Characterization and use of solid waste produced by companies of the metallurgical industry in the city of Manizales

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the characterization of solid waste in the most important companies in the metallurgical industry in the city of Manizales. Initially, the normative and theoretical conceptualization that substantiate the aspects related to industrial waste was established and then, emphasis was placed on solid waste in the metallurgical sector. An instrument for the collection of information based on the European Waste Catalog was proposed as part of the methodology. The instrument allowed the registration of the information according to the basic structure of a metallurgic industry and the possible waste that can be generated throughout the sequence of the production process, in addition to its management and disposal. It was found that the waste with the highest volume of generation are metal, cardboard, paper, and wood, which together represent approximately 84% of the total. The 67% of the waste generated is being used directly by the companies and the donation corresponds to 12%. Finally, although the disposal of the waste is known, the impact in terms of the degree of use is not known exactly.