Waste Management: Types, Technologies, and Best Practices

Posted on Feb 23, 2025 in Geology

Waste Management: A Comprehensive Overview

Technological advancements have driven economic development and improved social well-being. However, these advancements have also led to increased pollution, originating from economic, technological, and social factors. Key pollution types include water, air, noise, and waste.

Plasma Technology for Waste Disintegration

Plasma technology offers an industrial and scientifically controlled method for disintegrating non-recyclable waste by breaking down its molecular integrity. This process involves introducing waste into a reactor where high-energy plasma and water vapor are injected. This breaks the bonds and recombines the elements into simpler molecules. The resulting energetic gas can be used as a premium material for producing methanol, liquid hydrocarbons, natural gas, and vitroceramic materials.

Effective environmental policies and a focus on eco-efficiency through lower energy consumption and improved energy efficiency are crucial for sustainable waste management.

Healthcare Waste Management

Healthcare waste includes any sanitary material generated in healthcare institutions that is subsequently discarded. Historically, intracentro incineration was a common disposal method, but the heterogeneous composition of the waste poses challenges.

Types of Healthcare Waste:

  • Type 1: Waste that does not require specific management (e.g., cardboard, paper, kitchen waste).
  • Type 2: Waste requiring preventive measures during handling, collection, storage, and transport (e.g., care-related items, plaster, secretions).
  • Type 3: Waste requiring strict preventive measures both inside and outside the facility.
  • Type 4: Waste subject to special hygiene and environmental requirements.

Healthcare Waste Management Process:

  1. Classification: Waste must be sorted into appropriate containers to prevent mixing. Containers must meet asepsis, safety, and economic criteria.
  2. Transportation: Waste should be transported to designated storage areas within 12 hours.
  3. Storage: Storage must occur in specific units equipped with cooling systems.
  4. Treatment: Types 1 and 2 waste are treated and disposed of similarly to conventional municipal solid waste (MSW). Types 3 and 4 waste are subject to specific regulations, with common practices including kiln incineration or hot steam treatment.

Agricultural Waste Management

Agricultural waste encompasses all byproducts from farming activities, including plastics from greenhouses and detergents. While traditionally used as farm fertilizer, changes in farming practices have made this less suitable due to:

  • Increased farm sizes.
  • Health and environmental risks.

Composition of Agricultural Waste:

Agricultural waste is characterized by a high content of organic matter that can be assimilated by plants, primarily nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Mill residues also have a high organic content, including traces of water content in olive bones and skin.

Agricultural Waste Management Objectives:

The objectives for managing agricultural waste depend on the type of waste, area, and environmental conditions, but generally include:

  1. Minimization of waste generation.
  2. Minimization of environmental and sanitary risks.
  3. Utilization of waste as fertilizer.
  4. Energy recovery from renewable resources.

Energy recovery from agricultural waste is a priority, often achieved through biogas production via anaerobic fermentation. Large combined heat and power (CHP) plants utilizing waste from olive oil extraction serve two purposes:

  1. Alperujo (olive pomace) refinement.
  2. Energy recovery from waste to produce electrical energy.

The energy production process includes:

  • Alperujo Drying: Essential to reduce the initial 70% moisture content, making revaluation possible.
  • Combustion: Orujillo (dried olive pomace) is combusted in a biomass boiler, providing thermal and electrical performance.