Collection of Solid Waste, Transfer

and Transport
Environmental Engineering (VCB 3033)

CO2: To develop integrated solid waste

management system

Nurul Izma Mohammed

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Unit objectives
At the end of this session you will be able to:
Assess the importance of waste collection,
transfer and transport
Identify and compare types of collection
and transport systems
Analysis the collection routes and
alternative techniques

Unlike wastewater that is normally

transported in the sewer system by the
force of gravity, solid wastes are
usually collected and transported to
the treatment or recycling facility by
means of containers and vehicles.

The importance of solid waste

collection
Collection, transfer and transport are the
most costly activities in solid waste
management process.

The waste collection system

- Containers
- Collection vehicles
- transfer stations
- Long distance collection vehicles

Waste Collection
The functional element of collection,
includes not only the gathering of solid
wastes and recyclable materials, but also
the transport of these materials, after
collection, to the location where the
collection vehicle is emptied.
This location may be a materials
processing facility, a transfer station, or a
landfill disposal site.

Solid waste collection challenges

Collection of solid waste in an urban area is difficult
and complex because the generation of wastes
takes place in every house, every apartment
building and commercial and individual facility as
well as in the streets, parks, and even vacant
areas.
Therefore in any waste collection operation it is
important to look into; types of waste collection
services/systems, type of equipment to be used
and associated labor requirements and collection
routes.

Types of Collection Systems

- Hauled container systems
- Stationary container systems

Hauled container systems

They are operated such that each

container is picked up at its location at
the source and transported to the
treatment facility or disposal site where
it is emptied. The empty container is
then returned to its original location.

Hauled container system

Hauled collection system in a city in the USA

Stationary container systems

Stationary container systems are used in areas
where the amount of waste generated at each
pickup location is much less than the transport
capacity of the collection vehicle and the
transport of each container separately therefore
is economically infeasible.
A stationary container system is operated such
that the contents of each container along the
collection route are transferred to the collection
vehicle. When the vehicle is full at the end of the
collection route the contents are transported to
the treatment or disposal facility.

Stationary container systems in Malaysia

(Sharifah Yaakob, EU-Asia SWM conference, 2008)

Transfer stations
In cases where the distance from
the collection area to the disposal
or treatment facility is long direct
transport by the collection
vehicles usually is economically
infeasible due to the relatively
small quantities of wastes
transported with each vehicle.

The use of a transfer station and

larger capacity vehicles for long
distance transport between the
transfer station and the disposal
facility can improve collection
economy significantly.

Optimization of collection routes

Optimization of collection routes is most
important in the cases where most of the time is
spent driving such as in connection with hauled
container systems.
For collection of residential wastes using
stationary containers a significant amount of the
time is spent loading and unloading.
The most valuable tool in optimizing such
collection service is still the knowledge of local
conditions such as one-way streets and road
construction by the collection teams.

Waste collection route in city of Oviedo

http://alafayawoodshoa.com/print.php?sid=37

Important factors in route layout

Determination of the best route layout is normally
done by a trial-and-error approach where several
combinations are proposed based on:
- Information on waste quantity
- Infrastructure
- Collection frequency
- Available equipment
- Crew size
- Road conditions
- Topography

Solid Waste
Collection
System in Ipoh
City: a Review

Example: Estimate the collection routes for the

following:
Hilly areas
Stationary container systems collection
Collection points located in traffic
congested areas
Sources where extremely large quantities
of waste

 In hilly areas the routes should start at the top of the

grade and proceed downhill as the vehicle becomes
loaded.
For stationary container systems collection routes
should be laid out so the last container to be
emptied on the route is closest to the treatment or
disposal facility.
Collection points located in traffic-congested areas
should be preferably be serviced as early in the day
as possible or at least outside rush hour to avoid
delays due to traffic congestion.
Sources where extremely large quantities of waste
are generated should be serviced during the first
part of the day to avoid excessive buildup of wastes
at these sources during the day.

Example 2: Predict the break-even time for a stationarycontainer system and a separate transfer and transport system
for transporting wastes collected from a metropolitan area to a
landfill disposal site. Assume the following cost and system
data are applicable:
Transportation costs:
- Stationary-container system using an 18-m3 compactor = RM20/h
- Tractor-trailer transport unit with a capacity of 120 m3 = RM25/h

Other costs:
- Transfer station operating cost = RM0.40/m3
- Extra cost for unloading facilities for tractor-trailer transport unit =
RM0.05/m3

Other data:
Density of waste in compactor = 325 kg/m3
Density of waste in transport unit = 150 kg/m3