Solid Waste Management is an area that is drawing a lot of attention in urban areas. It is acknowledged that while the problem is acute, the financial support is inadequate. This project was conceptualized to demonstrate what could be done with waste generated locally, with minimal investments. This pilot plant is expected to provide significant impetus to the eco-friendly initiatives in the institution.
The input to the system comes from the food waste that gets generated by the College Hostel. The system generates bio-gas using anaerobic decomposition. A separate compression unit also has been developed for compressing the bio-gas generated. The system is one of the very few attempts to use food waste as input.
The applications that were planned to be demonstrated by the pilot are:
❖ Use of the bio-gas generated for cooking food in the Hostel
❖ Illumination of mantel lamps
❖ Running of an automobile using compressed gas
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview of solid waste management in developing countries:
Solid waste management is becoming a major public health and environmental concern in urban areas of many developing countries. The public sector in many countries is unable to deliver services effectively, regulation of the private sector is limited, and illegal dumping of domestic and industrial waste is a common practice.
Improper Solid waste management leads to substantial negative environmental impacts for example, pollution of air, soil & water, and generation of greenhouse gases from landfills, and health and safety problems such as diseases spread by insects and rodents attracted by garbage heaps, and diseases associated with different forms of pollution. Municipal authorities charged with responsibility of providing municipal solid waste management services have found it increasingly difficult to play this role.
Changing lifestyle such as use of canned soft drinks, mobile