Solid Waste Pollution
and Management - Part I
Lecture 4
Dr. Carol Lau
Lecturer
School of Science and Technology
Hong Kong Metropolitan University
1
Contents
1. Main types of waste and their sources
2. Public health importance of solid waste
management
3. Basic concepts and principles in waste
management
4. Different methods of solid waste disposal
5. The waste management policies and strategies
in Hong Kong
2
• Every year we dump a
massive 2.12 billion tons of
waste on the planet.
• If all this waste was put on
trucks they would go around
the world 24 times.
• With at least 33% of that not
managed in an
environmentally safe manner.
• Worldwide, waste generated
per person per day averages
0.74 kg but ranges widely,
from 0.11 to 4.54 kg.
3
Projected waste generation, by region (millions of tonnes/year)
The modern states of East Asia include
China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea,
South Korea, & Taiwan.
• When looking forward, global waste is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050, more than double population growth
over the same period.
• Overall, there is a positive correlation between waste generation and income level.
• The East Asia and Pacific region is generating most of the world’s waste, at 23%, and the Middle East and North Africa region is
producing the least in absolute terms, at 6%.
(Adapted from https://datatopics.worldbank.org)
4
Global Waste Composition (%)
The pie chart shows the
percentage of global waste
composition.
Food and green wastes have
the highest composition
(44%)
Paper and cardboard are in
second position (17%)
Plastic is in the third position
(12%)
5
(Source: https://datatopics.worldbank.org)
• Waste composition differs across income levels,
Global Waste reflecting varied patterns of consumption.
Composition • High-income countries generate relatively less food and
green waste, at 32 % of total waste,
o and generate more dry waste that could be
recycled, including plastic, paper, cardboard, metal,
and glass, which account for 51 % of waste.
• Middle- and low-income countries generate 53 % and
57 % food and green waste, respectively, with the
fraction of organic waste increasing as economic
development levels decrease.
• In low-income countries, materials that could be
recycled account for only 20 % of the waste stream.
(Source: https://datatopics.worldbank.org)
6
Global Treatment and
Disposal of Waste (%)
• Globally, most waste is currently
dumped or disposed of in some
form of a landfill.
• Some 37 % of waste is disposed
of in some form of a landfill, 8 %
of which is disposed of in
sanitary landfills with landfill gas
collection systems.
• Open dumping accounts for
about 31 % of waste, 19 % is
recovered through recycling and
composting, and 11 % is
incinerated for final
7
Global Treatment and Disposal of Waste (%)
• Adequate waste disposal or treatment, such as controlled landfills or more stringently
operated facilities, is almost exclusively the domain of high- and upper-middle-income
countries.
• Lower-income countries generally rely on open dumping; 93% of waste is dumped in low-
income countries and only 2% in high-income countries.
• Upper-middle-income countries have the highest % of waste in landfills, at 54%.
• This rate decreases in high-income countries to 39%, with diversion of 36% of waste to
recycling and composting and 22% to incineration.
• Incineration is used primarily in high-capacity, high-income, and land-constrained
countries.
• Video for Solid Waste Management (4:52) https://youtu.be/1CSm4GG2VrU
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(1) Municipal Solid Wastes
(2) Hazardous Wastes
1. Main
Types of (3) Industrial Wastes
Solid Waste
(4) Agricultural Wastes
(5) Clinical Wastes
9
1. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
• Non-hazardous solid waste from a city, town or
village that requires routine collection and
transport to a processing or disposal site.
• Sources of MSW include private homes,
commercial establishments and institutions, and
industrial facilities.
• MSW contains a wide variety of materials.
10
Typical Classification of
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
• Biodegradable waste: food and kitchen waste, green
waste, paper.
• Recyclable materials: paper, cardboard, glass, bottles,
jars, tin cans, aluminum cans, aluminium foil, metals,
certain plastics, textiles, clothing, tires, batteries, etc.
• Inert waste: construction and demolition waste, dirt,
rocks, debris
• Electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) - electrical
appliances, light bulbs, washing machines, TVs,
computers, screens, mobile phones, alarm clocks,
watches, etc.
11
Typical Classification of
Municipal Solid Waste
(MSW)
12
Hong Kong
13
Domestic Wastes and Their Degeneration Time:
Common domestic wastes Approximate time taken for degeneration
Organic kitchen waste 1-2 weeks
vegetables, fruits
Paper, cardboard paper 15 days-1 month
Cotton clothes 2-5 months
Woolen clothes about a year
Metal cans, tin, aluminium 100-500 years
Plastics 1 million years
14
The Functional Elements of MSW Management
Generation
Energy
Collection
generation
Waste handling
Landfills
and storage
Segregation and
Reusing
processing
Transfer and
Dispersal
transport
15
Solid Waste Generation
Solid waste generation pertains to the production of waste material through
various activities in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
Knowing waste generation is vital in planning, designing, and operating solid
waste management systems.
This process contains two aspects: the quality of solid waste, including its
sources, types, typical composition, and properties,
The quantity of solid waste, which involves generation rates and total quantities
and volumes of waste produced.
16
Collection
• It includes not only the gathering of
solid waste and recyclable materials,
but also the transport of these
materials, after collection, to the
location where the collection vehicle is
emptied.
• This location may be a materials
processing facility, a transfer station or
a landfill disposal site.
17
Waste Handling and
Storage
• They involve activities associated with
waste management until the waste is
placed in storage containers for
collection.
• Handling also encompasses the
movement of loaded containers to the
point of collection.
• Separating different types of waste
components is an important step in the
handling and storage of solid waste at
the source of collection.
18
Segregation and Processing
• The types of means and facilities that are now
used for the recovery of waste
materials include curbside collection and buy-
back centers.
• The separation of commingled 混合的 wastes
usually occur at a materials recovery facility,
transfer stations, combustion facilities
and treatment plants.
19
Transfer and Transport
• The waste is transferred from a smaller
collection vehicle to larger transport
equipment.
• The waste is then transported, usually
over long distances, to a processing or
disposal site.
20
Disposal
• The disposal of wastes by land filling or land
spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid
wastes.
• whether they are residential wastes
collected and transported directly to a
landfill site, residual materials from
materials recovery facilities, residue from
the combustion of solid waste, compost, or
other substances from various solid waste
processing facilities.
21
Disposal
• A modern sanitary landfill is not a dump; it
is an engineered facility used for disposing
of solid wastes on land without creating
nuisances or hazards to public health or
safety.
• Such as the problems of insects and the
contamination of ground water.
22
Reusing
• Reuse is the action or practice of using an item, whether
for its original purpose (conventional reuse) or to fulfill a
different function (creative reuse or repurposing).
• Many items found around the home have different
purposes. If we reuse items we avoid disposing of them.
• Save glass jars to use for storage.
• Use reusable coffee/tea/water cups/bottles and shopping
bags.
• Reuse envelopes and other packaging to send letters or
parcels instead of buying new.
23
Landfills
• Landfills are created by land dumping.
Land dumping methods vary, most
commonly it involves the mass dumping
of waste into a designated area, usually
a hole or sidehill.
• After the waste is dumped, it is then
compacted by large machines.
• When the dumping cell is full, it is then
"sealed" with a plastic sheet and
covered in several feet of dirt.
24
Energy Generation
• Municipal solid waste can be used to
generate energy.
• Several technologies have been developed,
including landfill gas capture, combustion,
pyrolysis, gasification, and plasma arc
gasification.
• Video for How does Hong Kong handle its
waste? (6:47) https://youtu.be/P-oghJtZ-e4
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2. Hazardous Wastes
• Toxic wastes are those that are poisonous in
small or trace amounts.
• Some may have acute or immediate effect on
human or animals.
• Carcinogenic or mutagenic causing biological
changes in the children of exposed people &
animals, e.g. pesticides, heavy metals.
• Reactive wastes are those that have a
tendency to react vigorously with air or water
are unstable to shock or heat, generate toxic
gases or explode during routine management,
e.g. Gun powder, nitroglycerin 硝酸甘油.
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2. Hazardous Wastes
• Ignitable wastes are those that burn at
relatively low temperatures (< 60 °C) & are
capable of spontaneous combustion
during storage transport or disposal,
e.g. gasoline, paint thinners and alcohol.
• Corrosive wastes are those that destroy
materials and living tissues by chemical
reactions, e.g. acids & base.
27
Sources of Hazardous Wastes
Source: www.mainebiz.biz/article/as-it-sells-its-jay-paper-mill-verso-tries-to-stave-
off-a-corporate-coup
CHEMICAL PETROLEUM PAPER MILLS 造紙廠
MANUFACTURING REFINERIES 煉油廠
COMPANIES
SMELTERS 冶煉廠 PLASTIC INDUSTRIES
28
Source: www.investopedia.com/terms/o/oil-refinery.asp
Effects of
Hazardous
Wastes
• Pesticides such as the
organophosphates (有機磷酸鹽)&
carbamates (氨基甲酸酯)
• Affect the nervous system.
• Others may irritate the skin or
eyes.
• Some may be carcinogens.
• Others may affect the hormone
or endocrine system in the body.
Source: ensia.com/features/developing-world-pesticides/
29
Effects of Hazardous
Wastes
• Lead, mercury and arsenic (砷)are hazardous
substances which can often refer to as heavy
metals.
• Most of the lead absorbed by people is stored
in the bones.
• Lead can affect red blood cells by reducing
their ability to carry oxygen & shortening
their life span.
• Lead may also damage nervous tissue, resulting
in brain disease.
30
Effects of Hazardous Wastes
• Mercury is used in production of chlorine and
as a catalyst in the production of some plastics.
• Mercury build up in body over long period of
time is known to cause brain damage.
Minamata disease (水俁病) occurs due to
mercury poisoning.
• Vinyl chloride (氯乙烯) is a chemical that is
widely used in plastic manufacture.
• A long continuous exposure in humans it can
cause deafness, vision problem, circulation
disorders & bone deformities.
Source: www.dw.com/en/mercury-to-be-banned/a-16519002
Source: www.mccourier.com/
31
Control of Hazardous Wastes
• Common methods for disposing of hazardous wastes are land disposal.
• Waste incineration Industries need to be encouraged to generate less hazardous
waste in the manufacturing process.
• Although toxic wastes cannot be entirely eliminated, technologies are available for
minimizing recycling and treating the wastes.
• Integrated pest management practices (IPM) reduce the usage of pesticides.
• Substitute the use of Polychlorinated biphenyls (多氯聯苯PCBs) & vinyl chloride with
chemicals that are less toxic.
• Polyvinyl chloride use can be lowered by reducing the use of plastics.
32
3. Sources of Industrial
Wastes
• Food processing industries
• Metallurgical (冶金) chemical &
pharmaceutical industries
• Sugar mills
• Paper and pulp industries
• Fertilizer & pesticide industries
33
Most common observation is that the health of
the people living in the neighborhood of dumping
sites is severely affected.
The exposure may cause disorders of nervous
system, genetic defects, skin diseases & even
caner.
Effects of Industrial
Wastes
The liquid effluents discharged by the industries
contain inorganic & organic pollutants.
They enter into water bodies causing destruction
of fish, formation of sediments, & pollution of
ground water & release of foul odours.
34
Control of Industrial Wastes
• Source reduction recycling & reuse of materials need to be
practiced on a large scale.
• Source reduction involves altering the design, manufacture or use
of products & materials to reduce the amount and toxicity of
materials that get thrown away.
• Hazardous waste should not mix up with general waste.
• Local communities & voluntary organizations should educate the
industrialists as well as the public about dangers of pollution &
the need to keep the environment clean.
• Land filling, incineration & composting technologies to be
followed.
• Biogas is obtained from solid waste treatment of industrial &
mining waste is done for the recovery of useful products.
Source: managemen.com/sustainability-talk-part-i-understanding-
35
source-reduction/
4. Sources and Effects of
Agricultural Wastes
• The waste generated by agriculture includes waste from crops
& live stock.
• In developing countries, this waste does not pose a serious
problem as most of it is used e.g., dung is used for manure,
straw is used as fodder 飼料.
• Some agro-based industries produce waste e.g., rice husk,
ground nutshell, maize cobs, straw of cereals etc.
• If more C: N ratio wastes like paddy husk 稻殼 or straw may
cause immobilization of nutrients if applied on the fields.
• It occupies to large land areas if not properly disposed.
Source: wastemanagementreview.com.au/consortium-harness- 36
value-agricultural-waste/
1. Waste to energy
a) Gasification:
• Gasification is a process that converts organic or
fossil-based carbonaceous materials at high
temperatures (>700°C), with a controlled amount of
Management of oxygen and/or steam into carbon monoxide,
hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Agricultural • This gas is cleaned and used in an internal
Wastes combustion engine to produce electric power,
e.g. rice husks稻殼, groundnut shells.
37
Gasification
• Gasification is a partial oxidation process.
• Partial oxidation means that less oxygen
(25-40%) is used in gasification than
would be required for combustion of the
same amount of fuel.
• The major combustible products of
gasification are carbon monoxide (CO) and
hydrogen (H2), with only a minor amount
of the carbon completely oxidized to
carbon dioxide (CO2) and water.
• The heat released by partial oxidation
provides most of the energy needed to
break up the chemical bonds in the
feedstock, to drive the other endothermic
gasification reactions, and to increase the
temperature of the final gasification
products.
Source: https://www.ankurscientific.com/ 38
Gasification
Four distinct processes take place in a gasifier:
• Drying of the fuel:
• The moisture in the feed comes out in this zone in the form
of water vapor.
• Drying takes place in the upper most portion of the Gasifier,
through heat transferred from the high temperature
combustion zone.
• Pyrolysis:
• This is chemical decomposition of organic materials by
heating in absence of oxygen at temp above 200 °C.
• During pyrolysis, volatiles are released (in the form of gas)
and char is produced.
Source: https://www.ankurscientific.com/ 39
Gasification
• Combustion:
• This is where controlled oxygen is given to the fuel and
oxidation/ burning occurs. Heat and energy are released.
• Reduction:
• The combustion products mainly CO2 and H2O get reduced in
the presence of high temp carbon to finally give CO and H2.
• Video for Gasification Basics (3:13) https://youtu.be/f7gzdFGc3y4
Source: https://www.ankurscientific.com/ 40
Management of
Agricultural Wastes
1. Waste to energy:
b) Pyrolysis (熱裂解):
• It is similar to gasification except that
the chemical decomposition of biomass
wastes takes place in the absence or
reduced presence of O2 at high temp.
• Mixtures of gases result from
decomposition including H2, NH4 Co,
CO2 depending on the organic nature of
waste matter. This gas used for power
generation.
41
Pyrolysis
• A fast pyrolysis process includes drying the
feed to typically less than 10% water in order
to minimize the water in the product liquid oil.
• Grinding the feed to give sufficiently small
particles to ensure rapid reaction, fast
pyrolysis.
• Rapid and efficient separation of solids (char),
• Rapid quenching and collection of the
liquid product (often referred to as bio-oil).
• Video for Biomass pyrolysis process
(3:58) https://youtu.be/3K1zWAYDvMA
Source: Dietrich Meier et al. State-of-the-art of fast pyrolysis in IEA bioenergy member
countries, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol. 20, 2013, P.619-641,
42
Management of Agricultural
Wastes
2. Biogas production:
• Animal wastes, food processing wastes
and other organic matter are decomposed
anaerobically to produce a gas called
biogas.
• It contains methane and CO2. The methane
provides gas for domestic use.
• The byproduct of this technology is slurry,
settled out the bottom of the digester. This
can be used as manure 糞肥.
Source: Abderezzak, Bilal. An innovative simulation tool for waste to energy
generation opportunities, Mediterranean Journal of Modeling and Simulation, 2017.
43
Biogas
• The precise composition of biogas depends on the type of
feedstock and the production pathway; these include the
following main technologies:
• Biodigesters: These are airtight systems (e.g. containers or
tanks) in which organic material, diluted in water, is broken
down by naturally occurring micro-organisms.
• Contaminants and moisture are usually removed prior to
use of the biogas.
44
Biogas
• Landfill gas recovery systems: The decomposition of
municipal solid waste (MSW) under anaerobic conditions
at landfill sites produces biogas.
• This can be captured using pipes and extraction wells
along with compressors to induce flow to a central
collection point.
• Wastewater treatment plants: These plants can be
equipped to recover organic matter, solids, and nutrients
such as nitrogen and phosphorus from sewage sludge.
• With further treatment, the sewage sludge can be used
as an input to produce biogas in an anaerobic digester.
45
Biogas and Biomethane
• The methane content of biogas typically
ranges from 45% to 75% by volume, with most
of the remainder being CO2.
• Biogas can be used directly to produce
electricity and heat or as an energy source for
cooking.
• Biomethane is a near-pure source of methane
produced either by “upgrading” biogas (a
process that removes any CO2 and other
contaminants present in the biogas) or
through the gasification of solid biomass
followed by methanation.
46
This accounts for around 90% of total biomethane produced
worldwide today.
Upgrading biogas Upgrading technologies make use of the different properties of
the various gases contained within biogas to separate them,
with water scrubbing and membrane separation accounting for
• Video for Anaerobic Digestion: Beyond Waste almost 60% of biomethane production globally today.
Management (7:05) https://youtu.be/Ei49Z4oeUtY
47
https://www.clarke-energy.com/biogas-upgrading/
Management of Agricultural Wastes
3. Recycle materials:
• Agricultural waste like corn
cobs, paddy husk, bagasse of
sugarcane, waste of wheat,
rice & other cereals, cotton
stalks, coconut wastes, jute
waste etc. can be used in
making of paper and hard
board.
48
5. Clinical Wastes
Legal definition of Clinical
Waste
• The Waste Disposal
Ordinance defines Clinical
Waste as it is applicable in
Hong Kong.
• It provides a legal definition
which all healthcare
professionals, care providers,
lab technologists, research
workers and waste handlers
should familiarize with and
follow.
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Group 1 - Used or Group 2 - Laboratory Waste Group 3 - Human and Animal
Contaminated Sharps • Unsterilized laboratory stock Tissues
• Syringes, needles, cartridges, and cultures, or cultures, of infectious • All human and animal tissues,
other sharp instruments which have agents and potentially infectious organs and body parts as well as
been used or which have become waste with significant health risk dead animals
HK Waste contaminated with any other group
of clinical waste.
from dental, medical, veterinary or
pathological laboratories.
Disposal
Ordinance Group 4 - Infectious Group 5 – Dressings Group 6 - Other Wastes
(Cap 354) Materials • Surgical dressings, swabs and all • are likely to be contaminated with
• Infectious materials from patients other waste dribbling with blood, infectious materials from patients
Schedule 8 with pathogens, e.g. HBV, Covid-19 caked with blood or containing free- falling within such case definition as
virus flowing blood. specified in the notice; and
• may pose a significant health risk.
50
Code of Practice for the Management of Clinical Waste
• Waste producers have a duty of care to take the following measures in managing the clinical
waste generated from their premises:
• Segregate clinical waste from other waste streams and prevent clinical waste from entering
the disposal chain of municipal solid waste;
• Package and label clinical waste properly to enable easy identification, including information
on the source of generation;
• Provide safe and secure temporary storage area for clinical waste;
• Ensure their staff take all necessary safety measures in handling clinical waste, and provide
sufficient training for them;
• Compile a Clinical Waste Management Plan for reference by their staff.
51
Packaging Requirements for Different Groups of Clinical Waste
Types of
Groups of Clinical Waste Colour Sealing
Container
YELLOW or
Group 1 - Used or Proprietary
Sharps box combination of
Contaminated Sharps closure
WHITE & YELLOW
Heavy duty
YELLOW Plastic tie
Group 3 - Human & Animal plastic bag
Tissues Proprietary
Plastic drum YELLOW
closure/tape
Group 2 - Laboratory Waste Heavy duty
RED Plastic tie
Group 4 - Infectious plastic bag
Materials
Group 5 – Dressings
Proprietary
Group 6 - Other Wastes Plastic drum RED
closure/tape
52
Clinical Waste Disposal
1. Safe handling: waste segregation, waste packaging, sealing & labeling,
waste storage.
2. Applying a Premises Code.
3. Arrange disposal by licensed clinical waste collector
4. Or self-delivery to Chemical Waste Treatment Centre at Tsing Yi with
requirements (s.4, Cap 354O):
• By healthcare professionals
• Properly packed
• Label on container
• Not exceed 5 kg
• Private car (Cap 374)
• First aid & cleaning equipment
• Direct delivery within 24 hours
5. Temporary on-site storage
53
Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM)
An ISWM approach means considering not only the appropriate disposal
of solid waste but integrating this with other management options.
Such as minimising waste production, recycling, composting and other
waste recovery options.
These different options can be ranked in order of their desirability as
management options.
54
The Waste Management Hierarchy
• At the top of the hierarchy is Reduction, which means
keeping the production of waste to a minimum.
• Reuse, which simply means using something more
than once.
• Recovery, which includes several separate processes
that enable material or energy resources to be
recovered from the waste. These include recycling,
composting and energy from waste.
• Finally, the least desirable waste management option
is Disposal, which includes landfill, tipping and
incineration (burning) without energy recovery.
55
Waste Minimization
• 3 R’s principle: Reduce, Reuse, &
Recycle
• Reduce (Waste Prevention) means
consuming and discarding less, is a
successful method of reducing waste
generation.
• Reuse is the process, which involves
reusing items by repairing them,
donating them to charity & community
groups, or selling them.
• Recycling includes composting, has
diverted several million tons of material
away from disposal.
56
Reduction strategies
Reduction strategies are the ways that a household or community may use to try
to reduce or minimise the amount of solid waste they produce.
This approach is generally more relevant in affluent homes and societies with a
wasteful lifestyle.
For example, people with more money may not worry about throwing household
items away when they can afford to buy replacements.
In a business context, using two-sided photocopying of a document reduces the
paper used and also therefore the waste produced.
57
Reuse strategies
Reuse refers to the act of using an item more than once,
either for the same or similar purpose.
For examples, used plastic bottles and other containers
for sale to be reused.
Unlike recycling and other recovery options, reuse does
not require reprocessing and therefore requires less
energy.
58
Recovery strategies: recycling,
composting and energy
• Recycling is a process by which waste is
processed in some way to be reformed into new
or similar products.
• The principle is to make a usable product from
the waste. Plastic bottles, newspapers,
cardboard and tin cans can all be reprocessed
and made into new items.
• Plastic bags can also be recycled and used to
make mats, carpets and other products.
59
Recovery strategies: recycling,
composting and energy
• Waste metal has a number of possible uses
because it is relatively easy to reshape.
• Careful separation of the waste into its different
types is important for the efficiency of recycling
processes.
• Recycling not only reduces the quantity of waste
but also saves money, so there is an economic,
as well as an environmental, incentive to recycle.
60
Recovery strategies: Composting of organic solid wastes
• Non-hazardous, putrescible (腐爛的)solid wastes such as crop residues, leaves, grass and
animal manures can be managed onsite by composting.
• Composting is a controlled process in which this type of waste is collected in an open pit
or heap and is decomposed by natural biological processes.
• The waste is broken down by the action of a variety of microscopic and other small
organisms.
• The waste is converted into a stabilized material that can be used as fertilizer.
• Composting is an environmentally friendly way of recovering value from organic waste.
61
Energy from Incineration
• To incinerate something is to burn it. In waste management terms, however, incineration means
burning in a controlled and managed process – usually at high temperature.
• Incineration cannot be implemented at household level; it is mostly used for institutional waste
management purposes.
• Different types of incinerator are used for burning waste. They differ by the temperature at which
they operate, the cost of construction, the method of operation and the maintenance
requirement.
• Incinerators can be used for disposal of wastes in health institutions and government and private
institutions.
• Incineration can reduce the volume of refuse by up to 90%; the only remaining residual waste is
ash. This significantly reduces the volume of material needing final disposal.
• Incineration is only classed as ‘recovery’ in waste management if the energy (heat) that is
produced is used in some way.
62
Final Disposal: Landfill
• Sanitary landfill means the controlled filling of compacted layers of solid waste and
soil into pre-prepared land.
• Large-scale landfill sites for municipal waste need to be designed to protect surface
and groundwater from contamination by leachate, the liquid waste that may seep out
into the ground underneath the layers of waste.
• Sanitary landfill sites are not just rubbish dumps for open field dumping.
• To be classed as sanitary the site must be managed to minimize any negative
environmental impact.
63
