International Journal of Waste Resources

Abstract

Rapid Waste Composition Studies for the Assessment of Solid Waste Management Systems in Developing Countries

Timothy G Townsend and Max J Krause

A methodology for the rapid assessment of waste composition was assessed by examining municipal solid waste from five rural communities throughout Central America and the Caribbean. Target waste components were minimized and a sieve-shaker table was employed to maximize the quantity of waste that could be sorted in an efficient and timely manner. Food waste (along with other fine materials) was the largest component by weight, but plastics represented a major fraction. To illustrate potential utility of composition study results, the data were used to estimate the methane generation potential, L0, of each municipality’s waste stream. While the approach does not provide the statistical rigor of more standardized waste composition methodologies, the technique does provide a tool for rapid assessment of local waste characteristics.