Solid waste management in Abadan and Khorramshahr, Iran

Abadan and Khorramshahr are located in the south west of Iran. The aim of this study was to make an overall assessment of different functional elements of municipal solid waste management including generation, process and in-site storage, collection, transportation, treatment and recycling, and final disposal in these cities. The physical waste analysis showed that food wastes are the main component of municipal solid waste. The average proportions of food waste in the solid wastes of Abadan and Khorramshahr were 85% and 78%, respectively. Consumption of raw and unprocessed foods such as different types of vegetables and the high rate of fruit consumption are the main reasons for the high percentages of food wastes in the solid waste of these cities. At present, there is no systematic recycling and treatment of solid waste in these cities. Some people informally collect the valuable parts of municipal solid waste, such as papers, plastics and metals, in the cities and even at the disposal sites. Municipal solid wastes are collected every day and transferred to the disposal sites. The method of disposal is land treatment, which causes environmental pollution in the region. According to the results of the present study, the recycling of municipal solid waste components at source and converting the food wastes to compost are the best methods for municipal solid waste management in these cities. The construction of a composting plant with a capacity of 250 t of municipal solid waste per day is suggested for both cities. The final compost can be used as a soil conditioner for applications in agriculture or on local farms.