Characterization of municipal solid waste in Kuwait: Sector-specific composition analysis and implications

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Waste Management
• Circular Economy

Background:

• Effective waste management is crucial for a circular economy.
• Kuwait's municipal solid waste (MSW) composition requires detailed analysis for strategic planning.
• Previous waste characterization data is outdated, necessitating current assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a detailed composition analysis of MSW in Kuwait across various sectors.
• To compare current waste composition with historical data and identify trends.
• To provide foundational data for developing effective waste management strategies and resource recovery initiatives.

Main Methods:

• MSW characterization following ASTM D5231 standard across twenty-four subcategories.
• Time series forecasting for waste generation prediction.
• Factorial analysis for source area variations and hypothesis testing for composition changes.

Main Results:

• Organic waste (45.3%) is the largest component, followed by paper (19.9%) and plastics (19.8%).
• Plastic waste increased by 48.5% and paper waste from 6.8% to 16.2% since 2013.
• Industrial areas show the highest plastic waste (29.1%), while commercial areas yield more paper (22.4%) and textiles (3.7%).

Conclusions:

• Precise MSW characterization is vital for informed waste management strategies and policy-making.
• The significant increase in plastic and paper waste indicates challenges in current reduction efforts.
• This study provides essential data for long-term monitoring, strategy assessment, and legislative development in waste management.