The activities associated with the management of municipal solid wastes from the point of generation to final disposal can be grouped into the six functional elements:
1.Waste generation
2.Waste handling and sorting, storage and processing at the source
3.Collection
4.Sorting, processing and transformation
5.Transfer and transport
6.Disposal.
1. Waste Generation:
Waste generation encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer being of value (in their present form) and are either thrown away or gathered together for disposal. Waste generation is, at present, an activity that is not very controllable. In the future, however, more control is likely to be exercised over the generation of wastes. Reduction of waste at source, although not controlled by solid waste managers, is now included in system evaluations as a method of limiting the quantity of waste generated.
2. Waste Handling, Sorting, Storage, and Processing at the Source:
The second of the six functional elements in the solid waste management system is waste handling, sorting, storage, and processing at the source. Waste handling and sorting involves the activities associated with management of wastes until they are placed in storage containers for collection. Handling also encompasses the movement of loaded containers to the point of collection. Sorting of waste components is an important step in the handling and storage of solid waste at the source. For example, the best place to separate waste materials for reuse and recycling is at the source of generation. Households are becoming more aware of the importance of separating newspaper and cardboard, bottles/glass, kitchen wastes and ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
On-site storage is of primary importance because of public health concerns and aesthetic consideration. Unsightly makeshift containers and even open ground storage, both of which are undesirable, are often seen at many residential and commercial sites. The cost of providing storage for solid wastes at the source is normally borne by the household in the case of individuals, or by the management of commercial and industrial properties. Processing at the source involves activities such as backyard waste composting.
3. Collection:
The functional element of collection, includes not only the gathering of solid wastes and recyclable materials, but also the transport of these materials, after collection, to the location where the collection vehicle is emptied. This location may be a materials processing facility, a transfer station, or a landfill disposal site.
4. Sorting, Processing and Transformation of Solid Waste:
The sorting, processing and transformation of solid waste materials is the fourth of the
functional elements. The recovery of sorted materials, processing of solid waste and transformation of solid waste that occurs primarily in locations away from the source of waste generation are encompassed by this functional element. Sorting of commingled (mixed) wastes usually occurs at a materials recovery facility, transfer stations, combustion facilities, and disposal sites. Sorting often includes the separation of bulky items, separation of waste components by size using screens, manual separation of waste components, and separation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
5. Transfer and Transport: The functional element of transfer and transport
involves two steps:
(i) the transfer of wastes from the smaller collection vehicle to the larger transport equipment and
(ii) the subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal site. The transfer usually takes place at a transfer station.
6. Disposal: The final functional element in the solid waste management system is disposal. Today the disposal of wastes by landfilling or uncontrolled dumping is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill site, residual materials from Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), residue from the combustion of solid waste, rejects of composting, or other substances from various solid waste-processing facilities. A municipal solid waste landfill plant is an engineered facility used for disposing of
solid wastes on land or within the earth’s mantle without creating nuisance or hazard to public health or safety, such as breeding of rodents and insects and contamination of groundwater.
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Urban Infrastructure and Network Study notes for M. plan Sem-III
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