SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (Unit 3)

March 20, 2020

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Solid Waste Management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics

Source of Solid Wastes:

Residential waste - Food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, leather, yard wastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes, special wastes (e.g., bulky items, consumer electronics, white goods, batteries, oil, tires), and household hazardous wastes.).
Industrial waste - packaging, food wastes, construction and demolition materials, hazardous wastes, ashes, special wastes.
Commercial - Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, food wastes, glass, metals, special wastes, hazardous wastes.
Institutional - Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, food wastes, glass, metals, special wastes, hazardous wastes.
Construction and demolition - Wood, steel, concrete, dirt, etc.
Municipal services - Street sweepings; landscape and tree trimmings; general wastes from parks, beaches, and other recreational areas; sludge.
Process (manufacturing, etc.) - Industrial process wastes, scrap materials, off-specification products, slay, tailings.
Agriculture - Spoiled food wastes, agricultural wastes, hazardous wastes (e.g., pesticides).

Effects of Solid Wastes

The group at risk from the unscientific disposal of solid waste include – the population in areas where there is no proper waste disposal method, especially the pre-school children; waste workers; and workers in facilities producing toxic and infectious material.

Exposure to hazardous waste can affect human health, children being more vulnerable to these pollutants. In fact, direct exposure can lead to diseases through chemical exposure as the release of chemical waste into the environment leads to chemical poisoning. Many studies have been carried out in various parts of the world to establish a connection between health and hazardous waste.
Waste from agriculture and industries can also cause serious health risks. Uncollected solid waste can also obstruct storm water runoff, resulting in the forming of stagnant water bodies that become the breeding ground of disease. Waste dumped near a water source also causes contamination of the water body or the ground water source. Direct dumping of untreated waste in rivers, seas, and lakes results in the accumulation of toxic substances in the food chain through the plants and animals that feed on it.
Disposal of hospital and other medical waste requires special attention since this can create major health hazards. This waste generated from the hospitals, health care centers, medical laboratories, and research centers such as discarded syringe needles, bandages, swabs, plasters, and other types of infectious waste are often disposed with the regular non-infectious waste.
Waste treatment and disposal sites can also create health hazards for the neighborhood. Improperly operated incineration plants cause air pollution and improperly managed and designed landfills attract all types of insects and rodents that spread disease. Ideally these sites should be located at a safe distance from all human settlement. Landfill sites should be well lined and walled to ensure that there is no leakage into the nearby ground water sources.
Recycling too carries health risks if proper precautions are not taken. Workers working with waste containing chemical and metals may experience toxic exposure. Disposal of health-care wastes require special attention since it can create major health hazards, such as Hepatitis B and C, through wounds caused by discarded syringes. Rag pickers and others, who are involved in scavenging in the waste dumps for items that can be recycled, may sustain injuries and come into direct contact with these infectious items.

Control measures of Urban and Industrial Waste

Urban Waste

Solid wastes, namely tins, bottles, buckets or any other waste material scattered around houses, should be removed and buried in landfills.
Organizing house to house collection of municipal solid wastes through any of the methods like bell ringing of musical vehicle.
Devising collection of waste from slums and squatter areas or localities including hotels, restaurants, office complexes and commercial areas.
Wastes from slaughter houses, meat and fish markets, fruits and vegetable markets, which are biodegradable in nature, be managed to make use of such wastes.
Biomedical wastes and industrial wastes shall not be mixed with municipal solid wastes as some biomedical wastes are extremely hazardous in nature (used needles).
Collected waste from residential areas shall be transferred by small vehicles periodically.
Horticultural and construction or demolition wastes or debris shall be separately collected. Wastes generated at dairies shall be regulated efficiently.
Waste (garbage, dry leaves) shall not be burnt, but treated for manufacturing natural manures.
Stray animals not be allowed to move around waste.

Industrial Waste

Industrial waste management has a lot of concern. It involves the collection, transport, processing, recycling and/or disposal of waste materials.
If it's left unattended it can be hazardous to life of human beings. So, care should be taken to dispose industrial waste properly.
Landfills and Incineration are the two types of disposal methods used.
Usually, in case of landfills, objects are buried into the land. It should be carried out well. It is said to be hygienic and involves less cost. But, the hygiene depends on how well it is buried in the land. However, it can be dangerous; to bury carbon di-oxide and other gaseous material in case it breaks down.
Incineration is the combustion of waste materials. Waste material is heated up and is then converted into gas, heat or ash. Medical waste of hospitals is usually treated with incineration. This is serious concern with environmentalists as with incineration, there is an emission of gaseous items.
Industrial waste can also be treated with recycling. Recycling is reuse of your old items or waste. Instead of disposing them, burying or incinerating, it is reused by creating a new product out of the old plastic item.
These methods can be used safely and produces no harmful gas, or does not affect the environment.

Integrated Waste Management System

Integrated waste management is a system of waste disposal that includes separating materials according to type, and finding the best used for discarded products, which may or may not include depositing in a landfill.

In most cases, the integrated waste management system will largely depend on the consumers themselves to separate the waste. Those not doing so may be subject to civil or minor criminal penalties. The city or county involved in the program will usually provide the designated receptacles, or at least inform residents where those receptacles can be bought. At that point, it is up to the resident to make sure things are in the proper location. In most cases, participation in the program is mandatory.

Once the waste is at the proper location, workers trained to handle each particular type of waste will then further sort it, and perhaps begin the recycling process. After the waste is sorted, if it is not recycled on site, it may be transported to a recycling location, or may go to a transfer facility. This facility will act as a clearinghouse for waste materials, and will be a busy point in the integrated waste management system.

The benefits of the integrated waste management system are that those picking up the materials should know what they are picking up, if the consumer is in compliance with the rules. This not only helps sort things so that all discarded materials are not going to the landfill, it also helps keep the workers safe. Communities that do not have this system may find that everything is discarded into the same trash bags, including bio-hazardus materials.

Waste Reuse and Recycling

To have “zero waste”, one has to start by beginning to use less.
One has to cut down on using things which are disposable.
Using less will cut down dramatically on the waste you produce
Re-using waste means finding a way to get the most use out of an item, even if we no longer want or need it, or after its original use has been fulfilled.
The concept of “recycling” although has gained rapid momentum as compared to the “reuse” concept.
Although recycling is extremely important, it’s better to re-use something as much as possible before sending it for recycling
Reduce, re-use and recycle are said to be the “Three R’s” of effective waste management.
Re-using items for as long as possible is a green choice
Even recycling takes up energy and resources. By re-using something as much as we can means that goods are only recycled when they can be used no longer.
Re-using an item, whether for its original purpose or a new purpose, is a green alternative to buying a new one. If more people adopt the practice we will use far less resources, energy and materials.
Re-using and recycling keeps waste out of landfill.
Landfills occupy a lot of space plus Landfill waste sites also give off environmentally harmful emissions.
Reducing and re-using waste can have important financial benefits for both businesses and households.
It also creates a brand image of the organization involved in these processes.
Re-using also includes getting things second-hand. Second-hand items are almost always cheaper than brand new ones and often work just as well. Thus re-using is extremely cost-effective.
Re-using also has social benefits.
Re-using waste has the feel-good factor of knowing you are doing your bit for the environment and for your pocket.
Waste recycling involves the collection of waste materials and the separation and clean-up of those materials.
Recycling waste means that fewer new products and consumables need to be produced, saving raw materials and reducing energy consumption.

Management of Hazardous Waste

A hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. Following fall under the category of hazardous waste:

ü ignitability (i.e., flammable)

ü reactivity

ü corrosiveness and toxicity

Managing Hazardous waste

Recycling

· Many HWs can be recycled into new products.

· An example is the ash generated by coal-fire power plants.

· These plants produced two types of these residues: fly and bottom ash

· Fly ash particles have a low density, are very fine, and are removed by air pollution control devices.

· After Bottom ash goes though the proper treatment, they could be used as pavement filling.

Neutralization

· Some HW can be processed so that the hazardous component of the waste is eliminated. making it a non-hazardous waste

Incineration, destruction and waste-to-energy

· A HW may be "destroyed" for example by incinerating it at a high temperature.

· Flammable wastes can sometimes be burned as energy sources. For example many cement kilns burn HWs like used oils or solvents.

Hazardous waste landfill (sequestering, isolation, etc)

· In terms of hazardous waste, a landfill is defined as a disposal facility or part of a facility where hazardous waste is placed.

· A land treatment facility, a surface impoundment, an underground injection well, a salt dome formation, an underground mine, a cave, or a corrective action management unit.

Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP)

The Ministry of India has undertaken a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for enabling the Small Scale Industries (SSI) to set-up Common Effluent Treatment Plants in the country for installation of pollution control equipment for treatment of effluent.

The SSI’s are polluting the environment through their effluents but some of them are unable to afford installation of pollution control equipment. In order to encourage the use of new technology for CETP’s, for the existing SSI cluster of units, a scheme of financial assistance has also been formulated.

Role of an individual in prevention of pollution

ü Pollution prevention efforts on an individual level are just as important as business contributions.

ü A substantial portion of the environmental pollution people experience every day originates from small-scale sources that can add up quickly, such as automobile exhaust, the electricity used for home heating and lighting, the common household chemicals etc.

ü Applying pollution prevention methods around the house can substantially reduce utility bills, create a healthier home setting, improve the quality of the yard and other surroundings, and potentially increase the value of the home.

ü While building a new house or remodeling their current home people can incorporate pollution prevention measures in both the design of the home and the selection of the materials used in the job.

ü Contractors can provide either recycled building supplies or safer, healthier insulation materials.

ü Ventilation specialists can offer options that can improve energy efficiency and reduce indoor air pollution.

ü When selecting electrical appliances, people can shop for devices that outline their energy consumption needs or carry a seal of approval such as “Energy Star”.

ü These selections reduce energy output and utility costs as well as cutting down on the resources needed to maintain the required electricity levels.

ü The use of paints, paint solvents and wood varnishes can produce potentially hazardous chemicals than can affect both air and water quality. Such materials should be used in well-ventilated areas as to prevent compromising indoor air quality.

ü Household chemicals such as cleaning supplies, fertilizers and pesticides should also be stored in suitable containers to prevent the emission of fumes and to stop potential leakage into the surrounding soil or groundwater.

ü One of the leading sources of individual pollution is also one of the most indispensable items in modern society: the automobile.

ü Inadequate or poorly-performed vehicle maintenance can lead to oil leaks, fuel inefficiencies and more toxic exhaust gases, each of which can be costly both to the environment and to the car owner’s finances.

ü Some pollution prevention steps in this arena can include regular oil changes and tune-ups; tire pressure checks and proper disposal of waste fluids.

Please click on the link to refer this Presentation on Solid Waste Management PPT