Title: Mechanical biological treatment for municipal solid waste

Authors: Anurag Garg

Addresses: Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India

Abstract: A major portion of municipal solid waste (MSW) is dumped in unsanitary landfills in India. To protect the environment, there is an urgent need to develop a technology which could handle the increasing MSW quantities and enhance resource recovery. Mechanical biological treatment (MBT) is considered a potential method for dealing with heterogenous MSW. Proper mechanical sorting can make the post-treatment (biological as well as thermal processes) much effective. In the manuscript, MSW sorting options for the eight most populous cities in India are evaluated using simplified material flow analysis. The analysis highlights that ~45-97% of the total MSW can be diverted from landfills by using the proposed schemes. Some alterations in the current waste collection and segregation practices can maximise the benefits from MBT process. The reported study is beneficial for waste managers dealing with similar type of MSW.

Keywords: municipal solid waste; MSW; mechanical biological treatment; MBT; material flow analysis; material recycling; waste landfill diversion; environmental management; India; waste segregation; waste collection; solid waste management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2014.061795

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2014 Vol.17 No.2/3/4, pp.215 - 236

Received: 04 Feb 2013
Accepted: 05 Sep 2013
Published online: 30 Jun 2014 *

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