Recycling of solid waste

Recycling of solid waste

Recycling of solid waste

Recycling is widely practiced by the informal sector "waste pickers" or by the solid waste management staff themselves for extra income. Collection of recyclable waste is done in several steps such as households (door to door collection), transfer stations and even in the disposal sites. Such work is done in a very labor-intensive and unsafe way, and for very low incomes.

Recovered and recyclable products then enter a chain of dealers, or processing before they are finally sold to manufacturing enterprises. The main items that are recycled include soft and hard plastics, glass, steel, paper, cardboard, aluminum and alloys etc. In Bhutan, around 20% of the collected wastes are sent for recycling.

Reuse of Solid Waste

· Beneficial reuse options apply to industrial, commercial, and institutional generators and users of solid by-products (waste) and sanitary landfills utilizing alternative cover material.

· Reuse is available to solid by-products that are being disposed of as solid waste in an Iowa landfill, and that meet certain requirements as described in this summary.

· Utilization of solid by-products as resources when such use improves, or at a minimum does not adversely affect, human health and the environment is economically beneficial to both the generator of the waste and the end user.

· Reuse also decreases the amount of solid waste entering Iowa’s landfills.

· Issuance of a beneficial use determination relieves the generator and user of Iowa solid waste requirements including: rules, sanitary disposal permits, and permit conditions.