatment must be stressed as a basic requirement.

• Formal engineering preparations – designs should be developed

from local geological and hydrogeological investigations. A waste
disposal plan and a final restoration plan should also be developed.
 FOUR BASIC
REQUIREMENTS

• Permanent control – trained staff should be based at the landfill to

supervise site preparation and construction, the depositing of waste
and the regular operation and maintenance.

• Planned waste emplacement and covering – waste should be

spread in layers and compacted. A small working area which is
covered daily helps make the waste less accessible to pests and
vermin.
 ADVANTAGES OF SANITARY
LANDFILLS

Landfills are
Landfills can use the
Filled land can be relatively safer than
waste generated in a
reused for other other waste
city, town or district
community purposes management and
and produce energy
disposal techniques
 DISADVANTAGES OF
SANITARY LANDFILLS

• Completed landfill areas can settle and requires maintenance

• Toxic waste continues to pileup

• Methane is fatal for humans and bad for environment. It can also light up
easily and entire landfills can be on fire in no time

• Dust, pollution and particulate matter would emanate from landfills

• Burning is a very effective way to reduce INCINERATION
solid waste. It was even one of the earliest
method of managing solid wastes

• However, its downside is it being a source

of different gaseous pollution that would
be dangerous not only for the environment
but also for our health

• Incineration can reduce the volume of

uncompacted waste by more than 90%,
leaving an inert residue of ash, glass,
metal, and other solid materials called
bottom ash
 INCINERATION

• The gaseous by-products of incomplete combustion, along with finely

divided particulate material called fly ash, are carried along in the
incinerator airstream

• These fly ash include cinders, dust, and soot. These fly ash and other
gaseous pollutants used to escape freely to the atmosphere.
 INCINERATION

• However, modern incineration plants install different air pollution

control technologies in order to minimize the air pollution
emission by these plants and to be compliant to standards

• Both the fly ash and the bottom ash are disposed in sanitary
landfills except when they contain hazardous chemicals
 INCINERATION – ENERGY
RECOVERY

• The energy value of refuse can be as much as one-third that of coal and
the heat given off during incineration can be recovered using a refractory-
lined furnace coupled to a boiler

• Boilers convert the heat of combustion into steam or hot water, thus
allowing the energy content of the refuse to be recycled.

• Incinerators that recycle heat energy in this way are called waste-to-
energy plants
 INCINERATION – ENERGY
RECOVERY
• Waste-to-energy plants operate as either mass burn or refuse-derived fuel
systems
• A mass burn system uses all the refuse, without prior treatment or
preparation
• A refuse-derived fuel system separates combustible wastes from non-
combustibles such as glass and metal before burning.
• If a turbine is installed at the plant, both steam and electricity can be
produced in a process called cogeneration
• Waste-to-energy systems are more expensive to build and operate than plain
incinerators because of the need for special equipment and controls
 ADVANTAGES OF
INCINERATION

EFFICIENT USE ELIMINATION OF ENERGY

OF SPACE GROUNDWATER GENERATION
CONTAMINATION

LOWER CARBON PRODUCES

FOOTPRINT STABLE ODOR-
FREE RESIDUE
 DISADVANTAGES
OF INCINERATION
• High incineration initial and
operation costs

• Emissions of toxic pollutants

• High energy requirement

• Requires skilled personnel and

continuous maintenance
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMS
 COMPOSTING

• Composting is a biological process in which the organic portion of

refuse can decompose under carefully controlled conditions.

• Microbes metabolize the organic waste material and reduce its

volume by as much as 50 percent

• The stabilized product is called compost or humus. It resembles

potting soil in texture and odor and may be used as a soil
conditioner
 COMPOSTING
• Composting offers a method of processing and recycling both
garbage and sewage sludge in one operation

• As more stringent environmental rules and siting constraints limit

the use of solid-waste incineration and landfill options, the
application of composting is likely to increase
THE COMPOSTING
PROCESS

• Shorting and Shredding

• Digesting and Processing

 THE COMPOSTING PROCESS –
SHORTING AND SHREDDING

• The decomposable materials in refuse are isolated from glass,

metal, and other inorganic items through sorting and separating
operations
• These are carried out mechanically, using differences in such
physical characteristics of the refuse as size, density, and magnetic
properties
• Shredding or pulverizing reduces the size of the waste articles,
resulting in a uniform mass of material
• It is accomplished with hammer mills and rotary shredders
 THE COMPOSTING PROCESS –
DIGESTING AND PROCESSING
• Pulverized waste is ready for composting either by the open windrow
method or in an enclosed mechanical facility

• Windrows are long, low mounds of refuse

• They are turned or mixed every few days to provide air for the microbes
digesting the organics

• Depending on moisture conditions, it may take five to eight weeks for

complete digestion of the waste
 THE COMPOSTING PROCESS –
DIGESTING AND PROCESSING

• Because of the metabolic action of aerobic bacteria, temperatures in an

active compost pile reach about 65 °C (150 °F), killing pathogenic
organisms that may be in the waste material

• Open windrow composting requires relatively large land areas.

Enclosed mechanical composting facilities can reduce land
requirements by about 85 percent
 THE COMPOSTING PROCESS –
DIGESTING AND PROCESSING
• Mechanical composting systems employ one or more closed tanks or
digesters equipped with rotating vanes that mix and aerate the
shredded waste

• Complete digestion of the waste takes about one week.

• Digested compost must be processed before it can be used as a mulch

or soil conditioner
 THE COMPOSTING PROCESS –
DIGESTING AND PROCESSING
• Processing includes drying, screening, and granulating or pelletizing

• These steps improve the market value of the compost, which is the
most serious constraint to the success of composting as a waste
management option

• Agricultural demand for digested compost is usually low because of

the high cost of transporting it and because of competition with
inorganic chemical fertilizers
 VERMICOMPOSTING

• Vermicomposting is a type of composting in which certain species

of earthworms are used to enhance the process of organic waste
conversion and produce a better end-product

• It uses various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white

worms, and other earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing
vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast

• Vermicast is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by

earthworms
C/N RATIO FOR COMPOSTING
 C/N RATIO
• All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of carbon (C)
combined with lesser amounts of nitrogen (N)
• The balance of these two elements in an organism is called the
carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio)
• Experts have determined that the fastest way to produce fertile,
sweet-smelling compost is to maintain a C:N ratio somewhere around
25 to 30 parts carbon to 1-part nitrogen, or 25-30:1
• If the C:N ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down.
If the C:N ratio is too low (excess nitrogen) you will end up with a
stinky pile
 Material C/N Ratio Material C/N Ratio
Ashes, wood 25:1 Alfalfa 12:1
Cardboard, 350:1 Clover 23:1
shredded
Coffee 20:1
Corn stalks 75:1 grounds
Fruit waste 35:1 Food waste 20:1
ESTIMATED
Garden waste 30:1
C/N OF Leaves 60:1

ORGANIC Newspaper, 175:1 Grass

clippings
20:1
shredded
WASTES Hay 25:1
Peanut shells 35:1
Pine needles 80:1 Manures 15:1

Sawdust 325:1 Seaweed 19:1

Vegetable 25:1
Straw 75:1
scraps
Wood chips 400:1 Weeds 30:1
 C/N RATIO OF A COMPOST
• To calculate for the C/N Ration of the compost, the specific organic material
shall be known
• Their individual C/N Ratio (refer to table on preceding slide), the amount (mass),
and their moisture content shall also be given

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧

Where:
R = C/N Ration of Mixture
Q = Mass of Material
N = Nitrogen Content in Material, in percent = GIVEN
C = Carbon Content of Material, in percent = %N x C/N
 SAMPLE PROBLEM
• A compost is set to be prepares using Chicken Waste (15 MT), Green Waste (60
MT), Milk Whey (15MT), and Blue Gum (10 MT). Their C/N ratios are 11, 36, 190, and
120, respectively. The moisture content of Chicken waste is 50%, Green waste is
30%, Milk Whey is 60%, and Blue Gum is 35%. Their Nitrogen content are 2.4%,
1.46%, 0.3%, and 0.3%, respectively. What is the C/N Ratio of the resulting
compost?

Material Mass, MT %Moisture C/N Ratio %N %C = %N x C/N

1. Chicken 15 50 11 2.4 26.4 = 2.4 x 11
2. Green Waste 60 30 36 1.46 52.5 = 1.46 x 36
3. Milk Whey 15 60 190 0.3 57 = 0.3 x 190
4. Blue Gum 10 35 120 0.3 35.5 = 0.3 x 120
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝟑 𝟑 𝟑 𝟒 𝟒 𝟒
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝟑 𝟑 𝟑 𝟒 𝟒 𝟒
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝐧 𝐧 𝐧
 ADVANTAGES OF COMPOSTING

• Compost has an abundance of nutrients and is suitable for a wide variety of end uses, such
as landscaping, topsoil blending, and growth media.
• Compost has less nitrogen than biosolids from other stabilization processes, due to the
loss of ammonia during composting
• Well-composted sludge can meet the requirements for class A biosolids and can be sold to
distributors and the public.
• Compost increases the water content and retention of sandy soils.
• Compost increases aeration and water infiltration of clay soils.
• Windrow and aerated static pile processes have the flexibility to handle changing feed
characteristics and peak loads, require relatively simple mechanical equipment, and are
simple to operate.
• In-vessel processes require relatively small areas and have the ability to control odors.
 DISADVANTAGES OF COMPOSTING

• Windrow and aerated static pile composting require relatively large areas,
and odor control is a common problem.
• Ambient temperatures and weather conditions influence windrow and aerated
static pile composting
• In-vessel reactors have limited flexibility to handle changing conditions and
are maintenance intensive.
SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMS
 RECYCLING

• Separating, recovering, and reusing components of solid waste that

may still have economic value is called recycling
• One type of recycling is the recovery and reuse of heat energy, a
practice discussed separately in Incineration
• Composting can also be considered a recycling process, since it
reclaims the organic parts of solid waste for reuse as mulch or soil
conditioner
• Still other waste materials have potential for reuse. These include
paper, metal, glass, plastic, and rubber, and their recovery is
discussed here
 RECYCLING
• Before any material can be recycled, it must be separated from the
raw waste and sorted

• Separation can be accomplished at the source of the waste or at a

central processing facility

• Source separation, also called curbside separation, is done by

individual citizens who collect newspapers, bottles, cans, and
garbage separately and place them at the curb for collection
 RECYCLING
• The best practice, as now recognized, is to have citizens separate
refuse into a limited number of categories, including newspaper;
magazines and other wastepaper; commingled metals, glass, and
plastics; and garbage and other nonrecyclables

• The newspaper, other paper wastes, and commingled recyclables are

collected separately from the other refuse and are processed at a
centralized material recycling facility, or MRF (pronounced “murf” in
waste-management jargon)

• A modern MRF can process about 300 tons of recyclable wastes per
day
 ADVANTAGES OF
RECYCLING

• Recycling minimizes pollution

• Conserves natural resources
• Recycling cuts down amount
of waste in landfill sites
• Recycling contributes to
creation of jobs
• Reduces energy consumption
 DISADVANTAGES
OF RECYCLING
• High upfront capital costs

• Recycling sites can be unhygienic, unsafe and unsightly

• Products from recycled waste may not be durable

• Recycling Isn’t Always Cost Effective

 SOLID
WASTE
MANAGEMENT
HIERARCHY
 • The waste hierarchy is a set of
priorities for the efficient use of
resources
• The Hierarchy, in order of most
THE SOLID preferred to least preferred option,
based on RA 9003 are:
WASTE • Avoidance
MANAGEMEN • Reduction
T HIERARCHY • Reuse
• Recycling
• Recovery
• Treatment
• Safe Disposal
 In summary, the waste hierarchy is divided in to
three levels:
• AVOIDANCE including action to reduce the
amount of waste generated by households,
industry and all levels of government
THE SOLID
WASTE • RESOURCE RECOVERY including re-use,
MANAGEMENT recycling, reprocessing and energy recovery,
consistent with the most efficient use of the
HIERARCHY recovered resources

• DISPOSAL including management of all

disposal options in the most environmentally
responsible manner
 The highest priority, avoiding and reducing the
generation of waste, encourages the community,
industry and government to reduce the amount of
virgin materials extracted and used.
The goal is to maximize efficiency and avoid
unnecessary consumption through behaviors
such as.
AVOIDING AND • selecting items with the least packaging or that
REDUCING require the fewest resources to produce
WASTE • avoiding disposable goods or single-use
materials
• buying products that are recycled, recyclable,
repairable, refillable, re-usable or
biodegradable
• using leftover food rather than throwing it
away.
 • Take your travel mug for your next coffee
• Refill your drink bottle in place of packaged water
• Take your own shopping bags
HOW TO • Choose unpackaged food and products over those
with excessive packaging
AVOID • Use containers instead of plastic wrap for storing
left-overs
AND • Say no to plastic straws
REDUCE • Plan ahead and only buy ingredients you need for
WASTE •
the week
Choose and maintain household items that will last
or can be repaired
• Borrow or hire instead of buying if you only need
an item for a short time.
 RESOURCE
RECOVERY
• The second priority, resource recovery, maximizes options for re-use,
recycling, reprocessing and energy recovery

• The next most preferred option is to re-use the materials without further
processing, avoiding the costs of energy and other resources required for
recycling

• For example, many household and industrial items can be repaired, re-
used, sold or donated to charities
 HOW TO RECOVER
RESOURCES
• Post unwanted items online for sale or giveaway, hold a garage sale or
swap-meet
• Treasure hunt for pre-loved items before buying new
• Cook up the next meal from left-overs
• Find new uses for every-day items, such sewing old clothes or fabric
items into reusable bags
• Recycling also is a good way to recover resources. Instead of being
part of landfills or in waste bins, it can be used in some other forms
 TREATMENT
AND DISPOSAL
• Prior to disposal, treatment can help reduce the volume and toxicity of
waste

• Treatments can be physical (e.g., shredding), chemical (e.g.,

incineration), and biological (e.g., anaerobic digestor

• Landfills are the most common form of waste disposal and are an
important component of an integrated waste management system

• After a landfill is capped, the land may be used for recreation sites
such as parks, golf courses, and ski slopes
 SYNTHESIS
Pollution in land is Like pollution that is These Solid Waste
mainly due to solid thrown into water, Management
waste which include solid wastes need to Programs are vital to
hazardous and toxic be treated and help us diminish the
wastes disposed properly effects of this waste

It is however stated by It is therefore crucial to

RA 9003 that there is a learn how to understand
hierarchy in waste the waste management
management further hierarchy to practice
minimize waste how to minimize waste
production production
~DAS ENDE~