Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Summary This Chapter Consists of 6 Sections:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Solid Wastes Problems and Sources

Recycling
Composting
Collection and Processing of Solid Wastes
Land-filling
Incineration
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Solid Wastes Problems and Sources:

? ?

Disposable
Increased
Enhanced
Culture
Population Living Standard

Enhanced Solid Wastes

Disposal

Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Hierarchy of Solid Waste Disposal:
Less
Desirable

Avoidance

3-R Concept:
Reduce,
Recycling
Reuse,
Recycle

Energy Recovery
Land-filling
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Sources of Solid Wastes:
1.
2.
3.
4.

More Significant
Municipal residential & commercial
Industrial manufacturers
Mineral Extraction
Agricultural
Less Significant
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Municipal Solid Wastes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Possible Application of 3-R

Paper Wastes
Yard Wastes
Reduce
Glass Wastes
Metal Wastes
Reuse
Plastic Wastes
Food Wastes
Recycle
Land-filling

Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Industrial Solid Wastes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Possible Application of 3-R

Transportation
Power
Reduce
Plastics & Sheet Metals
Food
Reuse
Chemicals
Papers
Recycle
Land-filling

Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Incentives and Regulations for
Solid Wastes Disposal:
Incentives

Reduce
Reuse
Recycle

Regulations

Land-filling
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Recycling Program of Solid Wastes Disposal
Major Assessment:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Sources and Contents of Solid Wastes

Evaluation of existing program, if any
Opposition, especially from public
Market for recycled materials
Incentives and regulations
Practicality and cost-effectiveness
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Composting of Solid Wastes:
1. Essentially yard wastes
2. Reduce the loading on land-filling and
incineration
3. A controlled partial degradation of organic
wastes to produce a material for landfill
4. Depends essentially on moisture and
nitrogen contents
5. How useful composting is in Hong Kong?
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Level of Composting of Solid Wastes:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Minimal-level
Long Period
Low-level
Intermediate-level
High-level
Short Period

Questions:
Where we can use the finished compost?
How to use the finished compost?
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Collection of Solid Wastes:
1. Service depends on areas:
. Single-family residential curbside or backyard carry
. Apartment complexes large container
. Large commercial complexes large/hauled container

2. Routing requires careful planning:

.
.
.
.

Avoid rush-hour traffic

Avoid same area twice a day
Avoid collection during travelling uphill
Number of residents can be served by one vehicle
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution
Processing of Solid Wastes:
1. Sorting for recycling:
. Sorting at source increases materials for recycling
. Sorting after collection enhances recycling rate

2. Compaction to reduce volume:

. Begins at collection vehicle
. Continues at transfer station or landfill

3. Shredding to reduce size:

. Shredder reduces size not volume
. Shredding may be applied before compaction
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling of Solid Wastes:

1. Legal and Controlled placement of solid
wastes in the ground
2. Risk to surrounding air, water and land
environment
3. Better than dumping everywhere
4. After land-filling, undergoes biochemical
changes volume reduction and settling
5. Liquid (landfill leachate) produced
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Site Restrictions:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Must not close to airport

Avoid landfill on location where washout of solid
wastes during serious flooding
Avoid landfill on wetland
Avoid landfill on location with possible strong
earthquake
Avoid landfill on unstable soil
The above conditions should be maintained for a
certain period e.g. 5 years
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Operation Requirements:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Exclude hazardous wastes

Provide at least 6 soil over the newly placed wastes
Control insects to spread disease
Monitor methane concentration and avoid fire risk
Avoid public access
Provide run-on and run-off for water
Surface water should meet water quality
Minimize liquid wastes
Maintain proper records
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Design:
1. Leachate collection system installed not to
contaminate ground water
2. Synthetic membrane liner and lowpermeability soil liner
3. Design needs to be approved and certified
4. Ground water should be monitored to ensure
functioning of liners to keep away from
leachate
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Types:
1. Trench Methods
. Sufficient depth and width is excavated
or using a natural depression
. A leachate collection system is
installed
. The trench is filled and covered
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Trench Method:

Cell 1

Cell 2

Synthetic Liner and

Low-permeability Soil Liner

Landfill

Future Cell

Leachate
Collection Pipes
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Types:
2. Depression Methods
Similar to the trench meth
Multiple cells are constructed upon each other
3. Bale Disposal
. Baled wastes are accepted instead of loose
solid wastes
. Higher density and thus landfill volume
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Closure Requirements:

1. Landfill cap (two soil layers) is
required when no more wastes are
accepted
2. Warning must be clear to public it is
a landfill here !
3. Later purchasing of the land should be
responsible for the requirements
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Land-filling Post-closure Care:

1. Monitored and maintained for 30 years
2. Landfill cap must be monitored and
repaired to avoid erosion and water
infiltration
3. Groundwater must be monitored twice
a year
4. Landfill gases must be checked
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Incineration of Solid Wastes Advantages:

1. Legal and Controlled burning of solid
wastes in incinerator
2. Destroy toxic organics almost instantly
3. Reduce the long-term liability in landfill
4. May recover some energy from solid
wastes
5. Produce no water pollution and little
land pollution
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Incineration of Solid Wastes Drawbacks:

1. Produce dioxin when solid wastes
containing plastics extremely toxic in
high concentration a serious air
pollution problem
2. Strongly opposed by public
3. Additional facilities required more
expensive
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Engineering and Environments

Solid Wastes Pollution

Incineration or Land-filling in Future:

Education

?
Technology

Economic

Choice

Politics

Public Doubt

Risks
24