Search results for "Solid Waste"
showing 6 items of 96 documents
Biological Stability of Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes During Composting Processes
2018
The article shows results of monitoring of a Sicilian composting plant (southern Italy). In particular, the biological stability of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes has been monitored. Two experimental periods have been carried out: (1) plant start-up and (2) first operation period. The biological stability has been evaluated throughout the dynamic respiration index (DRI). This index was determined at different stages of process, for each phase. To our knowledge, no work has been previously published on the monitoring of composting plants in southern Italy. This work has the originality of using the DRI measured data for improving operation of a full-scale composting plant, ra…
The Landfilling of Municipal Solid Waste and the Sustainability of the Related Transportation Activities
2022
The management of municipal solid waste is a crucial issue to address as we move toward the decarbonization of urban contexts. Not by chance, this sector plays a relevant role in the Covenant of Mayors program, whereby municipalities are called to design their own Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SECAPs). However, despite new regulations strongly pushing the recycling and reuse of materials contained in municipal waste, many cities still use large landfills. As part of the overall environmental pressure exerted by these urban systems, the transport of waste from collection points to landfills or treatment facilities must be considered in order to correctly assess the full environmental burd…
Eco-efficiency assessment of municipal solid waste services: Influence of exogenous variables.
2020
Abstract Improving the eco-efficiency of municipalities in the provision of municipal solid waste (MSW) services is fundamental in the context of a circular economy. This study evaluates the eco-efficiency of a sample of Spanish municipalities, integrating the total cost as input, recyclable waste as desirable output, and unsorted waste as undesirable output. Following a pioneering approach, the weighted Russell directional distance model (a non-radial data envelopment analysis model) was employed, which allowed us to obtain a global inefficiency score and individual inefficiency scores for each variable integrated in the model. In the second stage of analysis, the potential factors affecti…
Toxicity of waste dump leachates and sugar factory effluents and their impact on groundwater and surface water quality in the Opole Province in Poland
2000
A battery of Toxkit microbiotests with 4 aquatic species from different trophic levels has been used to evaluate the toxicity of 2 types of point source pollution in the Voivoidship of Opole in Poland: percolating waters from drainage systems of 4 municipal waste dumps and the effluents of a sugar factory. In addition, the toxicity of groundwaters from 2 wells near 2 waste dumps was also assessed. All the drainage waters of the waste dumps and the groundwaters near one dump (an unprotected landfill) showed toxic effects on all the test species, for samples taken in spring as well as in autumn. The well water of the (more recent) waste dump of the City of Opole in turn did not show any toxic…
A technological approach towards integrated solid waste management in developing countries
2017
This research is grounded in the planning concept of Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM). ISWM was developed to promote sustainability in the waste management for developing countries. Waste managers and policy makers in developing countries have been adopting the principles of ISWM into their waste strategies for several decades. But despite their many efforts, still important problems remain, as is the case of low collection coverage, lack of proper treatment of the different waste types, high dependency on final disposal sites and even in some cities uncontrolled dumping is still accepted as the only way to handle the waste. For that reason, waste management in developing countries …
The Management of Health Hazards Related to Municipal Solid Waste on Fire in Europe: An Environmental Justice Issue?
2020
Landfilling should be the last option in an integrated Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management approach. In the European Union (EU), the policy framework to protect the environment and the public health against the impact of health hazards related to urban solid waste management has been consistently implemented in recent decades. A growing interest in the negative impact of fires in waste landfills on the environment and people’s health was reported in some European countries. In Italy, an increasing occurrence of arsons in MSW and landfills has been reported in recent years. During the summer of 2012, a multi-site arson occurred in the Palermo Municipal solid waste landfill of Bellolampo (…