What recycling methods do you know? Recycling of municipal solid waste: thermal and biothermal

Alexey 16.11.2014 Septic tanks

An increase in population and the rapid pace of development of scientific and technological progress contribute to the growth of consumer use and, as a result, the ever-increasing volume of waste resulting from human activity. Disposal household waste today is one of the global world problems.

Absolutely all countries face it, and it is especially relevant for large cities. How this issue is being resolved in our country and what is being done in this direction, many articles have been written and scientific works. We will not go into all the nuances of this problem, but will consider only what we encounter in everyday life. After all, there is a container for solid waste in every yard, and we have to decide where to pour the slop every day.

What types of household waste are there?

Any type of economic activity leads to the generation of some kind of waste. But if with recycling industrial waste The issue has been more or less resolved, but with household items that end up in the garbage container, the matter is still only at the resolution stage. The usual removal of everything unnecessary to a landfill does not help much. In addition, the state of these landfills is such that their further expansion could lead to an environmental disaster.

All household waste is divided into two large groups:

Solid;
Liquid.

Each species requires its own method of collection, destruction or processing.

Solid waste disposal

Most of them are household items that have fallen into disrepair - these are old shoes, torn clothes, used packaging, broken children's toys and much more. It is enough to look at the solid waste containers installed everywhere to be convinced of their huge variety.

Solid waste that can fall under a household waste compactor includes a variety of materials:

Paper;
Wood;
Synthetics;
Leather;
Rubber;
Non-ferrous and ferrous metals.

Due to the wide variety of different types of raw materials, disposal of solid waste requires their separate collection and different processing methods. Natural decomposition of waste under the influence of microorganisms is possible only if it is of organic origin. Polymers and plastics are practically indestructible in nature and can lie in the same landfill for decades.

Disposal and recycling of solid waste is quite difficult. Their diverse composition completely excludes the possibility of direct disposal; preliminary separation must be carried out.

Nowadays, solid waste disposal occurs in several ways:

Burial (at special sites)
Separation (involves preliminary separate collection garbage)
Incineration (considered an ineffective method)
Pyrolysis (decomposition of waste under high temperatures)

Each of these methods has both advantages and certain disadvantages.

Export and processing technology

After all, the disposal of fecal wastewater must be carried out in compliance with certain sanitary standards.

Today, there are three ways to dispose of various liquid household waste:

In storage tanks;
In local aeration cleaning systems;
Biological treatment.

In the first case, disposal of liquid household waste is quite simple. After the storage tank is filled, its contents are pumped out by a special waste disposal vehicle and taken away for processing or disposal. Although this method is widely used, it is quite expensive. Disposal of various types of liquid household waste in this case requires the presence of special containers and the use of expensive equipment. Cleaning services for cesspools must be regular and you must constantly pay for them.

Disposal with VOCs

Wastewater treatment in modern local treatment systems is very effective. It can reach 98 percent. This means that water that has undergone such processing no longer poses any environmental threat and can be freely discharged into water bodies or enter the ground.

This type of disposal of liquid waste is carried out using passive aeration. The local treatment system consists of a septic tank and equipped filtration fields. The device usually consists of several chambers in which passive aeration and sedimentation occur.

The main advantage of such septic tanks is their energy independence, since the disposal of liquid waste entering them occurs naturally. Taking into account the fact that there is a constant problem of electricity supply outside the city, this is a big plus.

But such disposal of various liquid substances also has a number of disadvantages. The creation of treatment facilities of this type requires large investments and at the same time it is necessary to strictly comply with numerous sanitary standards and safety rules.

Biological treatment with active aeration

Disposal of liquid waste in VOCs in this way is the most effective and has virtually no disadvantages. The only disadvantage can be considered the energy dependence of the treatment plant. The fact is that in the process of waste decomposition, air pumped by a compressor is used. The efficiency of the system depends on the activity of microorganisms, and their activity in decomposing organic matter requires a lot of oxygen.

Disposal of liquid waste using active aeration is increasingly used, since the costs of its implementation are minimal. At the same time, the purification level reaches 98 percent.

Financial side of the issue

For all homeowners, it is important how much it will cost to dispose of liquid waste accumulated in a septic tank. Comparing the methods of cleaning them mentioned above, we can come to the following conclusion. The most expensive is the disposal of liquid waste using storage tanks and the subsequent use of sewage disposal machines. The other two systems have virtually no differences in cost.

The natural resources that humanity consumes can be divided into two parts: renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources include all those resources that can be restored using photosynthesis in a foreseeable period of time. We are talking primarily about all types of vegetation and the resources that can be obtained from it. Non-renewable minerals include minerals that will not be restored in the foreseeable geological time.

The technologies used by humanity are primarily focused on the use of non-renewable natural resources. These are oil, coal, ores, etc. At the same time, their use technologically entails disturbances in the surrounding world: soil fertility and the amount of fresh water, the atmosphere is polluted, etc.

Today, using established technologies, humanity has a diverse structure of all kinds of waste of domestic and industrial origin. This waste, gradually accumulating, has become a real disaster. Governments of developed countries are beginning to pay increasing attention to environmental issues and are encouraging the creation of appropriate technologies. Systems for cleaning areas from waste and technologies for burning it are being developed. However, there are many reasons to believe that waste incineration technologies are a dead end. Already, the cost of burning 1 kg of garbage is 65 cents. If you do not switch to other waste disposal technologies, costs will rise. It should be borne in mind that new technologies are needed that over time could ensure, on the one hand, the consumer needs of the population, and on the other hand, the preservation of the environment.

Currently, such technologies have already appeared. There is a fundamental opportunity not only to significantly reduce waste disposal costs, but also to obtain an economic effect.

The disadvantage of thermal fractionation technologies is the need to pre-classify waste by type of waste, which requires the introduction of waste collection technologies at the state level. There are already positive examples in this area. For example, Austria. But for most countries such technologies still need to be created.

Therefore, technologies for recycling waste (city landfills, etc.) with the resulting healthy products and positive economic impact.

In addition to causing serious air pollution, waste disposal technologies through incineration, according to environmental organizations, “burn not only garbage, but also real money.” An alternative to this method is recycling waste, followed by sorting it into components. The technology used at ZAO Belekocom, a Belgorod waste processing plant, meets all environmental control standards applicable to similar plants. There are no chemical or thermal waste processing processes here, which significantly increases environmental safety. And the compressed waste is sold on the market for recycled materials.

According to experts, more than 60% of city waste is potential secondary raw materials that can be recycled and profitably sold. Another 30% is organic waste that can be turned into compost.

The problem of complete destruction or partial recycling of municipal solid waste (MSW) - household waste— is relevant, first of all, from the point of view of negative impact on the environment. Municipal solid waste is a rich source of secondary resources (including ferrous, non-ferrous, rare and dispersed metals), as well as a “free” energy carrier, since household waste is a renewable carbon-containing energy raw material for fuel energy. However, for any city or town, the problem of removing or neutralizing solid household waste is always primarily an environmental problem. It is very important that the processes of recycling household waste do not violate the environmental safety of the city, the normal functioning of the city economy from the point of view of public sanitation and hygiene, as well as the living conditions of the population as a whole. As is known, the overwhelming mass of solid waste in the world is still stored in landfills, spontaneous or specially organized in the form of “garbage landfills”. However, this is the most ineffective way to combat solid waste, since landfills, which occupy vast areas of often fertile land and are characterized by a high concentration of carbon-containing materials (paper, polyethylene, plastic, wood, rubber), often burn, polluting the environment with waste gases. In addition, landfills are a source of pollution of both surface and groundwater due to landfill drainage precipitation. Foreign experience shows that rational organization recycling of solid waste makes it possible to use up to 90% of recycling products in the construction industry, for example, as concrete filler.

According to specialized companies that currently carry out even unpromising technologies for the direct combustion of solid waste, the implementation of thermal methods when burning 1000 kg of solid waste will produce thermal energy equivalent to the combustion of 250 kg of fuel oil. However, the real savings will be even greater, since they do not take into account the very fact of preserving primary raw materials and the costs of extracting them, i.e., oil and obtaining fuel oil from it. In addition, in developed countries there is a legal restriction on the content of no more than 0.1x10-9 g of nitrogen dioxide and furans in 1 m3 of flue gas emitted into the atmosphere during waste combustion. These limitations dictate the need to search for technological ways to disinfect solid waste with the least negative impact on the environment, especially landfills. Consequently, the presence of household waste in open dumps has an extremely negative impact on the environment and, as a result, on humans.

Currently, there are a number of methods for storing and processing municipal solid waste, namely: pre-sorting, sanitary earth filling, combustion, biothermal composting, low-temperature pyrolysis, high-temperature pyrolysis.

Pre-sorting.

This process provides for the separation of solid household waste into fractions at waste treatment plants manually or using automated conveyors. This includes the process of reducing the size of waste components by crushing and sifting them, as well as removing larger or smaller metal objects, such as cans. Their selection as the most valuable secondary raw materials precedes further recycling of solid waste (for example, incineration). Since solid waste sorting is one of the components garbage disposal, then there are special factories for solving this problem, i.e., separating fractions from garbage various substances: metals, plastics, glass, bones, paper and other materials for the purpose of their further separate processing.

Sanitary earth filling.

This technological approach to the disposal of solid household waste is associated with the production of biogas and its subsequent use as fuel. For this purpose, household waste is covered using a certain technology with a compacted layer of soil 0.6-0.8 m thick. Biogas landfills are equipped with ventilation pipes, gas blowers and containers for collecting biogas. The presence of porosity and organic components in the thickness of garbage in landfills will create the preconditions for active development microbiological processes. The thickness of the landfill can be conditionally divided into several zones (aerobic, transitional and anaerobic), differing in the nature of microbiological processes. In the very top layer, aerobic (up to 1-1.5 m), household waste, thanks to microbial oxidation, is gradually mineralized to carbon dioxide, water, nitrates, sulfates and a number of other simple compounds. In the transition zone, nitrates and nitrites are reduced to gaseous nitrogen and its oxides, i.e., the process of denitrification. The largest volume is occupied by the lower anaerobic zone, in which intense microbiological processes occur at low (below 2%) oxygen content. Under these conditions, the most various gases and volatile organic compounds. However, the central process of this zone is the formation of methane. The constantly maintained temperature here (30-40° C) becomes optimal for the development of methane-producing bacteria. Thus, landfills represent the largest modern biogas production systems. It can be assumed that in the future the role of landfills will not noticeably decrease, so extracting biogas from them for the purpose of beneficial use will remain relevant. However, it is also possible to significantly reduce landfills through the maximum possible recycling of household waste through the selective collection of its constituent components - waste paper, glass, metals, etc.

Burning.

This is a widespread method of disposal of solid waste, which is widely used since late XIX V. The difficulty of direct disposal of solid waste is due, on the one hand, to its exceptional multicomponent nature, and, on the other hand, to increased sanitary requirements for the process of their processing. In this regard, incineration is still the most common method of primary treatment of household waste. Burning household waste, in addition to reducing volume and weight, allows you to obtain additional energy resources that can be used for centralized heating and electricity production. The disadvantages of this method include the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere, as well as the destruction of valuable organic and other components contained in household waste. Combustion can be divided into two types: direct combustion, which produces only heat and energy, and pyrolysis, which produces liquid and gaseous fuels. Currently, the level of incineration of household waste varies in individual countries. Thus, of the total volumes of household waste, the share of incineration varies in countries such as Austria, Italy, France, Germany, from 20 to 40%; Belgium, Sweden - 48-50%; Japan - 70%; Denmark, Switzerland 80%; England and USA - 10%. In Russia, only about 2% of household waste is currently incinerated, and in Moscow - about 10%. To increase environmental safety, a necessary condition for burning waste is compliance with a number of principles. The main ones include combustion temperature, which depends on the type of substances burned; the duration of high-temperature combustion, which also depends on the type of waste being burned; creation of turbulent air flows for complete waste combustion. Distinction of waste by sources of generation and physical and chemical properties predetermines the variety of technical means and equipment for combustion. IN recent years Research is underway to improve combustion processes, which is associated with changes in the composition of household waste and stricter environmental standards. Modernized methods of waste incineration include replacing the air supplied to the waste incineration site to speed up the process with oxygen. This makes it possible to reduce the volume of combustible waste, change its composition, obtain glassy slag and completely eliminate filtration dust that must be stored underground. This also includes the method of burning waste in a fluidized bed. In this case, high combustion efficiency is achieved with a minimum of harmful substances. According to foreign data, it is advisable to use waste incineration in cities with a population of at least 15 thousand inhabitants with a furnace productivity of about 100 tons/day. From each ton of waste, about 300-400 kWh of electricity can be generated. Currently, fuel from household waste is obtained in a crushed state, in the form of granules and briquettes. Preference is given to granular fuel, since the combustion of crushed fuel is accompanied by large dust emissions, and the use of briquettes creates difficulties when loading into the furnace and maintaining stable combustion. In addition, when burning granular fuel, the efficiency of the boiler is much higher. Waste incineration ensures a minimum content of decomposing substances in the slag and ash, but it is a source of emissions into the atmosphere. Waste incineration plants (WIP) emit gaseous hydrogen chloride and fluoride, sulfur dioxide, as well as solid particles of various metals: lead, zinc, iron, manganese, antimony, cobalt, copper, nickel, silver, cadmium, chromium, tin, mercury and etc. It has been established that the content of cadmium, lead, zinc and tin in soot and dust released during the combustion of solid combustible waste varies in proportion to the content of plastic waste in the garbage. Mercury emissions are caused by the presence of thermometers, dry galvanic cells and fluorescent lamps. Largest quantity Cadmium is found in synthetic materials, as well as glass, leather, and rubber. US studies have revealed that during the direct combustion of municipal solid waste, most of the antimony, cobalt, mercury, nickel and some other metals enter the exhaust gases from non-combustible components, i.e., the removal of the non-combustible fraction from household waste reduces the concentration of these metals in the atmosphere. Sources of air pollution with cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, tin, and zinc are equally both combustible and non-combustible fractions of solid household waste. A significant reduction in atmospheric air pollution with cadmium and copper is possible due to the separation of polymer materials from the flammable fraction.

Thus, it can be stated that the main direction in reducing the release of harmful substances into the environment is the sorting or separate collection of household waste. Recently, the method of co-incineration of municipal solid waste and sludge has become increasingly widespread. waste water. This ensures the absence of an unpleasant odor and the use of heat from waste combustion to dry sewage sludge. It should be noted that solid waste technology developed in a period when the emission standards for the gas component had not yet been tightened. However, now the cost of gas purification at waste incineration plants has increased sharply. All waste incineration enterprises are unprofitable. In this regard, methods for processing household waste are being developed that would make it possible to recycle and reuse the valuable components contained in them.

Biothermal composting. This method of recycling solid household waste is based on natural but accelerated reactions of waste transformation with the access of oxygen in the form of hot air at a temperature of about 60°C. Biomass of solid waste as a result of these reactions in a biothermal installation (drum) turns into compost. However, to implement this technological scheme, the initial waste must be cleared of large objects, as well as metals, glass, ceramics, plastics, and rubber. The resulting waste fraction is loaded into biothermal drums, where it is kept for 2 days. in order to obtain a marketable product. After this, the composted waste is again cleaned of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, further crushed and then stored for further use as compost in agriculture or biofuel in the fuel energy sector. Biothermal composting is usually carried out in plants for mechanical processing of household waste and is an integral part of the technological chain of these plants. However, modern composting technologies do not make it possible to get rid of heavy metal salts, so compost from solid waste is actually of little use for use in agriculture. In addition, most of these factories are unprofitable. Therefore, concepts are being developed for producing synthetic gaseous and liquid fuels for vehicles from composting products isolated at waste processing plants. For example, it is planned to sell the resulting compost as a semi-finished product for further processing into gas.

The method of recycling household waste by pyrolysis is quite little known, especially in our country, due to its high cost. It can become a cheap and environmentally friendly method of waste disinfection. Pyrolysis technology involves an irreversible chemical change in waste under the influence of temperature without access to oxygen. Based on the degree of temperature impact on the waste matter, pyrolysis as a process is conventionally divided into low-temperature (up to 900°C) and high-temperature (over 900°C).

Low temperature pyrolysis is a process in which crushed waste material undergoes thermal decomposition. In this case, the process of pyrolysis of household waste has several options: pyrolysis of the organic part of the waste under the influence of temperature in the absence of air; pyrolysis in the presence of air, which ensures incomplete combustion of waste at a temperature of 760°C; pyrolysis using oxygen instead of air to obtain a higher calorific value of gas; pyrolysis without separating waste into organic and inorganic fractions at a temperature of 850°C, etc. An increase in temperature leads to an increase in gas yield and a decrease in the yield of liquid and solid products. The advantage of pyrolysis over direct waste incineration lies primarily in its effectiveness in terms of preventing environmental pollution. Using pyrolysis, it is possible to process waste components that cannot be recycled, such as tires, plastics, waste oils, and sludge. After pyrolysis, no biologically active substances remain, so underground storage of pyrolysis waste does not cause harm natural environment. The resulting ash has a high density, which sharply reduces the volume of waste subjected to underground storage. During pyrolysis there is no reduction (smelting) of heavy metals. The advantages of pyrolysis include the ease of storage and transportation of the resulting products, as well as the fact that the equipment has low power. Overall the process requires less capital investment. Installations or plants for processing municipal solid waste by pyrolysis operate in Denmark, the USA, Germany, Japan and other countries. Activation scientific research and practical developments in this area began in the 70s of the twentieth century, during the period of the “oil boom”. Since that time, the production of energy and heat from plastic, rubber and other combustible waste by pyrolysis began to be considered as one of the sources of energy resources. Especially great value given to this process in Japan.

High temperature pyrolysis. This method of solid waste disposal is essentially nothing more than gasification of garbage. The technological scheme of this method involves the production of secondary synthesis gas from the biological component (biomass) of waste in order to use it to produce steam, hot water, electricity. An integral part of the high-temperature pyrolysis process are solid products in the form of slag, i.e. non-pyrolyzable residues. The technological chain of this recycling method consists of four successive stages: selection of large-sized objects, non-ferrous and ferrous metals from waste using an electromagnet and by induction separation; processing of prepared waste in a gasifier to produce synthesis gas and by-products chemical compounds- chlorine, nitrogen, fluorine, as well as a scale for melting metals, glass, ceramics; purification of synthesis gas in order to increase its environmental properties and energy intensity, cooling and entering it into a scrubber for cleaning with an alkaline solution from pollutants of chlorine, fluorine, sulfur, cyanide compounds; combustion of purified synthesis gas in waste heat boilers to produce steam, hot water or electricity. The scientific and production company "Thermoecology" of the joint-stock company "VNIIETO" (Moscow) has proposed a combined technology for processing slag and ash dumps from thermal power plants with the addition of some solid waste. This method of high-temperature pyrolysis of waste processing is based on a combination of processes in the chain: drying—pyrolysis—combustion, electroslag treatment. It is planned to use an ore-thermal electric furnace in a sealed version as the main unit, in which the supplied slag and ash will be melted, carbon residues will be burned out of them, and metal inclusions will be deposited. The electric furnace must have separate output of metal, which is subsequently processed, and slag, from which it is intended to make building blocks or granulate them for subsequent use in the construction industry. In parallel, solid waste will be fed into the electric furnace, where it will be gasified under the influence of high temperature molten slag. The amount of air supplied to the molten slag must be sufficient to oxidize carbon raw materials and solid waste. The research and production enterprise "Sibekotherm" (Novosibirsk) has developed an environmentally friendly technology for high-temperature (plasma) processing of solid waste. The technological scheme of this production does not impose strict requirements on the moisture content of the feedstock - household waste in the process of preliminary preparation, morphological and chemical compositions and state of aggregation. The design of the equipment and technological support makes it possible to obtain secondary energy in the form of hot water or superheated water steam and supply it to the consumer, as well as secondary products in the form ceramic tiles or granulated slag and metal. Essentially this is an option complex processing Solid waste, its complete environmentally friendly recycling with the production of useful products and thermal energy from “waste” raw materials - household waste.

High-temperature pyrolysis is one of the most promising areas for processing municipal solid waste from the point of view of both environmental safety and the production of secondary useful products of synthesis gas, slag, metals and other materials that can be widely used in the national economy. High-temperature gasification makes it possible to process municipal solid waste in an economically profitable, environmentally friendly and technically relatively simple manner without their preliminary preparation, i.e. sorting, drying, etc.

Traditional landfills of unprocessed municipal waste not only spoil the landscape, but also pose a potential threat to human health. Pollution occurs not only in the immediate vicinity of landfills, but in case of contamination groundwater A huge area may become contaminated.

The main task facing solid waste processing systems is to most fully utilize the waste generated in a certain area. When selecting technologies for ongoing projects, you must be guided by two important requirements: provide a minimum or complete absence emissions and produce a maximum of valuable final products for sale on the market. These tasks can be most fully achieved by using systems for automatic sorting and separated processing of various types of waste using modern technologies.

Combinations of these technological solutions are installed at several sites in the region to ensure minimal transportation of waste to the processing site and direct supply of valuable end products to related industries. A complete solid waste processing plant consists of modules of all types and may include associated production. The number of process lines in each module is determined by the plant's productivity requirements. The minimum optimal ratio is achieved for a plant with a capacity of 90,000 tons of solid waste per year.

Recycling of combustible waste.

The proposed gasification technology makes it possible to process flammable waste in a closed reactor to produce combustible gas. The following types of waste can be recycled:

* combustible fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW), separated during sorting;
* industrial solid waste - non-toxic solid waste produced by industrial, commercial and other centers, for example: plastic, cardboard, paper, etc.;
* solid flammable products from automobile recycling: most automotive plastics, rubber, foam, fabric, wood, etc.;
* wastewater after drying (the most effective wastewater processing is achieved using biothermal technology);
* dry biomass such as wood waste, sawdust, bark, etc.

The gasification process is a modular technology. The valuable processing product is flammable gas, produced in a volume of 85 to 100 m3 per minute (for a processing module of 3,000 kg/h), with approx. energy value from 950 to 2.895 kcal/m3 depending on the feedstock. Gas can be used to produce heat/electricity for related industries or for sale. The gasification module produces no emissions and does not have a pipe: the product of the technology is combustible gas directed to energy production, and thus emissions are generated only at the output of engines, boilers or gas turbines that process combustible gas. The main equipment is mounted on frames with common external dimensions 10 x 13 x 5 m. The technology is easy to manage and operate and can be used as part of integrated waste treatment schemes.

Recycling rotting waste.

The organic fraction of solid waste obtained as a result of sorting, as well as waste from farms and wastewater treatment plants, can be subjected to anaerobic processing to produce methane and compost, suitable for agricultural and horticultural work.

Processing of organic matter occurs in reactors where methane-producing bacteria process organic matter into biogas and humus. The substance is kept in a reactor at a certain temperature for 15-20 days. A plant usually consists of two or more parallel lines. Bioreactors are stationary and located vertically. The size of one reactor can reach 5000 cubic meters. m. This roughly corresponds to the waste produced by a population of 200,000 people. To process larger volumes of waste, two or more parallel reactors are required. If necessary, at the end of anaerobic processing, the substance is pasteurized and then completely dried into a solid mass amounting to 35-45% of the original volume. At the next stage, the mass can be subjected to post-aeration and sieving to improve storage properties, aesthetic appearance and ease of use.

The final product, humus, is completely processed, stabilized and suitable for landscaping, gardening and agriculture. Methane can be used to produce heat/electricity.

Recycling of used tires.

To recycle tires, low-temperature pyrolysis technology is used to produce electricity, sorbent for water purification or high-quality soot suitable for the production of tires.

Dismantling lines for old cars.

To recycle old cars, industrial dismantling technology is used, which allows individual parts to be reused. The standard line of the industrial dismantling line is capable of processing 10,000 old cars per year or up to 60 cars per day with a shift of 12 people (total plant staff 24 people). The line is designed for optimal dismantling of parts in safe working conditions. The main elements of the line are an automatic conveyor that moves cars, a vehicle turning device for dismantling underbody parts and preparing the car for engine removal, as well as equipment for dismantling parts and storing removed materials. The enterprise consists of a dismantling line workshop, an area for removing batteries and draining automobile fluids, covered storage areas and an office building. The economic efficiency of the enterprise is ensured by the sale of automotive parts and sorted materials. For efficient operation of the plant, depending on transport tariffs, 25,000 old car wrecks must be available within a radius of 25-30 km from the plant. In general, a plant requires a site of at least 20,000 m2. The supply of an industrial dismantling line includes training of operating personnel at the customer’s site and in Western Europe, training in enterprise management and training in organizing the collection of old cars and selling spare parts and materials.

Disposal of medical waste.

The proposed medical waste treatment technology sterilizes such types of medical waste as needles, lancets, medical containers, metal probes, glass, biological cultures, physiological substances, medications, syringes, filters, vials, diapers, catheters, laboratory waste, etc. Medical waste treatment technology crushes and sterilizes waste so that it turns into dry, homogeneous, odorless dust (pellets with a diameter of 1-2 mm). This residue is a completely inert product, does not contain microorganisms and does not have bactericidal properties. The remainder can be disposed of as normal municipal waste or used for landscaping. Medical waste processing technology is a closed process. Standard equipment operates in semi-automatic mode; the operator’s functions include loading the installation using a lift and starting the process. Once the process has started, all operations are carried out automatically and controlled by the programmable module, while messages about the status of the process and signals about possible faults are displayed on the control panel. A fully automatic system can be supplied. Taking into account the specific weight of the material and processing time, the installation productivity is 100 kg/hour.

The proposed modern technologies make it possible to simultaneously solve the problem of waste disposal and create local energy sources. Thus, garbage will return to us not in the form of growing landfills and polluted water, but in the form of electricity through wires, heat in radiators, or vegetables and fruits grown in greenhouses.

Taken here: http://www.waste.ru/modules/section/item.php?itemid=61

Septic tanks, a place for collecting and processing liquid organic waste, are considered to be cesspools, structures with soil treatment and autonomous sewage systems. The choice of septic tank depends on the needs and capabilities of the site owner.

The volume of waste is growing year by year. There are several classifications of solid waste and even the science that studies them is garbology. All waste in varying degrees dangerous to humans.

The effect of recycling reinforced waste is least visible in the list of human waste disposal. Alas, Russia is still far from extracting energy from wastewater using heat pumps, as is practiced, for example, in Helsinki and Oslo.

For several decades now, humanity has been searching for effective methods disposal of waste sludge from treatment facilities. Already found effective ways, which allow you to get rid of accumulated biomass

In megacities, the problem of environmental pollution is acute. The first step towards solving it is to free the private sector of Moscow and the Moscow region from solid household waste with the help of the services of specialized organizations.

Any type of activity is regulated by the laws of the Russian Federation and other documents, this also applies to the removal and disposal of solid household waste

When it is not possible to install garbage cans in the yard to collect household waste, when you are sick or old and taking out a bag of garbage becomes a difficult task for you, a garbage disposal comes to the rescue.

Solid waste and its problems in the Russian Federation

The main problem of increasing the volume of solid waste in our country lies in the area of urbanization.

With the increasing role of cities in the country's economy, both the size of these cities and the number of their inhabitants increase. An increase in the number of residents greatly increases the load on city utilities.

A situation is being created where measures aimed at improving the environmental and sanitary situation are simply delayed, unable to keep up with population growth. Currently, about 75% of all citizens of the country live in Russian cities. Despite the high figure, it is worth noting that Russia is far from the first in Europe in terms of this indicator. However, the volume of solid waste is growing rapidly.

The second most important problem of influence is technological progress, or rather its underutilization. The system for collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste is extremely poorly developed. Long distances, huge areas and savings at all stages of production activity lead to the creation of spontaneous landfills.

But even without them, the most popular way to get rid of household waste is to organize the disposal of solid waste in open landfills. The desire to act within the framework of calls for environmental protection will be dashed by dry data: currently in Russia only 5-7% of total number Solid waste is processed at special waste processing factories.

The third obstacle to quickly establishing order is the lack of mutual understanding (or worse, confrontation) between state municipal services and private commercial companies. Municipalities jealously guard the priority right to develop this type of entrepreneurial activity without allowing strangers there.

Solid waste and difficulties abroad

The main problem with solid waste in the world, oddly enough, is the tightening of requirements for shelf life goods. Driven into strict limits, manufacturers are forced to get rid of illiquid stock through recycling. As production grows every year, so does the amount of waste. A well-functioning system for recycling any type of waste fails. Processing complexes are operating under increased load.

The next point about which environmentalists around the world are sounding the alarm is the formation of landfill countries. Many countries with undeveloped economies willingly accept solid waste from all over the world for recycling. Despite the industrial capacity at their disposal, the latter cannot cope with the endless flow of waste from countries with a higher standard of living, and the waste is temporarily deposited in the open air. Since the atmosphere cannot belong to anyone in different shares, harmful emissions are occurring more and more often.

Methods for disposal of solid waste

There are several ways to dispose of waste, of which two are the most economical:

composting. The essence of the method lies in the disposal of waste of biological origin by decomposing it naturally;
. Heat treatment of any solid waste allows for its complete destruction. However, we should not forget that it is simply unprofitable to burn many solid waste. Waste such as paper or wood is a product of repeated recycling; its destruction will entail the irreversible loss of the planet's forests.

Currently, simple combustion of solid waste is not practiced in developed countries; the energy released during combustion is used as an alternative common types energy.

Solid waste separation

It is impossible to overestimate the importance at the initial stage, that is, after collection. Reducing the burden on nature is achieved only by the possibility of recycling solid waste in the production of consumer goods.

With all the efforts made on the planet by all stakeholders (from national governments to waste disposal companies), the result of their activities will not be considered satisfactory without the participation of each individual consumer. Without understanding the very idea of the need to divide solid waste into types and comply with the rules for collecting solid waste, business will not advance beyond your own threshold.

The sore words about everyone’s personal contribution to saving life on earth will not seem something ephemeral when outside the window of your house there appear the outlines of the chimneys of a waste incineration plant, continuously and incessantly smoking day and night. And all because you once neglected the rules of solid waste disposal. The suffocating world will demand spring cleaning. The circle will close.

The modern world does not stand still. Every year production volumes increase, population growth and urban expansion continue. At the same time, the problem of waste disposal has become urgent. On earth, special landfills for waste are present in limited quantities. At the same time, the volumes arriving at them exceed their capacity, so the garbage mountains are increasing every day. Untreated heaps of waste negatively affect the ecological state of the planet. That is why the need arose to create high-quality waste processing plants. At these sites it is necessary to use only modern methods waste processing and disposal. It is worth noting that the garbage generated by humanity belongs to various danger groups. In order for waste recycling to be effective, it is necessary to select its own disposal method for each individual type. But first they need to be sorted.

Household waste

This number includes product residues associated with human activity. This can be plastic, paper, food and other similar waste that was thrown out of institutions and homes of the population. The garbage that we are used to getting rid of is found at every step. Many wastes are assigned the fifth and fourth degree of danger.

Recycling of household plastic waste should not be done without mechanical action, i.e. grinding. Further, they are necessarily treated with chemical solutions. Often, after such a procedure, new polymer substances are produced, which are reused to create new products. Household waste such as paper or food waste can be composted and subsequently rotted. Subsequently, the resulting composition is suitable for use in agriculture.

Biological decay

Biological species in nature are humans and animals. These two groups also generate large amounts of waste. A lot of such waste comes from veterinary clinics, sanitary and hygienic organizations, catering establishments and similar enterprises. Processing of biological waste is reduced to its combustion. Liquid substances are transported using special transport. Incineration is also used for organic waste.

Industrial waste

This type of waste is generated as a result of the functioning of production and technological activities. This includes all construction waste. It appears during installation, cladding, finishing and other works. For example, this category of waste includes paint and varnish residues, heat-insulating substances, wood and other industrial “trash.” Processing of industrial waste often involves incineration. Wooden residues are suitable for obtaining a certain amount of energy.

Radioactive waste

Such waste includes solutions and gases that are not suitable for use. First of all, this is biological materials and objects containing radioactive components in large quantities (above permissible norm). The degree of danger depends on the level of radiation in such waste. Such waste is disposed of by burial, some is simply burned. A similar method of processing applies to the next group of activity residues.

Medical waste

This list contains all substances that are produced by medical institutions. Approximately 80% of waste is simple household waste. He's not dangerous. But the remaining 20% can cause damage to health in one way or another. In Russia, the disposal and processing of radioactive and medical waste has many prohibitions and conventions. Also, the country carefully spells out the necessary conditions for handling this group of waste, and methods for burying or burning them. Special repositories were created for liquid and solid radioactive components. If it is necessary to get rid of medical waste, it is placed in special bags and set on fire. But this method, unfortunately, is also unsafe, especially if the drugs belong to the first or second danger group.

Division into classes

All waste is divided depending on its state of aggregation. So, they are solid, liquid or gaseous. In addition, all garbage is classified according to the degree of danger. There are four classes in total. Garbage classified as the first degree of danger poses the greatest threat to the planet and living organisms, including humans. This waste can ruin the ecological system, which will lead to disaster. These include the following substances: mercury, polonium, lead salts, plutonium, etc.

The second class includes residues that can cause an environmental failure that cannot be restored over a long period (about 30 years). These are chlorine, various phosphates, arsenic, selenium and other substances. The third hazard group includes those wastes from which the system can recover within ten years. But only if the garbage no longer affects the contaminated object. Among them are chromium, zinc, ethyl alcohol, and so on.

Low-hazard waste - sulfates, chlorides and simazine - is assigned the fourth class. But this does not mean that they have virtually no effect on humans and the ecosystem. If the source is eliminated, the body or nature will only be able to recover after three years. There is fifth class garbage. This means that the waste is completely safe for the environment.

The importance of recycling

There are several reasons why proper waste recycling is necessary:

Once in the environment, most substances and materials turn into pollutants (it is worth considering that our planet is already suffocating every day from emissions from cars and factories).
Many of the resources from which certain materials are created are being exhausted. Their supplies are too limited, so the solution is recycling waste.
In some cases, objects that have fulfilled their purpose turn out to be a source of substances. Moreover, they are cheaper than natural materials.

More about recycling

Recycling is the change of waste materials until they completely disappear or the structure is modified so that they cannot be reused. But this word can have another meaning. For example, it is often used figuratively.

Today large number waste is reused for different purposes. All garbage that is disposed of today is divided into two main groups:

Solid household waste (glass, paper, plastic, food waste).
Industrial waste (biological, medical, radioactive, construction waste, as well as waste from the transport complex).

Disposal can be carried out in one of several ways, which are also divided into groups. For example, the main methods include heat treatment, composting, which is natural method decomposition, and disposal of waste in special landfills. Some of these waste processing methods make it possible to obtain secondary raw materials.

Recycled materials

Typically, all waste that remains after production and human activity is called “recyclables”. But this idea is not entirely correct. The fact is that not all waste is advisable to reuse or send for other needs. There is also a group of waste that is reused only as a source of energy (after special processing), and therefore is also not classified as secondary raw materials. Those substances that release energy after processing are called “secondary energy raw materials.”

This group includes only those materials that, after a certain exposure, can become suitable for the national economy. A clear example is a canned food can. It can no longer be used to store food, but after melting it down, it is used to make new food containers or other metal objects. It becomes obvious: secondary raw materials These are items that, after being used for their intended purpose, are resources that will be useful for further use. To obtain a new product or raw material, waste recycling is necessary. Today, several methods are used for this, which are described below.

Natural recycling

Back in the 20th century, in most cases, household waste was processed through composting. Garbage, in particular organic waste, was dumped into specially dug pits and covered with earth. Over time, the waste decomposed, rotted and was used as fertilizer in agriculture. But relatively recently this method has been slightly modified. Scientists have developed sealed installations for heating composted waste. In this case, organic residues begin to decompose faster, which produces methane, which is biogas. It was this that began to be used to create biofuel.

Specialized companies have emerged that build mobile stations for waste recycling. They are used in small villages or on farms. It was calculated that such large stations intended for cities are unprofitable to maintain. It takes quite a lot of time to obtain a decomposing product, but the resulting fertilizers still remain unused and also need to be disposed of somehow. Besides this, there is other waste that has nowhere to go, so it will accumulate. For example, this is plastic, construction residues, polyethylene, etc. But creating a specialized plant where solid household waste would be processed is not economically profitable for the authorities.

Thermal recycling

Thermal processing means the combustion of solid household waste. The process is used to reduce the amount organic matter and their neutralization. Further, the resulting residues are buried or disposed of. After combustion, the waste is significantly reduced in volume, all bacteria are destroyed, and the resulting energy can generate electricity or heat water for the heating system. Such plants are usually located near large city landfills in order to process solid waste passed by conveyor belt. There are also landfills nearby intended for the disposal of recycled waste.

It can be noted that waste combustion is divided into direct and pyrolysis. With the first method, you can only obtain thermal energy. At the same time, pyrolysis combustion creates the opportunity to extract liquid and gas fuels. But regardless of the method of thermal disposal, harmful substances are released into the atmosphere during combustion. This harms our environment. Some people install filters. Their purpose is to retain volatile solids. But as practice shows, even they are not able to stop pollution.

If we talk about the technology for processing medical waste, several special furnaces have already been installed in Russia. They are equipped with gas purification devices. In addition, microwave, steam and heat treatment and autoclaving appeared in the country. These are all alternative methods for incinerating medical and other suitable waste. Residues containing mercury are treated using special thermochemical or hydrometallurgical methods.

Plasma recycling

This method is currently the most in a modern way recycling. Its action takes place in two stages:

The waste is crushed and compressed under a press. If necessary, the garbage is dried to achieve a granular structure.
The resulting substances are sent to the reactor. There the plasma flow transfers so much energy to them that they acquire a gaseous state.

Fire can be avoided using a special oxidizer. The resulting gas is similar in composition to ordinary natural gas, but it contains less energy. The finished product is sealed in a container and sent for later use. This gas is suitable for turbines, boilers, diesel generators.

Similar processing of industrial waste and household waste has been used for some time in Canada and the USA. In these countries, the remains of human activity are effectively disposed of, and the final product is used for good as fuel. In the West they are already preparing to introduce this technology on an even larger scale. But since such equipment is quite expensive, CIS countries cannot purchase it.

Is it possible to solve the problem of waste disposal?

Of course, in order for the processing of solid waste and hazardous waste to take place at top level, a lot of financial investment is required. Political circles should also be interested in this. But at the moment we have to make do with outdated recycling equipment. According to the authorities, existing factories are coping with the problem, so there is no need to reconstruct and re-equip them. The impetus for this can only be an environmental disaster.

Although the problem is vast, it is still possible to solve or reduce its size. The situation requires an integrated approach on the part of society and the authorities. It’s good if everyone thinks about what he personally can do. The simplest thing a person can do is to start sorting the garbage that he generates. After all, the one who throws out waste knows where he has plastic, paper, glass or food products. If you get into the habit of sorting waste residues, then such waste will become easier and faster to recycle.

A person needs to be regularly reminded of the importance of proper waste disposal, sorting and careful attitude to the natural resources it owns. If the authorities do not take action and conduct motivating campaigns, simple enthusiasm will not be enough. Therefore, the problem of waste disposal will remain in our country at a “primitive” level.

Removal, processing and disposal of waste from hazard classes 1 to 5

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Today, the problem of household waste is not only environmental pollution. Every year it becomes more and more expensive to “bury” waste in landfills; recycling solid waste is a way out of this problem. Many countries around the world have been searching for optimal technologies for a solution for decades. Every day, the world generates 5 billion tons of garbage, and in less than 100 years, according to scientists, the figure will double. It is for this reason that the issue of recycling solid waste must be resolved as soon as possible.

Main processing methods:

burial
burning
bracketing

Garbage into the ground: traditional method of processing solid waste

The most common recycling method is still the disposal of waste in landfills and special landfills. Its main disadvantage is the high costs that do not pay off. But the main thing is pollution of nearby territories, surface and waste water, and air space by consumption waste.

The United States of America was one of the first to begin the search for a solution to the problem of recycling consumer waste. Since 1930, they began to study the possibilities of collecting and using biogas. It has been established that 150 - 200 m³ of biogas can be extracted from a ton of solid household waste. True, this is for the entire period of garbage decomposition. In the first year, about 7.5 m³ of biogas is released from each ton of solid waste and subsequently this figure decreases.

By 1985, more than 30 biogas plants using methane produced from solid waste had been installed in the United States. At one of the American landfills with an area of 14 hectares, where 1 million tons of household waste mixed with 500 thousand tons of industrial waste were placed, 60 million m³ of biogas were produced during the year. Every hour - approximately 7000 m³, this was enough to generate 13.1 MW/hour of electricity.

According to environmentalists, about 1.1 billion m³ of biogas = 788,000 tons are generated annually in Russia at landfills and landfills. True, most of it is not used in any way.

Disadvantages of burial:

Large area of occupied territories.
Landfill territories cannot be used for other purposes.

What doesn't rot will burn: incinerators

More radical and quick method The solution to the problem is to burn consumer waste in special furnaces. The main advantage: the output is practically odorless slag, and its mass is three to ten times less than the mass of the waste being burned. However, waste incinerators require powerful smoke purification systems, since solid waste is released during combustion. toxic substances that contribute to environmental pollution.

The slag itself may also contain hazardous compounds and heavy metals that contribute to natural pollution. However, recently methods have been developed for high-temperature plasma incineration of waste, in which harmful substances are completely neutralized.

The largest percentage of household waste is subjected to this type of disposal in Japan. In 2011, 64% of the collected solid waste was disposed of there in this way. More than half of the waste sent to waste incineration plants is sent by Danes, Swedes, residents of Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Of the approximately 2,500 waste incineration plants built in the world, 400 are located in Europe. During the year, they produce about 130 billion kWh of electricity - 4.5 times more than what is produced at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant.

Pros of combustion:

Reduce waste volume.
Using steam to generate heat and power.

Flaws:

Threat of environmental pollution.
Requires more significant financial costs.

Recyclables into briquettes: waste briquetting

One of the most advanced methods of recycling household waste is their briquetting. The waste must first be separated according to its nature.

Solid household waste contains various components:

food waste
paper and cardboard
textile
glass
metals
polymers
hazardous substances

Recycling is also possible in this case, therefore, in the process of additional sorting, all materials suitable for this procedure are removed. Under no circumstances should any toxic or hazardous waste remain after sorting, catalyzing the process of environmental pollution.

Swedish experience

In Sweden, more than 50% of recycled materials are recovered from waste, in addition to metal and glass. Recycling through waste sorting plants built using Swedish technology in the city of Vijsters (Holland) processes ⅕ of this country's household waste - 125 thousand tons = 600 thousand m³ annually.

In this case the following is issued:

Paper - 16,000 tons.
Plastics - 4500 tons.
Iron and alloys - 3500 tons.
Organic base for composting - 39,000 tons.

47,000 tons of ballast fractions are transported to the landfill, which is less than 10% of the original amount. This is the main problem of recycling household waste. Effective recycling of household waste is established in Sweden - it imports garbage from other countries. Every year the Swedes are ready to accept up to 800,000 tons of solid waste from their neighbors. Mainly from Norway. Meanwhile, only 4% of the waste produced is sent to their landfills - almost ten times less than the European average. It is especially important here to build a plant for mechanized processing of household waste and receive a stable income. Equipment for MPBO has a high cost, but pays off quite quickly - within 1-3 years.

As for Switzerland, the inhabitants of this country begin to solve the problem from the moment of its formation. That is, from sorting garbage. They carefully follow this rule, separating consumer waste into several types.

Be sure to separate from general waste:

clean plastic container
lamps
hermetically sealed batteries
tin cans
electrical engineering

These are not all types of solid household waste subject to separation. This sorting method prevents environmental pollution. Disposal of unsorted waste is of course possible, but at an additional cost. This motivates citizens to sort their own waste.

German experience

Germany, like others European countries, deals with the issue of recycling household waste. They also practice sorting of consumer waste. In German houses and yards you can see five or six containers for different types garbage. All containers have a specific color, which helps make the sorting process easier. Most of the residents of this country are engaged in sorting household waste. Moreover, they do this on a voluntary basis, taking the problem of environmental pollution seriously. As a rule, municipal companies are responsible for the removal of unsorted waste, since it is extremely unprofitable to recycle this type of waste. They make money from people paying for trash removal.

Next, the garbage is sent to a solid waste processing plant; as a result of burning the waste, slag and steam are formed. The slag is sent for further processing, and the steam is sent to a power plant to generate electricity or heat. Organic waste After sorting, they are sent to biogas stations. With the help of microorganisms, waste is processed into biogas. This gas can also be converted into energy and used as fuel.

But there are also countries in Europe where, just like in Russia, they will not soon abandon the maintenance of landfills for disposal of household waste. This applies to Greece and Croatia. Romania holds the record - 99% of consumer waste is sent to landfills. Recycling is practically not used in this country.

Disposal of household waste in Russia

With such volumes of waste generated annually in Russia, it is important to use effective disposal methods to avoid contamination of neighboring areas. Recycled garbage can be the salvation of an ever-deteriorating ecological situation in the country.

The burial method predominates; such treatment is the simplest and cheapest, but, unfortunately, it greatly affects the state of the environmental sphere. In addition, unauthorized landfills are often used for burial. It is extremely important to use suitable and prepared areas that meet all environmental requirements for this purpose.

Processing methods are constantly being improved, new ones are emerging that are more economical and do not allow contamination. To change the current situation, it is important to find effective ways, such as reducing the amount of waste for disposal. This can be achieved by processing it into raw materials for new products.

Recycling saves natural resources, some of which are non-renewable. However, the improvement of household waste processing is hampered by the need to competently develop a business plan and have a substantial amount for initial investments in the construction of engineering structures and waste processing infrastructure. By examining foreign experience, we can emphasize the benefits and high efficiency of investing in enterprises that process solid waste.