A detailed characterization of household Municipal Solid Waste

Reliable data on Municipal Solid Waste composition are paramount for the development of environmentally sound, sustainable and economically viable integrated waste management systems. However, no standardized universally accepted waste characterization protocol has been developed, as there are various methodologies described in the relevant literature (Edjabou et al., 2015). In the present study, a generic and easy-to-apply waste sampling and sorting approach is developed and presented. The area of interest of the characterization was the Municipality of Halandri in Attica, Greece. The MSW composition characterization was necessary for the development of an innovative waste management strategy in the Municipality (WASTE4Think, 2015). Five suitable waste collection points were identified as sampling points. In each sampling point three collection bins were located (commingled waste in green bins, recyclables in blue bins and paper & cardboard in yellow bins. The sampling points were located in a residential area (no shops or companies etc. around). For seven consecutive days the content of the bins was collected and transported to a sorting facility, where sorting into 40 fractions and sub-fractions and weighing took place. The results indicated a recycling rate up to 75% and a level of impurities in the recycling bins (blue and yellow) no more than 17%.