Elements of a Solid Waste Management System

Utilities Tech Outlook | Thursday, August 25, 2022

An essential component of environmental preservation is waste management. Its goal is to provide solid waste storage, collection, transportation, and treatment or disposal services that are hygienic, effective, and affordable while preventing pollution of the air, land, or water supply.

FREMONT, CA: Six fundamental components make up the functional parts of the solid waste management system, including, the production of solid waste, local handling and storage, collection, transport and transfer, recovery of materials and resources, and disposal

Solid Waste Generation

Solid waste is produced as a result of human, animal, and natural activity. Planning, developing, and operating a solid waste management system require an understanding of how solid waste is produced. Solid waste generation has two components: Solid waste quality and quantity. While quantity refers to generation rates and overall amounts and volumes of trash generated, quality encompasses the sources, types, and typical composition of solid waste along with its attributes. A crucial phase in the management of residential solid waste is the handling, storage, and separation of solid waste at the source before it is collected.

Waste Management

Handling is the process of managing solid waste until it is placed in storage containers before being collected or returned to recycling and drop-off locations. Depending on the types of waste materials that are separated for reuse and recycling and the degree to which these materials are separated from the waste stream, the specific operations involved with processing waste materials at the point of generation will vary. Depending on the collection service being used, handling may also be necessary to transport loaded containers to the collection site and empty containers back to the location where they are stored in between collections.

Waste Storage

Solid waste management starts at the household level. It necessitates the temporary storage of trash on the property. The on-site storage of solid waste is the duty of each household or business owner. Proper on-site storage of solid waste is the first step in proper disposal for businesses, residences, and other commercial establishments. This is because improperly stored waste or dumps can attract pests, flies, odours, and other dangers.

Collection

Collection refers to the process of gathering solid garbage from a variety of sources, as well as transporting those wastes to a disposal site or transfer station and discharging them there. While most collection systems have identical hauling and unloading procedures, the collection or pickup of garbage varies depending on the facilities and locations.

Transport and transfer

The terms transfer and transport describe the methods, infrastructure, and accessories needed to move garbage from one place to another, typically a more remote site. Usually, waste from relatively modest collection vehicles is transferred to larger vehicles, which are subsequently driven to far-off destinations.

Recovery and processing of resources

Resource recovery is a method of only partially disposing of and recycling solid waste. Future landfill volume requirements are predicted to decrease as a result of trash reductions. Resource recovery must take into account what is worth recovering as well as the advantages for the environment.

Disposal

The majority of the organic material may be subjected to bacterial decomposition, producing humus or compost as a byproduct. Composting refers to the complete separation and bacterial conversion process. Solid waste can decompose either aerobically or anaerobically.

Storage