Strategic planning of municipal solid waste management

A computer model was developed and applied for studying integrated municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The model is based on a method developed for analysing on-site collection systems of waste materials separated at the source for recovery. The aim of the Helsinki study was to find and analyse separation strategies fulfilling the recovery rate targets adopted for municipal solid waste in Finland, i.e. 50wt.% by the end of 2000 and 70wt.% by 2005. In the present situation (i.e. in 1995), the total recovery rate of 27wt.% was achieved in the region. The strategies studied were first based on source separation only, resulting in a highest recovery rate of 66wt.%. At the same time, the costs of MSWM increased by 41% compared to the year 1995. Next, a recovery rate of 74wt.% was attained by combining source separation with central sorting of mixed waste. As a result, the costs of MSWM increased by 30% compared to the present situation. In both of these strategies, the emissions caused by MSWM were generally reduced. The model developed proved to be a suitable tool for strategic planning of MSWM. Firstly, the analysis of collection systems helped to identify potential separation strategies and to calculate the amounts of materials collected for recovery. Secondly, modelling of MSWM systems made it possible to determine the effects of separation strategies on costs and emissions caused by the whole MSWM. The method and model developed can be also applied in other regions, municipalities and districts. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.