Collection and Transfer of
Solid Waste
CE 431: Solid Waste Management
What does Collection and Transfer
encompass ?
• collection of solid waste (by external stakeholders) from its
various sources or from communal storage facilities, and
transportation of this waste to the place of final disposal.
• It also considers all activities related to loading of waste into
collection vehicles, and unloading of waste from collection
vehicles at communal collection points, processing places,
transfer stations and final disposal sites.
• is the largest cost element in most municipal solid waste
management systems, accounting for 60–70 per cent of costs
in industrialized countries, and 70–90 per cent of costs in
developing and transition countries (IETC, 1996)
Classification of Collection System
Classified based on
• availability of collection services,
• the mode of operation and
• the types of waste materials collected
Primary Collection
collection of solid waste from the source of generation and
transportation of waste to the final disposal site, but more
often it involves transportation to communal collection bins
or points, processing or transfer station
Secondary Collection
collection of waste from communal bins, storage points or
transfer station, and transportation to the final disposal site
Basic Collection Scheme
• Based on the availability of service
1. Communal system
2. Block Collection
3. Kerbside/alley
4. Door to door collection
Communal System
• The principal disadvantage of this system is that
containers/collection points are located in a public place (lacking
ownership by the public) which, in many situations, leads to
indiscriminate disposal of waste outside the container.
• Thus, the actual economy of this system mostly depends on public
co-operation
• It is therefore essential to pay more attention to improving the
design, and operation and maintenance practices of a communal
system to increase public acceptance, and to optimize the
productivity of this system
• The use of portable storage containers maximises the productivity
of labour and vehicles of such collection system
Block Collection
• Waste generators are responsible for bringing
their waste to collection vehicles
• This system has low to medium labour and
vehicle productivity, but it minimises the
spread of waste on streets
Kerbside/alley
• This is the most common collection method in
industrialised countries and in the wealthier
communities of some developing countries.
• Waste generators place the waste containers or
bags (sacks) on the kerb or in the alley on a
specific day (or specific days) for collection by
external actors.
• A regular and well organized collection service is
essential so that generators know exactly when
to leave out their waste.
Kerbside / Alley Collection Method:
Kerbside / Alley Collection Method:
Door to door collection
• This is more common in industrialized countries,
but an increasing number of micro-enterprises
and/or community-based organizations are
forming in wealthier communities in many
developing countries to perform this task.
• This system has yet to receive public attention,
but as with the use of bags for waste it maximizes
the productivity of crew, as retrieval of containers
is not required.
Collection method
• Based on mode of operation
1) Hauled Container System
2) Stationary Container System
Hauled Containers
• An empty storage container (known as a drop-off box)
is hauled to the storage site to replace the container
that is full of waste, which is then hauled to the
processing point, transfer station or disposal site
• The time required per trip
Thcs = (PThcs + q + m + nx) (4.1)
Where,
T = time per trip for hauled-container system, h/trip hcs
PThcs= pick-up time per trip for hauled-container system, h/trip
q = at-site time per trip, h/trip
m = empirical haul constant, h/km
n = empirical haul constant, h/km
x = round-trip haul distance, km/trip
Hauled Containers
• The pick-up time per trip PThcs is equal to:
PThcs = pc + uc + dbc (4.2)
Where,
pc = pick-up time per trip, h/trip
uc = time required to unload empty container, h/trip
dbc = average time spent driving between container
locations, h/trip
(determined locally)
Hauled Containers
• The number of trips that can be made per vehicle per
day with a hauled-container system, including a factor to
account for off-route activities, is determined using
equation 4.3:
Md = {(1-W)L (t1 +t2)} /Thcs (4.3)
Where,
M = number of trips per day, trip/d d
W = off-route factor, expressed as a fraction
L = length of working day, h/d
t1 = time from garage to first container location, h
t2 = time from last container location to garage, h
Hauled Containers
Hauled Containers
Example 4.1: Analyzing a hauled-container collection
system
Solid waste from a industrial park is to be collected in large
containers, some of which will be used in conjunction with
stationary compactors. Based on traffic studies at similar
parks, it is estimated that the average time to drive from
the garage to the first container (t1) and from the last
container (t2) to the garage each day will be 15 and 30
minutes, respectively. If the average time required to drive
between containers is 6 minutes and the one-way distance
to the disposal site is 30km (speed limit: 88km/h),
determine the number of containers that can be emptied
per day, based on a 7-hour working day.
Stationary Containers
• In this system, containers used for the storage
of waste remain at the point of collection. The
collection vehicles generally stop alongside
the storage containers, and collection crews
load the waste from the storage containers
into the collection vehicles and then transport
the waste to the processing, transfer or
disposal site
Stationary Containers
• For systems using mechanically self-loading
compactors, the time per trip is:
Tscs = (PTscs + q + m + nx) (4.4)
Where,
Tscs = time per trip for stationary-container system,
h/trip
PTscs = pick-up time per trip for stationary-container
system, h/trip
q = at-site time per trip, h/trip
m = empirical haul constant, h/km
Stationary Containers
• The pick-up time per trip PTscs is equal to:
PTscs = Ctuc +(S-1)(dbc) (4.5)
Where,
Ct = number of containers emptied per trip,
container/trip t
uc = average unloading time per container for
stationary-container
systems, h/container
S = number of container pick-up locations per trip,
locations/trip
Stationary Containers
Where,
Vv = volume of collection vehicle, m3 /trip
Vc = container volume, m3 /container
z = compaction ratio
f = weighted container utilization factor.
The number of trips required per day is given
by:
Stationary Containers
• Where an integer number of trips are to be made each day, the proper
combination of trips per day and the size of the vehicle can be determined by
using equation 4.8 in conjunction with an economic analysis:
To determine the required truck volume, two or three different values for Mdc
are substituted in equation 4.8 and the available pick-up times per trip are
determined. Then, by trial and error, the truck volume required for each value of
Mdc is determined using equations 4.5 and 4.6. From the available truck sizes,
select the ones that most nearly correspond to the computed values, compute
the actual times per day that will be required using these sizes. The most cost
effective combination can then be selected.
Stationary Systems
Example 4.2: Analyzing a stationary-container
collection system
Solid wastes from a commercial area are to be
collected using a stationary container
collection system having 5 cubic metre containers.
Determine the
appropriate truck capacity for the following
conditions:
• Container utilization factor = 0.70
• Average number of containers at each location = 2
• Collection-vehicle compaction ratio = 2.5
• Container unloading time = 0.15h/container
• Average drive time between container location =
Point of Collection
• The choice of location of storage and
collection points mostly depends on:
• access to the property (e.g. housing)
• physical characteristics of the property
• availability of waste management resources.
Comparison of various methods of
collection
Frequency of Waste collection
• quantity of waste
• rate of generation
• characteristics of waste
• climate
• density and type of housing
• availability of space within the premises
• size and type of storage facilities (small, large,
individual or communal)
• attitude of generators
