MSW Waste Management - The Best Way to Handle Your Waste

Q1 

MSW waste such as metals (both ferrous and nonferrous) have a large particle size than the composite curve. 

Organic waste such as paper, biodegradable content and tissue will have a smaller particle size than a composite curve. 

A worn our shredder will produce smaller particle size output since the blades would be uneven and would induce unsystematic cuts during the shredding process. Furthermore, shredding accuracy since particle size is dependent on weight will significantly decrease causing inconsistent particle characteristic. 

Material uniformity for both Huston Texas and that of Wilmington, DE are almost the same which means that waste characteristic is different in both these states since the particle waste size has a 50% reduction in case of Huston, TX. As a best practice, we would isolate random samples from both these vicinities and then weigh them based on their particle sizes and from what type of shredder they were produced. This will give us the nature of the waste and whether they are coarser in nature or not. 

Q2 

Using the conversion factors for lb and ft 3 we get 1lb = 0.454 Kg and 1ft 3 = 0.0283m 3 . This means that 29.3lb/ft 3 = 470.04 kg/m 3 and implies that Unit A has better performance. 

200 kg/m 3 occurs at approximately 4.5 meters and since 1 meter = 3.28ft therefore, 4.5 * 3.28 ≈ 14.76 ft 

Increasing moisture content above sixty percent or more in any MSW component would reduce the ability, for the recovery of organic materials such as paper and biodegradable tissue. The increasing moisture content does not have any effect on the of heavy metals such as aluminium or iron however, overall extract purity will also be reduced as that would be as a result of the paper loss due to the moisture in the MSW. The effect of moisture is varying since every batch of MSW will have varying degrees of absorbent material. 

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Shredder 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Electrical utilization is less per ton	Small scale shredding is not economically viable
Destroyed scrap can naturally be isolated as ferrous or nonferrous metals	Shredding limits the aspect of waste segregation and lumps in different categories of waste under a simplified heading which may cause inefficiency
Simpler to oversee, administer and upkeep and gives a uniform look when mixed with other scrap	Non portable therefore the waste has to be transported, shredded and then transported back for disposal. Onsite shredding is not possible as the machine requires a heavy electrical input.

Q3 

Revenue for 25 Acres = 2.5 * 10 6 * (750/2000) * 45 = $ 42,187,500 

Revenue = 2.5 * 10 6 * (1350/2000) * 45 = $ 75,937,500 

Additional Revenue = 75,937,500 – 42,187,500 = $ 33,750,000 

Applied pressure = 37 psi 

Applies pressure = 180 psi 

Best practices for generating revenue could imply the use of recycling programs or other instances such as a trading station and reuse campaigns. This could potentially reduce the operational cost of the landfill site as residents of the municipality would generate a lower lb/yd 3 of waste and hence fewer trips would be needed by the garbage trucks and or long haul vehicles which are operational in the area. Another aspect could be the construction of a basin wastewater reserve, in the area designated for the landfill. These policies would, apart from creating a sustainable environment and reducing pollution, create real economic impact in the form of jobs. The new jobs created via from the recycling and reuse program would help drive growth in the region and can attract private investors and other corporate establishments. These opportunities enable inter region migration and the overall strength (workforce) of the municipality increases as well. 

Q4 

The top part of the unit consists of a shaft house adjacent to four hammer pins and a rotor that revolves at 400 to 1200 RPM. This is connected to an intake topper that is used to feed MSW. If the intake topper or the shaft does not work properly the shredder will not break down and malfunction which may cause overheating or incorrect shredded output. 

The lower half of has a conveyer belt attached to it which makes it possible for the shaft to push through the shredded waste in front and intake from the intake topper in a continuous manner. The electrical housing for the shredder normally is placed underneath the conveyer belt. 

Characteristic size refers to the size of the output for an automated shredder it depends on the type of hammer mill used to determine the output. The sizes vary from blunt, multiple, sharp and bell edged to ring, round and splitter. 

Higher levels of refuse are produced when characteristic size (Xo) are increased. A large Xo defines that the particle output would be coarser and these particles are categorized by their weights. The higher the characteristic size of the particle would be the more it would potentially weigh and hence would be coarser in nature and variability. 

References 

Schultz, P. W., Large, L. B., Tabanico, J., Bruni, C., & Bator, R. (2009). Littering behavior in America: Results of a national study. San Marcos, CA: Action Research/Keep America Beautiful. 

Bahadori, A. (2014). Waste management in the chemical and petroleum industries. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. 

Guerrero, L. A., Maas, G., & Hogland, W. (2013). Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries. Waste management, 33(1), 220-232. 

Sharholy, M., Ahmad, K., Mahmood, G., & Trivedi, R. C. (2008). Municipal solid waste management in Indian cities–A review. Waste management, 28(2), 459-467.