Introduction
The broad subject of management of the solid waste regards the process by which these materials are collected, treated, and disposed of (Nathanson, 2015). The improper handling of the solid wastes is often associated with the pollution of the environment and in some instances; it compromises the people’s health (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009). In the traditional time, the ancient cities saw people strew solid wastes in the unused streets from where they were expected to decay. However, Athens became the first city to develop prohibitory laws, which were imposed to regulate the throwing of the solid wastes in the streets (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009). Gradually, other states and nations embraced the habit of improved solid waste management systems, although with varying efficiencies over the years. The modern day management systems of the solid wastes are improved and more efficient as compared to the ancient times (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009). It is worth noting that the entire process of solid waste management is complex and often associated with technical challenges. This paper analyzes the procedures involved in the process of management of the solid wastes and the associated administrative, economical, as well as the social challenges.
Brief History
Through the 19th century, many cities, especially in the developed world allowed scavengers to transport the solid wastes to the open dumping sites through hand ridden carts (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009). As technology continued to advance, the transportation was through watertight garbage bins and later through sturdy vehicles. The world’s first incinerator was built in 1874 in England, which became the historical starting point of the modern solid waste management processes (Nathanson, 2015). The solid wastes have then been widely incinerated across the world since its discovery in the 19th century. Other developments occurred in the 20th century, which included the introduction of garbage grinders, the pneumatic collection systems, and the compaction trucks (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009). However, it is worth appreciating that the modern systems of handling solid wastes encourage more of recycling as well as a general reduction of the wastes at the source as against incineration and open landfill systems of disposal (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009).
Perspective
The sources of solid wastes are diverse and differ in the composition and the properties (Nathanson, 2015). Commonly found solid wastes are residential, institutional, commercial, as well as industrial. Such solid wastes that are thought of as posing a danger to both the environment and the exposed individuals are termed as hazardous (Nathanson, 2015). Municipal solid waste or refuse is the kind of solid wastes that is considered to be less or not hazardous to the environment and people. Examples of such refuse are the rubbish or garbage (Nathanson, 2015). Besides, the commonly known garbage is in the form of food remains, and the solid trash such as the waste papers. In fact, there are new developments in other types of solid wastes, especially in the developing countries. Such wastes are the electronic debris that finds their way into the dumping sites without properly devised mechanisms of disposing of those materials (Nathanson, 2015). For instance, it is a common feature to find discarded cell phones, televisions, computers, and such other types of electronic devices collectively regarded as electronic wastes. The components of the e-wastes that cause the main challenge in the open disposal include the Mercury element, cadmium, and lead (Nathanson, 2015).
Collection and Transportation
The importance of properly collecting the solid wastes is anchored in the need to protect the public’s health, environmental quality, as well as the public’s safety (Nathanson, 2015). The processes of the collection, as well as transportation of the solid wastes, are expensive ventures in the whole process of solid waste management. While the public systems are often assigned the responsibilities in many of the municipalities, the consideration of efficiency and effectiveness, which the private companies provide is considered relevant (Nathanson, 2015). Normally, with the development of sturdy trucks for the collection and transportation, only a driver and a few individuals are required in the actual handling of the solid wastes (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009). With compaction, the trucks can carry tons of the compacted solid wastes. However, the efficiencies differ depending on the locality because, in the rural areas, the population is scarce, and the production of solid wastes is equally reduced (Nathanson, 2015). Therefore, collection and transport costs would be relatively higher in the rural areas as compared to the urban set-up. Optimality in the processes of collection and transport of the solid wastes is considered from the perspectives of frequency in the collection, distances of haulage, service type, as well as the climatic conditions (Nathanson, 2015).
Inter-Route Transfers
In other instances, some final destination points for the wastes may be far and, therefore, necessitate the use of one or even more transfer stations. The stations are central facilities where the refuse collected through the trucks would be combined into a larger truck for efficiency in the process of transport (Nathanson, 2015). Normally, efficiency is realized through transfer stations, which are points in the transport routes where wastes from different trucks are transferred and then transported in the larger volume truck (Sasikumar & Krishna, 2009). The handover from the common transporting trucks to the larger truck happens directly in the transfer stations. In some instances, the collecting trucks may be emptied into open storage pits from where they would be mechanically put into the transport vehicles for the final destination (Nathanson, 2015).
Disposal and Treatment
Treatment is the primary element considered in the management of the common solid waste. Whenever the municipal solid wastes are collected, they are treated to reduce the volume and weight for the final disposal process. Through the treatment, the form of the wastes is changed, a procedure that improves the handling process (Nathanson, 2015). Besides, through treatment, some particular elements or materials may be recovered and some contents recycled for use. The primary disposal strategies for the solid wastes are incineration and composting, otherwise regarded as landfills.
Incineration
Incineration is among the technologies that are in use for solid waste treatment, which involves the combustion of the organic constituents found in waste materials (Sharratt, 2000). By subjecting the waste products to high temperatures, incineration process converts the waste materials with organic constituents into heat, ash, as well as into fuel gas. The organic materials from ash after complete combustion, which solidify to form ash lumps or even gas particulates, which are easily carried away by gaseous constituents of the flue gas (Sharratt, 2000). Environmental conservation dictates that the gas should be subjected to treatment before it is released to the atmosphere, a situation that reduces the pollution of the environment through hazardous gaseous compounds contained in the gas (Sharratt, 2000). Despite getting rid of the waste materials, incineration process generates a lot of heat, which is often used for the production of electricity; a process that is on the other side very useful in a various ways. The processes involved in the incineration of waste materials have undergone through evolutionary stages with better and more improved mechanisms being adopted to address the issues arising in the procedure (Sharratt, 2000). Among other issues that have faced great attention in improving the processes involved in incineration are the cleaning and treatment of the gasses emitted as well as safe combustion control methods to ensure the safety of the human beings participating in the process (Sharratt, 2000). These concerns have, therefore, led to the adoption of favorable precautionary measures being designed and adopted both for the sake of operations at the incineration plant as well as for the sake of environmental.
Figure 1- Block Diagram of an Incineration Plant
Some of the notable improvements in the modern day incineration processes are the inclusion of separation stage, which had not been included in the traditional processes (Sharratt, 2000). The failure to remove the hazardous materials in the traditional practices exposed the workers to health risks as well as exposing the public to environmental risks (Sharratt, 2000). Moreover, the traditional practices failed to utilize the resultant heat in the generation of electricity. The methods were criticized because of neglecting ethical concerns, which have great implication for the entire life.
Energy Recovery
Burning the trash is advocated in the methods used in waste-to-energy procedures of waste management practices (Sharratt, 2000). It has been one of the most effective methods of producing renewable energy and converting the residential, hazardous, and commercial wastes into more friendly forms, which would be effective in conserving the environment as well as improving human life by reducing the hazards created by the waste materials. Waste foods, scrap papers, and plastics are among other wastes that are treated through incineration. The combustion of these products produces a lot of heat, which is used to produce electricity in many countries (Sharratt, 2000). However, it is worth noting that not all incineration plants adopted worldwide are used for electricity production. Among other benefits cited by the supporters of incineration as a method of addressing wastes is the creation of employment, reducing the health risks that are associated with the organic waste materials, environmental conservation, and the production of the electricity that can be used for other purposes (Sharratt, 2000).
Landfills
Normally, the idea of a landfill serves the purpose of disposal of solid wastes in sites where at the end of the operations, the refuse is compacted in a refuse cell and then covered with a soil layer mainly to prevent the possible spread (Bruce, 1989). The compacting process reduces the size of the refuse to approximately a quarter of the original volume (Bruce, 1989). The process of compacting and filling happens until a cell reaches a maximum height of three meters. Several of such refuse cells make what is regarded as a lift and then, some of such lifts make a landfill (Bruce, 1989). The top of the landfill is covered with a layer of soil, which could be used for vegetation cover. As such, a landfill would ultimately blend with the original land after the process is complete.
Figure 2- Diagram of typical landfill
Criticism of Incineration Process and Landfills
The process of incineration has outstanding ethical issues when it comes to environmental concerns. The process of combustion leads to the emission of other by-products such as the gaseous and harmful ash products (Sharratt, 2000). The emission of the harmful gasses into the atmosphere is blamed for polluting the environment as well as being unethical. The push for environmental. It is evident that there is mounting pressure to adopt means of treating the gaseous products before releasing them into the atmosphere. However, this has led to the rise in costs of running incinerators (Sharratt, 2000). In fact, the Electrostatic precipitator, scrubbers, as well as fabric filters are among such mechanisms that have been popularly used in treating the gaseous waste materials before they are disposed of in the air. On the other hand, ethical concerns are equally leveled on landfilling practices through the disposal of the ash materials resulting from burning the organic materials (Bruce, 1989). The landfilling practices lead to deposition of harmful metallic compounds into the soil and water resources, which equally pose risks to the life of living organisms including the human life (Bruce, 1989). These, therefore, are the basic issues emergent on incineration to the environment and related ethical concerns.
Composting
Under carefully controlled conditions, the municipal solid wastes are allowed to decompose through a process of solid waste management commonly known as composting (Bruce, 1989). In this process, the Microbes are allowed to reduce the organic contents. Therefore, the stable substances realized are called the humus or compost because they are useful for agricultural purposes (Bruce, 1989). Both the sewerage sludge and the garbage are treated through the compost mechanism. Composting has been attracting higher recognition as landfilling and incineration receive higher criticism on environmental sustainability grounds (Bruce, 1989).
Conclusion
As evident from the discussion, the process of solid waste management dates back to ancient times. However, improvement in the methods of collecting, transporting, and actual disposal, or treatment has varied over the years. Traditionally, the method involved dumping of the wastes into the open grounds and often in the unused streets, a situation that posed health hazards to the people and other living animals. However, changing times has enabled people to discover and embrace better methods of solid waste management, including incineration, landfilling, and composting. Nevertheless, some of the methods have strategic weaknesses such as increased environmental degradation; hence, there is a need for continued development of better mechanisms for solid waste disposal. Finally, the e-solid wastes present the primary challenge in the subject of solid waste management in the 21st century.
References
Bruce, A. (1989). Treatment of sewage sludge: Thermophilic aerobic digestion and processing requirements for landfilling. London: Elsevier Applied Science.
Nathanson, J. (2015). Solid-waste management. Retrieved November 17, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/technology/solid-waste-management
Sasikumar, K., & Krishna, S. (2009). Solid waste management. New Delhi: PHI Learning.
Sharratt, P. (2000). Incineration. Rugby, UK: Institution of Chemical Engineers.
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