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Ovim diplomskim radom obuhvaćena je analiza utjecaja turizma na stvaranje otpada u manjim Općinama u Republici Hrvatskoj, s fokusom na analizu provedenu u općini Karojba u Istri. Provedeno istraživanje ukazuje na povezanost između razvoja turizma i povećanog nastanka otpada i potrebu za proaktivnim strategijama gospodarenja otpadom u tim područjima s obzirom na veliko opterećenje sustava gospodarenja otpadom u doba turističke sezone. Analiza podataka ukazuje na trend rasta između broja rezerviranih noćenja i ukupnih proizvedenih količina otpada. Radom se naglašava i važnost suočavanja s izazovima gospodarenja otpadom koje donosi turizam kroz primjere poboljšane infrastrukture za otpad, kampanjama podizanja javne svijesti i suradnju među dionicima. Rezultati analize upućuju na neodgodivu potrebu provedbom praksi održivog gospodarenja otpadom , a posebice ukoliko se ostvare predviđene brojke količina proizvedenog komunalnog otpada u budućim godinama. Cilj je svakako, umanjiti utjecaj turizma i stanovništva na okoliš u općini Karojbi te osigurati dugoročno očuvanje prirodnih ljepota., This paper includes an analysis of the impact of tourism on waste generation in smaller municipalities in the Republic of Croatia, with a focus on the analysis carried out in the municipality of Karojba in Istria. The conducted research highlights the connection between the development of tourism and the increased generation of waste and the need for proactive waste management strategies in these areas, considering the heavy load on the waste management system during the tourist season. Data analysis indicates a growing trend between the number of overnight stays and the total amount of waste produced. The paper also emphasizes the importance of facing the challenges of waste management brought by tourism through examples of improved waste infrastructure, public awareness campaigns and cooperation between participants. The result of the analysis points to the urgent need to implement sustainable waste management practices, especially if the predicted figures for the amount of municipal waste produced in the future years are achieved. The goal is certainly to reduce the impact of tourism and the population on the environment in the municipality of Karojba and to ensure the long-term preservation of its natural beauty.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the waste management sector had to face new challenges, e.g., changes in the size and composition of the waste stream, or the presence of potentially infectious waste. This article is based on a case study in Poland. The data analysis showed that the increase in municipal waste mass during the pandemic did not differ from statistics observed in previous years and ranged from 0.3 to 0.5 million tons per year. Lifestyle changes caused a decrease in the amount of waste generated outside households. Social migrations contributed to rapid changes in the mass of waste generated in selected agglomerations by up to 80 kg/capita. In the waste stream, significant amounts of specific groups of waste related to the pandemic (“corona waste”) as well as packaging and food waste were noted. Despite the pandemic, in 2020, Poland recorded an increase in selective waste collection by 6.7 percentage points (pp.) Data on municipal waste management showed an increase in the mass of waste sent for recycling by 0.7 million tons, while the mass of landfilled waste decreased by 0.3 million tons. The observed positive changes in waste management allow the implementation of sustainable development assumptions to a greater extent.

S porastima stanovništva i njegove potrošnje dobara stvaraju se sve veće količine otpada, što postavlja povećane zahtjeve za komunalne funkcije urbanih područja. Tradicionalnim metodama prikupljanja otpada nije moguće u potpunosti zadovoljiti trenutne i u budućnosti očekivane potrebe pa su neophodna nova postupanja upotrebom suvremenih tehničkih rješenja. Kako bi se komunalne funkcije prikupljanja otpada obavljale učinkovitije, nameće se potreba za uvođenjem novih tehničkih sredstava poput dronova. U radu je dan osvrt na problematiku i trenutno stanje prikupljanja komunalnog otpada te je predložen i opisan koncept mapiranja i analize zasićenosti zelenih otoka pomoću drona povećavajući efikasnost cjelokupnog procesa prikupljanja otpada. With the growths of population and goods consumption, ever-increasing amounts of waste are generated, placing greater challenges for municipalities in urban areas. Traditional methods of waste collection cannot fully meet current and future demands, so new methods with modern technical solutions are needed. In order to make municipal waste collection more efficient, new technical means, such as drones must be used. The paper gives an overview of the problems and current state of municipal waste collection and proposes a concept for mapping and analysing if the capacity of the public recycle bins has been met by using a drone, which increases the efficiency of the entire waste collection process.

Is it really necessary for the more than 200 million tons of municipal waste produced by the EU to end up in landfills? Nowadays, there are many methods for using the raw materials and energy potential of waste in ways that are economical and environmentally acceptable. But first it is necessary to understand what waste is being produced, the possibilities for recycling, and the amount of waste deposited in landfills. Many studies show that, with the ever-increasing standard of living, which is accompanied by increasing consumption as well as increasing waste production, increasing separation of waste is a positive trend. However, it is essential to realize that many materials cannot be recycled indefinitely. Therefore, in our research, we focused on reducing the share of waste that goes into landfill with the goal of zero waste to landfill, so as to increase recycling and the amount of energy obtained from waste. We focused on the analysis of waste production in individual EU states, using the available data for the years 1995–2019. For a more detailed analysis, EU countries were evaluated in terms of individual waste management processes, according to available statistical data. We found that Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Austria put the least amount of waste into landfills, which means that they obtain the most energy and raw materials from waste.

U radu se analizira proces prikupljanja komunalnog otpada u gradu Zagrebu s aspekta utjecaja transporta na ukupnu održivost sustava. Proces prikupljanja otpada odvija se u cestovnoj infrastrukturi gradova tj. mrežama transportnih puteva, pa je logično rješenje primjena metoda rješavanja problema usmjeravanja vozila i korištenje pripadajućih algoritama. U radu se prvo u poglavlju 2 prikazuju teorijske osnove optimizacije na mrežama, s detaljnijim pregledom metoda i algoritama koji se mogu primijeniti u optimizaciji prikupljanja komunalnog otpada. Nakon toga se u poglavlju 3 na temelju dostupnih izvora i dobivenim primjerima ruta prikupljanja proces analizira temeljem izračuna ruta odabranim algoritmom te usporedbama sa stvarnim rutama. Poglavlje 4 posvećeno je pregledu funkcionalnosti jednog odabranog softverskog rješenja za rutiranje vozila, uz elemente ekonomske analize i analize emisija stakleničkih plinova procesa prikupljanja otpada, a s ciljem ilustracije mogućnosti ušteda koje bi se ostvarile. Dodatno je dan primjer upravljanja komunalnim otpadom u Ljubljani. The paper analyzes the municipal waste collection process in the city of Zagreb from the perspective of the impact of transport on the overall sustainability of the system. The process of waste collection takes place in the road infrastructure of cities, i.e. networks of transport routes, so the logical solution is the application of methods for solving vehicle routing problems and the use of associated algorithms. In chapter 2, the paper first presents the theoretical foundations of network optimization, with a more detailed overview of methods and algorithms that can be applied in the optimization of municipal waste collection. After that, in chapter 3, on the basis of available sources and obtained examples of collection routes, the process is analyzed based on the calculation of routes by the selected algorithm and comparisons with real routes. Chapter 4 is devoted to an overview of the functionality of one selected software solution for vehicle routing, along with elements of economic analysis and analysis of greenhouse gas emissions of the waste collection process, with the aim of illustrating the potential savings that would be achieved. Additionally, an example of municipal waste management in Ljubljana is given.

4 110 105 9 M50 М51 Due to certain similarities of municipal waste and soil, usually for the determination of basic parameters of physical state, laboratory and field tests which are common in geotechnical investigations are used. It is often to construct an apparatus for special purpose to perform some specific laboratory and field tests. Therefore, different values of indicators of municipal waste physical state can be found in the literature. The basic reasons should be found in different definitions and methods that researchers use during their determinations, which further complicate a comparison of obtained results. Unlike soil, determination of physical parameters of municipal waste is more complex, because of its extremely heterogeneous composition, consistency, biodegradability etc. In addition, physical properties of waste change over time, so the method of taking and selection of representative samples is problematic and has not yet been standardized. In this paper, the most common determination methods of basic parameters of municipal waste physical condition will be presented (moisture content, organic substances content, unit weight, specific gravity, porosity, grain size distribution), using standard geomechanical laboratory equipment. In addition, average values of these parameters based on literature data, as well as results obtained by testing the old municipal waste from two landfills in Serbia (closed landfill Ada Huja in Belgrade and city landfill in Novi Sad) will be presented.

Cemetery waste (CW) constitutes one of the streams of municipal waste (MW). Based on the available data, it can be said that it accounts for about 1% of the mass of MW being generated in Poland. CW management should be carried out selectively. It is estimated that the level of CW selective collection is lower than the average level achieved for MW. This paper presents some solutions concerning the selective collection of CW implemented in selected municipal and denominational cemeteries in Poland. Based on research conducted, the levels of proper separation of glass and biodegradable waste in containers for their selective collection were determined, accordingly as >85% and >80%. Due to the contamination with paraffin residues, the purity of the selectively collected plastic fraction was lower than 20%. The human factor was recognized as the most significant determining efficiency of the selective collection of CW. Therefore, further education of society, as well as promoting good practices in the field of CW management, should be regarded as desirable. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-021-16351-7.

Among the most urgent topics within waste management policy is the gradual transition of the economy from a linear model towards a circular economy with a more sustainable way of using resources. The European Union has responded to these changes by passing new legislation and ambitious targets so that all member states can quickly work towards achieving a greener and more sustainable Europe. However, the starting position for achieving the desired goals differs significantly from one country to another. In this paper, we therefore looked at the position of Slovakia in relation to selected waste management indicators, and at the measures taken so far. Moreover, since waste management falls under one of the many public benefit services provided under the remit of local governments, we also monitored the specific contribution of Slovak cities to the newly established trend of waste management in the country.

U zadnjih pedesetak godina zabilježen je značajan rast količina plastičnog otpada koji nekontroliranim odbacivanjem postaje sve veći problem za okoliš i sa značajnim posljedicama na živuće ekosustave. Plastika je važan i sveprisutan materijal u gospodarstvu i svakodnevnom životu i godišnje u zemljama Europske unije nastaje blizu 26 milijuna tona plastičnog otpada. Oko 30 % tog otpada se reciklira, znatan dio se energetski oporabljuje, a dio se još uvijek odlaže i na odlagališta otpada. Recikliranjem plastičnog otpada čuvaju se prirodne sirovine kao što su nafta i zemni plin koje se upotrebljavaju za proizvodnju plastičnih materijala te se smanjuju emisije u okoliš i potrošnja energije. Planom za resursno učinkovitu Europu, plastični otpad prepoznat je kao važna sirovina za proizvodnju novih proizvoda i jedna je od ključnih sirovina u prelasku na kružno gospodarstvo. U ovom je radu dan prikaz općih mogućnosti recikliranja tj. oporabe plastičnog otpada. Na temelju indikativnih rezultata ispitivanja sastava odvojeno prikupljenog plastičnog otpada u Zagrebu dana je procjena mogućnosti njegove reciklaže. U Republici Hrvatskoj plastični otpad velik je problem budući da se adekvatno ne sortira. Zbog toga je značajno financijsko opterećenje komunalnim društvima koja njime gospodare u sklopu javne usluge prikupljanja komunalnog otpada., In the last fifty years, there has been a significant increase in plastic waste, which has become an increasing environmental problem due to uncontrolled dumping, with significant consequences on living ecosystems. Plastic is an important and ubiquitous material in the economy and everyday life, and nearly 26 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually in the countries of the European Union. About 30 % of this waste is recycled, a significant part is recovered for energy, and part is still disposed of in landfills. Recycling plastic waste preserves natural raw materials such as oil and natural gas, which are used to produce plastic materials, and reduces emissions into the environment and energy consumption. Under the Resource Efficient Europe Plan, plastic waste is recognised as an important raw material for the production of new products, and is one of the key raw materials in the transition to a circular economy. This paper presents general possibilities for recycling plastic waste. Based on the indicative examination results of the composition of separately collected plastic waste in Zagreb, an assessment of the possibility of its recycling is given. In the Republic of Croatia, plastic waste is a major problem since it is inadequately sorted, and therefore represents a significant financial burden for utility companies that manage it within public service of municipal waste collection.

Sustainable development is a worldwide concern. This paper presents an analysis of the influence of the final consumption expenditure on the total consumption of households in Romania. The regression function of the association between “the amount of municipal waste” and “the total consumption of households” has a direct linear relationship. The regression variable “total household consumption” (X) has a regression coefficient of −0.03031, which indicates that the amount of municipal waste decreases by one unit as household consumption increases by 30.31 units. Therefore, this regression coefficient indicates that the volume of municipal waste decreases by 30.31 tons to an increase in the final consumption expenditure of households of EUR 1 million. The influence of the final consumption expenditure of households by consumption purpose on the quantity of municipal waste is in the following order: health; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; clothing and footwear; miscellaneous goods and services; recreation and culture; food and non-alcoholic goods; restaurants and hotels; furnishing and household equipment and routine household maintenance; alcoholic and tobacco goods; communications; and education. The value of the Significance F must be less than 0.05. In the case of the model, it is found that this value exceeds the threshold of 0.05 in the case of consumption generated by health services, recreation and culture, restaurants and hotels, alcohol and tobacco goods, and communications. Regarding the high value of Significance F in relation to consumption, we find the sectors that generate the least amount of waste (services). In the case of all of the independent variables, we can note that the relationship is a negative one, which proves that an increase in the quantity of any expenditure of the households generates a decrease of the municipal waste quantity.

A useful method for the disposal of waste from an incineration plant is to reuse it for geotechnical and civil engineering applications. The primary objective of this study concerns the reuse of local incinerated ash from municipal solid wastes in soil stabilization. Municipal Solid Waste Incinerated Ash (MSWIA) is blended with soil in various combinations and tested for its Atterberg limits, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), California Bearing Ratio (CBR), and Free Swell Index (FSI). A 1-D Consolidation Test was conducted, and changes in the soil during the test were examined by a scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. The test results showed that there are increments in the UCS and CBR values with the reductions in the FSI, swell pressure, and swell potential of the treated soils.

Environmental problems affecting the global community and its climate and thus endangering the natural functioning of the ecosystem are attracting worldwide attention. Waste management is one of the most urgent problems of human existence, as the population is increasingly centralised in cities and produces increasingly more waste that negatively affects the environment and degrades people's quality of life. The aim of the article is to illustrate the state of separation of municipal waste in the Slovak Republic, the importance of separation and the possibility of increasing it through the emphasis on community, the establishment of social enterprises in social entrepreneurship and incorporation of disadvantaged populations in the labour market to solve this problem.

Predmet ovog rada je analiza trenutnog i planiranog sustava gospodarenja komunalnim otpadom na području Splitsko–dalmatinske županije. Analiziran je i opisan rad budućeg Centra za gospodarenje otpadom u Lećevici te su definirani potencijalni problemi transporta. Opisani su načini gospodarenja otpadnom plastikom te su pomoću SWOT analize detektirane slabosti, snage, prijetnje i prilike ovakvog sustava., The subject of this paper is the analysis of the current and planned municipal waste management system in the Split-Dalmatia County. The work of the future Waste Management Center in Lećevica was analyzed and described, and potential transport problems were defined. Ways of waste plastic management are described, and the weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities of such a system are listed with the help of SWOT analysis.

Predmet ovog rada je analiza trenutnog i planiranog sustava gospodarenja komunalnim otpadom na području Splitsko–dalmatinske županije. Analiziran je i opisan rad budućeg Centra za gospodarenje otpadom u Lećevici te su definirani potencijalni problemi transporta. Opisani su načini gospodarenja otpadnom plastikom te su pomoću SWOT analize detektirane slabosti, snage, prijetnje i prilike ovakvog sustava. The subject of this paper is the analysis of the current and planned municipal waste management system in the Split-Dalmatia County. The work of the future Waste Management Center in Lećevica was analyzed and described, and potential transport problems were defined. Ways of waste plastic management are described, and the weaknesses, strengths, threats and opportunities of such a system are listed with the help of SWOT analysis.

Background: This study was conducted in Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, to determine the public health implication of solid waste generated by households. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive design was employed, using a semi-structured questionnaire together with an obser- vation checklist to elicit information from the respondents. Proportionate sampling was used to select 400 respondents of 18 years and above for the study area. Data collected were analysed using the Microsoft Excel 2007 and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20. Results: Respondents knowledge concerning solid waste disposal was assessed and the results showed that majority of the respondents 193 (63.7%) had high level of knowledge of solid waste disposal, while 170 (42.5%) had average level of knowl- edge of solid waste disposal. Wastes produced by households in the study include vegetables (95.5%), ash (94%), clothing/ rag (94.2%), wood (95%), and animal waste (86.2%) had the highest abundance. Diseases associated with these wastes pro- duced by households include cholera (18.2%), malaria (47.2%), lassa fever (10.7%) and diarrhea (23.9%) with malaria been the most prevalence infection. Conclusion: The result shows solid waste posed a serious health hazard and lead to the spread of infectious diseases. These issues can be addressed through health education and enlightenment of the people on waste disposal. Keywords: Municipal waste; public health; infection; health hazard; environmental pollution.

The paper discusses the current state of municipal waste management in Poland compared to other European Union countries. It indicates the amounts of municipal waste generated over the last few years in Poland and other EU countries. The paper compares waste treatment methods in Poland and Europe, such as recycling, composting, thermal treatment and waste disposal. An analysis of municipal waste processing installations in Poland is presented. The trends in the municipal waste management system in recent years have also been described. In the field of municipal waste management in Poland, there have been significant changes. The amount of waste sent to landfills has decreased, and the amount of waste recovered and recycled has increased. These changes are positive and reflect the development of municipal waste management systems in other EU countries. The article indicates the problems and directions of changes in the field of municipal waste management in Poland in the coming years, especially in the context of the implementation of circular economy assumptions and the goals set by the European Union in terms of increase the level of waste recycling and reducing their disposal.

The Slovak Republic does not meet the targets of the waste economy in the long run. In order to meet these objectives, it is necessary to make changes to the current system of municipal waste management. Building on an empirical analysis, this paper focuses on the evaluation of the production of municipal waste and the factors that influence the level of municipal waste sorting as a prerequisite for the maximal re-use, recovery, or recycling of municipal waste. The type of fee for municipal waste was confirmed as the most significant factor for the higher rate of municipal waste sorting, and pertinent recommendations were suggested according to the needs of Slovak municipalities.

The aim of this study was to determine the role of an installation based on biodrying of municipal waste in a Circular Economy by taking into account the quantitative and qualitative changes in its selectively collected waste stream. As a case study, the Mechanical-Biological municipal waste treatment installation in Olsztyn, Poland, was selected, which is equipped with a separate section for valorizing the selectively collected waste stream. The scope of the work included a complete mass balance of the waste treatment plant, an assessment of the technological efficiency of the municipal waste biodrying installation, and determination of the changes in the main waste from 2016 to 2020. This paper proposes an empirical method for estimating process loss during biodrying and provides many technological results. The average process loss was 23.47%, and on average, 88.9% of the waste produced by biodrying consisted of the Refuse-Derived Fuel fraction. The recovery of commercial assortments from selectively collected waste increased from 84.82% in 2016 to 89.26% in 2020. Considering the current morphology of municipal waste in this region, the maximum share of waste subjected to material and organic recycling processes in the analyzed region could be increased to around 60%, which indicates that Circular Economy targets can be achieved. This work should provide a compendium of information for countries implementing a Circular Economy.

Gospodarenje komunalnim otpadom u Republici Hrvatskoj regulirano je zakonima i pravilnicima koji su u suglasju s pravnom stečevinom Europske unije. Time su se nametnuli ciljevi koje Republika Hrvatska mora ispuniti. Ciljevi se nalaze u sklopu Zakona o gospodarenju otpadom i Plana gospodarenja otpadom Republike Hrvatske, a odnose se na smanjenje ukupne količine komunalnog otpada, smanjenje udjela biorazgradive komponente u komunalnom otpadu, povećanje odvojenog sakupljanja i oporabe otpada. Kako bi se pratilo ispunjenje ciljeva i unaprijeđenje sustava gospodarenja komunalnim otpadom, od 2006. godine izrađuju se sistematizirana izvješća o komunalnom otpadu. Izvješća sadrže podatke o količinama i sastavu komunalnog otpada tijekom godina, podatke o odvojenom sakupljanju, oporabi i odlaganju prema županijama te se njihovom analizom mogu ustanoviti glavni čimbenici koji utječu na sve od navedenog. Čimbenici koji su se nametnuli su broj stanovnika, turizam i gospodarstvo (uslužne djelatnosti). U radu se provjerava kvaliteta izrade izvješća što obuhvaća analizu načina i kvalitete dostave i prikupljanja podataka, analizu nadležnog tijela koje izdaje izvješće, vrijeme izrade, promjene u načinu izvještavanja itd. U konačnici su dane preporuke za poboljšanje sustava izvješćivanja o komunalnom otpadu u Republici Hrvatskoj te se provjerava jesu li izvješća uistinu relevantna za planiranje boljeg gospodarenja otpadom., In the Republic of Croatia, municipal waste management is regulated by laws and regulations which are in line with all of the EU legislations. Regulation has imposed the goals that must be meet and they are publicly disclosed within the Waste Management Act and the Waste Management Plan of the Republic of Croatia. The main goal of imposed regulation is reducing the total amount of municipal waste and the share of biodegradable component in municipal waste, increasing separate collection and recovery of waste. In the order to monitor the completeness of objectives and level of the improvements in municipal waste management system systematized reports regarding municipal waste have been prepared since 2006. The reports contain data including quantities and composition of municipal waste over the years along with data on separate collection, recovery and disposal by counties. Analysis of collected data can help identifying the main factors that affect all of the above. Factors that have been imposed are population, tourism and the economy (service industries). The goal of this thesis is to revise the quality level of reporting, which includes analysis of the manner and quality of data collection and management, analysis of the government authority, timing of report preparation, changes in reporting etc. Finally, recommendations are given in order to improve the reporting system for municipal waste in Croatia and disclose whether the reports are really relevant for planning better waste management.

The increase in the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated, among other places, in households is a result of the growing population, economic development, as well as the urbanisation of areas with accompanying insufficiently effective measures to minimise waste generation. There are many methods for treating municipal waste, with the common goal of minimising environmental degradation and maximising resource recovery. Biodegradable waste, including selectively collected biowaste (BW), also plays an essential role in the concept of the circular economy (CE), which maximises the proportion of waste that can be returned to the system through organic recycling and energy recovery. Methane fermentation is a waste treatment process that is an excellent fit for the CE, both technically, economically, and environmentally. This study aims to analyse and evaluate the problem of odour nuisance in municipal waste biogas plants (MWBPs) and the impact of the feedstock (organic fraction of MSW-OFMSW and BW) on this nuisance in the context of CE assumptions. A literature review on the subject was carried out, including the results of our own studies, showing the odour nuisance and emissions from MWBPs processing both mixed MSW and selectively collected BW. The odour nuisance of MWBPs varies greatly. Odour problems should be considered regarding particular stages of the technological line. They are especially seen at the stages of waste storage, fermentation preparation, and digestate dewatering. At examined Polish MWBPs cod ranged from 4 to 78 ou/m3 for fermentation preparation and from 8 to 448 ou/m3 for digestate dewatering. The conclusions drawn from the literature review indicate both the difficulties and benefits that can be expected with the change in the operation of MWBPs because of the implementation of CE principles.

The wastewater treatment process generates large amounts of P-rich organic waste (sewage sludge (SS)). The direct application of SS in agriculture, being controversial, is gradually being replaced by incineration, leading to the concentration of both P and heavy metals in the solid residual-sewage sludge ash (SSA). The novel closed-loop, cradle-to-cradle (C2C) approach leads to maintaining P production at current levels and counteracts its depletion in the future. The aim of this review is the presentation of the implementation of the C2C approach for P recovery. The paper focuses on steps that comprise P C2C, starting from the SS properties, being a derivative of wastewater type and treatment processes, to SS pre-treatment and finally leading to certified P-fertilizers production from SSA by application thermochemical or wet chemical extraction technologies. Examples of SSA treatment technologies and the final products are provided. It has been summarized that future research should focus on the production of SSA-based fertilizers aligning with the C2C concept and determining its effect on the various agriculture and horticulture crops.

Municipal wastewater consists of a downstream collection of flushed sewage (without solid waste), other household runoffs, industrial runoffs, hospital runoffs and agricultural runoffs through an underground pipe before treatment. A runoff collection system called the wastewater treatment plant (WWTPs) treats such wastewater before release into environment following specific regulatory standards. This years-long practice has been improved upon by adding end-to-end pipe technologies with a view to enhancing the quality of effluent released. However, effluents released into the environment from design/application of WWTPs appear to contain emerging contaminants of both biotic and abiotic nature. The observation of chemical contaminants, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) and diverse pathogenic bacteria genera in wastewater works release further affirm the abundance of such emerging contaminants. As a result, the government and water regulatory organizations in various part of the world are considering the removal of water reuse act from recycling policy/process. Current global debate is focused on questions about sustenance of any improved additional treatment level; effect of energy consumption by added treatment stage and its impact on the environmental wellness as contaminants borne wastewater is consistently released. Technological advancement/research suggests implementation of newer innovative infrastructural systems (NIIS) such as Mobbing Bed Biofilm Rector (MBBR), for wastewater effluent management which involve addition of newer wastewater treatment stages. This review addressed current pitfalls including wastewater microbiota of high epidemiological/public health relevance and affirms the need for such improvement which requires modification of ongoing institutional framework with a view to encourage implementation of NIIS for an improved effluent release. Exploiting the advances of microbial biofilming and the potentials of microbial biofueling as discussed in various section promises a future of robust environmental system, stable operational standard, release of quality effluent and sustainable management of wastewater works. Application of the aforementioned would enhance quality WWTPs release and in-defacto reduces spread of ARB/ARGs as well as impacts both the environment wellness and public health.

Waste management is an important element of sustainable urban development. One of the directions of waste management is mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) of waste with biogas installation. In addition to the benefits of purifying waste from separate collection and sorting of raw material waste from the mixed waste stream (subsequently diverted to recovery or recycling), this direction is also characterised by energy benefits (energy production from biogas). Mechanical and biological treatment of municipal waste inevitably entails also negative impacts, such as odour emission. In Poland, there are no legal regulations concerning odour nuisances. Reference could be made, inter alia, to BAT conclusions on waste treatment or standards in other countries. There are many methods of testing for odour emissions, but none of them, taken individually, characterises it sufficiently. The paper presents the results of research carried out in one of the biogas plants in Poland. The results present the sources of the highest odour emission in the examined plant, to which they belong: digestate during the second-stage oxygen stabilisation in the open air and pump station of technological sludge.

Authors discuss actual state in the area of waste management in the Slovak Republic in the light of achieving recycling targets and obligations arising from the legislation of the European Union. The article presents and explains current trends, policies and legislation in this area in the Slovak Republic with emphasis on introducing the new piece of legislation – Act No. 329/2018 Coll. on fees for the waste landfilling.

The aim of this paper was to monitor the production and composition of gases from the biowaste landfill in terms of the utilized composting process technology. Processing technology of biowaste in the reference sample V1 was without modification; process optimization technology – material homogenization by overturning and irrigation – was used for the second sample V2. Gas measurements (methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, nitrous oxide) were conducted during the first and sixth weeks after their establishing. At the same time, samples were taken for laboratory determination of the dry matter content of examined materials, pH and C/N ratio. It has been statistically proved that there was a significantly higher gas production in V2, which was overturned and irrigated, than in V1. The measured CO2 values were 2.5 times higher in V2 in comparison to V1. The mean CH4 production in the stack V1 was 96.35 mg·m−3 and 235.9 mg·m−3 in the stack V2, which is 2.5 times more. Due to overturning and irrigation of composted material in the stack V2, the decomposition of microorganisms was faster, which also affected the amount of released gases.

The paper presents the quality of groundwater around the municipal waste landfill in the town of Kolonia Lipsk. Construction, location and operation of the landfill are presented. The aim of this work is to assess the state of groundwater quality around the reclaimed Municipal Waste Landfill in the city of Kolonia Lipsk closed in 2012. The research was carried out in 2015 with the frequency of once a quarter for 10 selected indicators characteristic for the water pollution assessment in the area of municipal waste landfills. Water for testing was taken from three piezometers located in the vicinity of tested object, at different distances and at various depths in farm wells. Although the landfill has not been operating since 2012, contamination of groundwater around the landfill has been identified. The lack of landfill bottom sealing and the lack of surrounding ditches makes the condition will last for some time.

The goal of the paper is to evaluate and analyse changes in selective municipal collection, recycling level, and recovery, of waste. The article indicates the Polish legislation currently in force to systematise the organisation of waste management systems. It presents the participation of selective waste collection in the total municipal waste at the voivodeship scale, as well as changes in the number of individually segregated fractions (i.e. categories of waste segregation) of selectively collected waste in Poland. Moreover, the levels of waste recycling and recovery were analysed for the country’s ten largest cities, while also showing that the cities implement accepted goals of municipal waste recovery. On the example of Warsaw, the structure of collected waste was discussed and attention was paid to the problem of quality of collected waste, which results in it being sent to sorting facilities.

En aquest treball realitzarem una vista general dels diferents tipus de residus que podem trobar i com es separen. Ens centrarem en els residus municipals i dins d’aquests en els domèstics. Veurem quines són les quantitats de generació d’aquests residus al territori català, més endavant parlarem de com es gestionen aquests residus i finalment comentarem com es tracten i/o on acaben aquests residus. El següent que explicarem és com gestionen aquests residus municipals al municipi de Torredembarra, com es realitza el nou sistema de recollida, comparant-lo a l’antic. Analitzarem els resultats obtinguts del reciclatge veient quantitats comparatives dels anys 2019 i 2020, tot i haver estat un any atípic degut a la pandèmia i a que ha estat l’any d’implantació del nou sistema, interromput pel confinament domiciliari i les mesures excepcionals de sanitat. Finalment realitzarem un estudi comparant les diferents necessitats de cada sistema, la inversió que s’ha hagut de realitzar per posar-ho en marxa, la necessitat de nou personal per part de l’empresa encarregada de la recollida, la diferencia de consums energètics a l’hora de ser recollida, tenint en compte les rutes antigues i noves a l’hora de recollir. Per acabar aquesta part del projecte exposarem un seguit de propostes que podrien ajudar a millorar els resultats del reciclatge i sobretot de la recollida selectiva al municipi. Per últim, es realitzaran un seguit de conclusions en l’àmbit català i en l’àmbit municipal, on explicarem d’una manera crítica els punts forts y punts febles de la gestió de residus, sobretot ens centrarem en el municipi de Torredembarra a que es l’objecte del nostre estudi i del qual hem vist dades de diferents aspectes que ens permeten tindre una vista més objectiva. En este trabajo realizaremos una descripción de los diferentes tipos de residuos que podemos encontrar y cómo se separan. Nos centraremos en los residuos municipales y dentro de estos en los domésticos. Veremos cuáles son las cantidades de generación de estos residuos en el territorio catalán, más adelante hablaremos de cómo se gestionan estos residuos y finalmente comentaremos cómo se tratan y / o donde terminan estos residuos. Lo siguiente que explicaremos es como gestionan estos residuos municipales en el municipio de Torredembarra, como se realiza el nuevo sistema de recogida, comparándolo al antiguo. Analizaremos los resultados obtenidos del reciclaje viendo cantidades comparativas de los años 2019 y 2020, a pesar de haber sido un año atípico debido a la pandemia ya que ha sido el año de implantación del nuevo sistema, interrumpido por el confinamiento domiciliario y las medidas excepcionales de sanidad . Finalmente realizaremos un estudio comparando las diferentes necesidades de cada sistema, la inversión que se ha tenido que realizar para ponerlo en marcha, la necesidad de nuevo personal por parte de la empresa encargada de la recogida, la diferencia de consumos energéticos en la hora de ser recogida, teniendo en cuenta las rutas antiguas y nuevas a la hora de recoger. Para terminar esta parte del proyecto expondremos una serie de propuestas que podrían ayudar a mejorar los resultados del reciclaje y sobre todo de la recogida selectiva en el municipio. Por último, se realizarán una serie de conclusiones en el ámbito catalán y en el ámbito municipal, donde explicaremos de una manera crítica los puntos fuertes y puntos débiles de la gestión de residuos, sobre todo nos centraremos en el municipio de Torredembarra a que se el objeto de nuestro estudio y del que hemos visto datos de diferentes aspectos que nos permiten tener una vista más objetiva. In this project we will make an overview of the different types of waste that we can find and how they are separated. We will focus on municipal waste and within that on household waste. We will see how much waste is generated in Catalonia, later we will talk about how this waste is managed and finally we will discuss how this waste is treated and / or where it ends up. The next thing we will explain is how to manage this municipal waste in the municipality of Torredembarra, how the new collection system is carried out, comparing it to the old one. We will analyse the results obtained from recycling seeing comparative amounts of the years 2019 and 2020, despite having been an atypical year due to the pandemic and which has been the year of implementation of the new system, interrupted by home confinement and exceptional health measures. Finally, we will carry out a study comparing the different needs of each system, the investment that has had to be made to set it up, the need for new staff by the company in charge of the collection, the difference in energy consumption to the time to be picked up, taking into account the old and new routes when picking up. To end this part of the project we will present a series of proposals that could help improve the results of recycling and especially selective collection in the municipality. Finally, a series of conclusions will be made in Catalonia and in the municipality, where we will explain in a critical way the strengths and weaknesses of waste management, especially focusing on the municipality of Torredembarra due that is the object of our study and which we have seen data of different aspects that allow us to have a more objective view. Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles::11.6 - Per a 2030, reduir l’impacte ambiental negatiu per capita de les ciutats, amb especial atenció a la qualitat de l’aire, així com a la gestió dels residus municipals i d’altre tipus

Količina komunalnog otpada koju generiraju ljudi u stalnom je porastu. Neadekvatno gospodarenje otpadom značajno utječe na zagađenje okoliša, klimatske promjene, nastajanje bolesti i sl. Grad Kaštela prepoznao je ove probleme pa je stoga implementiran sustav ''curbside'' recikliranja za sve građane koji podrazumijeva sakupljanje i odvajanje otpada u kućanstvima, a na tjednoj bazi ga pružatelj usluge odvozi u reciklažno dvorište ili centar. Glavni cilj ovog rada bio je istražiti u kojoj je mjeri ovaj način recikliranja funkcionalan. Također su se istraživale reciklažne navike ispitanika te stavovi vezani za gospodarenje otpadom u Gradu. Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju da uz intrinzične poticaje, značajan utjecaj ostvaruju eksterni voditelji, odnosno stavke koje olakšavaju ili otežavaju recikliranje građanima. Iako su protekla istraživanja došla do zaključka da dob značajno utječe na navike i stavove te da mlađe populacije češće recikliraju, rezultati ovog istraživanja pokazuju da dob nije utjecajan faktor. Nadalje je iz istraživanja vidljivo da građani pokazuju želju i volju reciklirati, ali je potreban znatan poticaj kako bi to i uradili. Drugim riječima, Grad i pružatelj usluge mogu uvelike utjecati na stanovništvo raznim promjenama te time ostvariti i više nego zadovoljavajuće rezultate. The amount of municipal waste generated by people is constantly increasing. Inadequate waste management significantly affects environmental pollution, climate change, diseases, etc. Kaštela has recognized these problems and a system of curbside recycling has been implemented, including all citizens. This system consists of collection and separation of waste in households which the service provider collects on a weekly basis and takes to a recycling yard or centre. Main goal of this paper was to investigate to what extent is this way of recycling functional. Respondents’ recycling habits and attitudes related to waste management were also researched. The results indicate that intrinsic incentives, along with external facilitators significantly influence recycling habits and attitudes. Although previous research has concluded that age is an important factor and that younger populations are recycling more often, the results of this research show differently. Furthermore, the research shows that citizen demonstrate desire and willingness to recycle, but a significant incentive is needed. In other words, the City and service provider can greatly influence the population through various changes, and with this, achieve more than satisfactory results.

This work points out the main challenges of municipal and medical waste management sectors in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania. Key environmental threats are identified based on waste management deficiencies related to illegal dumping practices, waste collection schemes, landfills, and hazardous waste incinerators, waste statistics gaps, and unsound environmental awareness. COVID-19 related waste flow is estimated taking into consideration the potentially infectious waste from healthcare facilities and municipal waste generated in quarantine places and self-isolated persons at national levels. Some best practices are highlighted in management COVID-19 related waste flow and future perspectives are discussed.

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has become a major challenge in Sri Lanka for post-conflict development activities. Many urban areas are facing severe problems in managing 10 to 50 metric tons of waste per day. However, limited research has been carried out to identify the key issues and policy gaps in MSWM. This research studies the existing complexities of MSWM processes, practices, and emerging challenges in three highly congested urban areas in the south-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. A mixed method strategy using field observations, semi-structured interviews and secondary data sources was employed for the data collection. The study revealed that, although the MSWM systems in the urban areas include all necessary elements, their effectiveness and efficiency are not satisfactory due to poor or non-segregation of waste at the source of generation, lack of resources, absence of regulation to reduce waste generation and control polluters, absence of regular collection schedule, and lack of technical know-how and initiatives. The recommendations drawn from the study include feasible solutions and immediate measures required to improve the MSWM before the related environmental and public health problems become a social catastrophe. The recommendations will also greatly contribute in the achievement of developing sustainable cities.

Despite being vaccine preventable, the global burden of dog rabies remains significant, and historically it is the rural and marginalized communities in developing countries of Africa and Asia that are most threatened by the disease. In recent years, the developing world has been experiencing unprecedented increases in urbanization, with a correspondingly massive increase in municipal solid waste generation, among other things. Inefficient and inadequate waste collection and management, due to lack of resources and planning, led to significant increases in the volumes of waste on the streets and in open dumps, where it serves as food sources for free-roaming dogs. In this commentary, we discuss examples of poor waste management and the likely impact on rabies control efforts through the sustenance of free-roaming dogs in some dog rabies-endemic countries. We aim to stress the importance of implementing strategies that effectively address this particular issue as an important component of humane dog population management, as it relates to aspirations for the control and elimination of dog rabies per se.

Tämän diplomityön tarkoituksena oli tutkia analytiikan käyttöä ja tiedonhallinnan tilaa suomalaisessa jätehuollossa. Työssä selvitettiin millaisia ratkaisuja eri toimijat ovat ottaneet käyttöön, mitkä tekijät ovat ajaneet käyttöönottoa, mitä vaikutuksia niillä on ollut ja onko käytössä noussut esiin haasteita. Lisäksi taustoitettiin mitä tietoa jätehuollosta ja sen prosesseista kerätään, miten kerättyä tietoa hyödynnetään suhteessa jätehuollon tavoitteisiin ja miten analytiikan käytön nähdään kehittyvän jätehuollossa tulevaisuudessa. Työn aihetta tarkasteltiin erityisesti suhteessa keväällä 2021 valmisteilla olleeseen jätelakiuudistukseen ja EU:n asettamiin kierrätystavoitteisiin. Työ toteutettiin laadullisena tutkimuksena, joka koostui kirjallisuuskatsauksesta, aineistotutkimuksesta ja haastattelututkimuksesta. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa tarkasteltiin suomalaista jätehuoltoa ja analytiikkaa. Aineistotutkimuksessa selvitettiin analytiikkatoteutusten laajuutta pääosin eri toimijoiden verkkosivuja tutkimalla. Haastattelututkimuksessa haastateltiin seitsemää jätehuoltoalalla toimivaa tai sen kanssa tekemisissä olevaa asiantuntijaa. Tutkimuksen tuloksia analysoitiin vertailemalla löydöksiä keskenään. Kirjallisuuskatsaus esittelee jätehuoltoa ensin jätelain näkökulmasta, määrittelemällä jätehuoltoon liittyvät käsitteet ja tarkastelemalla siihen liittyviä periaatteita ja vastuita. Lisäksi käsitellään suomalaisen jätehuollon nykytilaa, kehitystä ja tulevaisuudennäkymiä, sekä avataan yhdyskuntajätteen keräämiseen ja kierrätykseen liittyviä prosesseja. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa määritellään myös analytiikka tämän tutkimuksen kontekstissa ja tarkastellaan analytiikan roolia organisaatioissa. Perehdytään myös analytiikkatoteutuksiin, niiden käyttöönottoon ja erilaisiin haasteisiin mitä käyttöönotossa ja käytössä voi ilmetä. Aineistotutkimuksessa tarkastellaan eri toimijoiden jätehuollosta keräämää tietoa ja analytiikkatoteutuksia. Haastattelulöydökset osoittavat analytiikan hyödyntämisen olevan suomalaisessa jätehuollossa alkuvaiheessa. Raportointiin liittyviä ja visuaalisia analytiikkatoteutuksia on jo jonkin verran käytössä. On myös halua lisätä analytiikan käyttöä, mutta esimerkiksi olemassa olevat järjestelmät ja informaation puutteellinen laatu ja saatavuus hidastava prosessia. Haastatteluissa esille tulleet tiedot toimijoiden keräämästä informaatiosta ja analytiikkaratkaisuista täydensivät aineistotutkimusta. Tämä diplomityö ehdottaa suomalaisille jätehuollon toimijoille keskittymistä tiedon laadun ja saatavuuden parantamiseen ja tietoinfrastruktuurin kehittämiseen. Tiedon laadun parantaminen ja analytiikkaosaaminen organisaatioissa voisi tehdä analytiikkatoteutusten käyttöönotosta sujuvampaa. Tarkempi informaatio on myös edellytys tehokkaammalle toimien kohdistamiselle ja päätöksenteolle. Lisäksi syntypaikkalajitteluun kannustamisessa maksuohjauskeinot ja visuaalinen analytiikka viestinnässä nousivat haastatteluissa esiin. The purpose of this thesis was to study the use of analytics and the state of information management in Finnish waste management. The study examined what kind of analytics solutions the various operators have implemented, what factors have driven the implementation, what effects they have had and whether challenges have arisen in use. In addition, it was considered what information is collected about waste management and its processes, how the collected information is utilized in relation to the goals of waste management and how the use of analytics is seen developing in waste management in the future. The topic of the thesis was examined in particular in relation to the Finnish waste law reform being prepared in spring 2021 and the recycling objectives set by the EU. The research was carried out as a qualitative study consisting of a literature review, a secondary data study and an interview study. The literature review examined Finnish waste management and analytics. The secondary data study examined the scope of analytical implementations mainly by examining the websites of different operators. The interview study consisted of seven expert interviews with people working in or dealing with the waste management industry. The results of the study were analysed by comparing the different findings. The literature review first presents waste management from the perspective of the Finnish Waste Act, defining the concepts related to waste management and looking at the related principles and responsibilities. In addition, the current state, development and future prospects of Finnish waste management are discussed, and processes related to the collection and recycling of municipal waste will be looked into. The literature review also defines analytics in the context of this study and examines the role of analytics in organizations. We also get acquainted with different analytics implementations, their adoption in an organisation and the various challenges that may arise in implementation and use. The data study examines the data collected by different operators on waste management and analytical implementation. The findings of the interview show that the utilization of analytics is in the early stages in Finnish waste management. Some reporting and visual analytics implementations are already in use. There is also a desire to increase the use of analytics, but, for example, the lack of quality and availability of existing systems and information slows down the process. The information attained in the interviews complemented the secondary data study. This thesis proposes that Finnish waste management operators focus on improving the quality and availability of information and developing the information infrastructure. Improving data quality and analytics skills in organizations could make the adoption of analytics implementations smoother. More accurate information is also a prerequisite for more effective targeting and decision-making. When it came to encourage sorting waste at homes, means of payment control and visual analytics in communication emerged in the interviews.

Publikace poskytuje přehled o právním a institucionálním rámci nakládání s komunálním odpadem v členských zemích EU a prezentuje analýzu a hodnocení jednotlivých aspektů a tohoto nákládání a jeho fází., The publication provides an overview of the legal and institutional framework of waste management in the European Union and its Member States and presents an analysis and evaluation of individual aspects of such management and its phases. Although it mainly deals with solid municipal waste, it also provides broader perspectives and includes additional elements of waste management. Furthermore, it brings a description and analysis of financial tools used mainly within the Cohesion Policy for contribution to effective implementation of waste management. It also collects examples of best practices in the field of solid municipal waste management.

In the paper a novel approach to thermochemical utilization of low rank coal, flotation concentrates and municipal refuse derived fuels was presented. The economic attractiveness of low rank coals and flotation concentrates is limited and that is why they are commonly stored at excavation heaps causing additional costs and the risk of endogenous fires occurrence. One of the crucial parameters determining the attractiveness and usability of a fuel in the gasification process is its reactivity. In the study several low rank coals, flotation concentrates and municipal refuse derived fuels were tested in terms of their reactivity in the process of steam gasification. The reactivity of low rank coal and flotation concentrates at 50% of carbon conversion, R50, varied between 1.46·10−4 and 2.39·10−4 s−1, whereas the maximum reactivity, Rmax, from 3.28·10−4 to 4.62·10−4 s−1. Advanced mathematical models were developed to investigate the similarities and dissimilarities between the studied fuels as well as the relationships between the physical and chemical parameters and the reactivities of fuel chars in steam gasification. On this basis, a low rank coal was selected and blended with 20%w/w of municipal refuse derived fuel in co-gasification experiments. The aim of the research was to utilize the low rank coal characterized by the lowest reactivities (R50 and Rmax of 1.46·10−4 and 3.28·10−4 s−1, respectively) in steam co-gasification to hydrogen-rich gas with an alternative fuel in a fixed bed reactor at the temperature of 800 °C. The selected low rank coal was blended with 20%w/w of municipal refuse derived and the resulting fuel yielded the average concentration of hydrogen in the produced gas of 58.99%vol.

Many municipalities, particularly in developing countries, have a lack of information to guide decision-making to improve municipal solid waste management (MSWM). They need tools that systematize the collection and analysis of data, and then assess all aspects of the system, including both technical and non-technical ones. This work presents a field study covering 66 Mexican municipalities. A new set of indicators was selected based on the analysis of the information available, which can serve as a tool for evaluating some aspects of the governance of the MSWM system in similar contexts with an incipient implementation of the system. The set encompasses thirteen basic indicators divided into three categories: legislation and policies, employee development, and economy. For each indicator, reference values were established that allow the performance to be classified by means of a traffic light system. As a complement, a protocol for evaluating the quality of information was applied to reveal the uncertainty of the results obtained. The lowest ratios of response were obtained for the economic aspects and the disposal stage, due to the lack of separation and control of the MSWM budget, and to the large proportion of open dumps in the studied zone. A strong correlation was detected between the development and implementation of legislation and policies on waste management and correct operation, as well as a widespread presence of the informal sector in the service. Moreover, the absence of official fees for the service makes it difficult to recover expenses directly.

Valorization of municipal solid waste (MSW) plays a crucial role in a sustainable society and provides an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions. The economic and social viability of the treatment of the organic fraction of MSW (OFMSW) with a multi-scenario analysis (composting and anaerobic digestion for renewable electricity or for biomethane injection into natural gas networks) was studied using a Monte Carlo simulation. The cost of treating organic fraction of MSW to neutralize financial net present value (NPV) and social NPV through greenhouse gas emissions avoided was determined for each scenario. The costs considered were the investment and the operating and maintenance costs. The financial benefits from the revenue of subproducts depended on the scenario. The lowest average fee to neutralize the financial NPV was 6.38 &euro, /tonne treated in anaerobic digestion for biomethane injection into natural gas networks, therefore, it was the most financially viable. The average social NPV calculated for biomethane injection into natural gas networks (16.60 &euro, /tonne) was higher than that obtained for renewable electricity (13.59 &euro, /tonne). According to the results, anaerobic digestion for biomethane injection into natural gas networks is the most socially and economically viable alternative for the treatment of OFMSW.

International audience; This paper provides a rapid assessment method of potentially infectious waste flow related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Romania focusing on the emergency state (from 16 March to 14 May 2020) where a national lockdown was in force with restrictive and social distancing measures concerning population mobility and economic activities. Medical and municipal waste management systems are critical services in combating the virus spread in the community. This assessment is useful due to poor available data of medical waste flow in environmental reports and it covers COVID-19 patients, quarantined, and self-isolated persons as the main potential infectious waste sources. The proposed model estimates that COVID-19 related waste flow is 4312 t at the national level from 25 February to 15 June of which 2633 t in the emergency state period. This assessment is correlated with deficiencies of medical and municipal waste management systems in Romania before the COVID-19 pandemic as stress factors of public health and environment. This study points out the main challenges of waste operators and reveals some best practices during this pandemic crisis. Based on the results and discussion section, several recommendations are proposed to COVID-19 waste-related issues and points out the crucial role of the reliable medical and municipal waste database in managing such biologic hazards at national and EU levels. Monitoring of COVID-19 waste flow through such models are important for decision-makers, particularly in low and middle-income countries which are facing waste management deficiencies and gaps in waste statistics, to reduce other contamination risks or related environmental threats.

Municipal waste treatment plants are a special kind of municipal facility, which, in addition to the benefits of waste management, are also an important source of energy from the biogas captured. However, the processes and unit operations carried out at waste management plants are associated with the emission of dust and chemical compounds. This paper presents the results of research aimed at analyzing indoor air conditions at a biogas plant having an installation for mechanical-biological waste treatment in places where employees work. Tests include measuring the respirable and non-respirable dust fractions and measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia (NH3).

Most of the systems for the mechanical and biological treatment of waste used in Poland send the 0&ndash, 80 mm fraction separated from the municipal waste stream, after biostabilization, entirely to a landfill. Such action is not in line with the adopted EU strategy focused on waste management in the circular cycle. The purpose of this work was to assess the technical feasibility of recovering the mineral fractions contained in compost-like-output (CLO) on the proprietary technological line designed for glass recovery. The research was launched in January 2019, and lasted for a subsequent 12 months. In the article, the amounts of mineral fractions possible to be separated from CLO are presented, as well as their morphological composition and selected properties being determined. The processing of CLO on the line allowed to recover on average 69.4 &plusmn, 7.0% of the glass. This product was accepted by glass recycling plants. Mineral fractions constituting waste from the glass separation process were tested for their use in winter road maintenance. Tests were also carried out confirming the possibility of using selected mineral fractions (0&ndash, 10 mm) from CLO to obtain a waste cement mix useful for constructing road foundations using a standard amount of cement.

Municipal waste management has been an area of special interest for the European Commission (EC) for many years, especially in the transformation process towards a circular economy (CE), which is a priority of the European Union&rsquo, s (EU&rsquo, s) economic policy. This paper presents the overview of the Polish waste management system (WMS) and the CE-related tasks indicated in the Polish CE Roadmap. Despite the fact that Poland is one of the countries that generates the least waste per capita (329 kg in 2018) in the EU (489 kg), it still has problems with adapting the levels of municipal waste recycling to European requirements (34.3% in 2018, EU average 47%), which result from the lack of sufficient infrastructure for waste management and the insufficiently developed public awareness and behaviors. The current paper presents an inventory of the recommended actions, which support transformation towards CE in municipal waste management. These actions have been grouped into six core principles of circularity, indicated in the ReSOLVE framework: Regenerate, Share, Optimize, Loop, Virtualize, and Exchange. In each of presented areas, recommended tasks and actions were identified that should be taken by governments and residents themselves, such as landfill remediation, use of selected municipal waste fractions for economic purposes, sharing products with co-users, waste recovery, remanufacturing products or components, virtual solutions in everyday life to reduce the amount of generated waste, or replacement of household appliances by items with a higher energy class. An implementation of specific actions indicated in the paper could positively influence transformation towards CE in Poland. Because the presented examples of actions are model solutions, they can also be used in other countries and regions.

Current trends in European Union waste management (WM) have resulted in the unified European Reference Model on Waste. The European Commission and European Environment Agency commissioned research subjects to develop the model, which covers all 28 EU Member States. Uniform information about municipal waste composition is essential for WM modelling at all territorial administration levels. This paper describes demands for (residual) municipal waste composition analyses in the conditions of Czech WM. Besides legislation and environmental strategies, the main motivation is to assess analyses procedures from the point of view of their economic and technical feasibility. Therefore, the requirements for analyses in a specific purpose context are described, and the main sampling methods are assessed. Typical methods and procedures are identified in the paper. The author’s team further develops suggestions to propose optimal and effective waste composition analyses solution for intended purposes in Czech WM context.

Mineral resources are life and driving force of the European Union. It is gaining awareness not only in the EU dependent on imports, but also in the world. In the context of the growing population and the growing demands of economies for natural resources, this type of material management has a significant negative impact on the environment. The main aim of the study was to justify the model of circular economy on the national level, based on the disparities between the regions of Slovak republic. To meet the objective, mostly one-factor analysis was implemented. The circular model, which is based on the partial replacement of primary raw materials by secondary ones, should, on the one hand, limit the depletion of natural resources and, on the other hand, reduce the amount of waste produced. The presented work focuses on the issue of sustainable development, which is closely related to the circular economy, and then explains the circular economy model, including the differences from the linear arrangement and possible obstacles to its implementation for the specific conditions of the Slovak republic. From the results, it is clear that the proposed circular model would be helpful to improve the inefficiencies and disparities on the regional and national level.

Energy saving is an open point in most European countries where energy policies are oriented to reduce the use of fossil fuels, greenhouses emissions and energy independence, and to increase the use of renewable energies. In the last several years, new technologies have been developed and some of them received subsidies to increase installation and reduce cost. This article presents a new sustainable trigeneration system (power, heat and cool) based on a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system integrated with an absorption chiller for special applications such as hotels, resorts, hospitals, etc. with a focus on plant design and performance. The proposal system is based on the idea of gasifying the municipal waste, producing syngas serving as fuel for the trigeneration system. Such advanced system when improved is thus self-sustainable without dependency on net grid, district heating and district cooling. Other advantage of such waste to energy system is waste management, less disposal to sanitary landfills, saving large municipal fields for other human activity and considerable less environmental impact. Although plant electrical efficiency of such system is not significant but fuel utilization factor along with free fuel, significant less pollutant emissions and self-sustainability are importance points of the proposed system. It is shown that the energy efficiency of such small tri-generation system is more than 83% with net power of 170 kW and district energy of about 250 kW.

Background & Aims of the Study: Identifying and determining the dispersion boundary bio-aerosols of bacterial and fungal pathogens for locating containers of municipal waste in accurate management to prevent from health damage and enhance society health is essential. The aim of this research is to identify and assess the radius of bacterial and fungal bio-aerosol emissions from municipal waste collection containers. Materials and methods: This was a cross- sectional study in Gonabad city in which air sample prepared from around the containers from July to October 2015. Sampling was carried out by active Zefon A6 Impactor samplers at a distance of 1.5 m from surface of earth and in several horizontal distances up to 2 m from containers. Totally, 360 samples were gathered and the bacteria and fungi were identified by microbiology tests. Also, temperature, humidity and wind speed was measured. Results: Aspergillus, yeast and Alternaria were the most dominant species of fungi in around of containers. Among bacteria, gram-positive bacilli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were dominant. Most of bio-aerosols in a distance of 25 cm from the containers (228.00±167.12 CFU/m3) and the lowest were observed at a distance of 2 m of the containers (223.86±204.72 CFU/m3). Conclusion: The findings indicated that municipal waste collection containers released the hazardous biological agents as Aspergillus and Staphylococcus aureus that are very pathogenic for human in environment. So the position of the garbage containers for decline the environment health effect, it should not be less than 2 m from human exposure.

Today municipal wastes represent a general problem from multiple points of view: necessary space for depositing, odor, possible soil contamination. In the same time, a large quantity of organic residual material remains unused in terms of energy conversion by potentially producing a biofuel which, in its term, can be used for covering at least partially, the human demand for energy. In this context, the present paper underlines the possible applications of anaerobic fermentation for biogas production by using as main substrate solid municipal waste from city of Timisoara, Romania, inside a pilot installation for determining its potential for further usage at larger scale in firing or co-firing processes; in this context, conclusions will be traced, based on the resulted experiments.

In recent years, along with the global development of the Circular Economy concept and in order to minimise the quantity of waste disposed, waste recovery and reuse of recovered materials as raw materials in various industries while preserving the natural resources is strongly encouraged. One of the strands in development of these trends is the reuse of slag (bottom ash) produced from municipal waste incineration in concrete mixes. The article gives a brief overview of the possibilities for the use of slag produced during the municipal waste incineration for the formation of concrete mixes. A brief overview of global experience in this area has been provided. The technological process of waste incineration in Lithuania and the chemical composition of the resulting ash have been described in general terms. The results of preliminary tests of concrete mixes with bottom ash performed at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University have been presented. The tests performed show that a properly selected content of bottom ash can be used as a substitute for fine aggregates in concrete mixes. The initial results give impetus to further research in the field of application of secondary raw materials for concrete mixes. Article in Lithuanian. Šlakų, susidarančių deginant komunalines atliekas, naudojimas betono mišiniuose Santrauka Pastaraisiais metais visame pasaulyje plėtojant žiedinės ekonomikos koncepciją ir siekiant iki minimumo sumažinti utilizuojamų atliekų kiekį, ypač skatinamas atliekų atnaujinimas ir atnaujintų medžiagų kaip žaliavų antrinis naudojimas įvairiose pramonės šakose, kartu tausojant natūralius gamtos išteklius. Viena iš krypčių plėtojant šias tendencijas – deginant komunalines atliekas susidarančių šlakų (dugno pelenų) antrinis naudojimas betono mišiniuose. Straipsnyje trumpai apžvelgiamos deginant komunalines atliekas susidarančių šlakų naudojimo betono mišiniams galimybės. Pateikiama trumpa pasaulinės patirties šioje srityje apžvalga. Apibendrintai aprašytas atliekų deginimo Lietuvoje technologinis procesas ir susidarančių pelenų cheminė sudėtis. Pateikiami Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universitete atliktų betono mišinių su dugno pelenais preliminarių bandymų rezultatai. Atlikti tyrimai atskleidė, kad, tinkamai parinkus apdirbtų dugno pelenų kiekį, jie gali būti naudojami kaip smulkiojo užpildo pakaitalas betono mišiniuose. Gauti pirminiai rezultatai duoda impulsą toliau tirti antrinių žaliavų naudojimą betono mišiniams srityje. Reikšminiai žodžiai:komunalinės atliekos, deginimas, betono mišiniai, dugno pelenai, gniuždomasis stipris.

The analysis of change in the mass of municipal waste collected in households of individual voivodships, after Poland accession to the European Union was realized in the paper. The estimated mass of waste collected in Poland was about 10 million tonnes per year, 72% of which was from household waste, 23% came from public and commercial waste and 5% originated from municipal services in the years 2005-2015. At the time in Poland, total municipal waste collected in households was resulting in 89% of the mixed waste stream and in 11% of the selected waste stream. The general and periodic changes in the mass of mixed and selected municipal waste collected in households were analyzed on the basis of data by Central Statistical Office. The greatest amount mixed municipal waste was collected in the Masovian Voivodship (15%) and the least in Świętokrzyskie Voivodship (2%), but the majority selected municipal waste was collected in the Silesian Voivodship (17%), whole the least amount – in Podlasie Voivodship (2%). In addition, the maximum periodic and annual rates of change in the mass of collected waste in individual voivodships the years 2005-2015 have also been determined. The greatest increase in the periodic rate of change in the mass of mixed municipal waste was recorded in the Lesser Poland Voivodship (26%) and the biggest decrease in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodship (-15%), while the greatest increase in the periodic rate of change in the mass of selected municipal waste was found in the Lodz Voivodship (22 times) and the smallest increase in the Opole Voivodship (5 times).

In Poland and in several EU countries, the processing of mixed municipal waste is based on waste treatment in mechanical and biological installations and thermal processing plants. The experience gained from the operation of these installations, particularly in the aspect of material recycling, what is important in an aspect of the circular economy formulation is not satisfactory. To think about a high level of reuse and recycling of municipal waste, which is expected to be at least 65% by 2030, efforts to improve waste quality are needed. Certainly, one of the solution is a selective collection of waste at source, but here it is important to say that it should be conducted at a real high level. How costly it is, many countries already know. In search of other methods the UK countries are turning their attention to mechanical heat treatment technology. In Poland there is one such installation so the idea of this paper is discuss issues connected with it. The practical experience of operating of this installations shows so far that the process gives an ability to match good process parameters to a variable input. The very good quality of secondary raw materials obtained in the process has a higher attractiveness to the final consumer. Also levels of recycling for the four fractions of waste, such as: paper, metals, plastics and glass are high and exceeds significantly factors achieved in the process of mechanical and biological treatment.

In 2013, the Polish legal system referring to municipal waste management was restructured in a revolutionary way. The analysis of new provisions of law described in the article requires particular attention, taking into account their place in the entire system of dealing with waste and connections with the remaining elements of this system. At present, Polish regulations lay down the rules of conduct with all types of waste, diversifying a subjective area of responsibility. These assumptions are determined by the provisions of law that are in force in the Republic of Poland. At present, the system of legal provisions is quite complex; however, the provisions of law of the EU constitute its base (the first article). At the level of Polish law, the goals and tasks concerned with dealing with waste were set forth, which leads to tightening of the system. All actions in this respect - from propagating the selective accumulation and collection of municipal waste, keeping the established levels of recycling and recycling of packaging wastes, and limiting the mass of biodegradable waste directed at the storage - is only a beginning of the road to reduction of environmental risks. In this case, permanent monitoring of proper waste dealing in the commune, the province as well as the entire country is essential. Third part of the article will present characterization, division, classification and identification of waste, together with the aspects of logistic process of municipal waste collection and transport.