Guide

Quick guide to waste-stream characterization

A field method to avoid selecting a recovery technology before knowing feedstock quantity, composition, quality and logistics.

Waste-management illustration

Minimum information

  • Waste origin and generators
  • Average quantity, peak and seasonality
  • Composition by fraction and contamination rate
  • Moisture, density or other pathway-specific properties
  • Distance, access, storage and collection costs

Sampling

The characterization plan should represent significant days, sites and periods. A short documented campaign is better than an untraceable estimate.

Select the pathway after analysis

  • Reuse and recycling for clean, marketable materials
  • Composting for suitable biowaste
  • Anaerobic digestion for regular wet organic streams
  • Pyrolysis/biochar for selected prepared biomass
  • Controlled disposal for non-recoverable rejects