MSW Management Issues

By Justin Tseng Because of how different the materials being handled were, these original MRFs were not considered solid waste facilities, and were instead deemed “clean MRFs.” In some areas, however, it became necessary to recover recyclables from a mixed wastestream, creating the need for “dirty MRFs.” As recycling emerged as a more prominent goal in legislation and culture, the demand and importance of MRFs grew. Over time, MRFs have taken on additional roles besides the processing of recyclables, in...>... More >

By Jeremy K. O’Brien, P.E The long-term availability of a cost-effective, reliable and sustainable solid waste management system is an important component of the infrastructure needed by a local community to spur economic development. In this regard, municipal solid waste management (MSW) systems that utilize waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities to process unrecycled waste for energy recovery provide a number of noteworthy economic development benefits. A previous article on this topic was published in the ...>... More >

CP MANUFACTURING The CP Group, headquartered in San Diego, CA, is reintroducing the McMRF. The McMRF is designed to handle, process, and separate single-stream materials at approximately 10 TPH. The McMRF was designed to process only containers when it was originally engineered. The CP Group has re-engineered the system for single-stream materials, realizing the need for smaller-sort systems in small communities that do not need a full-scale MRF, and still receive the benefits of a larger system: high-q...>... More >

If you’re looking for someone who has worked tirelessly to elevate the practices—as well as the image—of the solid waste industry, look to the west. There, Department of Public Works for the City of Long Beach, CA, you will find Jim Kuhl, who has managed the Environmental Services Bureau since 1989. “I’m proud of the fact that we have one of the most innovative and effective solid waste management systems in the US,” says Kuhl. As well he should be. In 2009, the Solid Waste Association of North America ...>... More >

Written by Brad Granley It is well known that leachate can lead to serious environmental problems if not handled properly. It’s also easy to understand why leachate disposal is one the most persistent and expensive long-term challenges affecting the solid waste industry. However, even one of the most accepted and widely used methods of leachate disposal (load, haul, and dump) has a significant negative environmental impact that for the most part goes unconsidered. Many millions of miles have been d...>... More >

Written by Neal Bolton  At a staff meeting some decades ago, we began talking about a potential expansion to one of our active landfills. There was a small tract of open ground adjacent to the landfill—actually it was within the buffer zone—that would work very well for a lateral expansion. It was marginal farmland and produced but a few bales of salt grass hay each year. However, as you can imagine, we saw it as being far more valuable as a potential landfill expansion. There was only one pro...>... More >

Written by Daniel P. Duffy When I was a young man first learning how to use power tools, my father’s most important words of advice to me were to keep my workbench and work shop area clean and free of sawdust, shavings, and misplaced tools. Keeping the workbench clean was the first and most important step to keeping it safe. The same principle applies to every other work environment, including construction sites, factory floors, and transfer stations and MRFs in the waste management industry. What ...>... More >

Written by Neal Bolton You bet, and an ever-increasing number of landfills are taking advantage of it. It’s a simple process really—and quite natural. Organic material—which is rich in carbon—is decomposing. And in the process, methane and carbon dioxide are created. Even though this is a natural, commonplace process—methane is perhaps the most common organic compound on the planet—most of it has nothing to do with landfills. What’s happening in your landfill is a small example of what’s happening ...>... More >

You’ve heard it before…and will again: Waste compaction is a foundational part of sound, efficient landfill operations. And lots of effort has gone into ways to pack the most trash into a fixed space. Machine manufacturers, as well as specialty manufacturers of compactor wheels and teeth, are continually improving their products, making them more reliable and durable. When it comes to compacting waste, we have the tools we need. So why isn’t every landfill with a compactor achieving maximum density? Bec...>... More >

As economic and public support for recycling continues to grow, so too have the risks and hazards. Automation has helped, but the industry seems to have lost ground with 10 MRF workplace fatalities in 2011. As we push into 2012, is it fair to ask if safety is still on track? Yes, it’s a fair question if the incidents are kept in proper perspective, according to Susan Eppes, president of EST Solutions Inc. in Houston, TX. “We haven’t had a year like that in a long time,” says Eppes. “But last year a lot ...>... More >

No doubt about it, the times are a-changin’. Actually, they’ve changed. Credit is tight and tax revenue is down, but the trash keeps piling up, equipment ages and new technology beckons. What to do? There have long been alternatives to the old cash-on-the barrelhead routine for buying or replacing collection equipment, and with the economy in the shape’s it’s in, now’s as good a time as any to dip into this varied bag of tricks. Leases, when properly managed can get you the truck you need and with a lit...>... More >

INTEC VIDEO SYSTEMS INC. Intec Video Systems Inc. was founded in 1970 as a manufacturer of industrial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. In 1978 Intec introduced Car Vision, an advancement of the CCTV technology to provide an extra margin of safety to operators of large vehicles by eliminating blind spots. Intec now provides a product line of over 30 cameras and monitors, in black-and-white and color. The pioneer in rear vision, Intec has remained on the cutting edge of innovation by constantly d...>... More >

Written by Chace Anderson The British Empire’s imperial power came from its Navy. British leaders viewed timber as a strategic resource for its naval shipbuilding. Since “John Bull” had not implemented a policy of resource sustainability, British Navy officers eventually found themselves looking out over a deforested British Isles. How did the “Redcoats” respond to this resource deficit? They restricted their colonies from harvesting timber, including white pines, which were especially good for mak...>... More >

Written by Penelope B. Grenoble Southern California’s Puente Hills Landfill, one of the largest landfills in the country, will shut down operations on October 31, 2013, with 127 million tons of waste in place and 10-plus million tons short of its permitted capacity. The site has been in operation since 1957, first as a private dump, and since 1970 as a sanitary landfill owned and operated by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (LACSD). According to LACSD Division Engineer Robert Asgian, ...>... More >

Written by Allen Lynch In the January/February 2007 issue of MSW Management magazine, I wrote a Guest Editorial on “Extended Producer Responsibility—Why Not?” in which I spoke about the EPR programs in the province of British Columbia, Canada. I provided the following description of what EPR is in British Columbia: An environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility, physical and/or financial, for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. I listed the ...>... More >

Written by Marc J. Rogoff, Greg McCarron, and Bruce Clark While organic materials (foodwaste and yardwaste) represent roughly about a quarter of the typical municipal solid wastestream, many of these materials have, up until recently, been disposed in landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. In recent years, many solid waste agencies and waste generators have looked to these organics as a feedstock for biogas-generating facilities or composting plants. Governmental regulations and technologies for...>... More >

Written by  Neal Bolton According to the USDOT Federal Highway Administration, the average driver—age 35-55—drives over 15,000 miles per year, forward…and less than 1 mile in reverse. But 1 out of 4 accidents occurs when backing. Do the math: Mile for mile, backing poses 5,000 times more risk of an accident. Commercial Driving Garbage truck drivers log even more miles per year—an estimated 25,000—although there is wide variability due to route layout and distance to landfill or transfer station, et...>... More >

Written by Anne Germain When I was younger, I was told that it had once been possible to tell what time it was by the color of the river. Apparently factory discharges upstream caused the river to run white at certain times of the day. Those were the days when rivers caught on fire and dumps poisoned the groundwater. We’ve come a long way since then. A host of laws and regulations have significantly cleaned up our air, water, and land. However, there is a persistent belief that the opposite is true...>... More >

Written by  Carol Brzozowski About one-third of municipal solid waste in the United States is organic, including foodwaste, yardwaste, and woodwaste. Some 65% of yardwaste and 2.5% of foodwaste in the US is now being diverted from disposal. According to the USEPA, converting waste into valuable raw materials through recycling creates jobs, builds more competitive manufacturing industries, and adds significantly to the US economy. “Organics processing is crucially important to our environment and ef...>... More >

Written by James Enyart Sunshine Canyon Landfill handles the waste disposal needs of Los Angeles city and county businesses and residences. The facility is located in a highly visible site at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 14 in Sylmar, CA. It has been under scrutiny by the public as well as city, county, and state regulatory agencies with concerns about water runoff, dust, odor, and escaping trash. In September 2011, Republic Services, the national waste management company that owns ...>... More >

Aaqua Tools Inc. www.aaquatools.com Abutec LLC www.abutec.com Air Burners Inc. www.airburners.com Air Cycle Corp. www.aircycle.com Airspace Saver www.tarpsandcovers.com AL-JON www.aljon.com AmCon Environmental Inc. n/a Autocar/Grand Vehicle Works www.autocartruck.com Big Truck Rental LLC www.bigtruckrental.com Buffalo Turbine www.buffaloturbine.com Cardinal Scale www.cardet.com Castrol Lubricants www.castrol.com/us ClearSpan Fabric Structures www.clearspan.com CP Manufacturing www.cpmfg.com Curotto-Can,...>... More >

Polishing up my crystal ball and peering into the future, as well as looking over my shoulder at the history of this industry, I’m reminded that this is a relatively young industry compared with most—we’ve really only been part of the solid waste landscape since the 1970s. The pioneering days of Scholl Canyon, Palos Verde, and Sheldon Arleta led us into this industry, and we were subsequently propelled along by Getty Synethic Fuels, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Subtitle D and the F...>... More >

The annual Elements issue of MSW Management magazine asks industry professionals to peer into our crystal ball and forecast where our profession is headed. As of November 2011, the Recycling and Special Waste technical division is the largest of the seven technical divisions of SWANA. That is the trend this author expects to continue, simply because recycling has evolved to encompass various business types. The word recycling has its origin in the 1920s as a technical term for the oil refining industry....>... More >

In the “Bewitched” era, when “Mad Men” became “Deadheads,” the United States generated around 88 million tons a year of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste), but only recycled 6.4% (5.6 million tons) of the 88 million tons thrown away. In 2010, Americans’ have nearly tripled their amount of waste by creating 250 million tons of trash. Of this, 85 million tons were recycled and composted, accounting for a 34% recycling rate. A 27% recycling rate improvement might be a step in the right direction, but 164.9 millio...>... More >

Written by Justin Tseng Up until four decades ago, waste management practices in Japan looked very similar to those found in the US. However, in the 1970s, new legislation driven by the scarcity of landfill space pushed Japan to seek such solutions as waste-to-energy. Beginning in the 1990s, growing environmental awareness and stricter laws like the 3Rs policy brought the country to the forefront of the waste management industry. One of the greatest enabling factors for this transformation was a cu...>... More >

Written by Carol Brzozowski When it comes to increased market development for recycled materials, those who coordinate municipal recycling efforts would like to see more information sharing, a greater demand for recycled products on the back end, and more collaboration between the product packaging industry and recyclers. Ultimately, what each municipality decides to recycle depends on the marketability of that material as a recycled product. In Milwaukee, WI, recyclables are collected by the munic...>... More >

Written by Aaron Kubichka Today, more and more landfill properties are being vegetated with native species, grasses in particular. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) even promotes the use of native grasses at landfills. This makes sense because native grasses provide long-term cost savings, enhance habitat value, and are more sustainable than the traditional highway mixes.  Native grasses are typically managed using prescribed burning techniques. Fire releases nutrients for grasses, ...>... More >

Written by Pat Proano Our cities and counties, including the County of Los Angeles, continue to be recognized for excellence and achievement in the restoration of multiuse ecosystems and the development of sustainable capital projects that consistently earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. We have become master recyclers and maintain some of the highest recycling rates in the nation. In Los Angeles alone, we recycle nearly two-thirds of our trash. But despite this...>... More >

Ten to fifteen years ago people figured out that commercial accounts generate a lot of cardboard and that a separate bin for OCC would be a good idea. A front loader would go out and collect trash followed by a separate route to collect cardboard alone. Commercial collection is usually handled with one of two pieces of equipment, according to Frank Kennedy, sales director for Curotto Can. Curotto Can is a Sonoma, California manufacturer. They make tools to help those in the MSW industry to do their jobs...>... More >

In 1996, in an effort to promote education and professional development, SWANA established the Grant H. Flint International Scholarship Awards Program. The program is initiated by the chapters through their chapter scholarship committees. Eligible candidates must be natural or adopted children or grandchildren of a member (sponsor) in good standing as of May 1 of the calendar year. SWANA student members in good standing are also eligible for Category II. Candidates residing in a chapter area must be sel...>... More >

Written by John Trotti While many of the charter members of what began as the Government Refuse Collection and Disposal Association (GRCDA) in 1962 are no longer with us, their spirit and dedication live on in what has grown to become the largest waste management association in the world. Indeed, its legacy is felt far beyond the confines of North America, where its many programs and initiatives serve as models for others around the globe. It is here that we at MSW Management wish to express our gratitu...>... More >

Written by John Skinner SWANA’s growth and development over its 50-year history is a testament to the dreams and vision of the early solid waste pioneers that formed the association. Today, SWANA has nearly 8,000 individual members from the public and private sectors, organized into 45 chapters in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. Over the years, SWANA members have created a wide range of professional development programs and services to meet their ever-changing needs: An extensive training program, in...>... More >

This industry-leading event brings you the information and resources you need to expand and improve the sustainability and economic performance of your landfill gas project. The 35th Annual Landfill Gas Symposium will take an in-depth look at beneficial use, methane offset projects, available tax and carbon credits, greenhouse gas issues and legislative and regulatory developments in the field.   In addition, the symposium will feature a variety of networking events, including a golf tournament hel...>... More >

Each year, the North American Waste-to-Energy Conference (NAWTEC) focuses on current municipal waste-to-energy operational issues and policy, technology, and research initiatives, striving to provide practical, relevant solutions to waste-to-energy professionals. This year, the event is being hosted by ecomaine of Portland, Maine, a nonprofit waste management company owned and operated by 21 municipalities in southern Maine. With an additional 23 contracted communities, ecomaine provides services to a c...>... More >

Who’d have thunk it back in the waning days of 1961, when six Los Angeles area waste managers sat down to discuss the challenges they faced, that the get-together would spawn what is today SWANA, the world’s largest municipal solid waste association. In the 1960s the opportunity for refuse industry managers to share knowledge was very limited, consisting principally of public works–related meetings, in which waste management was just one of several topics addressed. Consequently, the existence of—much l...>... More >

Market entry barriers. Economies of scale. Vertical integration. These are economic concepts that roll trippingly off our tongues, as Hamlet might say. Familiar, rather intuitive, not difficult to understand. Market entry barriers —New businesses might not be able to jump the high hurdles that existing businesses have already vaulted: large capital investment, brand recognition . . . economies of scale and vertical integration. Market entry barriers can be a bad thing for consumers: less competition and...>... More >

Written by Lori Lovely When 200 trucks a day spent so much time on the scale that the Collier County, FL, landfill had to extend hours to accommodate them, the management knew it was time for a change. In addition to weighing trucks coming in and out for billing purposes, hazardous waste is tracked. The Collier County landfill, which serves more 253,000 residential accounts, is a full-scale operation handling residential MSW garbage, most of it hauled by Waste Management, although mom-and-pop colle...>... More >

Written by  Penelope B. Grenoble “Renewable Portfolio Standard credit is big money, but what’s surprising is a lot of these companies are banking on it to help them put their business plans together.”  —Caroll Mortensen, Director, California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery “It’s going to take some incentives. The subsidies have to come from somewhere.”  —Charley Tripp, Bureau Manager, Southeast Resource Recovery Facility, Long Beach, CA What does it look like when a co...>... More >

Written by Carol Brzozowski Compost production for the landscape industry has been a typical target market. A wider opportunity base has been created through the emergence of other markets, such as biofuel, agriculture, erosion control, department of transportation work, rain gardens, bioretention ponds, and stormwater mixes. According to USEPA in 2010, such greenwaste products as yard trimmings and food scraps comprised about 27% of the 250 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the US...>... More >

Written by Tom Bilgri and Steve Wittmann In the solid waste industry, we sometimes focus too intently on what happens within the fence line, and fail to pay enough attention to what goes on outside, especially when it comes to transport and delivery of landfill gas (LFG), whether for onsite use or transported to a third-party. The new provisional standard, NFPA 56 (PS), Fire and Explosion Prevention During Cleaning and Purging of Flammable Gas Piping Systems, issued by the National Fire Protec...>... More >

By  Jeremy O’Brien SWANA will hold its premier annual event—WASTECON—and celebrate its 50th Anniversary in the nation’s capital at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, August 14–16, 2012. This event will bring together thousands of industry professionals for training courses, technical sessions, and exhibits each year. WASTECON will provide solid waste managers with an opportunity to discuss and address important short-term trends that are impacting the solid waste industry. It will a...>... More >

By  Nina Danza  and  John Hancock In mid-2011, a new state rule exploded the number of hours needed to perform surface emissions monitoring at Tajiguas Landfill, a large public regional facility in Santa Barbara County, California. Previously under only the federal New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) rule, the landfill started compliance in the summer under a second surface-emissions rule set forth by the state. Before the new requirements, about three days per quarter were needed for ...>... More >

Aaqua Tools Inc. www.aaquatools.com Abutec LLC www.abutec.com Air Burners Inc. www.airburners.com Air Cycle Corp. www.aircycle.com Air-Weigh www.air-weighscales.com Al-jon www.aljon.com AmCon Environmental Inc. n/a APWA www.apwa.net BOMAG/Compaction America www.bomag.com Bulk Handling Systems LLC www.bulkhandlingsystems.com Cardinal Scale www.cardet.com Caron Compactor Co. www.caroncompactor.com ClearSpan Fabric Structures www.clearspan.com CP Manufacturing www.cpmfg.com CPM—California Pellet Mill www.c...>... More >

By  Carol Brzozowski One of the most critical operations at a waste site is weighing. “Most states require the scales are certified at least once a year and sometimes more,” notes Bob Jozwiak, vice president of sales and marketing for Fairbanks Scales. “Calibration services are critical to the operation. If the scale is not weighing properly, the state will shut down the site.” Meeting the task of accountability in the solid waste industry not only calls for accurate weight, but also ascertaining w...>... More >

I’m going to begin with a request…that if you have not already done so, go to page 8 and read SWANA Executive Director John Skinner’s Guest Editorial, “From Waste Management to Resource Management” first. Then come back here for some thoughts you may wish to consider. OK, you’re back, so my addition to the discussion has to do with the ability of the public sector—particularly smaller, more remote systems—to meet the challenges and opportunities that are almost certain to arise in response to substantia...>... More >

Aaqua Tools Inc.  www.aaquatools.com Abutec LLC  www.abutec.com AmCon Environmental Inc.  n/a Autocar/Grand Vehicle Works  www.autocartruck.com Buffalo Turbine  www.buffaloturbine.com Bulk Handling Systems LLC  www.bulkhandlingsystems.com Caron Compactor Co.  www.caroncompactor.com CDM  www.cdm.com ClearSpan Fabric Structures  www.clearspan.com CP Manufacturing  www.cpmfg.com Curotto-Can Inc.  www.thecurottocan.com DuraTech Industries  www.dura...>... More >

One of the biggest opportunities facing the waste management industry today is that of making a transition from a traditional waste-disposal-oriented industry to a comprehensive resource-management industry. This will require solid waste managers to think of themselves as suppliers of raw material and energy resources rather than as managers or disposers of discarded wastes. Their goal should be to produce high-quality and reliable supplies of recycled materials and recovered energy that meets their cus...>... More >

Waste conversion technologies (WCTs) are non-incineration technologies that are used to convert the non-recyclable portion of the municipal solid wastestream to electricity, fuels, and/or industrial chemical feedstocks. Interest is growing in the demonstration and commercialization of WCTs due to their potential role in addressing renewable energy mandates and green jobs initiatives as well as meeting local solid waste management needs. There are a number of important reasons why SWANA members and other...>... More >