Prepared by: Ahmed Sawalha
1. Sources of Solid Wastes
2. Types of Solid Waste
3. Composition of Solid Waste
4. Determination of the Composition of MSW in the Field
5. Types of Materials Recovered from MSW
6. Future Changes in Waste Composition
Sources of solid wastes in a community are:
• Residential
• Commercial
• Institutional
• Construction and Demolition
• Municipal Services
• Treatment Plant Sites
• Industrial
• Agricultural
MSW includes all the community waste with the
exception of industrial process waste and agriculture
wastes
It is important to define the various types of solid
wastes that are generated and the sources to design
and operate of the functional elements associated
with the management of solid waste
Table 1 provides the sources and types of solid waste
within a community
Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes within a Community
Source Typical facilities, Types of solid wastes
activities, locations where
wastes are generated
Residential Single and multifamily Food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics,
dwellings textiles, leather, yard wastes, wood,
glass, metals, ashes, special wastes
(e.g., bulky items, consumer electronics,
white goods, batteries, oil, tires), and
household hazardous wastes
Industrial Light and heavy Industrial process waste, scrap
manufacturing, fabrication, materials, etc. Non - industrial waste
construction sites, power including food wastes, construction and
and chemical plants demolition wastes, rubbish, ashes ,
hazardous wastes, ashes, special wastes
Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes within a Community (Cont’d)
Source Typical facilities, Types of solid wastes
activities, locations where
wastes are generated
Commercial Stores, hotels, restaurants, Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, food
markets, office buildings, wastes, glass, metals, special wastes,
etc. hazardous wastes
Institutional Schools, hospitals, prisons, Same as commercial
government centers
Construction and Demolition New construction sites, Wood, steel, concrete, dirt, etc.
road repair, renovation
sites, demolition of
buildings, broken pavement
Table 1: Sources and Types of Solid Wastes within a Community (Cont’d)
Source Typical facilities, activities, Types of solid wastes
locations where wastes are
generated
Municipal Street cleaning, landscaping, Street sweepings; landscape and tree
Services (excluding parks, beaches, other trimmings; general wastes from parks,
treatment facilities) recreational areas, water and beaches, and other recreational areas;
wastewater treatment plants sludge
Agricultural Field and row crops, orchards, Spoiled food wastes, agricultural wastes,
vineyards, dairies, feedlots, rubbish, hazardous waste.
farms, etc.
Organic (Combustible)
Inorganic (non-combustible)
Putrescible
Recyclable
Hazardous
Infectious
Composition is the term used to describe the
individual components that make up a solid waste
stream and their relative distribution
Information on the composition of solid wastes is
important in evaluating equipment needs, systems and
management programme and plans
The residential and commercial portion makes up
about 50 to 75 percent of total MSW generated in a
community
The actual percentage distribution will depend on
The extent of construction and demolition
activities
The extent of the municipal services provided
The types of water and wastewater treatment
process that are used
Composition is the term used to describe the
individual components that make up a solid waste
stream and their relative distribution
Information on the composition of solid wastes is
important in evaluating equipment needs, systems and
management programme and plans
The residential and commercial portion makes up
about 50 to 75 percent of total MSW generated in a
community.
The actual percentage distribution will depend on
The extent of construction and demolition
activities
The extent of the municipal services provided
The types of water and wastewater treatment
process that are used.
Percent by Weight Moisture percent
Component
Range Typical Range Typical
Organic
Food wastes 6 – 26 15 50 – 80 70
Paper 25 – 45 40 4 – 10 6
Cardboard 3 – 15 4 4–8 5
Plastics 2– 8 3 1–4 2
Textiles 0– 4 2 6 – 15 10
Rubber 0– 2 0.5 1–4 2
Leather 0– 2 0.5 8 – 12 10
Yard wastes 0 – 20 12 30 – 80 60
Wood 1– 4 2 15 – 40 20
Misc. organics
Inorganics
Glass 4 – 16 8 1– 4 2
Tin cans 2– 8 6 2–4 3
Aluminum 0– 1 1 2–4 2
Other metal 1– 4 2 2–6 3
Dirt, ash etc 0 – 10 4 6 – 12 8
The percentage distribution values for the
components in MSW vary with
Location
Season
economic conditions
population
Social behavior
Climate
Market for waste materials
Other factor
Because the heterogeneous nature of solid wastes,
determination of the composition is not an easy task
More generalized field procedures based on common
sense and random sampling technique have evolved for
determining composition
The procedure for residential MSW can be summarized
as following
The load is first quartered
One part is then selected for additional quartering
unit a sample size of about 200 lb is obtained
It is important to maintain the integrity of each
selected quarter regardless of the odor or physical
decay
make sure that all the components are measured
The field procedure for component
identification for commercial and industrial
waste involves the analysis of representative
waste samples taken directly from the source,
not from a mixed waste load in a collection
vehicle. Due to the fact that these wastes are
so variable.
Aluminum
Paper
Plastics
Glass
Ferrous Metals (Iron and Steel)
Nonferrous waste
Yard waste collected separately
Construction and demolition wastes
Recycling is the best way to solve solid waste
management problem. This process exists in all
cities . However, the recycling system differs
from developing countries and developed
countries .
Developed countries have well organized source
separation and recycling system while in the
developing countries the system of recycling is
not effective because it is still in the hands of
informal sectores
Developing Countries Have Recycling System Starting From
Curbside Collection System. Separate Colored Collections Bins
are Provided to Deposit Separate Waste Material
These Sorting Facilities are Well Organized and Materials are
Separated for Further Processing
Separation of Recyclable and Placing Separately
These Scavengers Collect the Recyclables and Separate in
their Own Premises
T
Recyclables Collected from Scavengers are Deposited in One
Place
In terms of solid waste management planning, knowledge
of future trends in the composition of solid waste and
quantities are of great importance.
Food Waste
The quantity of residential food waste collected has
changed significantly over the years as a result of
technical advances and change in public health
Food processing and packaging industry and the use of
kitchen food waste grinders have effected the quantity
of food waste
The percentage of food waste, by weight, has decreased
from about 14 percent in the early 1960s to about 9
percent in 1992.
Paper and Cardboard
The percentage of paper and cardboard found in MSW has
increased greatly over the past half century , rising from about
20 percent in the early 1940s to about 40 percent in 1992
if the U.S. postal rate for bulk mail were increased to first class
mail, a significant reduction would occur in the amount of
paper collected for disposal
Yard Wastes
The percentage of yard waste has also increased significantly,
due primarily to passage of laws that prohibit burning of yard
wastes.
By weight, yard waste currently accounts for about 16 to 24
percent of the waste stream
Environmental conditions such as droughts have also affected
the quantities of yard wastes collected in certain locations
Plastics
The percentage of plastics in solid waste has increased
significantly during the past 50 years
the use of plastics has increased from almost non-
measurable quantities in the early 1940s to between 7
and 8 percent, by weight, in 1992
It is anticipated the use of plastic will continue to
increase, but at a slower rate than during the past 25
years