New Approaches in Solid Waste Recycling and Management in Erbil City

Abstract

Solid waste management (SWM) is an integral part of an environmental management system. This study focused on the production of urban solid waste, the amount of each part of solid waste, and the revenue from recyclable materials in Erbil City, Iraq's Kurdistan Region. The results show that the average generation rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) was around 1.338 kg/capita/day. Also, MSW usually contained combustibles (60%), non-combustibles (5%), and recyclable materials (35%). The average weight percentages of MSW components were: organic material (35%), plastic (27%), paper and corrugated cardboard (14%), metals (2%), glass (3%), yard trimmings and wood products (3%), and other types (16%). The study observed that large quantities of food waste were produced from a common source. Additionally, the expected income from the recyclable solid waste in the City of Erbil for plastic, metal, cartons, and papers was 175 $/ton, 235 $/ton, and 135 $/ton, respectively.