Monitoring of municipal waste generated in the City of Warsaw

Abstract

Waste management in the new EU member states is currently undergoing rapid development in order to comply with the European legislation. In Poland there is a lack of capacity of waste treatment installations for residual waste which amounts to 5.5 million tonnes year−1. Detailed data on waste generation is needed to design new installations and ensure their efficient operation. This paper presents the results of the monitoring of municipal waste generation in Warsaw, being one of the largest agglomerations in the region. Detailed quantitative and qualitative results for both household and institutional waste are provided, as well as the technological properties of the household waste. The amount of municipal waste generated per capita amounted to 390 kg year−1. The main fractions contributing to the mixed household waste were: biodegradable kitchen waste, packaging plastics, non-packaging paper and cardboard, packaging glass and packaging paper and cardboard. The coarse fraction (> 100 mm) constituted 40% of total household waste, of which the majority were recyclables. The lower heating value of residual waste was sufficient to allow mass incineration. Data on historical developments of household waste quantities and composition since the year 2000 along with their estimates until the year 2020 are provided and discussed. Current problems of municipal waste management in Warsaw along with the proposed future solutions are briefly outlined.