conference magazine - Caribbean Environmental Health Institute

Abstracts of Technical Presentations
Parallel Session 1 - ReCaribe Meeting: Waste
Informal Waste Separation and Waste Diversion - The Guyana
Experience by Hubert Urlin
All over the world much of the waste generated has found its way
into landfills or open dumps and has presented major environmental
challenges for governments. The competing priorities for land to
accommodate housing, agriculture and industrial development have
meant the placement of landfills further away from the communities
they serve. Coupled with this, there has been increasing awareness
of the value of some of the materials landfilled and the potential for
their reuse. These factors have served to influence a movement
towards waste diversion to aid in the improved utilization of material
resources for industry and simultaneously provide an opportunity to
lengthen the life of landfills. In several developed countries much
emphasis has been given to formal waste separation systems so as
to facilitate waste diversion from landfills and promote better material
resource management through the promotion of waste reduction,
reuse and recycling. In developing countries most of the waste management
systems are still in the very primary stages of development
and often there is no formal waste separation system. In many instances
however because of the economic value attached to some
waste materials due to their potential for reuse or recycling, there
tends to be a pretty vibrant informal waste separation system. This
informal system is however not generally given much credit for the
impact it may be having in facilitating waste diversion from disposal
sites.
The experience in Georgetown Guyana has been somewhat similar
with regards the informal separation of waste. While solid waste
management has been an integral part of the services provided by
the Municipality for a number of decades, a system of formal waste
separation has not been implemented. Waste characterization studies
show that materials in the waste streams are currently being
informally separated in Georgetown’s collection and disposal systems
account for about 18% of the waste generated. The impact/
benefits being derived from the diversion of such a significant part of
the waste stream deserves consideration. This paper presents the
findings of such an examination of waste generated in Georgetown,
Guyana.
Getting the Most out of E-Waste & Florescent Lamp Recycling
by Andrew L. Wade
In addition, florescent lamp recycling (while not a source of revenue
to the generator) will also be touched on so far as how to best
sort and package lamps for recycling purposes. E-waste and
lamps comprise a significant potential for toxics in a landfill or
incinerator (i.e. lead, cadmium, mercury) even though they make
up only a small percentage of ‘disposable’ materials. By separating
out these key items for recycling, the community and environment
will both be better for it.
A Management option for Landfill Leachate: an Alternative
Energy Potential by D. Morrison Burns
The problem of Leachate production, Leachate volume, movement,
storage and final discharge is of great concern to landfill
operations. There are many challenges in handling this
“commodity”, as a solution is sought to mitigate the fallout from
environmental concerns.
With the rate of production of Leachate over a given year exceeding
the rate of its removal, it is quite likely that there would be a
significant volume build-up. At the same time, in the interim, a
myriad of volatile organic molecules would concentrate in the solution.
By virtue of their complexity, or their resistance to biodegradation,
and their environmentally unfriendly nature, some of the
accumulated molecules render the ever concentrating leachate
solution highly toxic. Many of the dissolved and accumulated
molecules lend themselves to ready Bio-Methanisation, to the end
point of producing, in the right conditions, copious quantities of
energy molecules in the form of Methane gas.
This document proposes the exploitation of landfill leachate, expressly
for the production of energy. Such a process has evoked
significant attention due to its affiliate advantages, from which the
following factual observations cannot be overstated:
1. Today, the use of Landfill-derived fuel has cleared a pathway
for technological change toward the commissioning of new
machines such as hybrid vehicles. One can anticipate a
quantification and noticeable reduction in the consumption of
“regular” fossil fuel, which presently, is the energy source of
almost all internal combustion engines.
2. Direct emission of Methane, into the atmosphere, has as
much as six times the deleterious effects of carbon dioxide
upon the ozone layer, and hence upon global warming.
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This presentation will focus on best practices for recycling electronic
waste and florescent lamps. The presentation will provide a description
and offer suggestions on the best current sorting and segregation
practices for e-waste (computers, electronics, telephone equipment,
etc.) and florescent lamp recycling. By sorting and separating
according to current market demands, generators of such items may
offer their material for proper recycling and there exists potential for
economic recovery. Information on what the recycler of e-scrap is
looking for and how to identify your material will be provided.
Biomedical Waste Management in Guyana: An Assessment of
the Current Situation by Ashok Sookdeo
The operation of health facilities in Guyana produces approximately
2.5 tons of medical waste per day. Until recently, the management
of this waste has been ad hoc, with both the hazardous
and non-hazardous components being disposed in an environmentally
insecure manner, thereby causing a number of health
risks to both health workers and the public. This was attributed to
the fact that this problem was not prioritized and as such there
FIFTH BIENNIAL CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM AND EXHIBITION