Estimation of the components of residential solid waste in Baqubah city and their generation rate

Abstract EN

Municipal solid waste is of variable, non-uniform inconsistent nature and the method by which the sample to acquire is decisive if the results are to be reliable.

For data collection, an integrated methodological approach was introduced, including field investigation, questionnaire survey, and personal interviews, which were employed to estimate the rate of waste production and physical composition at the source of generation.

Samples were collected from different socio-economic clusters (socio-income level).

According to the results of the preliminary survey for 99% confidence interval and 10% standard error, the optimum sample size was 105 households, in Baqarah City in Diyala Governorate by implementation a completely random block design for sampling.

Up to 105 units were sampled which were allocated to high, middle, and low-income socio-economic categories, yielding an average of 650 kg of waste collected daily for one week.

It is concluded that Baqubah city has an average generation rate of 0.56 kg/ person/ day which is lower in the high-economic level zone in the city than in the other zones.

Among the total waste generated in the city, 68% is food waste, 5.2% paper waste,7.4% plastic waste, 5.8% metal, 2.3% glass waste,3.1% textile waste, while the remaining percentages represent miscellaneous combustible and noncombustible materials.