Solid Waste Management at University Campus (Part 5/10): Characterization and Quantification of Waste, and Relevance of the Waste Hierarchy in its Management

Abstract

This is a-fifth-piece in a-series of 10, which is focused on the-following-issues, at the-subject-university: (1) solid-waste-characterization (composition-profiles, in %); (2) solid-waste-quantification; and (3) evaluation of the-relevance/applicability of Waste-Hierarchy-approaches to the-identified, by-the-study, waste- categories.  To-characterize the-composite-solid-waste, from the-identified-waste-generators, the-ASTM D5231-92(2003): Standard-Test-Method for Determination of the-Composition of Unprocessed Municipal- Solid-Waste was applied, while UNEP-guidelines were used for waste-reduction, in-samples preparation. The-study revealed that: (a) the-largest-share (37%) of the-total-waste is food-waste; and (b) cumulative 62% are recyclables, or waste-materials, that have the-potential to-be-recyclable. The-study also-estimates, that the-university generates about 5, 111. 65 tons, of mixed-waste, per-year, on-average. Out of which: (i) Food-waste, which is compostable, accounts to 1,891.31 tons/per year; and (ii) Recyclables, included: paper (mixed & corrugated) - 32% (1,635.73 tons/per year); glass - 13% (664.43 tons/per year); plastic and metals, each -  8% ( 408.93 tons/per year); and E-waste and other-non-combustibles, each - 1% (51.12 tons/per year). Every-day the-university is literally throwing-away profit, as the-waste is just disposed-off at the-dumpsite, without any-formal waste-reduction, separation, at-source, recycling, or composting. The-study offers some-practical-recommendations on the-management of the-identified-recyclables and compostable materials, based on the-Waste-Hierarchy-options; areas for further-research are also identified. The-findings of this-research provide a-necessary-baseline-data, for the-five-subsequent-studies, in the-series, and also, hopefully, add to-the-body of knowledge, on the-subject-matter.

Keywords: Institutional solid waste management; Kenya, recycling, composting.