Strategy for use of alternative waste sort sizes for characterizing solid waste composition

Abstract

Although there is widespread interest in identifying opportunities to improve solid waste management, current methodologies for quantifying the number of waste sorts needed for categories with only small percentages of the waste stream which require a large number of waste sorts. In response, for those categories (e.g. batteries, gypsum, PVC, plastic film) with small percentages in the waste stream, an alternative methodology has been developed. By employing a large quantity of solid waste for sorting (e.g. 408 kg), the standard deviation of percent weight (of a category) is shown to be reduced by approximately 45%. This reduction in standard deviation translates to a reduction of about 65% in the number of samples required to characterize the waste. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using data taken from solid waste sorting of Greater Vancouver Regional District.