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. Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it. Waste
management can involve solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances, with different
methods and fields of expertise for each.

Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural
areas, and for residential and industrial producers. Management for non-hazardous waste
residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local
government authorities, while management for non-hazardous commercial and industrial
waste is usually the responsibility of the generator.

Contents
[hide]

 1 Methods of disposal
o 1.1 Integrated waste management
o 1.2 Landfill
o 1.3 Incineration
o 1.4 Recycling
o 1.5 Sustainability
 1.5.1 Biological reprocessing
 1.5.2 Energy recovery
o 1.6 Avoidance and reduction methods
 2 Waste handling and transport
 3 Technologies
 4 Waste management concepts
 5 Education and awareness
 6 See also
 7 References
 8 External links

[edit] Methods of disposal

[edit] Integrated waste management

Integrated waste management using LCA (life cycle analysis) attempts to offer the most
benign options for waste management. For mixed MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) a number
of broad studies have indicated that waste administration, then source separation and
collection followed by reuse and recycling of the non-organic fraction and energy and
compost/fertilizer production of the organic waste fraction via anaerobic digestion to be the
favoured path. Non-metallic waste resources are not destroyed as with incineration, and can
be reused/ recycled in a future resource depleted society.

[edit] Landfill
Main article: Landfill

Landfill operation in Hawaii.

A landfill compaction vehicle in action.

Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste, and this remains a common
practice in most countries. Landfills were often established in abandoned or unused quarries,
mining voids or borrow pits. A properly designed and well-managed landfill can be a
hygienic and relatively inexpensive method of disposing of waste materials. Older, poorly
designed or poorly managed landfills can create a number of adverse environmental impacts
such as wind-blown litter, attraction of vermin, and generation of liquid leachate. Another
common byproduct of landfills is gas (mostly composed of methane and carbon dioxide),
which is produced as organic waste breaks down anaerobically. This gas can create odour
problems, kill surface vegetation, and is a greenhouse gas.

Spittelau incineration plant in Vienna.

Design characteristics of a modern landfill include methods to contain leachate such as clay
or plastic lining material. Deposited waste is normally compacted to increase its density and
stability, and covered to prevent attracting vermin (such as mice or rats). Many landfills also
have landfill gas extraction systems installed to extract the landfill gas. Gas is pumped out of
the landfill using perforated pipes and flared off or burnt in a gas engine to generate
electricity.

[edit] Incineration

Main article: Incineration

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 method is useful for disposal of
residue of both solid waste management and solid residue from waste water
management.This process reduces the volumes of solid waste to 20 to 30 percent 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.

Incineration is carried out both on a small scale by individuals and on a large scale by
industry. It is used to dispose of solid, liquid and gaseous waste. It is recognized as a practical
method of disposing of certain hazardous waste materials (such as biological medical waste).
Incineration is a controversial method of waste disposal, due to issues such as emission of
gaseous pollutants.

Incineration is common in countries such as Japan where land is more scarce, as these
facilities generally do not require as much area as landfills. Waste-to-energy (WtE) or
energy-from-waste (EfW) are broad terms for facilities that burn waste in a furnace or boiler
to generate heat, steam or electricity. Combustion in an incinerator is not always perfect and
there have been concerns about pollutants in gaseous emissions from incinerator stacks.
Particular concern has focused on some very persistent organics such as dioxins, furans,
PAHs which may be created which may have serious environmental consequences.

[edit] Recycling

Main article: Recycling

Steel crushed and baled for recycling

Recycling refers to the collection and reuse of waste materials such as empty beverage
containers. The materials from which the items are made can be reprocessed into new
products. Material for recycling may be collected separately from general waste using
dedicated bins and collection vehicles, or sorted directly from mixed waste streams.
The most common consumer products recycled include aluminum such as beverage cans,
copper such as wire, steel food and aerosol cans, old steel furnishings or equipment ,
polyethylene and PET bottles, glass bottles and jars, paperboard cartons, newspapers,
magazines and light paper, and corrugated fiberboard boxes.

PVC, LDPE, PP, and PS (see resin identification code) are also recyclable. These items are
usually composed of a single type of material, making them relatively easy to recycle into
new products. The recycling of complex products (such as computers and electronic
equipment) is more difficult, due to the additional dismantling and separation required.

The type of recycling material accepted usually depends on what city and country you live in.
Each city and country have different recycling programs in place that can handle the various
types of recyclable materials.

[edit] Sustainability

The management of waste is a key component in a business' ability to maintaining ISO14001

accreditation. Companies are encouraged to improve their environmental efficiencies each
year. One way to do this is by improving a company’s waste management with a new
recycling service. (such as recycling: glass, food waste, paper and cardboard, plastic bottles
etc.)

[edit] Biological reprocessing

Main articles: Composting, Home composting, and Anaerobic digestion

An active compost heap.

Waste materials that are organic in nature, such as plant material, food scraps, and paper
products, can be recycled using biological composting and digestion processes to decompose
the organic matter. The resulting organic material is then recycled as mulch or compost for
agricultural or landscaping purposes. In addition, waste gas from the process (such as
methane) can be captured and used for generating electricity and heat (CHP/cogeneration)
maximising efficiencies. The intention of biological processing in waste management is to
control and accelerate the natural process of decomposition of organic matter.
There is a large variety of composting and digestion methods and technologies varying in
complexity from simple home compost heaps, to small town scale batch digesters, industrial-
scale enclosed-vessel digestion of mixed domestic waste (see Mechanical biological
treatment). Methods of biological decomposition are differentiated as being aerobic or
anaerobic methods, though hybrids of the two methods also exist.

Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of MSW Municipal Solid Waste has been found
to be in a number of LCA analysis studies[1][2] to be more environmentally effective, than
landfill, incineration or pyrolisis. The resulting biogas (methane) though must be used for
cogeneration (electricity and heat preferably on or close to the site of production) and can be
used with a little upgrading in gas combustion engines or turbines. With further upgrading to
synthetic natural gas it can be injected into the natural gas network or further refined to
hydrogen for use in stationary cogeneration fuel cells. Its use in fuel cells eliminates the
pollution from products of combustion.

An example of waste management through composting is the Green Bin Program in Toronto,
Canada, where Source Separated Organics (such as kitchen scraps and plant cuttings) are
collected in a dedicated container and then composted.

[edit] Energy recovery

Main article: Waste-to-energy

Anaerobic digestion component of Lübeck mechanical biological treatment plant in

Germany, 2007

The energy content of waste products can be harnessed directly by using them as a direct
combustion fuel, or indirectly by processing them into another type of fuel. Recycling
through thermal treatment ranges from using waste as a fuel source for cooking or heating, to
anaerobic digestion and the use of the gas fuel (see above), to fuel for boilers to generate
steam and electricity in a turbine. Pyrolysis and gasification are two related forms of thermal
treatment where waste materials are heated to high temperatures with limited oxygen
availability. The process usually occurs in a sealed vessel under high pressure. Pyrolysis of
solid waste converts the material into solid, liquid and gas products. The liquid and gas can
be burnt to produce energy or refined into other chemical products (chemical refinery). The
solid residue (char) can be further refined into products such as activated carbon. Gasification
and advanced Plasma arc gasification are used to convert organic materials directly into a
synthetic gas (syngas) composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas is then burnt to
produce electricity and steam. An alternative to pyrolisis is high temperature and pressure
supercritical water decomposition (hydrothermal monophasic oxidation).

[edit] Avoidance and reduction methods

Main article: Waste minimization

An important method of waste management is the prevention of waste material being created,
also known as waste reduction. Methods of avoidance include reuse of second-hand products,
repairing broken items instead of buying new, designing products to be refillable or reusable
(such as cotton instead of plastic shopping bags), encouraging consumers to avoid using
disposable products (such as disposable cutlery), removing any food/liquid remains from
cans, packaging, ...[3] and designing products that use less material to achieve the same
purpose (for example, lightweighting of beverage cans).[4]

[edit] Waste handling and transport

Main articles: Waste collection vehicle and Dustbin

A front-loading garbage truck in North America.

Waste collection methods vary widely among different countries and regions. Domestic
waste collection services are often provided by local government authorities, or by private
companies in the industry. Some areas, especially those in less developed countries, do not
have a formal waste-collection system. Examples of waste handling systems include:

 In Australia, curbside collection is the method of disposal of waste. Every urban

domestic household is provided with three bins: one for recyclables, another for
general waste and another for garden materials - this bin is provided by the
municipality if requested. Also, many households have compost bins; but this is not
provided by the municipality. To encourage recycling, municipalities provide large
recycle bins, which are larger than general waste bins. Municipal, commercial and
industrial, construction and demolition waste is dumped at landfills and some is
recycled. Household waste is segregated: recyclables sorted and made into new
products, and general waste is dumped in landfill areas. According to the ABS, the
recycling rate is high and is 'increasing, with 99% of households reporting that they
had recycled or reused some of their waste within the past year (2003 survey), up
from 85% in 1992'. This suggests that Australians are in favour of reduced or no
landfilling and the recycling of waste. Of the total waste produced in 2002–03, '30%
of municipal waste, 45% of commercial and industrial waste and 57% of construction
and demolition waste' was recycled. Energy is produced from waste as well: some
landfill gas is captured for fuel or electricity generation. Households and industries
are not charged for the volume of waste they produce.

 In Europe and a few other places around the world, a few communities use a
proprietary collection system known as Envac, which conveys refuse via underground
conduits using a vacuum system. Other vacuum-based solutions include the
MetroTaifun single-line and ring-line systems.
  In Canadian urban centres curbside collection is the most common method of
disposal, whereby the city collects waste and/or recyclables and/or organics on a
scheduled basis. In rural areas people often dispose of their waste by hauling it to a
transfer station. Waste collected is then transported to a regional landfill.
 In Taipei, the city government charges its households and industries for the volume of
rubbish they produce. Waste will only be collected by the city council if waste is
disposed in government issued rubbish bags. This policy has successfully reduced the
amount of waste the city produces and increased the recycling rate.
 In Israel, the Arrow Ecology company has developed the ArrowBio system, which
takes trash directly from collection trucks and separates organic and inorganic
materials through gravitational settling, screening, and hydro-mechanical shredding.
The system is capable of sorting huge volumes of solid waste, salvaging recyclables,
and turning the rest into biogas and rich agricultural compost. The system is used in
California, Australia, Greece, Mexico, the United Kingdom and in Israel. For
example, an ArrowBio plant that has been operational at the Hiriya landfill site since
December 2003 serves the Tel Aviv area, and processes up to 150 tons of garbage a
day.[5]

[edit] Technologies
Traditionally the waste management industry has been slow to adopt new technologies such
as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags, GPS and integrated software packages which
enable better quality data to be collected without the use of estimation or manual data entry.

 Technologies like RFID tags are now being used to collect data on presentation rates
for curb-side pick-ups which is useful when examining the usage of recycling bins or
similar.
 Benefits of GPS tracking is particularly evident when considering the efficiency of ad
hoc pick-ups (like skip bins or dumpsters) where the collection is done on a consumer
request basis.
 Integrated software packages are useful in aggregating this data for use in
optimisation of operations for waste collection operations.
 Rear vision cameras are commonly used for OH&S reasons and video recording
devices are becoming more widely used, particularly concerning residential services
and contaminations of the waste stream.

[edit] Waste management concepts

There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage between
countries or regions. Some of the most general, widely used concepts include:
Diagram of the waste hierarchy.

 Waste hierarchy - The waste hierarchy refers to the "3 Rs" reduce, reuse and recycle,
which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of
waste minimization. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste
minimization strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum
practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste.
 Extended producer responsibility - Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a
strategy designed to promote the integration of all costs associated with products
throughout their life cycle (including end-of-life disposal costs) into the market price
of the product. Extended producer responsibility is meant to impose accountability
over the entire lifecycle of products and packaging introduced to the market. This
means that firms which manufacture, import and/or sell products are required to be
responsible for the products after their useful life as well as during manufacture.
 Polluter pays principle - the Polluter Pays Principle is a principle where the polluting
party pays for the impact caused to the environment. With respect to waste
management, this generally refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for
appropriate disposal of the waste.

[edit] Education and awareness

Education and awareness in the area of waste and waste management is increasingly
important from a global perspective of resource management. The Talloires Declaration is a
declaration for sustainability concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of
environmental pollution and degradation, and the depletion of natural resources. Local,
regional, and global air pollution; accumulation and distribution of toxic wastes; destruction
and depletion of forests, soil, and water; depletion of the ozone layer and emission of "green
house" gases threaten the survival of humans and thousands of other living species, the
integrity of the earth and its biodiversity, the security of nations, and the heritage of future
generations. Several universities have implemented the Talloires Declaration by establishing
environmental management and waste management programs, e.g. the waste management
university project. University and vocational education are promoted by various
organizations, e.g. WAMITAB and Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. Many
supermarkets encourage customers to use their reverse vending machines to deposit used
purchased containers and receive a refund from the recycling fees. Brands that manufacture
such machines include Tomra and Envipco.

In 2010, CNBC aired the documentary Trash Inc: The Secret Life of Garbage about waste,
what happens to it when it's "thrown away", and its impact on the world.[6]
Other important waste disposal methods include incineration, plasma gasification, and recycling.

Incineration is a high temperature waste disposal method that includes combustion of waste materials

where incinerators convert waste materials into heat, gas, steam, and ash. Incineration is very common

waste disposal method in Japan. In United States this method is relatively rarely used.

Plasma gasification waste disposal method uses plasma, a highly ionized or electrically charged gas to

convert solid or liquid wastes into a syngas. This waste disposal method is more acceptable compared to

incineration because all hazardous materials are destroyed in the process.

Recycling is well known waste-disposal method that is becoming increasingly popular around the globe.

Recycling is all about collecting and reusing everyday waste. By recycling used materials into new products

to we do not only prevent piling up of the waste but we also reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials,

reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling).

List of waste types

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 Solid Wastes
 Liquid Wastes
 Gaseous Wastes
 Animal by-products
 Biodegradable waste
 Biomedical waste
 Bulky waste
 Business waste
 Chemical waste
 Clinical waste
 Coffee wastewater
 Commercial waste
 Construction and demolition waste (C&D waste)
 Controlled waste
 Consumable waste
 Composite waste
 Demolition waste
 Domestic waste
 Electronic waste (E-waste)
 Farm waste
 Food waste
 Green waste
 Grey water
 Hazardous waste
 Household waste
o Household_hazardous_waste
 Human waste
o sewage sludge
 Industrial waste
o slag
o fly ash
o sludge
 Inert waste
 Kitchen waste
 Litter organic waste
 Liquid waste- any waste in the liquid state of matter
 Medical waste
 Mixed waste
 Municipal solid waste
 Packaging waste
 Post-consumer waste
 Radioactive waste (nuclear waste)
o Low level waste
o High level waste
o Spent nuclear fuel
o Mixed waste (radioactive/hazardous)
 Recyclable waste
 Residual waste
 Retail hazardous waste
 Sewage
 Sharps waste
 Slaughterhouse waste
 Special waste - see hazardous waste
 Toxic waste
 Uncontrolled waste
 Waste heat
 Wastewater
 Winery wastewater