Today, waste disposal by landfilling or spreading is the final fate of all solid waste, whether municipal waste collected and transported directly to a landfill, residues from material recovery plants (MRFs), residues from solid waste incineration, compost or other substances from various solid waste treatment plants. A modern controlled landfill is not a landfill; It is a technical facility used to dispose of solid waste on land without causing nuisances or dangers to public health or safety, such as insect problems and groundwater contamination. In January 1997, the MHW (Ministry of Health and Welfare) announced its policy to reduce dioxin emissions into the environment to 5 μ g or less per 1 tonne of waste incinerated. To achieve this objective, not only is the dioxin produced during combustion reduced in the flue gas, but also the dioxin contained in bottom ash and fly ash must be degraded, for example by the action of a high-temperature atmosphere. Wastewater is untreated municipal waste from urban sources that is generated in large quantities. Sewage sludge is considered suitable for energy production using anaerobic digestion (AD) technology. Despite the great energy potential of biogas production, several problems limit the successful application of AD. In addition, energy is lost during methane (CH4) conversion because the combined efficiency of converting CH4 to electricity is uncertain. Therefore, it is very interesting to explore alternative environmental technologies for sludge treatment with simultaneous energy recovery. Bioelectrochemical technology, typically microbial fuel cells (MFCs), could be a potential strategy with more energy recovery benefits than direct electricity generation. This chapter discusses the principle and functionality of MFCs, their application in sludge remediation, the current situation in India with promising reports and, finally, an emerging option for sludge management.

Under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the heavy metal content of a material partly indicates its hazardous classification. The heavy metal content of a waste is analysed after a predictive laboratory leaching test, e.g. EP toxicity methods (6). The application of this analytical method is crucial to solve the classification of hazardous wastes from MWC residues. Therefore, the PEGASUS process is expected to play a crucial role in nitrogen control in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment in Japan due to its stable, efficient effects and space-saving properties. Ideally, municipal waste generated in cities is recycled and the remains are either incinerated or sent to landfills. The complexity of managing these wastes is due to their different composition, including organic waste, batteries, packaging materials, paper, metal containers, glass, plastics, clothing, electronics, furniture, etc. Industrial and pharmaceutical waste containing hazardous substances is often disposed of together with municipal waste. The level of municipal waste generation in a country is influenced by economic development, the rate of urbanization, local habits and climatic conditions (Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata, 2012). The level of municipal waste generation in some countries is as follows: the United States produces 728 kg/person/year (USEPA, 2016a), Denmark produces 789 kg/person/year, Switzerland produces 725 kg/person/year, Germany produces 625 kg/person/year (Eurostat, 2017), Australia produces 565 kg/person/year (Pickin and Randell, 2017), India produces 124 kg/person/year, China produces 372 kg/person/year, Indonesia produces 190 kg/person/year and Japan 624 kg/person/year (Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata, 2012). Traditionally, landfilling has been used as the main waste management method.

However, European and national waste management policies have successfully led to an increase in recycling and incineration, thereby reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. Examples of legislation include the EU Packaging Directive (94/62/EC), introduced in 1994 to increase recycling and recovery of packaging, and the Landfill Directive (99/31/EC), introduced in 1999, which aims to divert biodegradable municipal waste from landfills. These targets were subsequently revised by the EU, prompting the UK government to publish national recycling and packaging recovery targets for 2006 and beyond, requiring 23% of plastic waste to be recovered by 2006 and increased to 25.5% by 2010. Over the past 70 years, the plastics industry has seen a drastic growth in the production of synthetic polymers represented by polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In 1996, total plastic consumption in Western Europe was estimated at 33.4 × 106 tonnes, while in 2004 it was estimated at 48.3 × 106 tonnes, an average increase of 4% per year. This leads to a high estimate that nearly 60% of solid plastic waste (PSW) worldwide is disposed of or landfilled outdoors [5]. In the United Kingdom, average plastic consumption is currently above 5 million tonnes per year (5 × 106 tonnes a-1), broken down by market sector and plastic type (see Figure 17.2 [6]). Open incineration of municipal waste is a year-round activity and its scale varies according to the population and the effectiveness of local waste management. NEXT TOPIC – Environmental impacts of waste management While older waste incinerators emitted many pollutants, recent regulatory changes and new technologies have significantly reduced these concerns. The 1995 and 2000 U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations under the Clean Air Act have succeeded in reducing dioxin emissions from waste incinerators by more than 99% from 1990 levels, while reducing mercury emissions by more than 90%. [16] The EPA noted these improvements in 2003, citing energy recovery from waste as an energy source „with less environmental impact than almost any other energy source.” [17] Every year, 50,304 thousand tons of waste are produced, 73% of which is incinerated. Subsequently, 6,013,000 tonnes of incineration residues are buried. The new name also highlights the importance of sustainable materials management (SMM). SMM refers to the most productive and sustainable use of materials throughout their life cycle. SMM practices conserve resources, reduce waste, slow climate change, and minimize the environmental impact of the materials we use. People generate an incredible amount of waste, and the problem seems to be even worse in our cities. When thinking about your own home, you can consider how much waste needs to be treated. Each week, you or the Council must address the following topics: Plastics contribute in many ways to the functions of our daily lives.

Today, household items are primarily made from plastic or plastic-reinforced materials, ranging from packaging, clothing, appliances, and electrical and automotive equipment to insulation, industrial applications, greenhouses, automotive parts, aerospace, and mulching.