Why is it important for communities to conduct research on the morphological composition of waste?

On July 9, 2023, the fundamental Law of Ukraine “On Waste Management” entered into force, which launches the reform of waste management and brings our legislation closer to the legislation of the European Union. This Law lays the foundation for modern waste management, in accordance with EU requirements. In European countries, waste is a resource and an opportunity for business development. In order to build a waste management system in communities and in order for this business to develop effectively in Ukraine, it is necessary to understand the initial parameters of waste (raw materials). To do this, it is necessary to determine the morphological composition of waste.

Methodological recommendations for determining the morphological composition of solid household waste approved by the order of the Ministry of Housing and Housing of Ukraine dated February 16, 2010 N39. These recommendations are aimed at promoting common approaches to research.

It is worth noting that the morphological composition of modern household waste differs significantly from what it was a few decades ago. Recently, intensive use of semi-finished products and packaging material has begun. Supermarkets and retail chains increasingly offer goods, and with them also containers and packaging. This packaging accumulates in landfills and leads to their rapid overflow. We would like to remind you that according to the new Law, communities must close and rehabilitate old landfills by 2030, and bring those that remain to European standards.

The morphological composition of household waste changes significantly not only with the time and season of the year, but also depends on the specific territory in which the research is conducted (region, city, rural area, etc.). Despite the general trends of changes in the morphological composition of household waste, the indicators of the content of individual components for different areas of the city can differ several times and even tens of times.

Among the main factors that affect the morphology of waste are climatic conditions, living standards of the population and level of development of the secondary raw materials market.

In general, if we talk about the morphology of household waste, the list of its main components is generally unchanged and includes:

• waste of biological origin – leftover food, remains of vegetation, paper;
• potential secondary raw materials – paper, metals, glass and plastic containers, etc.;
• inert materials – stones, ceramics, sand, bricks, dirt, etc.;
• composite materials – synthetic textiles, plastics, electrical appliances;
• hazardous materials – aerosols, paints, fertilizers, other chemicals.

If local governments understand what types of waste are generated in their communities, they can implement effective waste management reform. After all, today it is very important to have this information for the possibility of attracting investors, finding the best recycling technologies and determining tariffs for waste removal services.

“Our company “Center LTD” has extensive experience in determining the morphological composition of waste in large cities. In particular, this year we are conducting such studies for Lviv and Lutsk. This will allow cities to carry out long-term forecasting of the volume of secondary raw materials and the amount of waste that will be sent to the plant for processing,” says Oleg Bota, director of the “Center LTD”.

Specialists of the “Center LTD” Company  help you with conducting a morphological study of household waste, developing local waste management plans, project documentation for modern landfills, waste sorting and waste processing plants, searching for the best technologies, prioritizing the closure of landfills and using waste as raw materials for secondary processing and energy production .

You can find a full list of the Company’s services and work experience on the official website center-ltd.com.ua For professional advice, call: +38 096 781 05 37, +38 067 725 54 32 or send questions to e-mail: eco@center- ltd.com.ua

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