Solid Waste

 Solid waste is a non-liquid, non-soluble material ranging from municipal garbage to

industrial waste.
 It includes domestic waste, sanitary waste, commercial waste, institutional waste, catering
and market waste, bio-medical waste, and e-waste.
 Solid waste is the useless, unwanted and discarded material resulting from day to day
activities in the community
Solid Waste Management
 The term solid waste management mainly refers to the complete process of collecting,
treating and disposing of solid wastes. Or
 Solid waste management may be defined as the discipline associated with the control of
generation, storage, collection, transfer, processing and disposal of solid waste.
 Note: The main objective of Waste management is to reduce the environmental and
health hazards that arise from indiscriminate dumping of waste and pollution of natural
resources like the land, sea and air.
The most popular types of Waste Management are:
 Recycling.
 Incineration.
 Landfill.
 Biological Reprocessing.
 Animal Feed.
Harmful Effects of Solid Waste
 Bad odour of waste
 Production of toxic gases
 Degradation of natural beauty
 Air pollution
 Water pollution
 Soil pollution
 Spread of diseases
 Effect on biodiversity
. What is meant by hazardous waste?
Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it potentially dangerous / harmful to
human health or the environment. The universe of hazardous wastes is large and diverse.
Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids or contained gases.
Hazardous chemical waste is defined as any liquid, gaseous, or solid chemical that is ignitable,
corrosive, reactive, toxic, or persistent, and is no longer useful or wanted.
Characteristically Hazardous Wastes
These are wastes that are hazardous because they exhibit a certain physical property or
characteristic. There are four characteristics that can make a waste hazardous: ignitability,
corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. A brief description of each of these four characteristics is
provided below.
 Ignitable Wastes. A wastes is ignitable if: (1) it is liquid and has a flash point below
140 degrees Fahrenheit; (2) it is a flammable solid; (3) it is an ignitable compressed gas;
or, (4) it is classified by the U.S. Department of Transportation as an oxidizer.
  Corrosive Wastes. A waste is corrosive if: (1) it is aqueous (i.e., water-based) and has a
pH of 2.0 or lower (i.e., a strong acid) or 12.5 or more (i.e., a strong alkali); or (2) it can
corrode steel at a rate of greater than ¼ inch per year.
 Reactive Wastes. There are many ways that a waste may be defined as a reactive waste.
To briefly summarize, reactive wastes include wastes that are unstable, react with water
or form hazardous mixtures with water, are capable of releasing toxic cyanide or sulfide
gases under certain conditions, are explosive, or are capable of detonating under certain
conditions.
 Toxic Wastes. A waste is toxic if it contains any of 40 different hazardous constituents
at a concentration equal to or greater than a certain amount. These 40 constituents
include 8 metals, 6 pesticides, 2 herbicides, 10 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and
14 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs).
Radio active: Iodine-131, 125, and 123 (I-131, I-125, and I-123) - I-131 has a half-life of 8 days.
Fluorine-18(F-18) - half-life of 110 minutes Sodium iodide (Na 131-I) is used in over 700,000
thyroid scans in the United States every year. Each procedure utilizes about 0.01-0.1 millicuries
of I-131
Sources of solid waste:
There are broadly 9 sources of solid waste.
They are residential, industrial, commercial, institutional, construction & demolition areas,
municipal services, treatment plants, agriculture and biomedical.
Functional component of solid waste
The six functional components in order are waste generation (identification of waste), onsite
handling & storage (at site of waste), waste collection (collecting from different sources), waste
transfer (local to regional site), waste processing (sorting of reusable/recyclable) and disposal (at
landfills/waste to energy).
Process of heat treatment:
Explanation: The process which use heat to treat the waste are referred to as a thermal treatment.
These include incineration (combustion of waste & recover energy for electricity/heating),
pyrolysis (decomposition of organic waste with low oxygen and high temperature), and open
burning (environmentally harmful and mostly practical).
Incineration: It is process of burning the solid waste at high temperature. It is a waste to energy
facilities. It happen in the presence of Oxygen.
Pyrolysis: It is process of burning the solid waste at high temperature. It happen in the absence
of Oxygen.
Explanation: They are sanitary landfills, controlled dumps and bioreactor landfills. Sanitary
landfills are the most common and are situated where the land features aid in decomposition.
Controlled dumps are well planned sites and bioreactor landfills use a superior microbiological
process for decomposition.
Explanation: Methane is released by the decomposition under anaerobic conditions. This can
cause fires and explosions and promote global warming too.
Zero waste management: has to move from a linear system to be more cyclical so that
materials, products, and substances are used as efficiently as possible. Materials must be chosen
so that they may either return safely to a cycle within the environment or remain viable in the
industrial cycle.
Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM): is a comprehensive waste prevention,
recycling, composting, and disposal program.
Integrated waste management is described as a system for reducing, collecting, recycling and
disposing of waste products generated by residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial
land uses. Waste can be liquid and solid, hazardous and non-hazardous.
Leachate is defined as any contaminated liquid that is generated from water percolating through
a solid waste disposal site, accumulating contaminants, and moving into subsurface areas.
The most common biological treatment is activated sludge for leachate.
How many major sources of solid waste are there based on their origin?
a) 10 b) 5 c) 9 d) 6
Which of the below is not an idea behind solid waste management?
a) Control of waste generation b) Storage and collection
c) Disposal d) Stop waste generation
The number of functional components of solid waste management is:
a) 5 b) 3 c) 6 d) 4
The term ISWM refers to:
a) International Solid Waste Management b) Integrated Solid Waste Management
c) Integrated Solid Waste Machine d) International Solid Waste Mechanism
Under which rule of Government, guidelines for solid waste management are
followed today?
a) Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2000 b) Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016
c) Solid Waste Rules, 2000 d) Solid Waste Rules, 2016
The average composition of Municipal solid waste is:
a) 41% organic, 40% inert & 19% recyclable
b) 20% organic, 60% inert & 20% recyclable
c) 30% organic, 20% inert & 50% recyclable
d) 19% organic, 41% inert & 40% recyclable
There are __________ ways to treat waste thermally.
a) 2 b) 3 c) 5 d) 6
How many types of landfills are there?
a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 d) 5
Which gas produced in open dumps from the decomposition of biodegradable
waste?
a) Ethane b) Ethene c)Methane d) Propene
Which of the following wastes is called the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
a) Food waste b) Wood pieces c) Plastic cans d) All of the above
Which of the following is the oldest and the most common method used to dump
solid wastes?
a) River b) Ocean c) Landfill d) None of the above
The disposable wastes contain
a) Solids b) Slurries c) Liquids d) All of the above
Which of the following methods is better for the solid waste problem?
a) Recycling b) Landfilling c) Both a and b d) None of the above
Which of the following can be recycled many times?
a) Wood b) Plastic c) Aluminium d) Organic materials
Which of the following gas is produced from landfill wastes?
a) Biogas b) Natural gas c) Liquified petroleum gas d) All of the above
Which of the following statements is true about zero waste management?
a) Separate collection of each kind of waste b) Segregation of garbage at the source
c) Community involvement d) All of the above
The process of burning the solid waste
a) Incrimination b) Compositing c) Land filling d) shredding
In which method of disposal of municipal solid waste, the waste is dumped in the
soil.
a) Incrimination b) Compositing c) land filing d) shredding
Which of the following method can be employed for plastic & rubber waste
disposal
a) Pyrolysis b) Lad Filling c) Incineration d) Composting
Which of the following plans is used as a waste management plan?
a) Plan for reuse b) The integrated plan c) Plan for recycling d) Plan for reducing
The organic material of the solid waste will decompose
a) By the flow of wate b) By the soil particles
c)By the action of microorganisms d) By oxidation
Which of the following element make e waste hazardous
a) Iron b) Lead c) Glass d) Plastic
Which of the fallowing methods are used in sewage treatment.
a) Lad Filling b) Incineration c) Composting d) All
Decomposition of domestic waste under natural process
a) Incrimination b) Biodegradable/Compositing c) land filing d) shredding
Which of the following solid wastes describe the term ‘Municipal Solid Waste’?
a) Toxic b) Hazardous c) Non-toxic d) Non-hazardous
Which of the following methods is better for the solid waste problem?
a) Recycling b) Landfilling c) Both a and b d)None of the above
Which of the following can be recycled many times?
a) Wood b) Plastic c) Aluminium d) Organic materials
Which of the following gas is produced from landfill wastes?
a) Biogas b) Natural gas c) Liquified petroleum gas d) All of the above
How many main components are there in integrated waste management?
a) Two b) Three c) Seven d) Eleven
How many major sources of solid waste are there based on their origin?
a) 10 b)5 c) 9 d) 6
Which of the below is not an idea behind solid waste management?
a) Control of waste generation b) Storage and collection
c) Disposal d) Stop waste generation

Why burning waste is not an acceptable practice of solid waste management?

a) Because it is very costly b) Because it requires modern technologies
c) Because it cause several environmental issues d) Because it requires lot of
space
Which of the integrated waste management is reduced on an individual level?
a) Source reduction b) Recycling c) Disposal b) Burning
How does organic material in the buried solid waste will decompose?
 a) By the action of oxidation b) By the action of microorganisms
c) By the flow of water d) By the soil particles
What is called for the process of burning municipal solid waste in a properly
designed furnace under suitable temperature and operating conditions?
a) Landfill b) Recycling c) Vermicomposting d) Incineration
Why the recycled paper is banned for use in food containers
a) Because it creates contamination b)Because it creates a lot of spaces
c) Because paper can be used only one time.
d) Because paper is very thick and can’t cover the food containers
Municipal Waste
How do you remove leachate from the landfill
a) By Gravity b) By pumping from low points c) Both a) and b) d) None of the
above
Waste is any material that is not needed by the
a) owner b) producer c) processor d) all of the above
Most disposable wastes are in the form of
a) solids b) liquids c) slurries d) all of the above
……..is a liquid that passes through solid waste and extracts suspended impurities
from it.
a) Leachate b) Sludge c) Distilled water d) Municipal waste
Which of the following is not the municipal solid waste?
a) Radioactive substance b) Ashes c) Food waste d) Rubbish

Note: Solid Waste

With the ever increasing population and urbanization, the waste management has emerged as a
huge challenge in the country

Salient features of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

 The Rules are now applicable beyond Municipal areas and extend to urban
agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of
Indian Railways, airports, airbase, Port and harbour, defence establishments, special
economic zones, State and Central government organizations, places of pilgrims,
religious & historical importance.
 The source segregation of waste has been mandated to channelize the waste to wealth by
recovery, reuse and recycle.
 Responsibilities of Generators have been introduced to segregate waste in to three
streams, Wet (Biodegradable), Dry (Plastic, Paper, metal, wood, etc.) and domestic
hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, mosquito
repellents, etc.) and handover segregated wastes to authorized rag-pickers or waste
collectors or local bodies.
 Integration of waste pickers/ rag pickers and waste dealers/ Kabadiwalas in the formal
system should be done by State Governments, and Self Help Group, or any other group to
be formed.
 No person should throw, burn, or bury the solid waste generated by him, on streets, open
public spaces outside his premises, or in the drain, or water bodies.
 Generator will have to pay ‘User Fee’ to waste collector and for ‘Spot Fine’ for Littering
and Non-segregation.
 Used sanitary waste like diapers, sanitary pads should be wrapped securely in pouches
provided by manufacturers or brand owners of these products or in a suitable wrapping
material and shall place the same in the bin meant for dry waste / non- bio-degradable
waste.
 All hotels and restaurants should segregate biodegradable waste and set up a system of
collection or follow the system of collection set up by local body to ensure that such food
waste is utilized for composting /bio-methanation.
 All Resident Welfare and market Associations, Gated communities and institution with
an area >5,000 sq. m should segregate waste at source- in to valuable dry waste like
plastic, tin, glass, paper, etc. and handover recyclable material to either the authorized
waste pickers or the authorized recyclers, or to the urban local body.
 The bio-degradable waste should be processed, treated and disposed of through
composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible. The residual waste
shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority.
 The bio-degradable waste should be processed, treated and disposed of through
composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible. The residual waste
shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority.
 New townships and Group Housing Societies have been made responsible to develop in-
house waste handling, and processing arrangements for bio-degradable waste.
 Every street vendor should keep suitable containers for storage of waste generated during
the course of his activity such as food waste, disposable plates, cups, cans, wrappers,
coconut shells, leftover food, vegetables, fruits etc. and deposit such waste at waste
storage depot or container or vehicle as notified by the local authority.
 The developers of Special Economic Zone, industrial estate, industrial park to earmark at
least 5% of the total area of the plot or minimum 5 plots/ sheds for recovery and
recycling facility.
 All manufacturers of disposable products such as tin, glass, plastics packaging etc. or
brand owners who introduce such products in the market shall provide necessary
financial assistance to local authorities for the establishment of waste management
system.
 All such brand owners who sale or market their products in such packaging material
which are non-biodegradable should put in place a system to collect back the packaging
waste generated due to their production.
 Manufacturers or Brand Owners or marketing companies of sanitary napkins and diapers
should explore the possibility of using all recyclable materials in their products or they
shall provide a pouch or wrapper for disposal of each napkin or diapers along with the
packet of their sanitary products.
 All such manufacturers, brand owners or marketing companies should educate the masses
for wrapping and disposal of their products.
 All industrial units using fuel and located within 100 km from a solid waste based RDF
plant shall make arrangements within six months from the date of notification of these
rules to replace at least 5 % of their fuel requirement by RDF so produced.
  Non-recyclable waste having calorific value of 1500 K/cal/kg or more shall not be
disposed of on landfills and shall only be utilized for generating energy either or through
refuse derived fuel or by giving away as feed stock for preparing refuse derived fuel.
 High calorific wastes shall be used for co-processing in cement or thermal power plants.
 Construction and demolition waste should be stored, separately disposed off, as per the
Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016
 Horticulture waste and garden waste generated from his premises should be disposed as
per the directions of local authority.
 An event, or gathering organiser of more than 100 persons at any licensed/ unlicensed
place, should ensure segregation of waste at source and handing over of segregated waste
to waste collector or agency, as specified by local authority.
 Special provision for management of solid waste in hilly areas:- Construction of landfill
on the hill shall be avoided. A transfer station at a suitable enclosed location shall be
setup to collect residual waste from the processing facility and inert waste. Suitable land
shall be identified in the plain areas, down the hill, within 25 kilometers for setting up
sanitary landfill. The residual waste from the transfer station shall be disposed off at this
sanitary landfill.
 In case of non-availability of such land, efforts shall be made to set up regional sanitary
landfill for the inert and residual waste.

Biomedical waste : hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, emergency medical services,
medical research laboratories, offices of physicians, dentists, veterinarians, home health care and
morgues or funeral homes.
Biomedical waste is any waste containing infectious or potentially infectious materials. These
wastes are generated during the diagnosis, treatment, and immunization of humans and animals.
Biomedical wastes can be in both solid and liquid forms.
Biomedical waste management: refers to completely removing all the hazardous and infectious
waste generated from hospital settings. The importance of waste treatment is to remove all the
pathogenic organisms by decontaminating the waste generated.
There are four types of waste

Infectious Waste – Any biomedical waste that is infectious or contaminated.

Sharps – Sharps objects like needles, scalpels, broken glass, and razors.
Pathological Waste – Body parts of humans or animals, including tissues, fluids, or blood.
Pharmaceutical Waste – Unused drugs, medicine, or creams that are expiring.

The primary methods of treating medical waste are:

1. Incineration.
2. Autoclaves.
3. Mechanical/Chemical Disinfection.
4. Microwave.
5. Irradiation.
6. Vitrificatio
Incineration (“incinerator,”) which is a type of furnace designed for burning hazardous
materials in a combustion chamber. Many different types of hazardous materials can be treated
by incineration, including soil, sludge, liquids, and gases.
Medical waste incineration involves the burning of wastes produced by hospitals, veterinary
facilities, and medical research facilities. These wastes are infectious ("red bag") medical
wastes.
Autoclaves for Medical Waste. Autoclaves are closed chambers that apply heat and sometimes
pressure and steam, over a period of time to sterilize medical equipment.
Autoclave waste no less than 30 minutes at 121°C and 15psi pressure.
Microwaving is a process which disinfects the waste by moist heat and steam generated by
microwave energy. High-heat systems employ combustion and high temperature plasma to
decontaminate and destroy the waste. Incinerator & Hydroclaving are high heat systems.

Category Types of Waste

Yellow Human tissues, organs, body parts.
Experimental animal carcasses, body parts, organs, tissues.
Red Tubing, bottles, intravenous tubes and sets, catheters, urine bags, syringes (without
needles and fixed needle syringes ) and vaccutainers with their needles cut) and
gloves.
White Waste sharps including Metals: Needles, syringes with fixed needles, needles
from needle tip cutter or burner, scalpels, blades, or any other contaminated sharp
object that may cause puncture and cuts. This includes both used, discarded and
contaminated metal sharps.
Blue Glassware: Broken or discarded and contaminated glass including medicine vials
and ampoules except those contaminated with cytotoxic wastes.

Explanation: The thermal process uses heat in varying temperatures to disinfect the pathogens
present. Autoclave & microwave process uses low heat whereas incinerator and hydroclaring use
high heat to render the waste pathogen free.
Bio-medical waste can be effectively managed by the thermal process
a) True b) False
Which type of waste are biomedical waste?
a) Waste from industries b) Waste from houses
c) waste from office d) Waste from hospital
Why biomedical waste are so dangerous?
a) They expose us to diseases b) They are wound c) Both a) & b) d) None
What does the poor disposal of biomedical waste causes?
a) Infectious diseases b) Heart problem c) Allergies c) All
Which is true about biomedical waste management
a) Hazards waste b) Infectious waste c) Bio-waste d) All
Amount of infectious waste produced in hospitals
a) 45% b) 55% c) 60% d) 80%
Cyototoxic and expired drugs are disposed of by
a) Dumping b) Autoclave c) Incineration d) All
Autoclave & microwaving are done for which of the fallowing types of medical waste
 a) Human anatomical waste b) Recyclable contaminated waste
c) Microbial waste d) Cyototoxic
The color code of plastic bag for disposal of microbial laboratory culture waste
a) Red b) Yellow c) Blue d) White
Which vaccination should be give to workers who deal with biomedical waste?
a) HbSAg b) Tetanus c) Both a) & b) d) Rabies

Note: Objectives of Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016

These regulations’ primary goal is to enhance the management of biomedical waste based on the
3Rs principle, which stands for reduce, recycle, and reuse. It tries to segregate the trash, recover
or reuse it to the greatest extent possible, and prevent disposal.
Instead of employing the “end of pipe method,” these guidelines seek to address wastes at their
source or point of origin.
These recommendations primarily concentrate on the implementation and enforcement of laws
and rules for the benefit of both the environment and people.
The training provided to employees, health checkups, immunizations, and workplace safety for
the workers are crucial components of the guidelines.
It seeks to stop the burning of biomedical wastes from emitting dioxin and furans.
It focuses on minimizing pilferage on the path from the handling of biomedical waste to the
disposal site.
Features of Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016
Here are the features of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 (BMWM Rules):

The BMWM Rules classify biomedical waste into seven categories:

Human anatomical waste
Animal waste
Sharps waste
Chemical waste
Radioactive waste
Incinerator ash
Other waste
The BMW Rules 2016 require all biomedical waste to be labeled with the appropriate hazard
class.
The BMWM Rules require that biomedical waste be stored in a secure manner.
A licensed waste collector should collect biomedical waste.
Biomedical waste should be disposed off in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
Biomedical waste facilities need to be inspected and monitored by the authorities.
All healthcare facilities have to generate a Biomedical Waste Management Plan (BMWMP).
This plan should outline the steps that the facility will take to manage its biomedical waste.
All healthcare facilities need to choose a Biomedical Waste Management Officer (BMWMO).
This officer is responsible for implementing the BMWMP. He has to ensure that the facility is
complying with the BMWM Rules.
he rules also set out many penalties for non-compliance. These penalties can include fines,
imprisonment, or the closure of the facility.
Provisions Under Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016
The Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, govern the management and handling of
biomedical waste in India. Some key provisions under these rules include:

The rules mandate the segregation of biomedical waste into separate categories. This includes
general waste, hazardous waste, and biotechnological waste. Proper segregation as per prescribed
color codes is required.
All persons handling biomedical waste have to get authorization from the prescribed authorities.
The rules prescribe standards for on-site and off-site treatment and disposal of different
categories of biomedical waste.
The rules mandate the barcoding and tracking of all biomedical waste. This ensures safe
transportation to final treatment sites.
The rules specify the duties of health workers in the safe handling of biomedical waste.
The rules prescribe penalties for violating provisions related to the disposal of biomedical waste.
The rules specify the duties of local authorities in monitoring biomedical waste management.
The rules mandate the setting up of state-level monitoring committees.

E waste: