Waste management practices can impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by affecting energy consumption, methane generation, carbon sequestration, and non-energy-related manufacturing emissions. This paper examines GHG emissions and sinks, from a life-cycle perspective, for selected paper, glass, metal, and plastic materials comprising about one-third of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in th...

Waste management practices can impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by affecting energy consumption, methane generation, carbon sequestration, and non-energy-related manufacturing emissions. This paper examines GHG emissions and sinks, from a life-cycle perspective, for selected paper, glass, metal, and plastic materials comprising about one-third of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in th...

A test substance with characteristics and properties similar to those of cellulose· based solid waste products is needed to calibrate calorimeters and combustors which will be routinely burning these materials to determine their calorific values precisely for use in commerce. Microcrystalline cellulose was found to be a good calibrant for this purpose. The enthalpy of combustion of microcrystal...

Uncontrolled growth of the urban population in developing countries in recent years has made solid waste management an important issue. Very often, a substantial amount of total expenditures is spent on the collection of solid waste by city authorities. Optimization of the routing system for collection and transport of solid waste thus constitutes an important component of an effective solid wa...

Global generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) is now ~1200 Tg/yr (1 Tg = 10 g), >70% of which is landfilled. Landfilling of waste contributes ~30-35 Tg methane (CH4 )annually to the world's total CH4 emission of ~550 Tg/yr. Recycling and thermal treatment of waste in wasteto-energy (WtE) facilities contribute equally to diverting MSW from the waste stream destined for landfills and to mitiga...

Depending on their nature and severity, disasters can create large volumes of debris and waste. The waste can overwhelm existing solid waste management facilities and impact on other emergency response and recovery activities. If poorly managed, the waste can have significant environmental and public health impacts and can affect the overall recovery process. This paper presents a system overvi...