SOLID DOMESTIC WASTE USEFUL POTENTIAL

Nowadays, the problem of waste reduction is also closely allied with the matters of sustainable economic development. In conditions of permanently growing demand for raw materials together with reduction of free resources and ultimate exhaustion of natural resources, the matter of resources conservation (total utilization of “any product useful potential” resulted in production and consumption wastes generated at low rate) gets a significant factor to be analyzed for the purpose of providing future generations with resources.

Solid domestic wastes are the consumption remains accumulated as a result of population’s communal activity. This kind of wastes consists of various unusable materials and items.

Solid domestic wastes tend to accumulate in housing stock, offices and public utility (schools, entertainment and child welfare institutions, hotels, cafeteria etc.).

In terms of accumulating rate, solid domestic wastes consist of dwelling remains including the ones resulted from apartment routine repair, local heat system combustion products, garbage, street collected foliage and bulky household articles.

The rate of solid domestic waste accumulation is subject to change, thereby reflecting the state of inhabitants’ goods provisioning and, at the same time, considerably depending on certain local conditions.

Domestic waste composition and volumes are extremely varied and depend not only on a certain country or locality, but also on seasons and a number of other different factors. The volumes of domestic wastes accumulated in certain countries are specified in the table. Paper and cardboard makes up the most bulky amount of all solid domestic wastes (up to 40% - in developed countries). The second portions of wastes accumulated in Russian Federation are the so-called organic wastes including food, metal, glass and plastic remains rated to 7-9% of total amount of wastes. Timber, textile, rubber etc. make up approximately 4%. In Russia, the amount of municipal wastes is continuously increased and their paper- and plastic-shared composition, especially within large urban areas, gets close to the one of solid domestic wastes accumulated in the European countries.

- Rehabilitation of buildings (application of garbage chutes, heating facilities, thermal treatment of food, water pipeline and sewage);

- Development of catering and personal service network;

- Manufacturing of consumer goods and sales activity;

- Communal services of social and public organizations;

- Climatic conditions

Today, the polygons are the most called-for facilities used for waste disposal. But, this sector is featured with the following troubles:

- Undue rapid accumulation of disposed wastes as a result of their large volumes and low density. Being kept out of preliminary compacting, the rate of solid domestic waste density amounts to 200-220 kg/m³, but upon compacting with garbage trucks its density is rated just 450-500 kg/m³.

- Environment impact factors: contamination of ground wasters with leachables, emission of odor nuisance, waste winding, spontaneous inflaming of polygons, uncontrolled generation of methane and unaesthetic conditions are just few problems, the ecologists and local authorities are troubled.

- Unavailability of areas to be useful for arrangement of polygons apart from urban territories. Due to expansion of urban territories, polygons are subject to moving out at a distance. This factor along with growth of land prices makes the solid domestic waste transportation costs up.

The matter of solid domestic waste utilization needs for complex solution. Today, the matter of the most efficient and profitable utilization (viz. recycling) of solid waste polygon potentialities must be decided. One of the methods to be applied is development of new technologies and creation of systems designed for utilization of methane generated from the so-called landfill gas gained as a result of biochemical conversion of wastes used as a source of energy.

As per different independent expert judgments, the solid domestic waste polygon emitted methane and carbon dioxide total mass ratio may be rated by the pattern given in the below diagram.

Landfill gas is the organic substance decomposition by-product consisting of methane in the ratio of, approximately, 50%. It is principally used for production of electric energy. Besides, methane is enriched and utilized in the general-purpose gas supply facilities. Landfill gas is extracted at the solid domestic waste polygons by means of the drill-and-piping system. Activities concerned to extraction and utilization of landfill gas not only improve ecological situation, since they lead to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but also may be considered as the matter of commercial significance. By now, more than 1100 landfill gas utilization projects have been implemented all over the world.

 This Section contains information and analytical materials with respect to Russian Federation landfill gas promising extraction and utilization technologies, developments and technical solutions.

The problem of waste disposal is ranged with a number of ones of global and universal significance. Utilization of wastes by means of landfilling or incineration leads to substantial contamination of environment (soil, water and atmosphere). If the situation takes an unfavorable turn, it will threaten health troubles and even extinction of mankind.