MODULE - 4

Waste processing techniques & source

reduction, product recovery & recycling:
Purpose of processing, mechanical volume and size
reduction, component separation, drying and dewatering.
Source Reduction, Product Recovery and Recycling:
Basics, purpose, implementation monitoring and evaluation
of source reduction, significance of recycling, planning of a
recycling programme, recycling programme elements,
commonly recycled materials and processes, a case study.
 What is waste processing?
• Waste Processing means the treatment of solid waste
after collection and before disposal.
• Operations that changes the characteristics of waste
include treatments.
• Processing is not limited to volume reduction, storage,
separation, exchange, recovery of energy and resources,
physical, chemical, or biological modification and the
operations of a metal recycling or salvage facility.
 Purpose of Processing
• The processing of wastes helps in achieving the best
possible benefit from every functional element of
the solid waste management (SWM).
• Improving efficiency of SWM system: Example-
Reusing of paper
• Recovering material for reuse: Materials that can be
recovered from solid wastes include paper, cardboard,
plastic, glass, ferrous metal, aluminium and other residual
metals.
 Purpose of Processing

• Recovering conversion products and energy:

Combustible organic materials can be converted to
intermediate products and ultimately to usable
energy.
• This can be done either through incineration,
pyrolysis, composting or bio-digestion.
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction

The main purpose is to reduce the volume

(amount) and size of waste, as compared to its
original form, and produce waste of uniform size.
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Volume reduction or compaction:
• Volume reduction or compaction refers to
identifying wastes in order to reduce their
volume.
• Reduction in the quantity of materials
• Improved efficiency of collection and disposal
of wastes
• Increased life of landfills
• Economically viable waste management
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction

Volume reduction or compaction:

Challenges:
• Poor quality of recyclable materials sorted out
• Difficulty in segregation or sorting
• Bio-degradable materials (e.g., Leftover food, fruits
and vegetables) destroy the value of paper and
plastic material
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Equipment used for compaction
• Stationary equipment : manual or automatic, light
duty and heavy duty applications. E.g.. Steel
containers, chambers, transport vehicles etc.
• Movable equipment: wheeled and tracked
equipment used to place and compact solid wastes
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
• Vertical equipment: Used in waste generation points,
mechanically/hydraulically operated
• Rotary equipment: Paper/plastic bag compaction. Used in
apartments
• Bag: Multi bag and single bag
• Under counter: Closed one to reduce odour
• Packers: Used at collection stage
• Transfer trailer: Closed one, manual or automatic
• Stationary low & high pressure : Helps to transfer waste
• Movable wheeled equipment: Helps in waste disposal
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Compactor
• Low pressure compactor (less than
7kg/cm^2): waste collection in the large
scale, used in apartments and commercial
buildings.
• High pressure compactor (more than
7kg/cm^2): waste collection in various sizes
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
• Parameters related to compaction

where Vi = volume of waste before compaction, m3 and Vf

= volume of waste after compaction, m^3
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
• Selection of compaction equipment
- Characteristics like moisture content, size, composition,
density etc
- Method of transferring and feeding wastes to the compactor,
and handling.
- Potential uses of compacted waste materials
- Design characteristics such as the size of loading chamber,
compaction pressure, compaction ratio, etc.
- Operational characteristics such reliability, noise
Output, and air and water pollution control requirement.
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
• Size reduction
-Known as shredding
- Large sized waste into smaller pieces
- It helps in landfilling, recovery, making the fuel
from the waste, and reduction of moisture.
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Equipment for size reduction
• Hammer mill
• Hydropulper
• Small grinders
• Chippers
• Large grinders
• Jaw crushers
• Rasp mills
• Shredders
• Cutters
• Clippers
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Equipment for size reduction
Hammer mill
• Used most often in large commercial operations for
reducing the size of wastes.
• Hammer mill is an impact device consisting of a number of
hammers, fastened flexibly to an inner disk, and rotates at
a very high speed
• Solid wastes, as they enter the mill are hit by sufficient
force, which crush or tear them with a velocity so that they
do not adhere to the hammers.
• Wastes are further reduced in size by being struck between
• Breaker plates and/or cutting bars fixed around the
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Equipment for size reduction
Hammer mill
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Equipment for size reduction
Hydropulper
• Solid wastes and recycled water are added to the
hydropulper.
• The high speed cutting blades, mounted on a rotor in
the bottom of the unit, convert pulpable and friable
materials into slurry with a solid content varying from
2.5 to 3.5%.
• Metal, tins, cans and other non - pulpable or non-
friable materials are rejected from the side of the
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Hydropulper
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
WASTE SHREDDERS
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Chippers

• 2,700 metric tonne of garbage

collected from south Delhi every
day.
• These machines are portable
and suitable for being towed
behind a truck or a van

Source : Time of India

 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction
Jaw crushers
• The jaw crusher reduces the size of large
rocks by dropping them into a “V”-shaped
mouth at the top of the crusher chamber.
• This is created between one fixed rigid
jaw and a pivoting swing jaw set at acute
angles to each other.
• Compression is created by forcing the
rock against the stationary plate in the
crushing chamber
 Mechanical Volume & Size
Reduction

Rasp mills
Chemical Volume Reduction
• Addition of chemicals or changes
in temperature
• Incineration is the most common
method used to reduce the
volume of waste chemically
• Pyrolysis, Hydrolysis and Chemical
conversions
 Components separation

• Recovery of valuable materials for recycling

• Removing certain components
(1) Air separation
(2) Magnetic separation
(3) Other separation techniques
 Components separation
(1) Air Separation
• Air separation is primarily used to separate
lighter materials from heavier.
• The lighter material may include plastics, paper
and paper products and other organic materials.
• Types: Conventional chute type, Zigzag air
classifier, Open inlet vibrator type
 Components separation

Conventional chute
type
In this type, when the processed
solid wastes are dropped into the
vertical chute, the lighter material
is carried by the airflow to the top
while the heavier materials fall to
the bottom of the chute.
 Components separation

Zigzag air classifier

• Consists of a continuous vertical
column with internal zigzag
deflectors through which air is
drawn at a high rate.
• Shredded wastes are introduced at
the top of the column at a
controlled rate, and air is introduced
at the bottom of the column.
• As the wastes drop into the air
stream, the lighter fraction is
fluidised and moves upward and out
of column, while the heavy fraction
falls to the bottom.
• Best separation can be achieved
Components separation
Open inlet vibrator
type
• Important action/process:
• Vibration: It helps to stratify
the material fed to the
separator into heavy and light
components.
• Inertial force: Air pulled in
through the feed inlet imparts
an initial acceleration to the
lighter particle, while the
wastes travel down the
separator as they are being
 Components
separation
Open inlet vibrator
type
• Air pressure: This action
refers to the injection of
fluidising air in two or more
high velocity and low mass
flow curtains across the
bed.
• An advantage of this
classifier is that an air lock
feed mechanism is not
 Components separation
Factors to be considered for the selection
of air separation equipment.
1. Characteristics of material:
physical and chemical.
2. Methods of waste transfer.
3. Operational characteristics:
reliability.
4. Site consideration: space, noise, &
environmental limitations.
 Components separation
(2) Magnetic separation
• Ferrous materials are usually recovered
• Magnetic recovery systems have also been
used at landfill disposal sites.
• Main objectives: reduction of wear and tear on
processing and separation equipment, degree
of product purity achieved and the required
recovery efficiency.
 Components separation
(2) Magnetic separation A permanent magnet
is used to attract the
Suspended magnet
ferrous metal from
the waste stream.
When the attracted
metal reaches the
area, where there is
no magnetism, it falls
away freely.
This ferrous metal is
then collected in a
container.
 Components separation
(2) Magnetic separation • This consists of a drum type
Magnetic pulley device containing permanent
magnets or electromagnets
over which a conveyor or a
similar transfer mechanism
carries the waste stream.

• The conveyor belt conforms to

the rounded shape of the
magnetic drum and the
magnetic force pulls the ferrous
material away from the falling
stream of solid waste.
 Components separation

Selection of magnetic
separation devices
• Characteristics of material
• Locations
• Site consideration
 Components separation
(3) Other separation techniques
• Screening
• Hand sorting
• Inertial separation
• Floatation
• Optical sorting
 Components separation

Screening
 Components separation
(3) Other separation techniques
Screening
• Screening is the most common form of
separating solid wastes, depending on their size
by the use of one or more screening surfaces.
• Screening has a number of applications in solid
waste resource and energy recovery systems.
 Components separation

Screening
• Screens can be used before or after
shredding and after air separation of
wastes in various applications.
• The most commonly used screens are
rotary drum screens and various forms of
vibrating screens.
 Components separation
Screening
 Components separation
Selection of screening equipment
• Material specifications
• Location
• Size
• Characteristics screen design
• Operational characteristics: energy requirements,
maintenance requirements, simplicity of operation, reliability,
noise output.
• Site considerations
 Components separation
Hand sorting
• Manual removal of large sized materials
• Prevent damage or stoppage of equipment such as
shredders or screens.
 Components separation

Inertial separation
• Gravity separation principles to separate
shredded solid wastes into light
Ballistic Inertial Separator
 Components separation
Inertial separation
Inclined Conveyor Separator
 Components separation
Flotation
• Light organic and other materials that float are
skimmed from the surface.
• Chemical adhesives (flocculants) are also used
to improve the capture of light organic and fine
inorganic materials.
• These materials are taken to landfill sites or to
incinerators for energy recovery.
 Components separation
Flotation
 Components separation
Optical sorting
• Optical sorting is used mostly to separate glass
from the waste stream.
• This can be accomplished by identification of the
transparent properties of glass to sort it from
opaque materials (stones, ceramics, bottle caps,
corks).
• Drawback: An optical sorting machinery is,
however, complex and expensive.
 Components separation
Electronic sorter
 Drying & Dewatering
• Drying and dewatering operations are used
primarily for incineration systems, with or
without energy recovery systems.
• These are also used for drying of sludges in
wastewater treatment plants, prior to their
incineration or transport to land disposal.
• The purpose of drying and dewatering operation
is to remove moisture from wastes and thereby
make it a better fuel.
Drying & Dewatering
 Drying & Dewatering
Types
(I) Convection drying: in this method, hot air is in
direct contact with the wet solid waste stream.
(II) Conduction drying: in this method, the wet
solid waste stream is in contact with a heated
surface.
(III) Radiation drying: in this method, heat is
transmitted directly to the wet solid waste stream by
radiation from the heated body.
 Drying & Dewatering
Counter current direct-heat rotary drum dryer
Heating the wet material
Heating of material to
its discharge
temperature and
evaporation of
moisture

Drying the material

 Drying & Dewatering
Selection of drying equipment
1. Properties of material
2. Moisture content
3. Specification of final product
4. Nature of operation
5. Operational characteristics
6. Site considerations
 Drying & Dewatering
Dewatering
• Waste water treatment
• Removal of sledges
• Purpose is to reduce the liquid volume
• Methods: centrifugation and filtering
 Source Reduction
What is source reduction?
• Source reduction, also known as waste prevention.
• Reducing waste before it is generated is a logical
way to save costs and natural resources, and
preserve the local environment.
• Waste reduction cuts the municipal and commercial
costs involved in waste collection and disposal.
 Source Reduction
Purpose of source reduction
• Product reuse
• Material volume reduction
• Toxicity reduction: reduces the adverse
environmental impacts
• Increased product lifetime
• Decreased consumption : reduced
consumption of Materials that are not
reusable
 Source Reduction
Implementation of source reduction
• Education and research: schools,
business organisation, research centres
etc.
• Financial incentives & disincentives:
related to economy
• Regulations: local and national
authorities. Quality control regulation,
 Source Reduction
Monitoring of source reduction
• To identify the possible reduction area
• Makes the operations more efficient
• Employment generation
 Source Reduction
Life cycle analysis (LCA)
• Trade-offs between source reduction,
durability, recyclability, use of recycled
material and other environmental
benefits.
Evaluation
• Following factors to be considered:
social & economic equity, administrative
 Significance of Recycling
• Recycling is perhaps the most widely recognised form of
source reduction.
• Economic significance
• Cost reduction: Saving cost of transportation, service and
production
• Employment: New opportunities
• Energy saving : Less energy consumption
• Reduce healthcare cost : Improved health and sanitary
conditionsin urban areas
• Saving costs for other public utilities
• Environmental health significance: Improvement in health care
• Improved environment: Reducing pollution
• Natural resource conservation: Minimize the excess of
 Planning of Recycling programme
• Planning for recycling involves understanding markets,
assessing local expertise, setting goals and fostering public
participation.
• Build local expertise: begin with small scale project
• Understand and develop a recycling market: market survey,
market research, market fluctuations.
• Public education & involvement: responsibility and liabilities
• Assesses local waste stream: knowledge of local waste stream
• Augment existing programme: team formation, recycling
program etc.
• Set goals & objectives: mission and vision
• Co-ordinate the program : public service & recycling
• Evaluate the program
 Recycling Programme

• Recycling programmes are designed according to

the needs and priorities of the communities.
• Elements of a recycling programme include source
separation, curb side (kerbside) collection, material
resource facilities and full stream processing.
 Recycling Programme

Source separation
• Source separation refers to the segregation of
the recyclable and reusable materials at the
point of generation.
• Source separation may be voluntary or
mandated
 Recycling Programme
Drop-off/buy-back
• A drop-off programme requires residents to
separate the recyclable materials and bring
them to a specified drop-off or collection centre.
• A recycling centre can be established at the
same location where residents deliver waste.
• Mobile recycling drop-off trailers can also be
used.
 Recycling Programme
Curb side programme
• Separate collection system
• Residents to separate different materials
that are stored in their own containers
and collected separately.
• Separate container for recycling items
 Recycling Programme
Storage and collection of recyclables
• Collection of source-separated materials is a
necessary component of recycling programme.
• Resident convenience: Participation from
residents
• Collection crew convenience: Loading and
sorting activities should be as simple as
possible.
 Recycling Programme

Collection vehicles for recycling

• Several storage bins
• Easy loading and unloading, flexible
compartments and protection from
weather
• Closed vehicle container
 Recycling Programme
Processing equipment for recycling
Use the equipment like glass crushers,
magnetic separators, wood grinders, scales
(quality of material), balers (densify many types
of materials), and can densifiers (can crushers
are used to densify aluminium and steel cans)
 Recycling Programme
Material recovery facilities (MRF)
• MRF is a centralised facility that receives,
separates, processes and markets recyclable
material.
• MRF depends on : market demand, separate
collection, quantities of materials, number of
different recyclables, and quantities of
materials
 Recycling Programme
Full stream processing
• High technology separation technique
• Refuse derived fuel (RDF) preparation:
combustible material separation
• Municipal waste composting : concentrate the
compostable portion of municipal solid waste
• Material recovery:recover and resell certain
materials
 Recycling Programme
Characteristics/tools used to separate the
materials
• Rotating screens are used to separate materials of
different sizes
• Air classifier is used to separate the lighter material
• Heavy fraction is mechanically or manually sorted to
recover saleable materials such as cardboard
• Ferrous material is extracted using a magnet system
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
• Paper and cardboard
• Glass
• Metals
• Plastic
• Batteries and tyres
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Paper and cardboard
• 13% of the total domestic solid waste
• Paper recycling is one of the most
profitable activities
• It reduces the demand for wood and
energy
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Paper and cardboard
• Recovered paper is classified as newsprint,
corrugated cardboard, mixed paper (including
magazines, junk mail and cardboard), high-
grade paper (white office paper, photocopying
paper), and pulp substitute paper (usually mill
scrap).
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
• Material inputs: paper/cardboard scrap,
magazines, newspapers, computer paper,
wrapping paper, craft sacks, cartons, etc.
• Product outputs: paper sheets, boxes, filter
paper, mosquito mats (to absorb chemical
repellent), merchandising packets, decorative
items, etc.
Commonly Recycled Materials
Cardboard andprocessing
Process (semi-
mechanical) plant:
• In semi-mechanical plants, paper scrap is
pulped in a beater machine.
• The paper pulp is spread on a rotating sieve
and pressed mechanically.
• Cutting is done manually and after cutting and
sun-drying, the cardboard is calendared and
sheared into sheets, from which boxes for
shoes, sweets, etc., are made.
Commonly Recycled Materials
and Process
 Commonly Recycled Materials
and Process
The various machineries used in the
processes include:
• Beater: This consists of a masonry and
concrete tank and a mild steel beater roll,
driven by an electric motor.
• Sieving screen: This separates materials of
different size.
• Cardboard making unit: This is a nylon
conveyor screen driven by an electric motor.
• Calendaring machine: This is used to finish
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Hand made
paper
 Commonly Recycled Materials
Hand made and Process
•paper
In hand-operated units, pulping and beating of paper is done
manually in an open masonry or concrete tank.
• The material is sieved in a second tank and diluted with water
to a specific consistency.
• A wooden framed screen is dipped in the tank in order to form
an even layer of the wet pulp to a desired thickness (over the
screen mat).
• The layer is skilfully removed and transferred from the mat and
the sheets are sun dried on smooth walls or on other smooth
surfaces.
• The dried sheets are then pressed and cut into required sizes.
• The calendaring is performed in an electrically operated
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Glass
• Glass is one of the most commonly recycled
materials.
• Glass generally accounts for 2.5% by weight
of the total solid waste generated.
• Recycling of broken glass reduces the risk of
diseases caused by cuts and wounds.
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Glass
• Glass manufacturers purchase glass for
reprocessing into new, clear, green and
brown glass jars and bottles.
• The market for recovered glass has been
strong and stable for brown and clear
containers.
• Use semi mechanical process.
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Semi mechanical
process
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Types of tools used for recovery of
glass
• Furnace : for melting purpose , over
1400 degree Celsius
• Semi-mechanical die: fixing die
• Air compressor: molten glass into die
• Printing machine : printing trademark
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Metals
• Ferrous metals like iron, steel, etc., And non-
ferrous metals like aluminium, copper, zinc,
lead, silver, etc., Are some of the metals.
• Metals account for 2% of total solid waste
generated.
• Using recycled metals substantially reduces
operating costs of industries.
• Metal scrap is cheap and the energy
consumption is lower when products are
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Metals
• Both ferrous and non-ferrous metals can be
prepared for sale through some combination of
processing by flattening, baling, and shredding
of the material.
i. Material inputs: Aluminium, brass, copper,
zinc, tin, iron, steel, etc.
ii. Product outputs: Sanitary and gas fittings,
funnels, buckets and storage bins, reinforced
steel bars, hand tools, etc.
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Metal processing
• Ferrous metals are processed by iron industries
to produce iron bars, and channels, angles
• Ingot (pure metal pieces) extraction
• Use annealing process: makes the metal sharp
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Plastics
• Average 8% by weight of the total amount of
domestic waste, plastic is one of the major
constituents in waste stream.
• Un-recycled plastic, when burned, contributes
to greenhouse gases.
• Local treatments: flattening, baling (raw or
finished material tightly bound with cord ), or
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Plastics
Plastic-resin recycling technology: Recycling
of high-density polyethylene, low-density
polyethylene & polyethylene terephthalate.
i. Material input: Plastic scrap (thermoplastic
and thermosetting).
ii. Product output: Toys, boxes, slippers,
shoes, pellets, buckets, cans, etc.
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Plastic
processing

a compact mass

Small rounded piec

 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Batteries
• Market value
• Concern over the toxic compound including
lead, cadmium and mercury present in many
batteries.
• Automobiles use lead acid battery, which
contains lead and sulphuric acid, both
hazardous materials
• Household batteries come in a variety of types
including alkaline, carbon, zinc, silver, nickel,
 Commonly Recycled
Materials and Process
Batteries
• Battery reprocessing includes breaking open
the batteries, neutralising the acid, chipping the
container for recycling and smelting the lead to
produce recyclable lead.
 Commonly Recycled Materials and
Process
Tyres
• The use of chipped or shredded tyres as a source for fuel
is growing.
• Fuel: Tire-derived fuel can be used in kilns in the cement-
making process.
• Secondary raw materials: The steel and silica in tires can be
used as secondary raw materials.
• Insulation and sealing: Pure rubber granulate can be used to
make panels for insulation and sealing in buildings.
• Elastic filler material: Fine-particle granulate can be used as
an elastic filler material on sports grounds with artificial grass.
• Tarmac layer: Rubber powder can be used as a tarmac layer
on roads to absorb noise.
• Asphalt road beds: The "crumb" material can be used in
asphalt road beds.
• Agricultural hoses: The "crumb" material can be used in
Case study: Source reduction
and recycling in Bangalore
• Source reduction, including reuse and recycling,
can help reduce waste disposal and handling
costs, because it avoids the costs of municipal
composting, landfilling and combustion
(meaning of source reduction).
• Source reduction also conserves resources and
reduces pollution, including greenhouse gases
that contribute to global warming (importance).
• Waste reduction, reuse and recycling, thus, play
an important role in SWM (need).
Case study: Source reduction
and recycling in Bangalore
• In Bangalore, 66% of the waste generated is
collected for recovery, i.e., About 2,373 tonnes
per day.
• While 722 tonnes per day is reused, the rest
(i.e., 1,450tonnes) goes for recycling.
• The agents involved in the collection and
recovery of wastes in the city include waste
pickers, IWB (i.e., Itinerant waste buyer),
middlemen (or intermediaries), the
municipality and recycling units (both large and
Case study: Source reduction
and recycling in Bangalore
Case study: Source reduction
and recycling in Bangalore
• Of the 1450 tonnes collected for recycling, 1077.8
tonnes come from intermediaries, 60.4 come from
IWB and 312 tonnes come from waste pickers.
• This amounts to 40% of the total waste (i.e.,
3613 tonnes per day) generated.