Solid‐waste management: Sampling, analysis and assessment of household waste in the city of Amman

Abstract

Abstract The prominent problem in current solid‐waste management is the rapid increase in amounts of solid waste and the extensive environmental pollution. This trend is observable in Jordan where the natural conditions are deteriorating and serious environmental problems may occur. This study focuses on several topics: First, a detailed monthly examination of constituents of refuse is presented and compared with other industrialized and developing countries. Second, total refuse quantities and per capita production for two different communities are analysed. The per capita production of solid waste in Amman is less than any industrialized countries, and two to three times higher than middle‐income countries. Third, the volume and weight of solid waste generated varies seasonally. These variations exhibit strong diurnal and seasonal dependence on population growth, density and interrelated socioeconomic characteristics of people. Fourth, an assessment of solid waste to the year 2000, is made using a solid‐waste sub‐model. The estimated quantity for the year 2000 is 3668.5 tons per day, which would imply an increase of 5.38% per year. Fifth, the paper concludes with a brief discussion of future policy directions to solve the solid‐waste problem and prevent future problems from occurring. Keywords: solid waste managementsystemspolicyprojection generation ratesassessmentresources recovery