Solid wastes separation considering environmental economic aspects: technical vs. traditional system (case study: Tehran district 20)

Subject Areas : environmental management

Hassan Karimzadegan ¹ , Seyed Masoud Monavari ² , Reza Naghavi ³ , Afsaneh Hassani ⁴

1 - Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University
2 - Faculty of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University
3 - Manager and Organizer of Solid Wastes Recycling
4 - Faculty of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University

Received: 2007-05-05 Accepted : 2007-05-31 Published : 2009-12-22

Keywords: environmental, Separation at producer source, technical system, Traditional System, economic aspects,

Abstract :

Solid wastes separation at the source of production --"producer source separation plan"-- has been carried out since 1374 in the districts of Tehranwith various methods to increase recycling efficiency. District 20 ofTehran is one of the districts that attempted to implement these projects at that time. In this district, about 70% of the recycling has been performed through the traditional system and 30% through the technical system since 1383. The present study aimed to compare the two methods considering environmental economic aspect. To this end, the Solid Wastes Separation Plan was implemented inTehran district 20 in the year 1384. The results revealed that the project’s profits, consistent with the technical and administrative system in the first year of implementation (1384), turned out to be negative, but the profits of dry solid  wastes collected through the traditional system were positive. In the years 1385 and 1386 (the second and third years of implementation), 50% and 100% of the households were included in the producer source separation plan, respectively. Moreover, the project’s profits in 1385 and 1386 were estimated to be 1.6 % and 3.3% higher than that of 1384, respectively.