Mechanical-Biological Treatment of Mixed Municipal Solid Waste: Two Plants in Bengaluru, India

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mohanta, Tandra | Goel, Sudha^{a; *}

Affiliations: Advanced Technology Development Centre, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur - 721302, India | [a] Civil Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur - 721302, India

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding Author. [email protected]

Abstract: In recent times, there have been an enormous increase in the number and capacity of mechanical–biological treatment (MBT) plants all over the world owing to the need for finding sustainable solutions to the mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) problem. The objective of this study was to understand the technical and financial aspects of two MBT plants located in Bengaluru, India. Both plants treat mixed MSW. Of the two plants in Bengaluru, only one is financially stable and operating since 1975. The major product generated by this plant is compost. The second one was started in 2015 and closed after a year of operation. It was generating refuse-derived fuel (RdF) and compost. Compost and RdF generated by these MBT plants have limited market acceptance. Major challenges faced by both MBT plants in Bengaluru are untrained human resources, limited market demand for their products, budgetary constraints, inadequate infrastructure and unreliable MSW generation and composition data.

Keywords: Recycling, waste generation, waste composition, composting, RdF, vermi-composting

DOI: 10.3233/AJW210014

Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 9-17, 2021