QUANTIFYING MSW GENERATION

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Objective:

• Quantify MSW generation in the US and Georgia
• Develop an appreciation for topics associated with MSW generation

Goals:

• Explain why quantification is important
• Explain the two methodologies used to quantify MSW generation
• Become aware of differences among global production rates
• Explain factors affecting waste generation rates
• Develop a familiarity with per capita generation rates

Assignments:

• Read: Textbook: Worrell & Vesilind, Solid Waste Engineering, 2^nd edition, Chapter 2, Sections 1 and 2 (pp. 30-38)
  • Compare data presented in text to data from current US EPA report and that presented in the lesson below
• CANVAS Quiz: Waste Generation
• CANVAS Assignment:  Load waste generation, waste recycling, gross national product ($), and population information for country assigned in class Be sure to have citations for your data sources

Review:

• US EPA 2014 Municipal Solid Waste Facts and Figures Fact Sheet (PDF)
  • US EPA 2014 Municipal Solid Data Tables
• Methodology for Determining MSW Characterization Report Data (PDF file)
  • Pay particular attention to the discussion of the two methodologies used to quantify waste generation.

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TERMINOLOGY:

• Generated Waste = all solid waste materials generated
• Disposed Waste = solid waste materials collected and taken to ultimate disposal (landfill or WTE)
• Recycled Waste = solid waste materials separated for recycling (and collected by municipality?)
• Diverted Waste = solid waste materials not processed through the normal (municipal) waste management channels.

Mass Balance Equation for Solid Waste Systems

• Recycling Efficiency (%) = (Weight Recycled)/(Weight Generated)·100
• Diversion Efficiency (%) = (Weight Diverted)/(Weight Generated)·100
• Reduction in Disposal (%) = [(Weight Generated)-(Weight Disposed)]/(Weight Generated)·100
• Reduction in Volume (%) = [(Initial Volume)-(Final Volume)]/(Initial Volume)·100

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IMPORTANCE OF GENERATION RATES

• Compliance with Federal/state diversion requirements
• Equipment selection,
• Collection and management decisions
• Facilities design

DETERMINING WASTE GENERATION RATES

Materials Flow Methodology

• Production data for materials produced
• US EPA reports on national MSW data uses this technique

Site Specific Studies (aka - Load Count Analysis)

• Number of loads corresponding with vehicle size and weight,  if available
• The calculation represents the quantity collected/delivered not generated.  Recycling, alternative disposal methods, and  storage are not identified. 

Think:  What are the pros and cons associated with each of these methods of quantifying waste generation?

Exercise:

• Review THIS EXAMPLE PROBLEM
• Now, Rework THE EXAMPLE PROBLEM and include the following information:
  • A recycling facility was also monitored.  This facility received 12 loads during the survey which weighted 1,420 lbs on average.
  • The local wastewater treatment facility estimates that 7,350 lbs of food waste is disposed of in home food grinders every week.
  • In addition to calculating the per capita generation rate, calculate the recycling effecieny for this residential area.
    • You should get a generation rate of 4.03 lb/capita/day and a recycling efficiency of 14.4%

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GLOBAL PRODUCTION RATES

Municipal Waste Generation Rates of Major Countries

Data from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Environmental Data Compendium Report available at <http://www.oecd.org/document/49/0,3343,en_2825_495628_39011377_1_1_1_1,00.html>

 U.S. GENERATION RATES

MSW Generation in the U.S. - Tons per Year and Pounds per Capita

Source: US EPA Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2014 Fact Sheet Assessing Trends in Material Generation, Recycling, Composting, Combustion with Energy Recovery and Landfilling in the United States November 2016

 

MSW Generation in the U.S. - Total and Net Generation

Note that the net generation rate shown is the amount of waste disposed to a landfill or WTE facility.

Data from: US EPA Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2014 Fact Sheet Assessing Trends in Material Generation, Recycling, Composting, Combustion with Energy Recovery and Landfilling in the United States November 2016

GEORGIA SITUATION

• Information from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Georgia Solid Waste Management Report 2011 indicates that 13.3 million tons of waste was disposed of in permitted facilities in 2011
  • 85.7% (11.4 million tons) to lined Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills (Subtitle-D landfills)
  • 14.3% (1.7 million tons) to unlined Construction and Demolition (C&D) landfills
  • negligible amount (0.12 million tons) to unlined MSW landfills
• Per capita waste disposal to MSW landfills has continued to decrease and was 6.43 lb/person/day in 2011
• Direct quote from Georgia Solid Waste Management Report 2011
  • Only about two-thirds of the waste disposed in MSW landfills is actually MSW that residents and businesses put out when they ‘take out the trash.’ Based on this estimate, the FY 2011 per capita MSW disposal rate, excluding waste imported into the state, is approximately 3.58 lbs/person/day.
• In 2011, 650 tons of trash was collected by 60,592 volunteers from roadways, public spaces, waterways, and trails
• Recycling is not measured directly which makes Georgia very unique and complicates some solid waste calculations
• Compliance with federal and state recycling goals is assessed by a population adjusted benchmark calculation based on waste disposal rates in 1992. (This will be discussed in more detail in the following section).
• The 2010 State of Garbage in America Report indicated that in 2008 Georgia had a recycling rate (not including composting operations) of 5.4%. When composting is included, this number jumps to 5.7%

MSW Disposal Rates for Georgia (Important: this is different from generation)

Table Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Solid Waste Management Annual Reports.

• THINK: What is the 2002 per capita daily rate of out of state MSW disposal in Georgia.. You should get a 0.62 lb/person/day.
• THINK: An independent study reported that Georgia had a recycling rate of 8.3% in 2002. Using the table above, estimate the waste generation rate for 2002. Assume that the waste generated was either disposed or recycled. You should get a per capita generation rate of 6.62 lb/day.
  • How much waste in tons would have been generated in 2002?
  • How do the numbers you calculated compare to the National generation rate for 2002? What would you conclude?
• THINK: The 2010 State of Garbage in America Report indicated that in 2008 Georgia had a recycling rate (including composting operations) of 5.7% . Assume that the waste generated was disposed, recycled, or composted. Using the table above, estimate the waste generation rate in millons of tons and lb/person/day in 2008. You should get 11.4 million tons and 6.57 lb/person/day.
  • How do the numbers you calculated compare to the National generation rate for 2008? What would you conclude?

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FACTORS AFFECTING GENERATION RATES

• Typically population increase explains 1/3 of increase in MSW generation
• Historically, increases in waste generation rates correlate with increases of the Gross National Product
• Pay As You Throw (PAYT) Progams
  • REVIEW: Pay-As-You-Throw: A Fact Sheet for State Officals
  • REVIEW: Pay-As You-Throw: Throw Away Less and Save
  • Pay As You Throw Program in Georgia
    • Review: ?Pay-As-You-Throw Collection Systems Document from Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA)
      • Pay particular attention to the Examples of Programs in Georgia section at the end of this document
• Source reduction/recycling
• Geographic location
• Season
• home food waste grinders
• Frequency of collection
• Legislation
• Public attitudes
• Per capita income
• Size of households