BTY878

WASTE MANAGEMENT
Lecture 1
 Waste: Definitions

•Wastes’ are substances or objects which are disposed of or are intended to

be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by the provisions of national
law (Article 5 of the Basel Convention )
•‘Wastes’ are substances or objects, other than radioactive materials covered
by other international agreements, which: i) are disposed of or are being
recovered; or ii) are intended to be disposed of or recovered; or iii) are
required, by the provisions of national law, to be disposed of or recovered
(OECD)
•‘Waste’ means any substance or object which the holder discards or intends
or is required to discard.(Waste Framework Directive)
Basel convention - International treaty to prevent transfer of hazardous
waste from developed to less

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of

Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel
Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the
movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to
prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed
countries (LDCs).

OECD - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) is a European Union
Directive of 17 June 2008. The first Waste Framework Directive
dates back to 1975 and was substantially amended in 1991 and
2006 .
 Types of Wastes
• Solid wastes: wastes in solid forms, domestic, commercial and industrial
wastes. Examples: plastics , bottles, cans, papers, scrap iron, and other
trash
• Liquid Wastes: wastes in liquid form Examples: domestic washings,
chemicals, oils, waste water from ponds, manufacturing industries and
other sources.
• Bio-degradable :can be degraded (paper, wood, fruits and others)
• Non-biodegradable :cannot be degraded (plastics, bottles, old machines,
cans, Styrofoam containers and others)
• Hazardous wastes: Substances unsafe to use commercially, industrially,
agriculturally, or economically and have any of the following properties-
ignitability, corrosively, reactivity & toxicity.
• Non-hazardous : Substances safe to use commercially, industrially,
agriculturally, or economically and do not have any of those properties
mentioned above. These substances usually create disposal problems.
Basel convention relates to control on transboundary movements of
A.Transgenic plants
B.Hazardous wastes
C.Banned drugs
 Solid Waste
• The organic and inorganic waste materials such as product packaging,
grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, kitchen refuse,   paper,
appliances, paint cans, batteries, etc., produced in a society, which    do
not generally carry any value to the first user(s)

• A heterogeneous mass of wastes from the urban community as well as a

more homogeneous accumulation of agricultural, industrial and mineral
wastes

• have little or no value in one setting, waste may gain significant value in
another setting
 Solid Waste
Solid waste refers to non-soluble material such as
– agricultural refuse,
– industrial waste,
– mining residues,
– demolition waste,
– municipal garbage
– sewage sludge

Most of these kind of wastes cannot be recycled or

rehabilitated for further use.
 Source-Based Classification of Waste
Residential: This refers to wastes from dwellings, apartments, etc., and
consists of leftover food, vegetable peels, plastic, clothes, ashes, etc.

Commercial: This refers to wastes consisting of leftover food, glasses, metals,

ashes, etc., generated from stores, restaurants, markets, hotels, motels,
auto-repair shops, medical facilities, etc.

Institutional: This mainly consists of paper, plastic, glasses, etc., generated

from educational, administrative and public buildings such as schools,
colleges, offices, prisons, etc.
 Source-Based Classification of Waste
Municipal: This includes dust, leafy matter, building debris, treatment plant
residual sludge, etc., generated from various municipal activities like
construction and demolition, street cleaning, landscaping, etc.

Industrial: This mainly consists of process wastes, ashes, demolition and

construction wastes, hazardous wastes, etc., due to industrial activities.

Agricultural: This mainly consists of spoiled food grains and vegetables,

agricultural remains, litter, etc., generated from fields, orchards, vineyards,
farms, etc.

Open areas: This includes wastes from areas such as Streets, alleys, parks,
vacant lots, playgrounds, beaches, highways, recreational areas, etc.
OECD stands for
A.Organization for economic cooperation and development
B.Organization for essential consumers devices
C.Office of economic cooperation and development
D.Office of European cooperation and development
 Type-Based Classification
• Garbage: animal and vegetable wastes resulting from any operation with
food. Garbage comprising rotting organic matter, which produces an
obnoxious odour and attracts rats and other vermin. It requires special
attention in storage, handling and disposal.

• Ashes and residues: substances remaining from the burning of

combustible materials. They can be classified as industrial wastes if they
are produced in large quantities, as in power-generation plants and
factories. Ashes consist of fine powdery residue, cinders and clinker often
mixed with small pieces of metal and glass. Since ashes and residues are
almost entirely inorganic, they are valuable in landfills.
 Type-Based Classification
• Combustible and non-combustible wastes: exclude rotting material.
Typically, while combustible material consists of paper, cardboard, textile,
etc., non-combustible material consists of such items as glass, crockery,
tin and aluminium cans, ferrous and non-ferrous material and dirt.

• Bulky wastes: large household appliances; cannot be accommodated in

normal storage containers, require a special collection mechanism.

• Street wastes: waste, collected from streets. Littering in public places is a

widespread and acute problem.
 Type-Based Classification
• Biodegradable waste mainly refers to substances consisting of organic
matter, generated from various household and industrial activities.
Because of the action of micro-organisms, these wastes are degraded
from complex to simpler compounds.

• Non-biodegradable waste consists of inorganic and recyclable materials.

• Dead animals: those that die naturally or are accidentally killed on the
road; does not include waste from slaughter-houses, which are regarded
as industrial wastes. There are two groups - large and small. Large animals
require special equipment for lifting and handling. If not collected
promptly, dead animals pose a threat to public health.
 Type-Based Classification
• Abandoned vehicles: vehicles, abandoned in the public places; have
significant scrap value for their metal.

• Construction and demolition waste: wastes generated as a result of

operations with buildings; consist mainly of earth, constructing materials,
heating systems and electrical wires and parts of the general municipal
waste stream.

• Farm Waste: result from diverse agricultural activities.

• Sewage  waste: solid by-products of sewage treatment; mostly organic

and derived from the treatment of organic sludge separated from both
raw and treated sewages.
 Type-Based Classification
• Hazardous waste: waste of any origin that is potentially dangerous either
immediately or over a period of time to human beings and the
environment; requires special handling
Waste Composition
 Municipal Solid Waste
Refuse (municipal solid waste)
- All non-hazardous solid waste from a community
- Requires collection and transport to a processing or disposal site
- Ordinary refuse: garbage + rubbish
Garbage
- Highly decomposable food waste Vegetable + meat
Rubbish
- Glass, rubber, tin cans Slowly decomposable or combustible material –
paper, textile, wood
Trash
- Bulky waste material that requires special handling Mattress, TV,
refrigerator Collected separately
Plastics contribute around how much of total waste?
A.7 %
B.12%
C.28%
D.50%
The composition of Municipal Solid
Waste (MSW) in India
 Solid Waste Management
Based on knowledge of
•the sources of solid waste
•types of solid waste
•information on composition
•rate at which wastes are generated/ disposed

This information is essential for the design and

operation of the functional elements of SWM
 Solid Waste Management System
• A SWM system refers to a combination of various functional
elements associated with the management of solid wastes.
• The system facilitates the collection and disposal of solid
wastes in the community at minimal costs, while preserving
public health and ensuring little or minimal adverse impact
on the environment

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 Solid Waste Management System
The functional elements that constitute the system are:
Waste generation:
•Wastes are generated at the start of any process, and at every
stage as raw materials are converted into goods for consumption.
•The most important  aspect of this part of the SWM system is the
identification of waste.
Waste storage: Storage is a key functional element because
collection of wastes never takes place at the source or at the time
of their generation.
•The heterogeneous wastes generated in residential areas
•Onsite storage is of primary importance due to aesthetic
consideration, public health and economics involved.
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 Solid Waste Management System
Waste collection: This includes gathering of waste and hauling them to the
location, where the collection vehicle is emptied, which may be a transfer station
(i.e., intermediate station where waste from smaller vehicles are transferred to
larger ones and also segregated), a processing plant or a disposal site.
•Collection is provided under various management arrangements, ranging from
municipal services to franchised services, and under various forms of contracts.

Transfer and transport: This functional element involves: 

•The transfer of waste from smaller collection vehicles, where necessary to
overcome the problem of narrow access lanes, to larger ones at transfer stations.
• The subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to disposal
sites.

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 Solid Waste Management System
Transfer Station: the factors, contributing to the designing of a
transfer station include the type of transfer operations, capacity,
equipment, accessories  and environmental requirements.

Processing: Processing is required to alter the physical and

chemical characteristics of wastes for energy and resource recovery
and recycling.
The important processing techniques include compaction, thermal
volume reduction, manual separation of waste components,
incineration and composting.

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•Waste compaction is the process of compacting waste, reducing it in size.
Garbage compactors and waste collection vehicles compress waste so that
more of it can be stored in the same space. Waste is compacted again, more
thoroughly, at the landfill to conserve valuable airspace and to extend the
landfill's life span.

•Thermal Volume Reduction: The volume of municipal wastes can be

reduced by more than 90% by incineration. In the past, incineration was quite
common. However with more restrictive air pollution control requirements
necessitating the use of expensive cleanup equipment only a limited number
of municipal incinerators are currently in operation.
Incineration can reduce the volume of solid wastes by

A.50%
B.70%
C.90%
D.100%
 Solid Waste Management System
Recovery and recycling: This includes various techniques,
equipment and facilities used to improve both the efficiency of
disposal system and recovery of usable material and energy.
Recovery involves the separation of valuable resources from the
mixed solid waste, delivered at transfer stations or processing
plants.
It also involves size reduction and density separation by air
classifier, magnetic device for iron and screens for glass.
Certain recovered materials can be recycled as they have economic
value.

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 Solid Waste Management System
Waste disposal: planning is a primary determinant in the
selection and design of landfill operations.
A modern sanitary landfill is a method of disposing solid
waste without creating a nuisance and hazard to public
health.
Engineering principles are followed to confine the waste to
the smallest possible area, reduce them to the lowest particle
volume by compaction at the site and reduce exposure to
vermin.

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Factors Affecting SWM System
• Quantities of waste
• Characteristics of waste
• Climate and seasonal variations
• Financial and foreign exchange constraints
• Cultural constraints
• Management and technical resources

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 Waste Management & Economic
Growth
• Decrease of land rents and land values
• Burning of waste, emission of bad odour and contamination
of natural habitat. Agriculture lands are vacated due to water
contamination and ash emission from burning
• Example : Mavallipura Case
Mavallipura village
 CASE OF MAVALLIPURA LANDFILLS
• The Mavallipura landfills are merely 2.5 km away
from the flow of River Arkavathi and
comprehensively violate an order of the Karnataka
Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment
that protects the 1453 sq km watershed of
Tippagondanahalli Reservoir across Arkavathi
• Arkavathi - a major drinking water source for Mavallipura site location
Bangalore .
• landfills is that they are located merely 5.6 kms
from the critical defense facility Yelahanka Air
Force Base

Pond near landfill site,

Mavallipuram

Unsegregated waste in
Mavallipuram
 ISSUES IN MAVALLIPURA LANDFILL
•
SITE
With water contamination widespread, diarrhea is very common. This has
resulted in people becoming increasingly vulnerable to a variety of
infections and children appear generally malnourished.
• The most alarming indicator of the high rate of human toxicity is that the
village has discovered a sudden spike in the rate of cancers, kidney failures
and heart diseases.
• The results showed that the highest metal concentration that exists in the
Leachate was Iron which is about of 12 ppm.
• Contamination of the soil and water resulting in failed crops, such that
many of the farmers in the village are turning to alternate means of
livelihood like brick making.
NO FENCING: Landfill site shall be fenced or hedged and provided with proper
gate to monitor incoming vehicles or other modes of transportation
NO PROPER TREATMENT: leachates collection and treatment shall be made.
RUN-OFF FROM SITE: Prevention of run-off from landfill area entering any
stream, river, lake or pond.
Mavallipura found iron toxicity of
A.2 ppm
B.10 ppm
C.12 ppm
D.20ppm
Unsegregated waste in Mavallipura A trench was dug from landfill to a
near-by water body to drain the toxic

Waste covered with tarpaulin sheets Leachate run off heads straight towards
 Impacts on Health and
Environment
• Organic domestic waste pose a serious threat to the society as they
ferment, creating conditions favorable to the survival of microbial
pathogens.

• Direct exposure to hazardous waste affects the human health, children

being more vulnerable to these pollutants.

• Co-disposal of industrial hazardous waste with municipal waste can

expose people to chemical hazards.

• Direct dumping of untreated waste in the rivers, lakes and sea affects the
food chain due to the extinction of certain species.
 Case of JAWAHAR NAGAR-
•
Dumping Yard
Location: Jawahar Nagar is located in Shamirpet mandal , Rangareddy District , which
is 30kms from the GHMC, Telangana
• Area: 339 acres.
• Year of Establishment : 2002
• Estimated Life Span remaining : 15 years
• Mode of operation : Public Private Partnership (GHMC & REEL). Ramky Enviro
Engineers (REEL) Limited.
• Amount of waste Disposed daily: 3450 tonnes/day
• Area occupied by waste at present : 182acres
• No. of intermediate transfer stations: 3 – Imlibun , Yousufguda , Tank bund
• Disposal Method: Scientific disposal – processing & disposal
• Total workers: 490 ; medical precautions : Masks , Shoes , spectacles , safety jackets.
• Treatment : Aerobic Decomposition of waste
• Frequency : Daily
 ISSUES
• LOCATION
• Dumping yard is at higher elevation from residential area
• WIND DIRECTION & PUBLIC HEALTH
• Direction of wind from land fill site is towards south west direction which is
on the side of residential area which is negative impact on public health, this
direction of wind helps harmful air pollutants released from site to easily
move to wards settlement's which creates major effects on public health .
Direction of wind in site area acts as driver which eases flow of pollutants
towards residential area.
• The smoke and the dusty fog blows in the direction of the residential area.
• The soil pollution is making the area in to barren lands.
• The lakes surrounding the study area are highly polluted due to dump yard.
• BAD ODOUR
• Bad Smell from the dumping yard comes to around 2 KM radius.
 ISSUES
GROUNDWATER AND SURFACEWATER CONTAMINATION
•In rainy season water & waste from dump yard flow towards settlements
and ground water gets
•contaminated in surrounding area due to Leachate in dump yard

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS – AIR POLLUTION

•Fires and explosions occur at waste treatment facilities because of improper
storage or handling of materials. Large amount of heat is generated in wasted
dumped which results in sudden explosion and also leading to air pollution in
that area