From dumping to sanitary landfills--solid waste management in Israel

To address the problem of solid waste in Israel, the Ministry of the Environment has formulated a policy based on integrated waste management. The policy calls for reduction of waste at source, reuse, recycling (including composting), waste-to-energy technologies, and landfilling. Due to the implementation of this policy, all the large dumps were closed, state-of-the art landfills were built, and recovery rates have increased from 3% in the beginning of the 1990s to almost 20% in 2003. More than 95% of the municipal solid waste is disposed and treated in an environmentally sound manner - in comparison to a mere 10% just a decade ago. The policy was implemented utilizing both enforcement and financial support ("stick and carrot" approach).     

BMP estimation of landfilled municipal solid waste by multivariate statistical methods using specific waste parameters: case study of a sanitary landfill in Turkey

The main objective of this study was to determine whether methane potential of waste could be estimated more easily by a limited number of waste characterization variables. 36 samples were collected from 12 locations and 3 waste depths in order to represent almost all waste ages at the landfill. Actual remaining methane potential of all samples was determined by the biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests. The cumulative methane production of closed landfill (cLF) samples reached 75–125 mL at the end of experiment duration, while the samples from active landfill (aLF) produced in average 216–266 mL methane. The average experimental k and L ₀ values of cLF and aLF were determined by non-linear regression using BMP data with first-order kinetic equation as 0.0269 day^?1–30.38 mL/g dry MSW and 0.0125 day^?1–102.1 mL/g dry MSW, respectively. The principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to analyze the results for cLF and aLF along with BMP results. Three PCs for the data set were extracted explaining 72.34 % variability. The best MLR model for BMP prediction was determined for seven variables (pH–Cl–TKN–NH4–TOC–LOI–Ca). R ² and Adj. R ² values of this best model were determined as 80.4 and 75.3 %, respectively.     

Enhanced methane recovery by food waste leachate injection into a landfill in Korea

The current food waste leachate (FWL) disposal practice in Korea warrants urgent attention and necessary action to develop an innovative and sustainable disposal strategy, which is both environmentally friendly and economically beneficial. In this study, methane production by FWL injection into a municipal solid waste landfill with landfill gas (LFG) recovery facility was evaluated for a period of more than 4 months. With the target of recovering LFG with methane content ~50%, optimum LFG extraction rate was decided by a trial and error approach during the field investigation in five different phases. The results showed that, upon FWL injection, LFG extraction rate of ~20 m(3)/h was reasonable to recover LFG with methane content ~58%. Considering the estimated methane production potential of 31.7 m(3) CH(4) per ton of FWL, methane recovery from the landfill was enhanced by 14%. The scientific findings of this short-term investigation indicates that FWL can be injected into the existing sanitary landfills to tackle the present issue and such landfills with efficient liner and gas collection facility can be utilized as absolute and sustainable environmental infrastructures.     

Waste management health risk assessment: A case study of a solid waste landfill in South Italy

An integrated risk assessment study has been performed in an area within 5 km from a landfill that accepts non hazardous waste. The risk assessment was based on measured emissions and maximum chronic population exposure, for both children and adults, to contaminated air, some foods and soil. The toxic effects assessed were limited to the main known carcinogenic compounds emitted from landfills coming both from landfill gas torch combustion (e.g., dioxins, furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) and from diffusive emissions (vinyl chloride monomer, VCM). Risk assessment has been performed both for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. Results indicate that cancer and non-cancer effects risk (hazard index, HI) are largely below the values accepted from the main international agencies (e.g., WHO, US EPA) and national legislation (D.Lgs. 152/2006 and D.Lgs. 4/2008).     

Options for sustainable industrial waste management toward zero landfill waste in a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) factory in Thailand

The feasibility of the 3R concept tends to increase the reduction, reuse, and recycling of industrial waste. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of 3R methods to cope with industrial waste generated from high-density polyethylene production in Thailand. The sources and types of waste and existing waste management practices were identified. The four sources of waste generation that we identified were: (1) production, (2) packaging, (3) wastewater treatment, and (4) maintenance, distributed as 47, 46, 4, and 3 %, respectively. The main options for management were: sales to recycling plants (60.41 %), reuse and recycling (25.93 %), and industrial-waste landfilling (10.47 %). After 3R options were introduced, the proposed alternatives were found to be capable of reducing the amount of waste by 33.88 %. The results of life-cycle assessment (LCA) were useful for considering the environmental impact where 3R options were adopted. We also found that net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental impacts could be reduced when industrial waste diverted from landfill is used as alternative fuel. However, the cost of waste disposal seems to be the greatest obstacle for the adoption of 3R methods in Thailand.     

Biomedical solid waste management in an Indian hospital: a case study

The objectives of this study were: (i) to assess the waste handling and treatment system of hospital bio-medical solid waste and its mandatory compliance with Regulatory Notifications for Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, under the Environment (Protection Act 1986), Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Govt. of India, at the chosen KLE Society's J. N. Hospital and Medical Research Center, Belgaum, India and (ii) to quantitatively estimate the amount of non-infectious and infectious waste generated in different wards/sections. During the study, it was observed that: (i) the personnel working under the occupier (who has control over the institution to take all steps to ensure biomedical waste is handled without any adverse effects to human health and the environment) were trained to take adequate precautionary measures in handling these bio-hazardous waste materials, (ii) the process of segregation, collection, transport, storage and final disposal of infectious waste was done in compliance with the Standard Procedures, (iii) the final disposal was by incineration in accordance to EPA Rules 1998, (iv) the non-infectious waste was collected separately in different containers and treated as general waste, and (v) on an average about 520 kg of non-infectious and 101 kg of infectious waste is generated per day (about 2.31 kg per day per bed, gross weight comprising both infectious and non-infectious waste). This hospital also extends its facility to the neighboring clinics and hospitals by treating their produced waste for incineration.     

Degradation of starch-plastic composites in a municipal solid waste landfill

The rate and extent of deterioration of starch-plastic composites were determined over a 2-year period for samples buried in a municipal solid waste landfill. The deterioration of the starch-plastic composites following exposure was determined by measuring changes in tensile properties, weight loss, and starch content of samples retrieved from the landfill. Elongation decreases of 92 and 44% were measured for starch-plastic composite LDPE and LLDPE films, respectively, while elongation decreases of 54 and 21% were measured for their corresponding control films following 2 years of burial. Starch loss of 25% for LLDPE and 33% for LDPE starch-plastic composite films was measured following 2 years of landfill burial. Starch-plastic composites did not fragment or lose mass during the 2-year landfill burial. The limited degradation observed for the starch-plastic composites was attributed to the ineffectiveness of the prooxidant additive to catalyze the thermal oxidation of the polyethylene or polypropylene component of the starch-plastic composite under the environmental conditions present within the landfill.     

Assessment of internal condition of waste in a roofed landfill

Recently, roofed landfills have been gaining popularity in Japan. Roofed landfills have several advantages over non-roofed landfills such as eliminating the visibility of waste and reducing the spread of offensive odours. This study examined the moisture balance and aeration conditions, which promote waste stabilisation, in a roofed landfill that included organic waste such as food waste. Moisture balance was estimated using waste characterization and the total amount of landfilled waste. Internal conditions were estimated based on the composition, flux, and temperature of the landfill gas. Finally, in situ aeration was performed to determine the integrity of the semi-aerobic structure of the landfill.With the effects of rainfall excluded, only 15% of the moisture held by the waste was discharged as leachate. The majority of the moisture remained in the waste layer, but was less than the optimal moisture level for biodegradation, indicating that an appropriate water spray should be administered. To assess waste degradation in this semi-aerobic landfill, the concentration and flow rate of landfill gas were measured and an in situ aeration test was performed. The results revealed that aerobic biodegradation had not occurred because of the unsatisfactory design and operation of the landfill.     

Alterations of municipal solid waste incineration residues in a landfill

Fresh municipal solid waste incineration residues (MSWIR) and a drilling core of 2-10 years old landfilled MSWIR were investigated to determine the alterations due to weathering in a landfill. Physical and geochemical properties and transformations of major components and heavy metals were analyzed for fresh and landfilled residues. Carbonates and hydroxides (10-12vol%) as major mineralogical compositions in the 8-10 years weathered MSWIR were observed by modal analysis of thin sections. Three step sequential extractions indicated that reducible phases, mainly the Fe, Al and Mn hydroxides increased with depth in the landfill. A pH controlled leaching test (including availability test and pH dependent leaching test) was then conducted. Results indicated lower concentrations of leachable contents at pH values from 6 to 10 for the four elements (Pb, Zn, Al and Fe) in the 8-10 years landfilled residues than in the fresh and 1-2 years landfilled residues. This means that 8-10 years weathered MSWIR became more stable than fresh landfilled residues. The reasons for the stabilization of these elements might be the hydration of Al and Fe during weathering in the landfill, which then results in the heavy metals adsorptions of these minerals.     

Eco-efficient waste glass recycling: Integrated waste management and green product development through LCA

As part of the EU Life + NOVEDI project, a new eco-efficient recycling route has been implemented to maximise resources and energy recovery from post-consumer waste glass, through integrated waste management and industrial production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to identify engineering solutions to sustainability during the development of green building products. The new process and the related LCA are framed within a meaningful case of industrial symbiosis, where multiple waste streams are utilised in a multi-output industrial process. The input is a mix of rejected waste glass from conventional container glass recycling and waste special glass such as monitor glass, bulbs and glass fibres. The green building product is a recycled foam glass (RFG) to be used in high efficiency thermally insulating and lightweight concrete. The environmental gains have been contrasted against induced impacts and improvements have been proposed. Recovered co-products, such as glass fragments/powders, plastics and metals, correspond to environmental gains that are higher than those related to landfill avoidance, whereas the latter is cancelled due to increased transportation distances. In accordance to an eco-efficiency principle, it has been highlighted that recourse to highly energy intensive recycling should be limited to waste that cannot be closed-loop recycled.     

Integrated geophysical surveys on waste dumps: evaluation of physical parameters to characterize an urban waste dump (four case studies in Italy).

Geophysical surveys were carried out on different waste dumps to evaluate key geometric and physical parameters. Depending on the dump dimensions and physical characteristics different geophysical techniques were used. Vertical electrical sounding, electrical resistivity tomography, induced polarization and seismic refraction techniques were integrated to eliminate the non-uniqueness of solutions and for a better understanding of the results. Physical parameters inside and outside the dumps were compared. The change of physical parameters such as resistivity, chargeability, and P-wave velocity allowed evaluation of waste dump geometry, leachate saturation levels, and thickness of waste. Furthermore, in illegal dumps, the size and waste type disposed could be evaluated. Calculated results were compared with plans and book-keeping from the dumps investigated.     

Compostable cutlery and waste management: an LCA approach

The use of disposable cutlery in fast food restaurants and canteens in the current management scenario generates mixed heterogeneous waste (containing food waste and non-compostable plastic cutlery). The waste is not recyclable and is disposed of in landfills or incinerated with or without energy recovery. Using biodegradable and compostable (B&C) plastic cutlery, an alternative management scenario is possible. The resulting mixed homogeneous waste (containing food waste and compostable plastic cutlery) can be recycled through organic recovery, i.e., composting. This LCA study, whose functional unit is "serving 1000 meals", shows that remarkable improvements can be obtained by shifting from the current scenario to the alternative scenario (based on B&C cutlery and final organic recovery of the total waste). The non-renewable energy consumption changes from 1490 to 128MJ (an overall 10-fold energy savings) and the CO(2) equivalents emission changes from 64 to 22 CO(2) eq. (an overall 3-fold GHG savings).     

Disaster waste management: a review article

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process.This paper presents a system overview of disaster waste management based on existing literature. The main literature available to date comprises disaster waste management plans or guidelines and isolated case studies. There is ample discussion on technical management options such as temporary storage sites, recycling, disposal, etc.; however, there is little or no guidance on how these various management options are selected post-disaster. The literature does not specifically address the impact or appropriateness of existing legislation, organisational structures and funding mechanisms on disaster waste management programmes, nor does it satisfactorily cover the social impact of disaster waste management programmes.It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper, and the literature gaps identified, will form a basis for future comprehensive and cohesive research on disaster waste management. In turn, research will lead to better preparedness and response to disaster waste management problems.     

Heavy metal content in soil reclaimed from a municipal solid waste landfill

Residues reclaimed from a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill were characterized for the concentrations of a number of heavy metals. The residue fractions analyzed included a fine fraction (<0.425 mm), an intermediate fraction (>0.425 and <6.3 mm) and a fraction consisting of paper products that could ultimately degrade to a smaller size. The intermediate fraction appeared to be organic in nature, while the fine fraction was more soil-like. In general, the metal concentrations were greatest in the intermediate fraction and lowest in the fine fraction. The effect of sample age on the elemental content was also investigated. The concentrations of several elements were greater in older samples (sample approximately 8 years in age) when compared to newer samples (sample approximately 3 years in age). Limitations associated with the land application of residual soil (composed of the fine and intermediate fractions) were assessed by comparing measured concentrations to regulatory threshold values. In general, most metal concentrations were below regulatory thresholds for use in unrestricted settings. At the concentrations measured, however, several elements might limit reuse options, depending on which regulatory threshold serves as a benchmark. Elevated concentrations of arsenic presented the greatest limitation with respect to common US thresholds while elevated cadmium concentrations presented the greatest limitation when compared to UK thresholds. The source of the arsenic was determined to be the waste, not the cover soil.     

Current and future solid waste management system in Northern Viet Nam with focus on Ha Noi: climate change effects and landfill management

The contribution investigates the solid waste management system in Ha Noi under consideration of the interrelation between climate change effects and landfill management by means of a cause-and-effect-analysis as well as water balances using the HELP 3.95 model and gas emission data, followed by a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis. Even landfills are sources of methane (CH₄) emissions they are also impacted by climate change. The main effects on landfill sites are the change of climatic conditions, namely the regional water balance, extreme precipitation and storm events. The results of the water balance model results show that a geomembrane surface sealing can reduce the leachate formation significantly, a fact that is also valid for the climate change scenario with higher precipitation. The risk of flooding and erosion at the landfill sites increases, which will require a customized water management. In parallel landfill gas offers the opportunity for recovery of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and the generation of renewable energy. Some further management options are wind turbines, photovoltaic systems or biomass for biogas conversion, which was grown on closed landfill sites. The inclusion of climate friendly management options of closed landfills in a “Good Landfill Aftercare Practice” is recommended.     

Environmental impacts and costs of solid waste: a comparison of landfill and incineration

The methodology for evaluating the impacts and damage costs ('external costs') due to pollution from waste treatment is described and the results are presented, based on the ExternE project series of the European Commission. The damage costs of landfill and incineration of municipal solid waste are compared, with due account for energy and materials recovery, as well as possible differences in transport distance. We have not been able to quantify the total damage costs of leachates because of the complexity of the environmental pathways and of the long time horizon of some persistent pollutants, but we consider an extreme scenario to show that they are not worth worrying about in the sense that reducing the pollutants in leachates beyond current regulations would bring negligible benefit in comparison with the abatement of other sources of the same pollutants. The damage costs due to the construction of the waste treatment facility are negligible. The damage costs of waste transport, which are illustrated by an arbitrary choice of a 100 km round trip by a 16 tonne truck, are also negligible. The benefits of materials recovery make a small contribution to the total damage cost. The only significant contributions come from direct emissions (of the landfill or incinerator) and from avoided emissions due to energy recovery (from an incinerator). Damage costs for incineration range from about 4 to 21 EUR tonne waste(-1), and they are extremely dependent on the assumed scenario for energy recovery. For landfill the cost ranges from about 10 to 13 EUR tonne waste(-1); it is dominated by greenhouse gas emissions because only a fraction of the CH4 can be captured (here assumed to be 70%). Amenity costs (odour, visual impact, noise) are highly site-specific and we only cite results from a literature survey which indicates that such costs could make a significant contribution, very roughly on the order of 1 EUR tonne waste(-1).     

Co-benefit as an approach to align climate change concerns with national development objectives: solid waste management

Impinging local environmental problems on the one hand and constantly persuasive climate change concerns on the other put developing Asian cities in a dilemma as to which direction they should channel their efforts. While local matters are their immediate mandate, increasing awareness of climate change vulnerabilities adds weight to global problems. In this context, the concepts of co-benefits and ancillary benefits play an important role in aligning climate change concerns into sector-specific developmental goals. This article presents the conceptual aspects of co-benefits and the integration of climate concerns into sustainable development goals. The possible synergies between these two different but very important strategic pathways are examined along with possible ways to align them. The bottlenecks that can occur during such integration are also highlighted.     

Nuisance flies and landfill activities: an investigation at a West Midlands landfill site.

Nuisance-causing flies were studied in and around a West Midlands, UK, landfill site from mid-January 2003 to mid-January 2004. The most important species was the common housefly, Musca domestica, which made up more than 92% of the total catch on traps in premises and was also frequent on the landfill site. An estimated 2 million common houseflies were imported to the site in waste as eggs, larvae or pupae during the peak month, July. Most did not apparently survive to maturity, only about 20 000 per month emerging from the tipped refuse. Lesser houseflies (Fannia canicularis) were also very commonly imported but they seemed unable to survive the conditions on the tip in their immature stages and few were found in emergence traps. No correlation was found between the distance separating premises from the landfill site and the number of M. domestica trapped in those premises. White sticky traps were effective for monitoring changes in fly populations over the longer term whereas the Scudder grill was more useful for making objective 'snapshots' of fly activity. There is scope to improve both the monitoring of fly activity and the investigation of complaints made by the general public about flies.     

Compartment model of aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation in a municipal solid waste landfill

The mathematical formulations in a one-dimensional compartment model of the biodegradation of organic landfill components are described. The model is designed to switch between anaerobic and aerobic conditions, depending on the local oxygen concentration. The model also includes the effect of environmental factors, such as moisture content, pH, and temperature, on reaction rates. The model includes not only biodegradation processes for carbon compounds (acetate, CO2, CH4), but also for nitrogen compounds involved in nitrification and denitrification due to their significance in landfills. Two example runs to simulate anaerobic and aerobic waste were conducted for a single landfill unit cell by changing the organic content and diffusion coefficient.     

Sulfide emissions from different areas of a municipal solid waste landfill in China

Degradation of municipal solid waste in landfills generates sulfide compounds, which are considered one of the main sources of odor emissions. Field sampling was conducted at surfaces of operating, inoperative, and soil-covered areas of a landfill site in northern China to characterize the sulfide compounds. The results showed that dimethyl disulfide dominated the sulfide compounds, accounting for up to 73.6% of the total detected sulfide. With the biggest odor concentration of 365, diethyl sulfide was the most significant sulfide compound. The estimated sulfide emission rates at surfaces of operating and soil-covered areas were similar, and the emission rate of dimethyl disulfide at Surface of Operating Area was up to 345.9 μg/m³ h. Dimethyl disulfide could be released from the fresh waste, and its normalized concentration at 0.2 m beneath operating surface was 10.4 times that at 0.4 m.