Strategy for use of alternative waste sort sizes for characterizing solid waste composition.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Waste Management Science
• Resource Recovery

Background:

• Current solid waste management methods require extensive sorting, especially for minor waste components.
• Quantifying small-percentage waste streams necessitates a high number of sorting samples, increasing costs and time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an alternative methodology for accurately characterizing small-percentage waste categories within the solid waste stream.
• To reduce the number of waste sorts required for accurate waste characterization.

Main Methods:

• Employing a larger quantity of solid waste for sorting (e.g., 408 kg).
• Analyzing the reduction in standard deviation of percent weight for specific waste categories.
• Calculating the decrease in the number of samples needed for characterization.

Main Results:

• The proposed method reduced the standard deviation of percent weight by approximately 45%.
• This led to an estimated 65% reduction in the number of samples required for waste characterization.
• The methodology was validated using solid waste sorting data from the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Conclusions:

• The alternative methodology significantly enhances the efficiency of solid waste characterization for minor components.
• This approach offers a more practical and cost-effective solution for solid waste management analysis.
• Accurate characterization of small waste streams is crucial for improving recycling and resource recovery efforts.