Solid Waste Management and Incineration Practice: A Study of Bangladesh

Considering the geographical location and one of the very densely populated countries in the world, Bangladesh is very vulnerable to climate change and its adaptability. This paper has been designed with an attempt to inform the policy maker of Bangladesh regarding the potentiality of MSW as a renewable source of energy in Bangladesh. It deals with modern waste collection, management and incineration practices based on densely populated cities or towns like Bogura Municipality and Chattogram City Corporation. Waste to Energy (WtE) conversions not only reduce the land pressure problem in urban areas, but also generate electricity and heat to supply to the surrounding urban areas. The increase in generation of methane (CH4) from municipal solid wastes (MSW) alarms the world to take suitable initiative for the sustainable management of MSW, as it is stronger than carbon dioxide (CO2). By burning one mole of CH4, 890 kJ·mol-1 heat is produced which is a major source of energy. This treatment technology is used in destruction of solid waste by controlled burning at high temperatures. With the release of heat, it can be accompanied and this heat from combustion can be converted into energy. This type of incineration is a high-quality treatment for Municipal or City Corporation solid waste like Bangladesh where were over crowded cities, towns and it can reduce the quantity and volume of a large amount of waste to landfill, which can recover energy and dispose in the compact zone. The results also examined that the total amount of solid waste produced in Bogura municipality is lower than that of Chattogram City Corporation. The percentage compositions of waste patterns are shown in both the Cities. The paper discusses these problems, analyses and finally, a recommendation has been proposed in order to understand the industrial situation enhanced.