The composition and properties of Polish waste focused on biostabilisation in MBT plants during the heating season

Abstract

This paper presents the morphological composition of fraction <80 mm, being separated from municipal solid waste (MSW) and delivered in the winter season to the 21 mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plants throughout several regions of Poland. This fraction is hereinafter referred to as OFMSW (organic fraction of municipal solid waste). Their properties are considered while using parameters such as: moisture, loss on ignition and organic carbon content, as well as moisture and loss on ignition of screen fractions <10 mm and 10–20 mm that are found within. The main aim of this research was to test waste from 21 industrial installations, and to prove that ash content (fine fractions) in waste intended for MBT was about 1/3 of the mass of overall OFMSW mass. These quantities exceed the limits that were approved for the correct operation of MBT installations. The effect of their high content in MSW during the heating season is low moisture (from 25.4% to 58.3%) and the low loss on ignition (from 23.1% to 54.3% DM [dry matter]), which might even determine their inaptness in terms of biological treatment and incineration. The <10 mm fraction contained on average 31.7 ± 7.5% of water and showed a loss on ignition of 29.8 ± 7.1% DM. These values for the 10–20 mm fraction were respectively: 36.6 ± 12.5% DM and 37.3 ± 8.8% DM, respectively.