CHARACTERIZATION AND DISPOSAL OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
In
this modern era, one of the main challenges confronting environmental
management is “municipal solid waste”,
generated from different activities in towns and cities. It is a subject of
deep interest for its proper management because improper management of municipal
solid wastes (MSW) is one of the factors that cause water, air and soil
pollution.
Industrialization,
urbanization and modernization have contributed immensely to the rate of
municipal solid waste production and disposal in many regions of the world;
hence, proper waste management is a major interest in most cities, especially
in developing nations of the globe (Zhen-Shan et al., 2009).Rapid upward changes in urbanization, population
growth and lifestyles in developing countries contribute to increasing the per
capita municipal waste generation. Keeping pace with these developments require
commensurate growth in schemes to protecting the environment, to improving
public health and accomplishing effective and efficient municipal solid waste
management. This should be a priority, particularly, for cities in developing
countries (Jin et al., 2006).
Any
inhabitant of the world who goes back a decade realizes that his consumption
changed both from the quantitative as qualitative point of view. This increase
in the consumption keeps pace with the production of waste. Actually, the population growth
coupled with an accelerated exploitation of the resources and the
intensification of the human activities are several factors which explain the
increase of the production of waste (Yemadjeet
al., 2013). Every rise of 1% in population growth triggers an increase of
1.04% in production of waste (Beedeet
al., 1995).
In
every urban centre, large amount of solid waste is generated during various
activities. These wastes are to be stored, collected, conveyed, processed and
disposed off in an environmental friendly manner in order to keep the areas
clean. The handling of waste has changed through the generations as our
knowledge; technology of economic well-being has improved. As a necessary
consequence of the production and the consumption of food, consumer goods and
other products, our current society generates a substantial volume of waste
materials; most of which are ultimately discarded and require collection, reuse
or recycling, or disposal (Crineret al.,
2011). Solid waste generation have raised concerns about the economic viability
and environmental compatibility of recent waste handling systems, as not
fulfilling requirements of adequately managing these wastes cause serious
health hazards and nuisance (Gawaikar, 2006).
According
to Tanaka (2006), solid waste generated has been predicted to rise continuously
along with economic growth and development, if a lifestyle of bulk
manufacturing, consumption and disposal is continued. The most obvious
implication of urbanizing is the increasing generation of municipal solid waste
- a deeply ignored threat with acute health and environmental implications.
Local governments are desperate to find highly effective and practical
techniques for enhancing solid waste management with limited budget. How to
address the escalation in solid waste generation in this jet age has become an
issue of necessitation. Solid waste materials block drainage systems, causing
overflows during rainy seasons, especially in cities and towns. According to
Foul et al. (2009), dumped solid
wastes have potentials to bring about a huge amount of polluted leachate
containing much concentration of harmful compounds which lead to severe
destruction of the ecosystem.
Solid
waste refers to undesired remains, residues, discarded items or by-products
that are no longer needed for the initial use. Municipal solid wastes comprise
of vegetable and market waste, glass, paper, plastic and other organic
fractions and inert matter from various sources such as residential,
commercial, and institutional areas. In other words, municipal solid waste -
commonly known as “trash or garbage”(US),“refuse or rubbish”(UK), consists of
everyday items discarded by the public including: product packages, food
scraps, paper, metal, plastics, ceramics, textiles, leather, ashes and bones,
rubber, coconut husk, used batteries etc. These types of wastes pose health and
environmental menace when improperly managed.
In
spite of the improved development of science and technology, solid waste
management is still a serious environmental problem for most communities all
over the world (Su et al., 2008).
Municipal solid waste management is one of the most vital issues in the
contemporary urban environments; especially in developing countries (Vikramet al., 2010).Waste disposal management
continues to be a rising challenge to developing communities, as population
grows along with the industrial development of countries. This problem has
become quite hard to curb, especially in emerging countries, as human health is
under threat, roadsides blocked by generated wastes. One of the reasons why
this situation is so is that, “a negative relationship exists between
population densities in cities and towns and rise in per capita waste
generation, on one hand, and available waste disposal sites on the other hand”
(Adjaottoret al., 2014).
According
to Bartelings and Sterner (1999), the management of solid waste from households
is important for two reasons:
·
Landfill space is becoming a scarce
resource in many countries
·
More profound is perhaps the concern
that ecological damage from hazardouscomponents even in the efficiently
collected waste by the municipality will not automatically alleviate the
concern about the spread of hazardous waste into the environment. In addition,
according to Unites States Environmental Protection Agency, the various options
of solid waste management include;
·
Source reduction and reuse (waste
prevention)
·
Recycling and composting
·
Incineration (waste combustion)
·
Disposal in Landfills (that is, old and
abandoned quarries and mining sites)
With
an exponential increase of the production of waste worldwide, the question of
waste begins by firmly raising the awareness in front of environmental and
sanitary problems. In the more
developed countries, this issue is raised less. This is understandable by the
fact that they have access to qualified financial and human resources which they
dedicate to an effective management of waste. In these countries, waste is
transported towards wastage places for valuation (Yemadjeet al.,2013).
Improper
management of solid waste in most cities of developing countries leads to
problems that impair human and animal health and ultimately result in economic,
environmental and biological losses (Sharholyet al.,2007;2008) since landfill disposal and waste-to-energy(WTE)
incineration remains the two principal options for managing municipal solid
waste in most parts of the world(Moy et
al.,2008).Leachate from municipalities’ landfills presents a potential
health risk to both surrounding ecosystems and human populations(Salem et al.,2008). In addition, waste
management activities are said to contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions
by approximately 4%. In particular, the disposal of waste in landfills
generates methane that has high global warming potential (Papegeorgiouet al.,2009).
Information
pertaining to the composition of solid waste provides critical data for the
development of waste management plans. Waste minimization can only be carried
out efficiently and effectively with accurate waste composition data. Adequate
waste composition data are needed to ascertain the impacts of certain types of
waste and to determine the life of a landfill. Waste composition varies from
time to time and from place to place, depending on seasons or weather
conditions(Idriset al.,2004).All
types of municipal solid wastes are collected and mixed together at community
bins. It is quite demanding to keep a record of quantity of waste generation
from areas. Hence, a primary requirement to help accomplish this is accurate
and dependable information on solid waste characterization and quantification.
It has been noticed that 60-75% of generated waste is disposed off at landfill sites;
others are disposed off into drainages or along roadsides (Deshpandeet al.,2008).
Municipal
solid waste disposal is an integral and the last phase of municipal solid waste
management process which aims at discards solid wastes which are by-products of
human and animal activities. Municipal solid waste management depends on both
the disposal sites and the characteristics of the MSW such as: gross
composition, particle size, moisture content, chemical composition and density
(Endaluet al., 2014).
Solid
Waste Characterization is a means by which collected waste samples are
divided into different components such as decomposable or organic wastes (i.e.
food wastes, grasses, leaves), rubbish (paper, plastic, metal, glass, textiles,
etc) and ash residues(materials remaining from burning of wood, coal, coke,
etc). Solid waste characterization study is fundamental to any proper planning
of solid waste management in any community. It entails inquiring about how much
solid waste are discarded in a waste stream. Waste characterization data assist
in planning waste minimization schemes, establishment of recycling or reuse programmes,
thereby minimizing money and resources (calrecycle.ca.gov,2015).
Waste
characterization is a rudimentary concept in any Municipal Waste Management
Scheme (MWMS) of urban solid waste, in a city, although such data are not
gathered in many African cities (Guadalupe, 2009). Characterization of
municipal solid waste is simply a descriptive means of identifying the various
constituents of the waste stream in terms of quantity and quality generation,
taking into account, the location and seasons in which these waste are
generated. In other words, it is a means of finding out how much waste is
discarded in a municipal waste stream.
Data
on solid waste characterization are composed of information on the types and
quantities of materials in the waste stream and are dependent on some factors
like; food habits, cultural tradition, socio-economic and climatic conditions,
etc. It varies not only from city to city, but even within the same city itself
(Gawaikar, 2004). In addition, the composition and characteristics of municipal
solid waste are influenced by factors such as the area (whether residential,
institutional or commercial), economic level (variance between high and low
income earning regions), seasons and climatic conditions (distinction in the
population density during the year, tourist places, etc) as well as the
tradition and norms of people residing or doing business transactions in the
community. High-income earning communities usually produce more inorganic
materials or rubbish (such as paper, plastics), whereas low-income earning
regions produce more of organic waste. Incorrectly sited open solid waste
disposal sites result in health hazards and depletion in the aesthetic beauty
of many cities (Napoleon et al., 2011).
According
to Gawaikar (2004), characterization of MSW assists in evaluation of the amount
of waste generated in a particular region or area at a particular period of the
year. This aids in identifying the trend of generation. It also enhances proper
planning of solid waste management, estimation of the dimension and number of
functional units and equipments required for waste management and the required
resources for environmental protection and public health. Also, solid waste
characterization is vital to ascertain its possible environmental impacts on
nature as well as on the society at large (Alagmiret al., 2005). Municipal solid waste data are sometimes measured
both in volume (m3 per capita per day), and in weight (kg per capita
per day). Finally, effective management of municipal solid waste is very vital
and could provide environmental benefits and sustainable development, as well
as reduce adverse impacts on public health. To address both the earth’s
dwindling resources and the growing mountains of waste, many countries have introduced
statutory waste minimization and recovery targets to ensure judicious use of
these resources. The general public does not make the link between the two and
tend to be generally more concerned with the effect that waste has on the
environment at large (Emery et al., 2007).
For effective waste management system for sustainable development, premiums
have to be placed on waste characterization studies, hence, the need to carry
out this research in the university of Benin municipality.
1.2 PROBLEM
STATEMENT
In
the last few years, waste generated in the University of Benin has been on the
increase due to the expansion of human activities as a result of increase in
population because of high influx of newly admitted students from various parts
of the country. University of Benin is an institutional area, hence, a
municipality. There exists a poor status of municipal solid waste management
programmes caused by inadequate financial and human resources as well as
organizational inefficiencies with the municipal bodies; limited surveys
conducted as regarding solid waste generation rate; limited data recorded, both
on composition and quantity of generated municipal waste; poor handling and
poor application of engineering-based technologies which are crucial for effective
management of solid waste generated. Solid waste disposal has therefore become
a major issue in the campus. In fact, poor state of solid waste management in
the University of Benin is now not only and environmental problem, but also a
social handicap. Among the problems existing in the fast-growing University of
Benin, solid waste appears to be one of the most prominent in recent years.
There is currently no organized waste disposal and management system, hence,
solid waste is seen in huge heaps on any piece of unused land, around buildings,
and in the open commercial centres. Living with solid waste littered around
appears to be acceptable amongst people in the campus.
Also,
policy makers in the waste management sector in the University of Benin municipality
are faced with the problem of how to project and therefore fairly predict the
amount and the composition of MSW that is likely to be generated in the near
future in order to devise the most appropriate disposal strategy. The present
scenario in which waste collection and management is from a central collection
point to the main dumping site, is inefficient and not reliable.
University
of Benin municipality has not yet developed its centre of hierarchy, as
evidently shown by:
·
No incremental levels of waste
reduction, recycling and reuse.
·
No technology-based waste management.
·
No specific basis of strategy to
encourage movement up the hierarchy.
1.3 AIM
The
purpose of this study is to assess the amount of municipal solid waste
generated daily in the University of Benin community and characterize the
municipal solid waste, so as to obtain a comprehensive data at the community
level for use in setting the basis for planning, strategizing and
implementation of a sustainable waste management programme at the University of
Benin municipality to address some of the inefficiencies in solid waste
management for sustainable development.
1.4 OBJECTIVES
This
study seems to achieve the following objectives:
·
Collect solid waste samples from
different areas of the school.
·
Evaluate existing solid waste generation
rate.
·
Estimate the average daily generation
rate (kg generated/capita/day).
·
Identify and categorize, in a systematic
way, the waste fractions involved.
·
Estimate composition of waste samples by
direct waste analysis.
·
Estimate the total waste arising.
·
Determine how socio-economic factors
influence the quantum and type of waste generated.
·
Suggest practices that will improve
effectiveness, efficiency, integration, accountability and optimize municipal
solid waste management.
·
Suggest the best disposal method that
will be needed for effective waste disposal in the school.
1.5 SCOPE
OF WORK
This
study centres on the following:
·
Solid waste generation and in-depth
characterization of the waste from selected areas in University of Benin
municipality and their current solid waste generation rate.
·
Analysis of the samples to determine the
composition of solid waste in the different areas for seven days each.
The
research questions of this study are:
·
What is average daily generation rate of
municipal solid waste (kg/capita/day)?
·
How efficient is the waste management
system in the municipality?
·
How can municipal solid waste management
system be improved in the municipality?
·
Which of the socio-economic classes have
the highest solid waste generation rate?
·
What is the best waste disposal method?
1.6 JUSTIFICATION
OF STUDY
The
main problem facing policy makers in the waste management sector in most urban
areas is their inability to make appropriate future predictions of the amount
and the composition of MSW likely to be generated over a period so as to devise
the most appropriate disposal strategy. The importance of reliable information
on both the quantity and composition of municipal solid waste for the effective
planning of waste handling infrastructure underscore the role this study may
play. With the data, hopefully, some model structure can be developed to
reasonably manage MSW in the locality where this work is being undertaken.
1.7 RELEVANCE
OF STUDY
The
findings of this study will help waste management authorities in the University
of Benin community make more informed policy-related and strategic decisions in
determining the most efficient waste management system in the local context in
prioritizing disposal types, and in determining the measures needed to support
the implementation of such initiatives.
Also,
this study will shed more light on some benefits of waste characterization and
proper waste management such as:
·
Enabling recommendation of the best
disposal methods of the waste, hence, preventing health and environmental
hazards.
·
Assisting in proper planning of waste
management, and is an integral element involved in keeping our environment
safe.
1.8 LIMITATIONS
OF STUDY
Only
University of Benin community in Benin-City will be considered as case study
for the work. Other regions in Benin-City will not be considered. Also, this
study is restricted solely to municipal solid waste, and not industrial waste,
agricultural waste, mining and quarrying waste, bio-hazardous waste and
radioactive waste. In addition, the following waste will not be included;
·
Gaseous or liquid waste.
·
Waste from construction, industries and
unconventional units.
EDITOR SOURCE: Characterization and disposal of municipal solid waste
