Municipal Solid Waste Management in Mahabad Town, Iran

Being one of the global issues, waste management is a crucial aspect of the environment. To
identify this type of management, one should identify its components in order to obtain a feasible
alternative for meeting the existing problems. The present study was conducted to determine the
quality and quantity of waste generated within Mahabad Town, Iran and to present possible
recommendations for improving the waste management. This was a descriptive-analytical research
in which data required was collected through field observation and questionnaire. The findings
show that daily waste generation rate is 130 t in Mahabad, consisting of 75.17% putrescible and
24.83% non-putrescible materials; out of the later, 18.32 could be recycled. Hence, only 6.51% is left
for disposing of at landfill. While, at the present the waste generated is dumped of under an
unsanitary conditions at a nearby village, creating many environmental problems. Therefore, an
inappropriate waste management is practiced in the Town and it requires authority consideration
in this regard. Moreover, the study involved the analysis of the economic benefits of the source
separation process and construction of the compost plant, which its implementation may induce
changes in the municipal waste management system. In this paper, recommendations for
improving urban waste management system is also explained