Municipal solid waste disposal in Portugal

In recent years municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal has been one of the most important environmental problems for all of the Portuguese regions. The basic principles of MSW management in Portugal are: (1) prevention or reduction, (2) reuse, (3) recovery (e.g., recycling, incineration with heat recovery), and (4) polluter-pay principle. A brief history of legislative trends in waste management is provided herein as background for current waste management and recycling activities. The paper also presents and discusses the municipal solid waste management in Portugal and is based primarily on a national inquiry carried out in 2003 and directed to the MSW management entities. Additionally, the MSW responsibility and management structure in Portugal is presented, together with the present situation of production, collection, recycling, treatment and elimination of MSW. Results showed that 96% of MSW was collected mixed (4% was separately collected) and that 68% was disposed of in landfill, 21% was incinerated at waste-to-energy plants, 8% was treated at organic waste recovery plants and 3% was delivered to sorting. The average generation rate of MSW was 1.32 kg/capita/day.     

Life cycle assessment of solid waste management options for Eskisehir, Turkey

Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used to determine the optimum municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategy for Eskisehir city. Eskisehir is one of the developing cities of Turkey where a total of approximately 750tons/day of waste is generated. An effective MSW management system is needed in this city since the generated MSW is dumped in an unregulated dumping site that has no liner, no biogas capture, etc. Therefore, five different scenarios were developed as alternatives to the current waste management system. Collection and transportation of waste, a material recovery facility (MRF), recycling, composting, incineration and landfilling processes were considered in these scenarios. SimaPro7 libraries were used to obtain background data for the life cycle inventory. One ton of municipal solid waste of Eskisehir was selected as the functional unit. The alternative scenarios were compared through the CML 2000 method and these comparisons were carried out from the abiotic depletion, global warming, human toxicity, acidification, eutrophication and photochemical ozone depletion points of view. According to the comparisons and sensitivity analysis, composting scenario, S3, is the more environmentally preferable alternative. In this study waste management alternatives were investigated only on an environmental point of view. For that reason, it might be supported with other decision-making tools that consider the economic and social effects of solid waste management.     

An overview of municipal solid waste management in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China

Rapid industrialization and urbanization in developing countries have created serious problems in municipal solid waste (MSW) management. New case studies can shed light on these problems and point the way to potential solutions for improving the overall eco-efficiency of MSW management. This paper employs a case study approach, analyzing MSW management in Inner Mongolia. This study encompasses all aspects of MSW management, including collection, separation, recycling, and disposal. Problems and challenges are identified through our analysis, and recommendations are raised by considering the local realities. Our main findings are: (1) while large cities have already established a solid foundation for MSW management, small- and medium-sized cities deserve more attention; (2) MSW in rural areas is even worse than urban areas; (3) enforcement of MSW regulations is ineffective and needs improvement; (4) lack of funds, R&D efforts and advanced technologies have impeded sustainable MSW management; (5) lack of coordination and communication among different stakeholders further damages the efforts for improvement of MSW management. Therefore, integrated efforts that combine the above concerns should be initiated so that the overall effectiveness and efficiency of MSW management can be improved.     

Research on solid waste management system: to improve existing situation in Corlu Town of Turkey

Over the past decades, uncontrolled population growth and rapid urbanization and industrialization have resulted in environmental problems in Corlu Town, Turkey. One of the most important problems is solid waste due to inadequate management practices. Nowadays, increasing public awareness of the environment compels local authorities to define and to adopt new solutions for waste management. This paper presents a general overview of current solid waste management practices in Corlu Town and principles of the recommended municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. In Corlu, 170 tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated each day, or 1.150 kg per capita per day. Approximately one-half of the municipal solid waste generated is organic material and 30% of the MSW consists of recyclable materials. The recommended system deals with maximizing recycling and minimizing landfilling of municipal solid waste, and consists of separation at source, collection, sorting, recycling, composting and sanitary landfilling. This study also analyzed the recommended system with respect to feasibility and economics. To evaluate whether the suggested system is cost effective or not, the operating cost of the recommended system and market prices of recyclable materials were compared, and the results show that the recommended system will reduce required landfill volume up to 27% of compared to the present situation. The profit of the recommended system is estimated to be about 80 million US dollars.     

Municipal solid-waste management in Istanbul

Istanbul, with a population of around 13 million people, is located between Europe and Asia and is the biggest city in Turkey. Metropolitan Istanbul produces about 14,000 tons of solid waste per day. The aim of this study was to assess the situation of municipal solid-waste (MSW) management in Istanbul. This was achieved by reviewing the quantity and composition of waste produced in Istanbul. Current requirements and challenges in relation to the optimization of Istanbul’s MSW collection and management system are also discussed, and several suggestions for solving the problems identified are presented. The recovery of solid waste from the landfills, as well as the amounts of landfill-generated biogas and electricity, were evaluated. In recent years, MSW management in Istanbul has improved because of strong governance and institutional involvement. However, efforts directed toward applied research are still required to enable better waste management. These efforts will greatly support decision making on the part of municipal authorities. There remains a great need to reduce the volume of MSW in Istanbul.     

Recovery and recycling practices in municipal solid waste management in Lagos, Nigeria

The population of Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria, increased seven times from 1950 to 1980 with a current population of over 10 million inhabitants. The majority of the city's residents are poor. The residents make a heavy demand on resources and, at the same time, generate large quantities of solid waste. Approximately 4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated annually in the city, including approximately 0.5 million of untreated industrial waste. This is approximately 1.1 kg/cap/day. Efforts by the various waste management agencies set up by the state government to keep its streets and neighborhoods clean have achieved only minimal success. This is because more than half of these wastes are left uncollected from the streets and the various locations due to the inadequacy and inefficiency of the waste management system. Whilst the benefits of proper solid waste management (SWM), such as increased revenues for municipal bodies, higher productivity rate, improved sanitation standards and better health conditions, cannot be overemphasized, it is important that there is a reduction in the quantity of recoverable materials in residential and commercial waste streams to minimize the problem of MSW disposal. This paper examines the status of recovery and recycling in current waste management practice in Lagos, Nigeria. Existing recovery and recycling patterns, recovery and recycling technologies, approaches to materials recycling, and the types of materials recovered from MSW are reviewed. Based on these, strategies for improving recovery and recycling practices in the management of MSW in Lagos, Nigeria are suggested.     

Recent trends in recycling activities and waste management in Japan

Japan's basic approach to municipal solid waste (MSW) is (1) waste reduction, (2) promotion of recycling, (3) volume reduction by intermediate treatment, and (4) environmentally sound final disposal. A brief history of legislative trends in waste management is given as background for current waste management and recycling activities. The material recovery rate for MSW collected by local municipalities was only 5.6% in 1996. More than half of MSW, on a volume basis, consists of containers and packages, while great amounts of landfill space are also taken up by bulky wastes such as electric appliances. Therefore, in order to promote recycling and decrease landfill waste, Japan is targeting containers, packages, and electric appliances. A law promoting separate collection and recycling of containers and packages (Packaging Waste Recycling Law) and a law requiring the recycling of specific home electric appliances into new products (Home Electric Appliance Recycling Law) were introduced in June 1995 and June 1998, respectively. These laws are in line with the OECD policy Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Received: September 16, 1998 / Accepted: March 10, 1999     

The current municipal solid waste management situation in Tibet

The Tibetan Plateau has an average altitude of more than 4,000 m. The total area of Tibetan Plateau is 2,400,000 km2, which occupies 25% of the area of China. Due to the high altitude, the environment has low atmospheric pressure, low oxygen content, and low temperature, and is also fragile. Investigations concerning MSW generation and characteristics, MSW management, collection and transportation, and treatment and disposal of MSW covered four representative cities, including the urban areas of Lhasa city, Shigatse, Nedong of Lhoka and Bayi of Nyingtri. The results show that MSW generation in the urban areas of Lhasa city and Tibet were 450 t/d and 3,597 t/d, respectively, in 2006. However, accelerated economic development and flourishing tourism caused by the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) have greatly increased solid waste generation to a new high. It is predicted that MSW generation in Tibet will reach 4,026 t/d in 2010 and 4,942 t/d in 2020. MSW management and disposal lag behind MSW generation due to a number of factors such as equipment shortage, insufficient maintenance, exhaustion of waste treatment capacity and low recycling efficiency. Still, MSW in most areas is dumped in the open with no controls. Because no appropriate collection and treatment systems for leachate and landfill gas exist, untreated leachate is discharged directly into the environment, causing serious secondary pollution. Some suggestions on improving the MSW management system are presented in this paper.     

Evaluation of municipal solid waste flow in the Bandung metropolitan area, Indonesia

This article covers partial results for research which was carried out to determine the effectiveness of municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling in Bandung metropolitan urban areas. It focuses on the results of waste flow analysis as basic information in developing better MSW management systems, especially in applying the reduce, reuse, recycle (3Rs) concept. The dependence upon final disposal sites in MSW management and the difficulties in finding disposal sites have resulted in interest in the 3Rs concept. In this research, the determination of waste compositions and the potential of recycling were evaluated based on data from interviews with householders, members of the nonhousehold sector, and recycling actors and on measurement. The informal sector activities observed were mainly from handcart crews, mobile scavengers, transfer point scavengers, final disposal scavengers, waste traders, and recycling business people at several locations in Bandung and Cimahi cities. The estimated waste recycling and composting by stakeholders has not yet achieved 10% (wet weight) of the total waste generated. As in other major cities in developing countries, the informal sectors hold an important role in the recovery of usable materials from waste. However, inorganic waste recycling activities from this sector have not even reached 8% (wet weight) of the total waste generated.     

Change in MSW characteristics under recent management strategies in Taiwan

Reduction and recycling initiatives such as producer responsibility and pay-as-you-throw are being implemented in Taiwan. This paper presents a study assessing the impact of recently implemented municipal solid waste (MSW) reduction and recycling management strategies on the characteristics of waste feedstock for incineration in Taiwan. Through the periodic sampling of two typical MSW incineration plants, proximate and ultimate analyses were conducted according to standard methods to explore the influence of MSW reduction and recycling management strategies on incineration feed waste characteristics. It was observed that the annual amount of MSW generated in 2005 decreased by about 10% compared to 2003 and that the characteristics of MSW have changed significantly due to recent management strategies. The heating value of the MSW generated in Taiwan increased yearly by about 5% after program implementation. A comparison of the monthly variations in chemical concentrations indicated that the chlorine content in MSW has changed. This change results from usage reduction of PVC plastic due to the recycling fund management (RFM) program, and the food waste as well as salt content reduction due to the total recycling for kitchen garbage program. This achievement will improve the reduction of dioxin emissions from MSW incineration. In summary, management strategies must be conducted in tandem with the global trend to achieve a zero-waste-discharge country. When implementing these strategies and planning for future MSW management systems, it is important to consider the changes that may occur in the composition and characteristics of MSW over time.     

Household waste disposal in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia

In many cities of developing countries, such as Mekelle (Ethiopia), waste management is poor and solid wastes are dumped along roadsides and into open areas, endangering health and attracting vermin. The effects of demographic factors, economic and social status, waste and environmental attributes on household solid waste disposal are investigated using data from household survey. Household level data are then analyzed using multinomial logit estimation to determine the factors that affect household waste disposal decision making. Results show that demographic features such as age, education and household size have an insignificant impact over the choice of alternative waste disposal means, whereas the supply of waste facilities significantly affects waste disposal choice. Inadequate supply of waste containers and longer distance to these containers increase the probability of waste dumping in open areas and roadsides relative to the use of communal containers. Higher household income decreases the probability of using open areas and roadsides as waste destinations relative to communal containers. Measures to make the process of waste disposal less costly and ensuring well functioning institutional waste management would improve proper waste disposal.     

Comparison of old and new municipal solid waste management systems in Denizli, Turkey

Rapid economic growth, increasing population and change in living standards contribute to increasing the generation rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Denizli city, like other Turkish cities. The improper and poor MSW management system (old system) in Denizli caused environmental problems originating from the uncontrolled release of methane and leachate. In addition, the disposal of recyclable materials in unsanitary landfills is responsible for the consumption and destruction of natural sources. This paper presents a general overview of old and new MSW management practices in Denizli. Detailed data on MSW management practices including collection, transportation, disposal and recycling have been presented. The amount of solid waste generated in Denizli over the last decade has increased steadily over the years, from 108,500 tons in 1995 to 179,495 tons in 2006. The average MSW generation rate was found to be 1.23kg/day per capita. The major constituent of MSW in Denizli is food waste, but the percentage of recyclable waste has increased significantly recently. Except for metal wastes, the percentages of recyclable waste materials in Denizli are higher than in all neighborhood cities. The objective of this study is to compare the old and new MSW management systems in Denizli city. The MSW management system has been changed entirely last five years. A dumpsite was closed and a sanitary landfill with a composting facility was constructed. In addition, source separated collection has been carried out since 2002. The quantity of recyclable waste collected increased from 195 to 1549 tons. The amount of recyclable waste will continue to be increased by expanding the source separation collection system to all the districts of the city and preventing scavenging. Thus, revenue from recyclable waste ($7227 in 2006) is expected to increase. In addition, the capacity of the composting facility will be increased. Most importantly, information to increase public participation and awareness in municipal recovery programs has to be provided.     

Management of municipal solid waste in the Three Gorges region

As the fourth phase of the Three Gorges reservoir project commenced in 2008, the rate of water flow in the Yangtze River has obviously decelerated further downstream and water clarity within the storage facility has decreased. Meanwhile, the rate of urbanization in the region is adding to the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) being generated by every day life. The composition of the waste is becoming more diversified and complicated, thereby presenting an increasing threat to the ecological environment and water resources of the Three Gorges region. This paper is a probe into MSW in terms of its characteristics as well as methods of storage, collection, transportation, recycling, treatment and disposal, the protection of environmental ecosystems. Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is one of the major environmental problems in the Three Gorges region, and indeed the whole of China. Based on the analysis of the present situation of MSWM and its treatment/disposal, some methods of sorting, recycling, decomposing, incineration and reuse are described, sanitary landfill as the main disposal method in Chongqing city, incineration being the second. Sanitary landfill or dump was also used for MSW treatment in the Three Gorges region, and this paper also provides some suggestions for improving MSWM in the Three Gorges region.     

Application of spatial and non-spatial data analysis in determination of the factors that impact municipal solid waste generation rates in Turkey

In studies focusing on the factors that impact solid waste generation habits and rates, the potential spatial dependency in solid waste generation data is not considered in relating the waste generation rates to its determinants. In this study, spatial dependency is taken into account in determination of the significant socio-economic and climatic factors that may be of importance for the municipal solid waste (MSW) generation rates in different provinces of Turkey. Simultaneous spatial autoregression (SAR) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models are used for the spatial data analyses. Similar to ordinary least squares regression (OLSR), regression coefficients are global in SAR model. In other words, the effect of a given independent variable on a dependent variable is valid for the whole country. Unlike OLSR or SAR, GWR reveals the local impact of a given factor (or independent variable) on the waste generation rates of different provinces. Results show that provinces within closer neighborhoods have similar MSW generation rates. On the other hand, this spatial autocorrelation is not very high for the exploratory variables considered in the study. OLSR and SAR models have similar regression coefficients. GWR is useful to indicate the local determinants of MSW generation rates. GWR model can be utilized to plan waste management activities at local scale including waste minimization, collection, treatment, and disposal. At global scale, the MSW generation rates in Turkey are significantly related to unemployment rate and asphalt-paved roads ratio. Yet, significances of these variables may diminish at local scale for some provinces. At local scale, different factors may be important in affecting MSW generation rates.     

Solid waste management practices in Turkey

As an economically developing country, Turkey has very well operated integrated solid waste management applications structured on modern facilities, besides over 2,000 scattered open dump areas in the country. Integrated waste management applications seem eligible for the metropolitan cities like Istanbul and Izmit (Kocaeli). Attempts have not been encouraging for the scattered regional settlements using central storage sites due to financial shortages and received rejections from nearby settlements. Small-scale compact solid waste management systems with materials recycling and composting can be more suitable alternatives in the small-scale regional settlements. The major constituents of municipal solid waste are organic in nature and approximately a quarter of municipal solid waste is recyclable. Although paper, including cardboard, is the main constituent, the composition of recyclable waste varies strongly by the source or the type of collection point. Solid wastes need primary treatment in order to be suitable for incineration and composting. Turkey needs to give more emphasis on the usage of modern solid waste removal technologies to overcome the overgrowing solid waste disposal problems.     

The future course of solid waste management in the U.S.

It is postulated that the current “garbage crisis” is due to a shortage of disposal capacity, not to burgeoning amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW). In support of this, trends in the quantity and composition of MSW, methods of waste reduction, recycling and growth of waste-to-energy capacity are examined to gain insight as to the future course of MSW management in the U.S. over about the next 15 plus years. This is the likely time to install new disposal capacity if pending legislative proposals are passed, that would enable states that provide their own disposal to ban wastes from other states.A new term, the “intensity of waste generation”, is proposed and illustrated, analogous to the intensity of mineral usage. The intensity is decreasing, implying that it is unlikely that waste generation will grow at rates projected by extrapolation or simple macroeconomic assumptions. Some other conclusions are: per capita MSW generation was nearly statistically constant from 1970 to 1984; the content of most forms of packaging in MSW are decreasing; packaging decreases the amount of food residues in MSW; and proposed national recycling targets of about 25% or more are not likely to be achieved, in part because of changes in the composition of MSW. Coupled with likely shortages of labor to process separated waste, it is forecast that there will be some future time when people will not think source separation is worth the bother and recycling will decrease. The future growth of waste-to-energy capacity is projected by assuming that a city will install capacity when others have done so, which leads to a simple quantitative model. The likely effects of impending landfill and incineration regulations are addressed.     

Disposal of solid waste in Istanbul and along the Black Sea coast of Turkey

The increasing amount of solid waste arising from municipalities and other sources and its consequent disposal has been one of the major environmental problems in Turkey. Istanbul is a metropolitan city with a current population of around 14 million, and produces about 9000 ton of solid waste every day. The waste composition for Istanbul has changed markedly from 1981 to 1996 with large decreases in waste density, much of which is related to decreased amounts of ash collected in winter. In recent years, the Istanbul region has implemented a new solid waste management system with transfer stations, sanitary landfills, and methane recovery, which has led to major improvements. In the Black Sea region of Turkey, most of the municipal and industrial solid wastes, mixed with hospital and hazardous wastes, are dumped on the nearest lowlands and river valleys or into the sea. The impact of riverside and seashore dumping of solid wastes adds significantly to problems arising from sewage and industry on the Black Sea coast. Appropriate integrated solid waste management systems are needed here as well; however, they have been more difficult to implement than in Istanbul because of more difficult topography, weaker administrative structures, and the lower incomes of the inhabitants.     

Trends and problems of solid waste management in developing countries: a case study in seven Palestinian districts

There is a great interest in solving problems related to municipal solid waste (MSW) management in the Palestinian territory. However, few studies have been done to assess the extent of these problems and suggest the best alternative solutions. This study aims at assessing MSW conditions in the seven major districts in northern West Bank, Palestinian territory. The study focuses on comparing several MSW management elements (such as collection, budget, and disposal) in municipalities, village councils, and refugee camps in the studied districts and the problems faced by these institutions in handling the waste. It also provides information on MSW collection service availability and waste disposal practices in the districts studied. It was found that, although MSW collection service was available for 98% of the residents in the areas surveyed, no proper treatment or landfill procedure was followed for the collected waste in most of these areas. Instead, waste burning in open dumpsites was the most common practice. Moreover, due to inefficient collection of waste disposal fees from the residents, municipalities were forced to sometimes cut the collection service and reduce its labor force, especially in villages. The budget for MSW management was between 2% and 8% of the total budget of the municipalities studied, indicating a low priority for this issue.     

Municipal solid waste management in Indian cities - A review

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is one of the major environmental problems of Indian cities. Improper management of municipal solid waste (MSW) causes hazards to inhabitants. Various studies reveal that about 90% of MSW is disposed of unscientifically in open dumps and landfills, creating problems to public health and the environment. In the present study, an attempt has been made to provide a comprehensive review of the characteristics, generation, collection and transportation, disposal and treatment technologies of MSW practiced in India. The study pertaining to MSWM for Indian cities has been carried out to evaluate the current status and identify the major problems. Various adopted treatment technologies for MSW are critically reviewed, along with their advantages and limitations. The study is concluded with a few fruitful suggestions, which may be beneficial to encourage the competent authorities/researchers to work towards further improvement of the present system.     

Municipal solid waste management challenges in developing countries--Kenyan case study

This paper provides an overview of the state of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) by local authorities in Kenya as a case study of a low-income developing country. Approaches of possible solutions that can be undertaken to improve municipal solid waste (MSW) services are discussed. Poor economic growth (1.1% in 1993) has resulted in an increase in the poverty level which presently stands at 56%. Migration from the rural areas to the urban areas has resulted in unplanned settlements in suburban areas accommodating about 60% of the urban population on only 5% urban land area. Political interference also hampers smooth running of local authorities. Vulnerability of pollution of surface and groundwater is high because local authorities rarely considered environmental impact in siting MSW disposal sites. Illegal dumping of MSW on the river banks or on the roadside poses environmental and economic threats on nearby properties. Poor servicing of MSW collection vehicles, poor state of infrastructure and the lack of adequate funding militate against optimization of MSW disposal service. The rural economy needs to be improved if rural-urban migration is to be managed. Involvement of stakeholders is important to achieve any meaningful and sustainable MSWM. The role of the informal sector through community-based organizations (CBOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the private sector in offering solutions towards improvement of MSWM also is explored.