INGENIEUR
Normally, the ash is landfilled at a site from which
releases of leachate to ground and surface water
are prevented. This is required because any watersoluble materials in the ash can be dissolved in
leachate and could result in concentrations of
pollutants in ground and surface water.
In addition to solid wastes, household liquid
waste is an environmental problem.
Liquid waste disposed into sewer drains into
surface water courses. This causes pollution of
the aquatic environment with resulting health
hazards. Therefore municipal wastewater must be
collected and properly treated before discharging
to surface water courses.
Household Waste Management Option
It is possible to segregate waste, either with
the co-operation of the waste generator or after
collection. Wastes which are not suitable for
recovery and hence segregation will need to be
collected and disposed of in approved facilities.
The biodegradable fraction contained in
wastes collected from households may, depending
on its storage conditions, decompose in its storage
container or collection receptacle. For health,
hygiene and aesthetic reasons there has been a
move towards the use of plastic or paper sacks
in which the waste is kept to await its collection.
At the same time this means of waste storage
is advantageous to those employed in collecting
the waste since then they no longer have direct
contact with it. Further, its subsequent handling,
be it at a transfer station, incineration plant or
landfill site, will be easier and more hygienic.
In respect of transfer stations, used principally
for bulking and packaging wastes for onward road
or rail transport to a disposal facility, in most
climates the waste will be degrading to an extent
which will require it to be handled by mechanical
means for health and safety reasons. Likewise,
there should be no direct physical contact with the
waste by plant operators at its final destination.
over such materials soon after they are discarded,
and are regarded then as wastes, since hazardous
materials may be present in small quantities.
The presence of biodegradable constituents in
household waste demands care in their recovery
treatment and disposal. Until the pathogens
present in the waste have been either destroyed
or die, there is always the possibility of the waste
presenting a threat to human health (toxicity) and
the environment (ecotoxicity) by virtue of their
presence.
With respect to management of household
waste practices may vary widely among countries.
Care should be taken to ensure compliance with
domestic requirements. Problems associated with
recovery, treatment and disposal of household
waste include:
– Lack of available sites for sanitary landfill;
– Inadequate data on type and quantity of
waste generated;
– Separate collection and treatment of liquid
waste is expensive, and when disposed to
sewers without treatment can cause harm
to the environment; and
– Residue remaining after the treatment of
municipal wastes require disposal with
particular care.
THE NEXT LAP
The recent move by the Malaysian Government to
enforce waste separation at source is timely and
appropriate as one way to reduce waste entering
the landfill. This is in spite of the fact that the
Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Act, Act 672
created a provision of waste separation way back
in 2007. Likewise, other recommendations in
the above guidelines such as waste composting
warrant some serious thought in bringing about a
sustainable environment.
REFERENCE
CONCLUSION
Wastes collected from households consist almost
entirely of materials which have been handled
by individuals before being discarded, and would
not normally be regarded as possessing hazard
properties. However, care needs to be exercised
6
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VOL
– DECEMBER 2015
VOL64
55OCTOBER
JUNE 2013
KPKT : The National Strategy Plan for Solid Waste
Management.
UNEP - Basel Convention on the control of
transboundary movements on Hazardous wastes
and their disposal. Basel convention technical
guidelines on wastes collected from households.