A new approach to conducting MSW composition studies

Conference · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:287503

Licata, A; Licata, L; Terracciano, L A; Hasselriis, F ^[1]

---

1. Licata Energy and Environmental Consultants, Inc., Yonkers, NY (United States)

Historically, municipal solid waste (MSW) composition studies have been conducted on waste streams using small samples (200--300 lbs.) for analysis. There has been considerable concern that a 200--300 lb. sample would not be representative of the daily waste flow from a typical municipal waste stream. Licata Energy and Environmental Consultants, Inc. was retained to conduct a waste composition analysis for a Town that generates approximately 800 tons of MSW per day. The analysis was used to optimize the design of a materials recovery facility for unsorted MSW (dirty MRF) and determine the quantity of recoverable material in the waste. The study was important to the project economics since the Town already had in place an effective curbside recycling program. The authors designed and conducted a test program in which a 20 ton daily average sample was sorted into 23 components each day over a 10 day period. Both residential and commercial waste streams were analyzed using an existing MRF and an experienced sorting crew. The use of mechanical and manual sorting of the daily sample took an average of 10 hours per day and resulted in an analysis that had a high level of confidence in the detailed composition of the two streams.

• OSTI ID: 287503
• Report Number(s): CONF-960345--; ISBN 0-7918-1227-8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DESIGN
MUNICIPAL WASTES
RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITIES
SOLID WASTES
WASTE MANAGEMENT