ES 200-S1

Module A : Solid Waste Management

and Other Aspects of Environmental
Management

Professor Anurag Garg

a.garg@iitb.ac.in
Waste Collection

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Waste Collection

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Waste Collection

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 Hauled Container System
• Such systems suited for the places where waste
generation rate is high because large containers
are used.
• The use of large containers reduces handling time
as well as unsightly accumulations and unsanitary
conditions.
• Hauled container systems have the advantage of
requiring one truck and only one driver (and a
cleaner if needed only) to complete one cycle, each
container picked up requires a round trip to the
disposal site.
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Hauled Container System (HCS)
(Conventional mode)

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 Stationary Container System (SCS)

• These may be used to collect all types of waste.

• These can be of two types:
 Mechanically loaded collection vehicles
 Manually loaded collection vehicles
• The personnel requirements for the stationary
collection system will vary depending upon the
type of system.
• For mechanical systems, a driver and one helper
are used. Occasionally, two helpers may be
used.
• For manual collection system, 1 – 3 collectors
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may be used.
Stationary Container System

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 Some Definitions
• Pickup
 For hauled container system (HCS) operated in
conventional mode, pickup refers to the time spent driving to
the next container after an empty container has been
deposited, the time spent picking up the loaded container
and the time required to redeposit the container after its
contents have been emptied. For hauled container system
operated in the exchange container mode, pickup includes
the time required to pick up a loaded container and to
redeposit the container at the next location after its contents
have been emptied.

 For stationary container system (SCS), pickup refers to the

time spent loading the collection vehicle, beginning with
stopping the vehicle before loading the contents of the first
container to be emptied have been loaded.
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 Some Definitions….
• Haul (h)
 For hauled container system, haul represents the time required to
reach the location where the container will be emptied, starting when
a container whose contents to be emptied has been loaded on the
truck and continuing through the time after leaving the unloading
location until the truck arrives at the location where the empty
container is to be redeposited. It does not include any time spent at
the location where the contents of the container are unloaded.

 For stationary container system, haul refers to the time required to

reach the location where the container will be emptied, starting when
the last container on the route has been emptied or the collection
vehicle is filled and continuing through the time after leaving the
unloading location until the truck arrives at the location of first
container to be emptied on the next collection route. It does not
include any time spent at the location where the contents of the
container are unloaded.
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 Some Definitions…..

• At-Site (s)
 The time spent at the location where the container (HCS)
or collection vehicle (SCS) are unloaded. It includes the
time spent waiting to unload as well as the time spent
unloading the waste.

• Off-Route (W)
 It refers to the time spent on activities which are non-
productive from the point of view of the overall collection
operation. These may be necessary and un-necessary.

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 Commonly Used Unit Operations for
Separation of MSW
Item Function Equipment

Shredding Size reduction and to obtain a uniform e.g., Hammer mills

product
Screening • Separation of over- and under-sized e.g., vibrating screens,
material trommel or rotary
• Waste segregation into light screens and disc
combustibles and heavy non- screens
combustibles

Density separation Separation of light fraction (paper, Air classifier

(air classification) plastic) from heavier materials (such as
metals)

Magnetic separation Separation of ferrous metals Magnetic separator

Densification Compaction into bales or flattening or Balers or Can crushers

increase the density of waste materials

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 Shredders

Hammer mill Shear shredder

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Trommel Screens

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 Densification (Compaction)
• To increase the density of waste to facilitate efficient storage and
transfer.
• It is also performed for preparing densified RDF.
• Bales of size 48x30x42 inch to 72x30x44 inch are produced by
applying a pressure ranging from 100 – 200 psi.
• Cubes and pellets can be produced from waste paper or shredded
RDF.
• Pellets are cylindrical in shape (0.5 – 0.75 inch diameter by 0.5 – 1
inch long).
• The performance of baling and compaction equipment is rated by
percentage volume reduction and the compaction ratio.
Volume reduction (%) = (Vi – Vf)*100/Vi
Compaction ratio = Vi/Vf
Vi and Vf = initial and final volume of waste before and after
compaction, respectively
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 Composting Process
• It is aerobic biological process

• In this process, readily biodegradable organic fraction of

MSW is decomposed by microbes under controlled
aerobic conditions.

• A stabilized product (compost) is produced that can be

used as soil cover at landfills or conditioner.

• MSW volume is reduced by around 50% after the

process.

• Three systems for composting process are: Windrow,

forced aeration and in-vessel.
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Windrow Composting

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Static Aerated Windrows

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In-Vessel System

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 Composting Process…
• Sometimes, sewage sludge or agricultural residues
are also added with MSW. This is called ‘co-
composting’.

• Composting can also have negative impacts:

 Water pollution may exist if moisture content is
very high (> 65%)
 Odor is another major problem from composting
sites using open windrow method.

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 Design Considerations for Composting
Process
Parameter Comment/ range

Particle size 25 – 75 mm
C/N ratio 20 – 40

Blending and Partially decomposed waste or sewage

seeding sludge can be added

Moisture content 40 – 60%

Temperature Should be maintained in thermophilic range

during the active composting period.

pH control 7.0 – 7.5

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 Aerobic Biological Transformations
• General aerobic transformation of solid waste is
described by the following equation:
 Organic matter + O2 + nutrients → New cells + resistant organic
matter + CO2 + H2O + NH3 + SO42- +…..+ heat

• If resistant matter is also formed (neglecting

production of new cells and sulfate), the oxygen
requirement would be:
 CaHbOcNd + 0.5(ny+2s+r-c)O2→nCwHxOyNz + sCO2 + rH2O + (d-
nx)NH3
where r = 0.5(b – nx – 3(d-nx)), s = a – nw

• In case of complete conversion

 CaHbOcNd + [(4a+b-2c-3d)/4]O2→aCO2 + [(b-3d)/2]H2O + dNH3
 NH3 + 2O2→ H2O + HNO3
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 Problem

• Estimate the total theoretical amount of air

that would be required under aerobic
conditions to oxidize completely an organic
waste (mass = 1 ton) with a chemical formula
of C120H180O80N2.

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Variation of Temperature During Composting
Process (Tchobangolous, 1993)

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 Specifications of Composting Systems

Composting Dimensions Turning Time to obtain

type frequency finished
product
Windrow 5 – 8 ft (H), 12 – 18 Weekly 4 – 6 weeks
ft (W)
Aerated 8 – 10 ft (H), 16 – 20 - 3 – 4 weeks
static piles ft (W)

In-vessel - - 2 – 2.5 weeks

composting followed by
system curing in open
windrows

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 Issues in the Implementation of
Composting Facilities
• The production of odors
 Causes: Low C/N ratio, poor temperature control,
excessive moisture and poor mixing
 Odor masking agents and enzymes can be used
• The presence of pathogens
 Sufficient exposure time and temperature need to be
maintained
• The presence of metals

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 Land Requirements
• For windrow composting plant of 50 tons/ day,
typically about 2.5 acre of land would be required. Of
this, ~ 1.5 acre would be devoted to buildings, plant
equipment and roads.
• For each additional 50 tons, 1 acre would be needed
for the composting operation and 0.25 acre for
buildings and roads.
• For larger plants, the unit area requirements would be
less. e.g., a plant processing 500 t/d can be built on 18
acre land.

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 Available Vertical Composting Systems

Journals Patents Commercial

Andersen Colon Karnchanawong and Jay and Michael, (1995)
et al., 2010 et al., 2010 Suriyonan, 2011 systems

Muley and Devotta, (2009)

Moqsud et al., 2011 Adhikari et al., 2013

Jianping, (2014)
Faverial and
Tatano et al., 2015 Storino et al., 2016
Sierra, 2014

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Few Examples of Horizontal Composting Systems

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Major Reasons for Failure of Community Based/
Centralised Composting Systems

• Inadequate ventilation in community based systems

and conventional windrows
• Lack of demonstration systems at household/
community level
• Long composting period and odour issues from
decentralised as well as centralised composting
systems
• Development of anaerobic pockets due to no or low
turning frequency in conventional windrow system
• Difficulty in turning of long conventional windrows
• Requirement of large land areas
• Little know-how about centralised forced aeration in- 30

vessel systems