Solid Waste and Solid

Waste Disposal
Environmental Engineering
ENSC 2112

Reporters
Mendoza, Jhinno
Geronimo, Paulo
Samaniego, Monica
Cayamanda, Angela
Bulquerin, Fraiza
Ignacio, Glenn

8/27/2016
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 1

WHAT ARE WASTES?

Waste, or rubbish, trash, junk, garbage, depending on the type of material or the regional
terminology, is an unwanted or undesired material or substance. It is also used to describe
something we use inefficiently or inappropriately. The presence of waste is an indication of
overconsumption and that materials are not being used efficiently. This is carelessly reducing the
Earths capacity to supply new raw materials in the future.

Types of waste

Generally, waste could be liquid or solid waste. Both of them could be hazardous. Liquid and
solid waste types can also be grouped into organic, re-usable and recyclable waste.
Let us see some details below:

 Liquid Type
Waste can come in non-solid form. Some solid waste can also be converted to a
liquid waste form for disposal.
Examples are: wash water from homes, liquids used for cleaning in industries,
waste detergents, storm water, and wastewater

 Solid Type
Solid waste predominantly, is any garbage, refuse or rubbish that we make in our
homes and other places. They may include any waste that is non-liquid.
Examples are: old car tires, old newspapers, broken furniture and even food waste

 Hazardous Type
Hazardous or harmful waste is those that potentially threaten public health or the
environment. Such waste could being flammable (can easily catch fire), reactive (can easily
explode), corrosive (can easily eat through metal) or toxic (poisonous to human and
animals
Examples: fire extinguishers, old propane tanks, pesticides, mercury-containing
equipment and lamps and batteries

 Organic Type
Organic waste, also known as Biodegradable, comes from plants or animals sources.
Examples are: food waste, fruit and vegetable peels, flower trimmings and even dog
poop

 Recyclable type:
Waste that can be potentially recycled is termed Recyclable Waste. Recycling is
processing used materials into new, useful products.
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 2

Examples are: aluminum products (like soda and tomato cans), plastics (grocery
shopping bags and plastic bottles), glass products ( wine and beer bottles), paper products
(newspapers and magazines, cardboard boxes).

SOLID WASTES

Solid waste is any waste generated by every day human activities. Solid waste may be in
the form of household garbage, leftovers of food and other wastage that include old house hold
items such as papers, plastic waste in the form of kitchen equipment or any other products that
are consumed during every day activities.

The emergence of solid waste can be dated back to the beginning of human civilization,
when early man began to consume animal products and generated garbage in the form of bones
and other parts of animal they used to slaughter. With the advancements in the human cycle of
growth more and more products came into existence that included wood, metals and other items
and the waste generated became a more complex in nature.

However, at that time, the generation of solid waste did not pose any serious health
hazards to the environment as this solid waste was of degradable nature and it got easily mixed up
with the soil. The industrial revolution in the beginning of 19th century led to a an enormous
increase in the production of different types of goods that led to the generation of solid waste that
was non-biodegradable. This majorly led to air and water pollution.

Impacts of Solid Waste

A. Environmental Effects

 Impacts on Climate Change (Greenhouse Gas)

Climate change is caused by deforestation and human activities that release huge
amounts of carbon dioxide. Climate change is caused by the emission of Greenhouse
Gases (GHG). The manufacturing, distribution and use of products as well as waste
generation result in GHG emissions and affect the Earth’s climate.
Solid waste affects climate change through landfill methane emission. The
main source of manmade methane gas is from landfills. Emission of methane gas
happens when organic waste is left to decay anaerobically in a landfill which produces
methane gas. Methane gas is 23 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere
rather than the common GHG we know that is carbon dioxide.
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 3

 Impacts on Water Quality

Water is essential to life. Solid waste impacts water quality through the release
of leachate from landfills into water sources. As water comes in contact with
decomposing solid waste, it will dissolve together with soluble inorganic and organic
wastes producing polluted liquid known as leachate or waste juice. This harmful
mixture of chemicals may result in entering surface water, groundwater or soil.
Surface Water Contamination. Wastes that end up in water bodies negatively
change the chemical composition of the water. Technically, this is called water
pollution. This will affect all ecosystems existing in the water. It can also cause harm to
animals that drink from such polluted water.

 Soil Contamination
Hazardous chemicals that get into the soil (contaminants) can harm plants
when they take up the contamination through their roots. If humans eat plants and
animals that have been in contact with such polluted soils, there can be negative
impact on their health.

B. Effects on human health

Perhaps the most important factor why we need solid waste to be managed wisely is
the impact it can cause to human health. Generating waste as much as possible without
practicing waste prevention and minimization culture will only allow more landfills and
incinerator to be built. Potential health effects such as birth defects, asthmas, respiratory
disease, cancer and birth disease are to happen if we fail take an action to prevent and
minimize waste at the source.
Disease vectors are the means by which organisms are transmitted, and water, air,
and food may all be vectors. The two most important disease related to solid wastes are
rats and flies.

C. Economic Effects

 Municipal Wellbeing
Everyone wants to live and visit places that are clean, fresh and healthy. A
city with poor sanitation, smelly and with waste matter all over the place does not
attract good people, investors and tourists. Such cities tend to have poor living
standards.
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 Recycling Revenue
Cities that do not invest in recycling and proper waste control miss out on
revenue from recycling. They also miss out on job opportunities that come from
recycling, composting and businesses that work with them.

Types of Solid Wastes

Basically solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:

► Municipal Solid Waste

This type of waste mostly consists of household waste, sanitation waste, waste from
streets, from stores, restaurants, office buildings, markets and single or multifamily
dwellings. These are the community’s waste and thus the most common. With the increase
in the urbanization, municipal solid waste is forming the bulk part of solid waste. The
growth of metropolitan cities is even leading to an enormous amount of municipal solid
waste.
Examples are paperboards, food wastes, plastics, old furniture, street
sweepings, textiles and other general wastes.
o MSW industry has 4 components:
-Recycling -Composting
-Land filling -Waste to energy
o The primary steps are:
-Generation -Transfer & Disposal or Utilization
-Sorting & separation -Collection

► Industrial Solid Waste

This is also known as the Hazardous waste. This type or kind of waste is a waste that
is quite dangerous as they consist of toxic substances that are of chemical nature. As
improper disposal of the industrial solid waste may lead to death, disease and sometimes
an environmental damage that may continue for generations. It usually comes from
chemical and power plants, fabrications, and light and heavy manufacturing.
Examples are manufacturing and packaging wastes, chemical wastes,
hazardous and special wastes.
o Characteristics of Hazardous Wastes:
Wastes are classified hazardous if they exhibit any of four primary
characteristics based on physical and chemical properties of toxicity, reactivity,
ignitability and corrosively.
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 5

► Biomedical Solid Waste

This is being generated day in day out by various hospitals, clinics, research centers,
pharmaceutical companies and health care centers. This type of solid waste is most
infectious and can spread diseases and other types of viral and bacterial infections among
humans and animals if not managed properly in a scientific way.
This may be in the form of disposable syringes, bandages, cotton swabs,
anatomical waste, expired medicines, and other types of chemical and
biological waste.
Segregation, Packaging, Transportation and Storage:
1. Bio-medical waste should not be mixed with other wastes.
2. Bio-medical waste shall be segregated into containers/bags at point
generation. The containers shall be properly labelled.
3. Untreated biomedical waste shall be transported only in such vehicle as may
be authorized for the purpose of competent authority as specified by the
government.
4. No untreated biomedical waste shall be kept stored beyond a period of 48
hrs.

► Agriculture Solid Waste

These are wastes that usually come from crops, orchards, vineyards farms, diaries
and feedlots. Most of the wastes included here are bio-degradable.
Examples are wood chips, tree trimmings, crop husks, food wastes and
sometimes pesticides and insecticides.
o Management:
-Waste to energy -Biogas production
-Some agricultural waste can be used in making paper.

► Electronic Solid Waste

These are wastes that are usually in the forms of electronic devices. It commonly
comes from households, factories, and establishments. With the great increase of
technological advancement, also comes the increase of these discarded devices. Some e-
waste contains lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants. These are
harmful to humans and the environment.
These may be TV, cellular phones, mechanical devices, machineries, and
others as such.

► Construction Solid Waste

These arise during the construction and demolition of buildings and other
construction activities. These may be from construction sites, road constructions, and
demolitions.
These may be in the form of wood, cement, dirt, steel, concrete and others.
o Types
-Public fill - suitable for land reclamation
-Non-inert - not suitable for land reclamation
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 6

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Solid waste management is a polite term for garbage management. As long as liumans have
been living in settled communities, solid waste, or garbage, has been an issue, and modern
societies generate far more solid waste than early humans ever did. Solid waste management is
one among the basic essential services provided by municipal authorities in the country to keep
urban centers clean. It is all the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception
to its final disposal. This includes amongst other things, collection, transport, treatment and
disposal of waste together with monitoring and regulation. Municipal laws governing the urban
local bodies do not have adequate provisions to deal effectively with the ever-growing problem of
solid waste management. With rapid urbanization, the situation is becoming critical.

Process of Solid Waste Management

1. Collection

Shared: Residents can bring out waste at any time

 Dumping at designated location
Residents and other generators are required to dump their waste at a specified
location or in a masonry enclosure.
 Shared container
Residents and other generators put their waste inside a container which is
emptied or removed.

Individual: The generators need a suitable container and must store the waste on their
property until it is collected.
 Block collection
Collector sounds horn or rings bell and waits at specified locations for residents
to bring waste to the collection vehicle.
 Kerbside collection
Waste is left outside property in a container and picked up by passing vehicle, or
swept up and collected by sweeper.
 Door to door collection
Waste collector knocks on each door or rings doorbell and waits for waste to be
brought out by resident.
 Yard collection
Collection labourer enters property to remove waste.

2. Transportation
Cans on wheels, often provide by the community, are widely used for transfer of
refuse from household to the collection truck. Garbage truck or dustcart refers to a truck
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 7

specially designed to collect municipal solid waste and haul the collected waste to a solid
waste treatment facility such as a landfill.
Transfer stations are part of many urban refuse collection systems. Bulldozers pack
the refuse into large containers that are trucked into the landfill or other disposal facility.

3. Material Recovery
Many components of municipal solid wastes can be reused as secondary material.
Among these are papers, cardboard, plastic, glass, ferrous metal, aluminum, and other
nonferrous metals. These materials must be separated from the others before they can be
recycled.

4. Disposal
Disposal of solid wastes is defined as placement of the waste so that it no longer
impacts society or the environment. The wastes are either assimilated so that they can no
longer be identified in the environment, as by incineration to ash, or they are hidden well
enough so that they cannot be readily found. Solid waste may also be processed so that
some of its components may be recovered, and used again for a beneficial purpose.

Methods of Solid Waste Disposal

 Sanitary Landfill
The Landfill is the most popularly used method of waste disposal used today. This
process of waste disposal focuses attention on burying the waste in the land. There is a
process used that eliminates the odors and dangers of waste before it is placed into the
ground.
In a sanitary landfill, garbage is spread out in thin layers, compacted and
covered with clay or plastic foam. The liner protects the ground water from being
contaminated due to percolation of leachate.
Sanitary Landfills Site Selection:
 Should be above the water table, to minimize interaction with groundwater.
 Preferably located in clay or silt..
 Do not want to locate in a flood plain.
Adverse Impacts:
 Fatal accidents (e.g., scavengers buried under waste piles).
 Pollution of the local environment (such as contamination of groundwater and/or
aquifers by leakage and residual soil contamination during landfill usage, as well
as after landfill closure).
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 Off gassing of methane generated by decaying organic wastes (methane is a

greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide, and can itself be a
danger to inhabitants of an area).
 Harboring of disease vectors such as rats and flies, particularly from improperly
operated landfills.

 Incineration
The term incinerates means to burn something until nothing is left but ashes. An
incinerator is a unit or facility used to burn trash and other types of waste until it is
reduced to ash. An incinerator is constructed of heavy, well-insulated materials, so that it
does not give off extreme amounts of external heat.
Incineration is a disposal method in which solid organic wastes are subjected to
combustion so as to convert them into residue and gaseous products. This process reduces
the volumes of solid waste to 20 to 30 per cent of the original volume.
Incineration and other high temperature waste treatment systems are sometimes
described as “thermal treatment”. Incinerators convert waste materials into heat, gas,
steam and ash. It is recognized as a practical method of disposing of certain hazardous
waste materials. Incineration is a controversial method of waste disposal, due to issues
such as emission of gaseous pollutants.

 Composting
Organic waste can be recycled by the method of composting, one of the oldest forms
of disposal. It is the natural process of decomposition of organic waste that yields manure
or compost, which is very rich in nutrients.
Composting is a biological process in which micro-organisms, mainly fungi and
bacteria, convert degradable organic waste into humus like substance. This finished
product, which looks like soil, is high in carbon and nitrogen and is an excellent medium for
growing plants.
Composting benefits:
 Compost allows the soil to retain more plant nutrients over a longer period.
 It helps reduce the adverse effects of excessive alkalinity, acidity, or the excessive use
of chemical fertilizer.
 It makes soil easier to cultivate.
 It aids in preventing soil erosion by keeping the soil covered.

 Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a form of incineration that chemically decomposes organic materials by
heat in the absence of oxygen. Pyrolysis typically occurs under pressure and at operating
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 9

temperatures above 430 °C (800 °F). Organic materials are transformed into gases, small
quantities of liquid, and a solid residue containing carbon and ash.
Limitations and Concerns:
 The technology requires drying of soil prior to treatment.
 Limited performance data are available for systems treating hazardous wastes
containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and other organics.
 These compounds are extremely toxic in the parts per trillion ranges. The MSO
process reportedly does not produce dioxins and furans.
 Pyrolysis is not effective in either destroying or physically separating in
organics from the contaminated medium. Volatile metals may be removed as a
result of the higher temperatures associated with the process, but they are not
destroyed. By-products containing heavy metals may require stabilization
before final disposal.
 When the off-gases are cooled, liquids condense, producing an oil/tar residue
and contaminated water. These oils and tars may be hazardous wastes,
requiring proper treatment, storage, and disposal.

 Waste to Energy
Waste to energy (WtE) process involves converting of non-recyclable waste items into
useable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes. This type of source of energy is a
renewable energy source as non-recyclable waste can be used over and over again to
create energy. It can also help to reduce carbon emissions by offsetting the need for energy
from fossil sources. Waste-to-Energy, also widely recognized by its acronym WtE is the
generation of energy in the form of heat or electricity from waste.
Thermal technologies:
 Gasification: produces combustible gas, hydrogen, synthetic fuels
 Thermal depolymerization: produces synthetic crude oil,
 Pyrolysis: produces combustible tar/biooil and chars
Non-thermal technologies:
 Anaerobic digestion: Biogas rich in methane
 Fermentation production: examples are ethanol, lactic acid, hydrogen
 Mechanical biological treatment (MBT)

 Recycle and Recovery

Resource recovery is the process of taking useful discarded items for a specific next
use. These discarded items are then processed to extract or recover materials and
resources or convert them to energy in the form of useable heat, electricity or fuel.
Recycling is the process of converting waste products into new products to prevent energy
usage and consumption of fresh raw materials. Recycling is the third component of Reduce,
Reuse and Recycle waste hierarchy. The idea behind recycling is to reduce energy usage,
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 10

reduce volume of landfills, reduce air and water pollution, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and preserve natural resources for future use.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES

Waste mismanagement has serious environmental effects making the passage of the
Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 a landmark
environmental legislation in the Philippines. The law was crafted in response to the looming
garbage problems in the country. The Act provides for a comprehensive ecological solid waste
management program by creating the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives,
appropriating funds, declaring certain acts prohibited, and providing penalties.

RA 9003 declares the policy of the state in adopting a systematic, comprehensive and
ecological solid waste management program that ensures the protection of public health and the
environment and the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of
solid waste through the formulation and adoption of best environmental practices. Moreover, it
illustrates the potentials and benefits of recycling not only in addressing waste management
problems but also in alleviating poverty.
Institutional Mechanism
 National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC)
The Commission shall serve as the coordinating body and likewise develop
and implement the National Solid Waste Management Framework.

 Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB)

The SWMB is directed to formulate a 10-year local Ecological Solid Waste
Management Plans instituting an effective and sustainable solid waste management
plan with primary emphasis on implementation of all feasible re-use, recycling and
composting programs

Comprehensive Solid Waste Management

 Waste Characterization and Segregation.
Segregation labeled as “compostable”, “non-recyclable”, “recyclable” or
“special waste”.

 Source Reduction.
This refers to the methods by which the LGUs can reduce a sufficient amount
of solid waste disposed within five (5) years by means of recycling, recovery and
others.

 Collection and Transport of Solid Waste.

The plan shall define and identify specific strategies and activities of the
LGUs in response to their solid waste management.
 Solid Waste and Solid Waste Disposal 11

 Recycling Program.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in coordination with other
concerned agencies, will provide a proposal to stimulate demand for the production
of recycled materials and products.
LGUs are mandated to establish Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in each
barangay or cluster of barangays designed to receive, sort, process and store
compostable and recyclable materials efficiently.

 Composting.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) shall publish an inventory of existing
markets and demands for composts that is updated annually.

IMPORTANCE OF PROPER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste is not something that should be discarded or disposed of with no regard for future
use. It can be a valuable resource if addressed correctly, through policy and practice. With rational
and consistent waste management practices there is an opportunity to reap a range of benefits.
Those benefits include:

 Economic
Improving economic efficiency through the means of resource use, treatment and
disposal and creating markets for recycles can lead to efficient practices in the production
and consumption of products and materials resulting in valuable materials being recovered
for reuse and the potential for new jobs and new business opportunities.

 Social
By reducing adverse impacts on health by proper waste management practices, the
resulting consequences are more appealing settlements. Better social advantages can lead
to new sources of employment and potentially lifting communities out of poverty especially
in some of the developing poorer countries and cities.

 Environmental
Reducing or eliminating adverse impacts on the environmental through reducing,
reusing and recycling, and minimizing resource extraction can provide improved air and
water quality and help in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

 Inter-generational Equity
Following effective waste management practices can provide subsequent
generations a more robust economy, a fairer and more inclusive society and a cleaner
environment.
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SOURCES

http://www.fullcycle.co.za/index.php/what-is-waste-and-why-is-it-a-problem.html

http://www.eschooltoday.com/waste-recycling/types-of-waste.html

http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/upgrading/issues-tools/issues/waste-collection.html

http://smartranger.net/index.cfm?&menuid=69&parentid=3

http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8732.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_disposal_unit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_vacuum_collection

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_truck#Types_of_waste_collection_vehicle

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/waste-management-and-waste-disposal-
methods.php