Types of waste

Waste can be divided into many different types. The most common methods of
classification is by their physical, chemical and biological characteristics. One
important classification is by their consistency. Solid wastes are waste materials
that contain less than 70% water. This class includes such materials as
household garbage, some industrial wastes, some mining wastes, and oilfield
wastes such as drill cuttings. Liquid wastes are usually wastewater's that contain
less than 1% solids. Such wastes may contain high concentrations of dissolved
salts and metals. Sludge is a class of waste between liquid and solid. They
usually contain between 3% and 25% solids, while the rest of the material is
water dissolved materials.

 Industrial waste

Industrial waste is waste type produced by industrial factories, mills and mines. It has
existed since the outset of the industrial revolution. Toxic waste and chemical waste are
two designations of industrial waste. It is considered hazardous as they may contain
toxic substances. Certain types of household waste are also hazardous. Hazardous
wastes could be highly toxic to humans, animals, and plants; are corrosive, highly
inflammable, or explosive; and react when exposed to certain things e.g. gases.
India generates around 7 million tonnes of hazardous wastes every year, most of
which is concentrated in four states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and
Tamil Nadu.In the industrial sector, the major generators of hazardous waste are the
metal, chemical, paper, pesticide, dye, refining, and rubber goods industries. Direct
exposure to chemicals in hazardous waste such as mercury and cyanide can be
fatal.

Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or potentially
harmful to human health or the environment. The universe of hazardous wastes is
large and diverse. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, contained gases, or
sludges. They can be the by-products of manufacturing processes or simply
discarded commercial products, like cleaning fluids or pesticides. It exhibits at least
one of four characteristics—ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. Hazardous
waste is regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Subtitle.

 Hospital waste

Hospital waste is generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of

human beings or animals or in research activities in these fields or in the production
or testing of biologicals. It may include wastes like sharps, soiled waste,
disposables, anatomical waste, cultures, discarded medicines, chemical wastes, etc.
These are in the form of disposable syringes, swabs, bandages, body fluids, human
excreta, etc. This waste is highly infectious and can be a serious threat to human
health if not managed in a scientific and discriminate manner. It has been roughly
estimated that of the 4 kg of waste generated in a hospital at least 1 kg would be
infected.

 Municipal solid waste

Municipal solid waste consists of household waste, construction and demolition
debris, sanitation residue, and waste from streets. This garbage is generated mainly
from residential and commercial complexes. With rising urbanization and change in
lifestyle and food habits, the amount of municipal solid waste has been increasing
rapidly and its composition changing. In 1947 cities and towns in India generated an
estimated 6 million tonnes of solid waste, in 1997 it was about 48 million tonnes

 Radioactive wastes
 Radioactive wastes arise primarily from nuclear generation; smaller quantities are
derived from military sources and a variety of uses in medical, industrial and
university establishments. There are many types of radioactive waste which can be
classified either according to their radioactive properties or according to the sources
from which they originated. Low level radioactive wastes generally consist of
contaminated laboratory debris, biological materials, building materials. High level of
radioactive waste consist of spent fuels from nuclear power reactors, together with
liquid and solid residues from reprocessing of spent fuels.

Non-hazardous waste

Non-hazardous are those that pose no immediate threat to human health

and the environment. Household garbage is included into this category.

Procedure of Waste Management

The above four key aspects of waste management – disposal, processing, recycling
and minimization – is presented here in the form of a dual-axis continuum (see Figure
1), which will help in understanding the actions to be taken, and in building a
comprehensive waste management strategy for local governments in cities of
developing countries.
Waste Processing Waste Minimization

Waste Disposal Waste Recycling Waste Disposal

Historically, efforts in the management of waste have focused primarily on the disposal
part of the waste. Whilst there is now a general move towards the recovery of resources
from waste, disposal is still the most common form of managing waste. Dumping,
landfilling of waste and incineration are some of the most common methods of waste
disposal.

Waste
Waste Minimization
Processing

Waste Disposal Waste Recycling Waste Recycling

Recycling is the breaking down of materials from waste streams into raw materials,
which are then reprocessed either into the same material (closed loop) or a new product
(open loop), generally including waste separation and material reprocessing. There are
various materials that are capable of being recycled, and technology is advancing to
allow the recycling of more materials.

The benefits of recycling do not lie solely in diversion of waste away from disposal but,
even more importantly, in the reduction of the amount of virgin resources that need to
be harvested and processed for the manufacture of new products.

Waste Processing Waste Minimization

Waste Disposal Waste Recycling Waste Processing

Waste processing is the range of activities characterized by the treatment and recovery
(use) of materials or energy from waste through thermal, chemical, or biological means.
It also covers hazardous waste handling. Generally, there are two main groups of
processes to be considered, (1) Biological processes, such as open composting,
enclosed composting, anaerobic digestion, and vermiculture, and (2) Thermal
processes, such as incineration, and gasification.

Types of Waste Management

Urban waste management

• The overall goal of urban solid waste management is to collect, treat and dispose
of solid wastes generated by all urban population groups in an environmentally
and socially satisfactory manner using the most economical means available.
• Local governments are usually authorized to have responsibility for providing
solid waste management services, and most local government laws give them
exclusive ownership over waste once it has been placed outside a home or
establishment for collection.
• As cities grow economically, business activity and consumption patterns drive up
solid waste quantities.
• At the same time, increased traffic congestion adversely affects the productivity
of the solid waste fleet.
• Productivity loss is exacerbated by longer hauls required of the fleet, as open
lands for disposal are further and further away from urban centers.
• The challenge is to rationalize worker and vehicle performance, while expanding
services to a growing urban population.

Municipal waste management

• Over the last few years, the consumer market has grown rapidly leading to
products being packed in cans, aluminium foils, plastics, and other such
nonbiodegradable items that cause incalculable harm to the environment. In
India, some municipal areas have banned the use of plastics and they seem to
have achieved success.
• For example, today one will not see a single piece of plastic in the entire district
of Ladakh where the local authorities imposed a ban on plastics in 1998.
• Other states should follow the example of this region and ban the use of items
that cause harm to the environment.
• One positive note is that in many large cities, shops have begun packing items in
reusable or biodegradable bags.
 • Certain biodegradable items can also be composted and reused. In fact proper
handling of the biodegradable waste will considerably lessen the burden of solid
waste that each city has to tackle.

Radioactive waste management

• Radioactive waste management involves dealing safely with the wastes from
processes involving radioactivity.
• This waste comes from a number of sources, and ranges from paper towels used
in hospitals to nitric acid solution formed as a result of reprocessing nuclear fuel.
• Most radioactive waste is currently stored safely on major sites under license
from the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and is
subject to strict regulatory control.

Efforts towards Waste Management

• The World Bank Group currently has about 120 active projects with solid waste
management components. There are about 85 projects under supervision with
$3.5 Billion in loan/grant commitments, of which about 85% is designated for
‘urban environment’ activities. Solid waste management is the main component
in more than half of these projects. At least 20 projects with large solid waste
components are now under preparation within the $4.5 Billion (minimum) Urban
Environment pipeline. An estimated 20 additional projects are in the pipeline.
• A large number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are working in the
field of solid waste management such as Clean Ahmedabad Abhiyan in
Ahmedabad, Waste-Wise in Bangalore, Mumbai Environmental Action Group in
Mumbai, and Vatavaran and Srishti in Delhi. They are all successfully creating
awareness among the citizens about their rights and responsibilities towards
solid waste and the cleanliness of their city. These organizations promote
environmental education and awareness in schools and involve communities in
the management of solid waste.
 About WM

Waste Management, Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive waste and

environmental services in North America. The company is strongly committed to
a foundation of financial strength, operating excellence and professionalism.

Waste Management tailors its services to meet the needs of each customer
group and to ensure consistent, superior service at the local level.
Headquartered in Houston, the company's network of operations includes 413
collection operations, 370 transfer stations, 283 active landfill disposal sites, 17
waste-to-energy plants, 131 recycling plants, 95 beneficial-use landfill gas
projects and 6 independent power production plants. These assets enable Waste
 Management to offer a full range of environmental services to nearly 21 million
residential, industrial, municipal and commercial customers.

Drawing on their resources and experience, they actively pursue projects and
initiatives that benefit the waste industry, the communities they serve and the
environment. Waste Management works to make a positive difference for the
environment in every aspect of its business.

• They recover and process methane gas, naturally produced in landfills,

into an energy source for generating power. they currently supply enough landfill
gas to create more than 250 megawatts of green energy that could power about
225,000 homes or replace about 2 million barrels of oil per year.
• With 495 vehicles now converted from diesel fuel to clean-burning natural gas,
they operate one of the nation's largest fleets of heavy-duty trucks powered
exclusively by natural gas.
• They have taken a leadership role in promoting the recycling and reuse of
materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. Waste Management, combined
with its wholly owned subsidiary WM Recycle America, is North America’s largest
recycler. They process 5.8 million tons of commodities each year, saving
approximately 41 million trees through paper recycling alone.
• Through its waste-to-energy plants, WM uses solid municipal waste to
generate power. This reduces the volume of the waste by 90 percent and saves
space in local landfills while providing an economical alternative to the use of
fossil and nuclear fuels.
• WM partners with communities, government and industries to redevelop
closed landfill sites into recreational and commercial facilities such as parks,
athletic fields, campgrounds and golf courses.
• Across North America, they work with environmental groups to set aside land to
create and manage wetlands and wildlife habitats. Their landfills provide more
than 16,000 acres of protected land for wildlife; 15 landfills are certified by the
Wildlife Habitat Council.
• WM helped found the Chicago Climate Exchange, an organization
established to provide a voluntary marketplace for reducing and trading
greenhouse gas emissions.
Waste Management's environmental initiatives have drawn recognition numerous
times from organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the
U.S. Department of Energy and the Wildlife Habitat Council.

Operations

COLLECTION: Waste Management provides solid waste collection services to

millions of customers across North America, ranging in size from the single
residential subscription to large national customers requiring comprehensive,
one-source waste programs to serve hundreds of locations. With 22,000
collection and transfer vehicles, the company has the largest trucking fleet in the
waste industry. The company uses advanced technology and disciplined
programs to bring improved efficiency to the process of solid waste collection.

TRANSFER: With most of the waste collected by Waste Management going to

its own landfills, a supporting network of transfer stations provides an important
link for efficient disposal. Waste Management has 370 strategically located
transfer stations to consolidate, compact and load waste from collection vehicles
into long-haul trailers, barge containers and rail cars for transport to landfills.

DISPOSAL: Waste Management operates the largest network of landfills in its

industry, with 283 active sites managing the disposal of more than 125 million
tons of waste per year. The company operates its sites according to standards of
safety and environmental compliance that go beyond regulatory requirements.
Waste Management is focused on solutions that impact the future of solid waste
management, including bioreactor technology, which accelerates the
decomposition of organic waste through the managed introduction of air and
liquids into the waste mass. Currently, the company is conducting research at 10
landfills to confirm the environmental benefits of bioreactor technology as an
alternative method for managing landfill waste.

RECYCLING: As the largest recycler of municipal solid waste in North America,

Waste Management processes more than 5.8 million tons of recyclable materials
each year through its 131 material recovery facilities. Through the resources of
WM Recycle America, a majority-owned subsidiary, WM provides cost-efficient,
environmentally sound recycling programs for municipalities, businesses and
households across the U.S. and Canada.

RENEWABLE ENERGY: For many years, Waste Management has worked with
businesses, industries and public utilities across North America to develop
beneficial-use projects from landfill gas. This gas is a reliable, renewable energy
source that is produced naturally as waste decomposes in landfills. When
collected, it can be used directly as medium Btu gas for industrial use or sold to
gas-to-energy plants to fuel engine or turbine-driven generators that produce
electricity. Through 95 landfill gas projects, we currently supply enough landfill
gas to create more than 250 megawatts of green energy that could power about
225,000 homes or replace about 2 million barrels of oil per year.

In addition, our waste-to-energy subsidiary Wheelabrator Technologies Inc.

burns solid waste to generate clean energy. Its 17 waste-to-energy plants have
the capacity to process up to 24,200 tons of waste per day and have an electric
generating capacity of more than 650 megawatts of energy, potentially saving
more than 6 million barrels of oil and generating clean, renewable energy that
could power about 600,000 homes each year.
 THINK GREEN
At Waste Management, green is more than just the color of their trucks and
containers. It is a daily reminder to their over 50,000 employees across North
America of the important role each of them play as stewards of the environment.
Waste Management has a deep commitment to making a difference for the
environment, for communities and for people.To them, to Think Green® means
embracing the tremendous responsibility they have, as leaders in their industry,
to use their strength, talents, resources and technologies to better the
communities they serve.

As the leading provider of comprehensive waste management, recycling and

environmental services in North America, Waste Management serves municipal,
commercial, industrial and residential customers throughout the United States,
Canada and Puerto Rico. Waste Management serves more than 20 million
residential and commercial customers though its network of collection operations,
transfer stations, landfill disposal sites, waste-to-energy plants, recycling
facilities, and other related services.

In one of their Think Green® TV commercials they ask the question, "Who would
ever think that the waste they generate could generate enough green energy to
power an entire community?" The answer is, "They would."

Waste Management is actively committed to the development of green energy

projects - whether it's collecting and processing the methane gas that is naturally
produced in landfills, using solid waste to generate clean power or powering a
fleet with clean-burning alternative fuel. In one of our Think Green® TV
commercials we ask the question, "Who would ever think that the Converting
waste to energy.

Another way that they are helping to conserve fossil fuels is by converting
municipal solid waste into energy. Waste Management’s subsidiary,
Wheelabrator Technologies Inc., uses trash as fuel to generate electrical power
through its 17 waste-to-energy plants, which has the capacity to process up to
24,000 tons of waste per day. Converting trash to energy substantially reduces
the volume of the waste disposed of in landfills and provides a viable and
economical alternative to the use of fossil fuels.

A leading waste-to-energy provider in the United States, Wheelabrator helped

pioneer the process of converting waste into energy more than 30 years ago.
Since then, the company has processed more than 118 million tons of municipal
solid waste into energy, saving more than 120 million barrels of oil while
generating 65 billion kilowatt hours of clean, renewable electricity.

In a letter to the industry, the EPA has stated that waste-to-energy plants, like
those operated by Wheelabrator, produce electricity “with less enviromental
impact than almost any other source of electricity.” And studies conducted in
conjunction with the EPA have demonstrated that waste-to-energy plants prevent
the release of millions of tons of greenhouse gases.

Together, Waste Management’s landfill gas projects and waste-to-energy

projects produce enough electricity to power more than 800,000 homes, saving
the equivalent of about 8.2 million barrels of oil per year.

The opportunity to lead the way. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Through their
subsidiary, WM Recycle America (WMRA), they provide recycling programs that
are cost-effective and environmentally sound for cities, businesses and
households. Waste Management is the largest provider of recycling services in
North America, processing 5.8 million tons of commodities in 2005.

As North America’s largest recycler, they processed 5.8 million tons of

commodities in 2005, saving more than 41 million trees and enough energy to
power about 848,000 households.

They continue their role as an industry leader, offering communities and

businesses more effective and affordable recycling options as well as providing
manufacturers and end users with the secure, consistent stream of high-quality
raw materials they need to maintain operational efficiency. As the nation’s largest
collector of recyclables from businesses and households, they are taking the
reduce-reuse-recycle concept into every venue. In residential areas, they are
creating sustainable recycling programs through working partnerships with local
communities and municipalities. As a leading marketer of post-consumer and
post-industrial commodities, they are providing fiber, nonfiber, scrap metal,
textiles, rubber, electronic scrap and plastics to end-users of recycled materials
worldwide.

It’s one thing to say they support recycling. It’s quite another to step up to the
challenge of making it work. They are working to make it easier for people to
recycle. They are dedicated to making it more cost-efficient for businesses and
industries. And they creating a sustainable model for the future growth of
recycling programs.
Dumping Grounds

There are mainly three dumping ground in Mumbai.

1. Deonar
2. Mulund
3. Gorai

DEONAR

Deonar is located at northwestern end of Mumbai. Its footprint land area is 52 ha and maximum
height is 35 m. its capacity is 13 million cum the inflow rate is 4100 trucks per day and residual
life before closure is 2.24 per year.

In Deonar kitchen waste is 39.24, fruit waste is 8.33 and rest of waste is 0.76 that total up the wet
organic material to 52.12.
And dry grass is 9.60, dry tree remaining is 0.48, cotton waste is 2.57,wood chips is 0.33 and
wooden furniture waste is 0.62 that total up the dry organic material to 13.60
And the amount of recyclable material are plastic is 10.14, paper is 7.25, cardboard and
thermocol are equal that is 0.19, glass is 0.71, rubber is 0.52 and leather is 0.67 that total up the
recyclable material to 19.94.

The cost of landfill closure operation at Deonar

Capital expenditure is:

Relocation of existing waste and leveling is 3725 lakhs, site preparation for future landfill
operation is 1950 lakhs, installation of cover layer and leachate management system is 4035
lakhs, and contingencies are 490 lakhs. That total up it to 10200 lakhs. And operating
expenditure is accepting incoming @4100 TPD (per year) is 715 lakhs, site maintenance after
closure per year is 52 lakhs.
Leveling, relocation of waste and reformation of slopes
They fill with the foot print area is presently having undulation with steep mounds and deep
depression. This would be leveled at an even level. Based on the site contour map the top level
after completion will be approximately at +39 m. The leveling can be completed within a period
of 2 month if necessary vehicles or equipments are mobilized.
As a part of the partial closure activity of the landfill at Deonar, the material lying in and around
which are haphazardly dumped will be shifted and relocated over the finished levels after initial
leveling of the site and will be compacted. The quantity to be relocated is estimated to be 3.88
million tons. Trucks and the JCBs will be deployed in shifting the fill material. As the quantity
involved in this operation are large, it is planned to carry out this operation by deploying four
parallel stream of equipment, each capable of shifting 2500 TPD of waste. Under this
arrangement, the time required for completion of this activity will be about 14 months.
The material lying in the dump is having steep side slopes. These slopes have to be brought to
moderate slope of 1:3. This activity can be achieved by deploying the JCBs along with trucks
and bulldozers. The quantity estimated to be relocated over the slopes will be 0.234 million cum.
The period required for this activity will be about 6 months
Mulund

Mulund is located at western end of Mumbai. Its footprint land area is 10 ha and maximum
height is 35 m. its capacity is 1.6 million cum the inflow rate is 600 trucks per day and residual
life before closure is 1.96 per year.

In Mulund kitchen waste is 41.48, fruit waste is 12.05 and rest of waste is 0.00 that total up the
wet organic material to 56.76.
And dry grass is 3.05, dry tree remaining is 4.57, cotton waste is 6.81,wood chips is 0.95 and
wooden furniture waste is 0.19 that total up the dry organic material to 15.57

And the amount of recyclable material are plastic is 9.00, paper is 7.38, cardboard and thermocol
are equal that is 0.24, glass is 0.52, rubber is 0.81 and leather is 0.81 that total up the recyclable
material to 18.38

They fill with the foot print area is presently having undulation with steep mounds and deep
depression. This would be leveled at an even level. Based on the site contour map the top level
after completion will be approximately at +36.5 m. The leveling can be completed within a
period of 2 month if necessary vehicles/equipments are mobilized. As a part closure activity of
the landfill at Mulund, the material lying in and around which are haphazardly dumped will be
shifted and relocated over the finished level after initial leveling of the site and will compacted
the quantity to be relocated is estimated to be 0.21 million cum, trucks and the JCBs will be
deployed in shifting the fill material, deploying necessary trucks and equipments. Under these
arrangements the time required for completion of this activity will be 4 months.
The material lying in the dump is having step side slopes. These slopes have to be brought to
moderate slope. This activity can be achieved by deploying the JCBs along with trucks and
bulldozers. The period required for completion of this activity will be about 3 months. This
activity will be done concurrently to site leveling activity.
The cost of landfill closure operation at Mulund

Capital expenditure is
Relocation of existing waste and leveling is 200 lakhs, site preparation for future landfill
operation is 580 lakhs, installation of cover layer and leachate management system is 1080 lakhs,
and contingencies are 90 lakhs. And operating expenditure is accepting incoming @600 TPD
(per year) is 163 lakhs; site maintenance after closure per year is 46 lakhs.

Gorai

Gorai is located at western suburb of Mumbai. Its footprint land area is 16 ha and maximum
height is 22 m. its capacity is 2.6 million cum the inflow rate is 1200 truck per day and residual
life before closure is 2.1 per year.
In Gorai kitchen waste is 39.95, fruit waste is 10.76 and rest of waste is 0.00 that total up the wet
organic material to 54.03
And dry grass is 9.14, dry tree remaining is 2.9, cotton waste is 2.33,wood chips is 0.1 and
wooden furniture waste is 1.52n that total up the dry organic material to 15.99
And the amount of recyclable material are plastic is 8.62, paper is 6.09, cardboard is 0.28,
thermocol is 0.05, glass is 0.76, rubber is 0.9 and leather is 0.71 that total up the recyclable
material to 17.55.
Reformation of slopes

The fill area is presently having undulations with steep mounds and deep depression. This would
be level at an even level over a foot print area of 400m X 380m. Based on the present contours
and accounting for the additional waste that has been received at the site from Nov. 2004, the top
level after leveling the accumulated waste will be approx. at +114m. After leveling and receiving
the incoming waste for next 18 months, the fill will rise up to a level of +121 to +122, the
highest safe limit waste mound.
The maximum height of landfill from ground level thus will be 22 m, which will be attained at a
slope of 1:3 (equivalent to 18 degrees.). This activity can be achieved by deploying the JCBs
along with trucks and bulldozers. Due to moderate slope, the landfill will reach the maximum
height of 22 m at a distance of 66 m from periphery of landfill as against exiting height of 16 m
attained within 10 meters of the periphery (due to very steep slopes of exiting waste mounds.
The re-graded landfill slopes will be very gentle and provide an aesthically pleasing landscape,
comprising of shrubs, grass, and pathways. The activity will continue till the fresh site is
received. The re-grading of the slope, however, will be completed in 3 months after the
commencement of activity.