Solid waste management: problems and prospects

Solid waste management is considered one of the most critical environmental problems. The present system of dealing with them in our country was formed back in Soviet times. The main method, according to which the municipal solid waste is now being disposed, is a landfill. At first glance, it is the cheapest, but in calculations it is often forgotten to take into account that in addition to the costs of maintaining the site, the costs of decommissioning, compensation for damage to nature and irrevocable loss of resources are necessary.

Alternatively, in some megacities, solid waste is disposed of by incineration at specialized incineration plants (MSZ). However, this method has a number of drawbacks, one of which is that the MSZ is a source of air pollution and the surrounding area. True, for justice it is worth noting that there are combustion technologies that minimize the formation of dioxins. In addition, as a result of this method, the volume of waste is reduced tenfold and there is the possibility to produce heat or electricity, and the resulting slag is sent back to the industry.

Solid household waste is also recycled through aerobic biothermal composting. Before this happens, they are sorted. Everything that is formed as a result of consumption can be conditionally divided into three main groups. The first is secondary raw materials (MSW), which can be processed into useful materials and obtained through their realization a certain income, which allows to compensate for costs. The second - biodegradable waste, they can be turned into compost, although the costs associated with this are difficult to compensate. The third - non-recyclable solid waste, the utilization of solid waste of this group is produced in various ways, depending on their specific composition.

Aerobic biothermal composting is now considered the most promising technology. With the help of it, solid waste is transferred to a harmless state and becomes a compost, which is a fertilizer containing trace elements, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium. Such utilization of solid waste allows to return them back to the natural cycle of substances in nature. The use of mass processing of solid waste with the use of the latter method is currently difficult for a number of reasons: imperfection of legislation, lack of a unified information base for all types of solid waste, weak monitoring of compliance with normative acts, and insufficient financing. If we turn to the experience of developed countries, it becomes clear that it is possible to properly recycle waste only if we approach this issue systematically. You should configure and debug all processes related to garbage disposal. It is necessary to cover everything in a complex, including sources of garbage (organizations and people), transportation, storage, sorting, processing, final disposal. It is necessary to actively involve the public and every individual citizen in solving this problem. And most importantly, we need an effective mechanism for economic stimulation of rational and careful treatment of what nature has given us.