Waste sorting business, or how to turn waste into income. Complex sorting and processing of solid waste Manual apparatus for sorting solid waste

Municipal solid waste(MSW) - solid substances that cannot be disposed of in everyday life, resulting from human activity and the depreciation of household items. Solid waste is characterized by multicomponent and heterogeneous composition, low density and instability (ability to rot).

Volume of generation and processing of solid waste

The volume of municipal waste generation in Russia is, according to Research.Techart estimates, 40 million tons. The recycling potential is estimated at 14 million tons, but despite this, currently ~90% or more than 35 million tons of waste is disposed of in landfills and landfills. No more than 10% of solid waste is recycled, of which about 3% is burned and 7% goes for industrial processing.

The main difficulty on the way to recycling solid waste is the absence in our country of a separate waste collection system, which is an inevitable condition for their deep recycling. Thus, 60-80% of the morphological composition of solid waste is a potential raw material for use in industry (35-45%) or composting (25-35%). However, sorting mixed solid waste and transported in one garbage truck allows you to extract only 11-15% of secondary resources. At the same time, it is almost impossible to use biodegradable (organic) waste.

Despite the difficulties, the solid waste processing industry is growing every year: the number of processing enterprises is increasing, state waste disposal plants are being built (incineration, sorting at landfills, composting), the cost of primary raw materials is growing and, accordingly, the use of secondary raw materials is increasing, new laws and economic incentives for market participants, government propaganda aimed at increasing the environmental responsibility of the population.

Market participants for solid waste processing

The Russian waste recycling market is characterized by the presence of the following groups of players.

Figure 1. Structure of the solid waste recycling market

According to Research.Techart estimates, as of the beginning of 2010, the following were represented in Russia:

• 11,000 landfills and landfills;
• 4 operating waste incineration plants (located in Moscow);
• 5 waste processing plants;
• 39 waste sorting complexes;
• more than 1000 organizations for the removal of solid household waste.

The specificity of the market is its exclusively local nature. As a rule, each region has a separate group of players that controls the area of ​​solid waste management.

Solid waste sorting

Unlike the waste removal segment, a significant number of companies, including small ones, operate in the market for sorting and processing solid waste.

Sorting of solid household waste can be carried out both by informal landfill teams (homeless people working at landfills ensure the processing of up to 40-50% of the delivered garbage), and by professional players, represented mainly by waste sorting and waste processing complexes (factories).

The main operations performed by enterprises of this group:

• collection and transportation of inseparably collected solid waste to the sorting site;
• waste sorting with the selection of salvage components;
• pressing of waste components for further processing;
• removal of non-recyclable waste for disposal.

Solid waste is often sorted manually. The sorting table is equipped with a certain number of workstations where operators select dry waste: paper, cardboard, plastic, broken glass, PET bottles.

The final product of the sorting process is briquetted recyclables: waste paper, polyethylene, PET bottles, aluminum cans, etc., supplied to industrial enterprises for further recycling, or compost (biofuel and organic fertilizers).

As an example of representatives of this group, the following companies can be cited (the capacities of sorting lines are indicated):

• OJSC "Arkhangelsk Waste Recycling Plant" (Arkhangelsk region, www.ampk.ru) - 110,000 tons of solid waste/year;
• CJSC "Belgorod Waste Sorting Plant" (Belgorod) - 600 tons of useful fractions per month;
• LLC Housing and Communal Services "Clean City" (Republic of Tatarstan) - 200,000 tons of solid waste/year;
• JSC "Plant for processing solid household waste" (Samara region, www.zpbo.ru) - 100,000 tons of solid waste/year;
• Ulan-Ude waste processing plant (Republic of Buryatia) - 80,000 tons of solid waste/year, etc.

The importance of the sorting stage is due to the undeveloped practice of separate waste collection in Russia. Isolated attempts at environmental education of the population were made in Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Belgorod, Volgograd and Moscow, but these ideas did not gain much popularity. Let us note that depending on whether the waste is sent for sorting in a selective form or not, the percentage of useful fractions released depends. Thus, in the case of sorting pre-selected types of waste, the yield of briquetted recyclables can reach 97% (the remaining 3% is sent for burial or destruction). Given the general waste flow, the yield of useful fractions is only 15%.

Solid waste recycling

The group of solid waste processors includes waste processing plants, enterprises specializing in the processing of a certain type of solid waste, as well as manufacturers of final products. A separate group should consider waste incineration plants that process solid waste using thermal methods. According to Research.Techart, the Russian market for solid waste processing is estimated at 1.5-2 billion dollars. To a greater extent, enterprises engaged exclusively in waste processing are concentrated in large cities (especially in Moscow).

A waste recycling company makes money both by accepting waste and by selling recyclable materials.

The cost of purchasing waste varies from 600 to 8000 rubles/t.

Table 1. Cost of waste acceptance for processing, rub. (source: price lists of market participants)

According to market participants, the recycling process leads to an increase in the cost of incoming sorted waste by an average of 50%. The cost of the resulting recyclable materials can be 1.5 times lower than the cost of the primary material.

The collection of solid waste for recycling is carried out both in-house (companies come to order or place containers for separate disposal of waste) and by third parties (receipt points for certain types of solid waste are organized on the basis of companies).

Pure recyclers are rare because their main activity is usually the production of products from virgin or recycled materials. Such companies offer, in particular, third-party waste processing services. The service is that the company receives waste and, granulating it into recyclable materials, returns it to the original owner. The waste owner pays for the recycling service. The cost of such a service, for example, in the polymer waste market is 8-10 rubles/kg.

In order to provide better logistics and competitive prices, many processors are located close to the raw material producer.

Examples of companies specializing in processing a certain type of solid waste (processing capacities are indicated):

• LLC "Energotorgservis" (Nizhny Novgorod region, www.ekosteklo.ru) - 20 tons of cullet per day;
• "EcoPlastic" (Land Finance LLC, Kemerovo region, www.landfinance.ru) - 500 kg/hour of PET bottles, 300 kg/hour of polyethylene;
• LLC "Ekoshina" (Primorsky Territory, www.ecoshina.ru) - 5000 tons of used tires per year;
• OJSC "Chekhov Regeneration Plant" (Moscow region, www.chrz.ru) - up to 8000 tons of tires per year;
• SV Project (Moscow region, www.svproject.ru) - 250 tons of polymer waste per month, etc.

Combustion of solid waste

All currently operating waste incineration plants (WIPs) are located in Moscow. On average, they dispose of about 700 thousand tons of solid waste per year, which is only 13% of the total volume of waste generated in the capital. Let us give the main characteristics of the MSZ.

MS Z No. 2 State Unitary Enterprise "Ekotekhprom"

The plant was first put into operation in 1975. In November 2000, it was reconstructed, as a result of which two new technological lines "KNIM" (France) were introduced. An additional third line was installed in December 2004.
Production capacity - 130 thousand tons of waste per year.
The plant has introduced German waste incineration technology Martin GMBH für Umwelt-und Energietechnik.
The efficiency of cleaning flue gases generated from waste combustion is 99.8%.

MSZ No. 3 (LLC "EFN - Ecotechpro m MSZ 3")

First put into operation in 1983. It was stopped in 2005. As part of the international competition held by the Moscow Government, Joint Stock Company "EFN" (Austria) was recognized as the winner and received a contract for the reconstruction and operation of MSZ No. 3. The commissioning of a new waste incineration plant took place at the end of 2007 on the same territory where the old plant was located. The total investment amount is about 175 million euros.
The EFN company, together with a Moscow specialized organization, will operate the plant until 2019, and then it will become the property of the city of Moscow.
Production capacity - 360 thousand tons of waste per year.
2 technological lines have been installed.

MSZ No. 4 State Unitary Enterprise "Ekotekhprom"

The plant has been operating since 2005. At the end of 2008, the MSZ accepted 263 thousand tons of solid waste, which is 3.5% more than the volume of 2007. 67 million produced. 638 thousand kWh of electricity, which is 13.4% more than in 2007.

70% of the electricity was used for its own needs and 30% was distributed to the Mosenergo network. Production capacity - 250 thousand tons of waste per year.
Decree of the Moscow Government No. 313-PP from provides for an increase in the capacity of Special Plant No. 4: 1st stage - from 250 to 280 thousand tons of solid waste per year; Stage 2 - from 280 to 600 thousand tons of solid waste per year.

Consumers of processed products

A special group in the solid waste processing market are manufacturers of final products who purchase waste for use in the technological process: the cost of products using recyclable materials is 20-30% less than their counterparts made from 100% virgin material.

As a rule, large-scale production facilities launch their own recycling, which allows them to control the quality of recyclable materials. At the same time, they use not only the remains of their production, but also purchase third-party waste.

Medium and small-tonnage manufacturers of consumer goods are the main consumers of processed products.

This distribution is very conditional; variations are possible, in particular the formation of complex enterprises responsible for performing several waste management operations at once.

As an example, we can cite the following companies that use recyclable materials in the production process of final products.

Table 2. Selected list of enterprises using recycled materials (

T. N. Lipatova

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE SORTING CULTURE IN LARGE CITIES

Key words: sorting of solid household waste.

The article analyzes the problem of creating a culture of sorting solid household waste in Russian society. Foreign and domestic experience in programs for the separation of household waste is presented, and the main measures to create and improve the culture of sorting solid household waste among the Russian population are highlighted.

Keywords: solid domestic waste sorting.

The paper deals with the problem of culture of solid domestic waste sorting in the Russian society. Foreign and domestic programs of domestic waste sorting are represented. The maim activities of cultural formation of solid domestic waste sorting among the Russian population are suggested.

The issue of recycling household waste has recently arisen in our country more and more often. The problem of complete destruction or partial recycling of household waste is relevant, first of all, from the point of view of negative impact on the environment. For any city or town, the problem of removing or neutralizing solid waste is always primarily an environmental problem.

In solving this problem, comprehensive disposal of household waste occupies an important place. According to conservative estimates, over forty million different tons of household waste are generated in Russia per year. But garbage is a good source of income. Developed countries have long understood this, and more than half of all waste is recycled.

Waste recycling in Russia is just beginning to develop. There are a number of waste incineration plants and several waste recycling plants; the basic conditions for the development of the recycling industry have long been introduced and do not require any excessive efforts. The generally accepted classification of waste that exists today allows us to minimize the costs of its disposal. For example, kitchen waste can serve as feed for livestock, paper waste can be easily dealt with using fire, but construction waste will have to be taken to a special landfill.

The problem of waste disposal exists all over the world. Obviously, the most important and determining stage in the process of recycling household waste is its sorting. The most important thing is that existing waste incineration and recycling plants use only waste sorted by residents, and do not burn or process it en masse.

The path of recycling waste is the most promising and is associated with a high level of consciousness of the entire population. It is precisely where waste is generated - at home, in an institution, in an enterprise - that it is easiest to immediately separate paper from glass, aluminum, plastic and food waste.

Sorting household waste assumes that each resident will need to throw away

glass, paper and plastic into appropriate containers, as has long been done in Europe. Then the recyclables from these containers are also transported by a separate special vehicle to the waste sorting station, and there they are separated by type of secondary resources.

The experience of Israel is indicative and interesting. In September 2012, in the city of Ashdod, under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment, a waste separation program began, in which 31 Israeli cities took part. The goal of the program is the separation of waste and various options for its disposal. Thus, garbage is divided into two streams: the so-called “wet” garbage (organic waste) - leftover food, and “dry” garbage

(inorganic waste) - packaging, bottles, plastic, paper, etc. “Dry” garbage must be thrown into green boxes, “wet” garbage into brown ones. These two bins will be cleaned at different times, dry waste will be recycled, wet

On a fertilizer production line or energy production.” With such separate processing, the damage caused by landfills to the environment is reduced and the amount of greenhouse gases is reduced. In addition, the city saves money on maintaining the landfills themselves, which are quite expensive.

The success of this project, as explained by the municipality, depends entirely on the support of the townspeople. In Tel Aviv, this project “failed” precisely because residents simply ignored the requirements of the municipality and continued to dump all household waste in one bin. In this case, the entire project initially does not make any sense: after all, everything begins

technological chain specifically in kitchens. It is obvious that the success of this program depends solely on the participation of each resident. What is being done for this in Israel?

Firstly, an explanatory conversation is held with young people, children in schools, and parents. The main help in promoting waste separation comes from children. Children are well aware of the importance of protecting the environment and separating waste and encourage parents to “separate the trash.”

Secondly, much attention is paid to explanatory conversations with apartment residents who are direct participants in the household waste separation program. Groups of inspectors and volunteers visit apartments and explain to residents the importance of waste separation. Each family is given a special seven-liter brown bin for food waste, which is placed on the countertop.

Recently, programs for sorting household waste have been implemented in large Russian cities.

A three-year program has been developed in Yekaterinburg, according to which city residents will throw garbage into multi-colored containers and sort it: separately food waste and separately non-food waste. True, unlike Europe, where collection is usually carried out in three or even four containers (food waste, glass, plastic and paper), in Yekaterinburg there will be only two containers

Green - for food waste and orange - for paper, plastic, metal.

By the way, 2013 in Russia has been declared the “Year of Environmental Protection”; it is assumed that a separate waste collection system should be introduced in buildings occupied by federal executive authorities.

Will similar projects take root in Russia? Will we be able to develop a high level of solid waste sorting culture in our country? What measures at the state and society level need to be taken to develop a culture of sorting household waste among the population?

The main tool for solving this issue should be the promotion of competent waste sorting by every citizen. It is necessary in the media and in educational institutions to encourage residents to make their feasible contribution to environmental protection, to take care of the future of the city, not considering sorting as a lot of work.

The implementation of measures to train and educate the population is becoming important. In Europe, a lot of literature has been published on the topic of waste sorting, there are training courses and online consultations. Eco-friendly lifestyles should be actively promoted in schools. It is known that children are the best channel for influencing more

conservative adults. Here, environmental education of children, and through them adults, will play a huge role through various forms of practical environmental education, and not only by schools, but also by public organizations.

Russian school curricula do not provide for the study of manuals with visual images related to caring for natural resources. In Germany, children’s drawings hang on the wall of a waste incineration plant, which reflect children’s perception of “garbage” problems,” which indicates an attitude towards waste management that has been brought up since childhood.

By explaining environmental issues in the press, on radio, television, and on the Internet, it is necessary to prepare public opinion for the introduction of separate collection of household waste. The easiest way to start organizing separate collection of household waste is from the business and administrative sector of the city, which produces up to 40% of paper, cardboard and plastic waste - from markets, shops, institutions and printing houses.

The state is the main one

participant in the issue of creating a culture of handling household waste. It is significant that 2013 in Russia has been declared the “Year of Environmental Protection” - during 2013, a separate waste collection system must be introduced in buildings occupied by federal executive authorities.

State policy should be aimed at developing a set of legislative measures and economic support measures, including creating incentives for the population to sort household waste. This policy should be based on principles such as maximum recycling of recycled materials

material resources, minimization

environmental damage and costs, must be consistent, comprehensive and clearly

certain. For example, several years ago, containers for separate waste collection were already installed in one of the large cities of Russia. Residents even began to use them correctly: glass in one compartment, plastic in another, etc., until they saw what happened next with this garbage. A car arrives, takes the bins and safely dumps all this carefully separated garbage into one large spacious body. Such actions completely destroy all the good intentions of the population and discredit not only municipal services, but also the state as a whole.

Regular waste removal is also necessary, primarily from the point of view of the participation of the population, which usually regards its responsibilities for waste separation with no greater degree of responsibility with which city authorities should treat the removal of recyclable materials.

Economically feasible

encourage the population to introduce selective collection by increasing tariffs for

removal of unsorted waste. For example, in Europe, a resident pays only for unsorted waste, but does not pay for sorted waste. The smaller the container that residents fill, the less they pay for garbage removal.

Thus, the basis of the implementation

concept of integrated household waste management, the population plays a key role. At the present stage of solving the problem of sorting and further processing of household waste, the formation and improvement of a culture of sorting solid household waste is of key importance. The basis of this process is the creation of the necessary conditions on the part of the state and society. After all, it is easier to control what ends up in a landfill than waste decomposition products migrating from the landfill into the environment.

Literature

1. Petrov V.G., Chechina A.Kh. Garbage sorting lines: application prospects / V.G. Petrov, A.Kh. Chechina. -Izhevsk, 2005. - 112 p.

2. Survey of Household Solid Waste Generation and Public Awareness on Waste Separation and Compositing Practices in Cebu City // D.G.J.Premakumara. - June 2011. - R.27.

3. Ibrasheva L.R., Idiatullina A.M. Marketing in the field of energy and resource conservation in the context of sociological knowledge // Bulletin of the Kazan Technological University - 2012. - No. 7. - P.234-239.

4. Rogova N.S., Garayeva M.R., Shipina O.T. Cellulose nitrates from industrial and household waste // Bulletin of the Kazan Technological University -2010. - No. 9. - P.131-136.

5. Ashdod: more and more “green” families

[Electronic resource]. - Access mode:

http://ashdod.israelinfo.ru/news/2881, free entry.

© T. N. Lipatova - Ed. Analyst, Institute of Innovation Management, KNRTU, [email protected].

News

Automatic sorting technology for municipal solid waste

The EKOROSSTROY company brings to your attention a modern and effective technology for automatic sorting of solid municipal waste

Automatic sorting is based on the use of a visual spectrometry system, which allows the recovery of various materials from a mixed or homogeneous waste stream, taking into account the physical and chemical characteristics of the material.

The automatic sorting unit is an optical scanner mounted above a high-speed conveyor belt that recognizes material (up to 10,000,000 readings per second). Infrared sensors receive and analyze the reflected spectra. Statistical determination is carried out by size, shape, structure and color of the material. Next, a signal is sent to the pneumatic installation, and the material programmed in the scanner is shot into the appropriate hopper.

The result of automatic sorting is the separation of raw material flows from mixed solid waste into fractions depending on the specified parameters.

The use of this technology guarantees high quality and complete selection of fractions suitable for processing, in contrast to traditional manual sorting. Also, during the process of pneumatic sorting, a certain stage of preparing waste for the further technological process of processing takes place.

The use of automatic sorting technology makes it possible to recover up to 98% of a certain type of secondary raw material.

Also, an automatic sorting system for municipal solid waste is a necessary component for the RDF alternative fuel production line, as it eliminates the ingress of harmful components, such as chlorine-containing materials, into the products.

The advantages of the presented machines over all kinds of analogues:

• High productivity and purity of selection
• Ability to switch and configure sorting modes depending on changes in current tasks
• Easy to use
• Possibility of integrating an automatic sorting unit into an existing production line
• Technology adapted for Russian waste
• The modem connection allows online monitoring of the system as well as software downloads.

To recycle waste, it must first be sorted. In developed countries, waste is collected separately, so its recycling there is carried out efficiently and environmentally friendly. In Russia, there is not yet such a developed system; therefore, in order to process mixed solid waste, it must be sorted at factories.

Garbage sorting is one of the stages carried out before direct waste recycling. In the process, components are selected from the collected mixed mass of solid waste, i.e. divide waste into different groups according to various criteria. Garbage is sorted at waste sorting and waste processing plants using special equipment. The meaning of sorting is to separate certain types of waste from their mixture and send it in a convenient form for appropriate processing.

The term “waste sorting” is often confused with the concept “”, but this is not the same thing. The second concept involves the separation of different types of waste materials at the collection stage. For this purpose, containers of different colors are installed, each of which is intended for specific waste (plastic, paper, glass, etc.).

How is waste sorted?

We will consider the process of sorting solid waste (MSW) using the example of the recently opened largest waste sorting plant in Russia (Tyumen). The technology of this enterprise includes the following stages:

1. Unseparated waste enters the conveyor. In the first workshop, they manually separate those types of debris that can disrupt the operation of the equipment: stones, metal, ceramic and other components.
2. The waste is then divided into parts based on diameter.
3. Next, the waste is sorted by material: plastic, paper, etc. They are sent in compressed bales to waste processing plants.

Kitchen waste sorting system

It is correct if separate waste collection begins at home. For this purpose, special devices can be used - waste sorting systems for washing. They are structures with several containers for different types of waste.

Such systems are intended for kitchen cabinets and are installed under sinks. The structures can be retractable (on rails); there are also systems attached to the opening cabinet door. These types of devices are also sold in which waste is collected through a neck in the sink. Good systems are made from high-quality polymers that prevent the spread of the unpleasant smell of garbage in the apartment. Built-in sorting structures are not cheap.

Waste sorting in Russia

Waste recycling and sorting in our country is poorly developed. Sorting waste, or rather, collecting it separately, should begin near the sources of solid waste. Those. Russians themselves must separate the different ones. To do this, you need to install special containers everywhere (for organics, plastic, paper, etc.).

In our country, there are still mostly ordinary garbage cans where mixed waste is dumped. In unsorted form, they can be sent to processing plants, but the processing process is more expensive (since preliminary sorting is necessary), and the final product is of lower quality. For these reasons, in Russia mixed waste is most often subjected to thermal decomposition in waste incineration plants or disposal in landfills.

Waste sorting abroad

Much better sorting of solid waste is carried out in European and other developed countries.

Germany

In Germany (as in most other European countries), the costs of sorting waste at recycling plants are kept to a minimum, because The Germans themselves conscientiously observe the rules of separate waste collection.

All residents of Germany have trash cans and bags in their apartments in which different types of garbage are stored. The Germans place separately collected waste in street containers of different colors. Then, utility workers also separate waste materials from containers and deliver sorted waste to plants for recycling specific types of waste.

A resident of Germany who throws garbage in the wrong place will be held accountable (usually in the form of fines). If a candy wrapper is deliberately thrown not into the trash bin, but conditionally next to it, then the German will pay a fine of 35 euros.

Italy

Residents themselves must also sort garbage in Italy (the law came into force relatively recently). In large cities, special tanks of different colors are installed for this purpose. Residents of very small settlements dispose of various types of waste according to a schedule. Italians hand over hazardous and bulky waste to specialized points.

Waste is stored using special bags. For example, organic components are disposed of in biodegradable bags. Fines are issued for failure to comply with established requirements.

Czech

The Czech Republic also has a law (185/2001), according to which Czechs must dispose of waste correctly. Waste is sorted at home, then the differentiated waste is sent to bins for separate collection.

Instead of ordinary trash cans on the streets of the Czech Republic

Japan

Japanese waste sorting rules differ from similar principles in European countries. But the residents themselves also sort the waste.

Usually in Japan all garbage is divided into 4 types. Waste can be non-combustible, combustible, recyclable and bulky. Different types of garbage are thrown away in different bags, which differ in color and volume. Large-sized waste is marked with a special sticker. Separate waste collection is regulated by the persons working on the garbage truck.

Garbage is collected at a certain time, at which time the Japanese place their filled garbage bags. They are transparent, so workers can check whether the sorting is done correctly. Bags with violations will not be accepted by the garbage truck. The violator will need to be sorted again, otherwise a fine may be issued.

In developed countries, waste sorting is reduced to separate waste collection, because residents of these states strictly comply with all requirements and are interested in preserving their ecology. Russia still has to go through a difficult path to achieve a well-functioning system of separate waste collection.

Solid waste sorting as a business

A current business idea is to open a waste sorting plant; city authorities can help in its implementation. However, it should be borne in mind that this is a costly business associated with the preparation of a number of necessary documents, including a license for sorting household waste (if it has a hazard class of 1-4). A sample business plan for waste sorting can be found on the Internet.

Technical equipment

To sort waste, you will need special equipment, which can be roughly divided into types:

• having automatic or manual sorting:
• stationary and mobile;
• with automobile or railway travel.

The equipment can be of European or domestic production. The waste sorting complex includes:

• entry area for special vehicles;
• weighing platform;
• overpass for waste unloading transport;
• main production premises;
• warehouses for received recyclable materials and areas for their removal.

Sorting lines

Let's consider a sorting line using the example of a waste sorting complex for 20 thousand tons of solid waste per year from the Netmus company. It consists of:

• a chain conveyor that supplies waste from the pit to the platform;
• belt sorting conveyor;
• chain conveyor for feeding sorted waste into the press;
• a reversible belt conveyor that removes sorting tails;
• sorting platform;
• presses that reduce waste volumes and form briquettes from recycled materials;
• magnetic separator;
• screens;
• automated control system.

The complex can also be equipped with bag breakers, shredders, different types of separators, PET bottle punchers, packaging machines, etc. To find out how much sorting equipment from Netmus costs, you need to fill out the commercial offer form on the official website.

The cost of the lines depends on its productivity, composition, etc. For example, the Chelyabinsk company SID Engineering sells the VtorTech-60 sorting line with a capacity of up to 60 thousand tons of solid waste per year for 3 million 490 thousand rubles.

Video

An overview of the equipment included in the waste sorting complex from the Netmus company and intended for processing 50 thousand tons of solid waste annually is presented in this video:

Waste sorting is a labor-intensive process, but necessary for obtaining recyclable materials and new products from them. It is better to sort waste at the collection stage. However, in our country, separate waste collection is associated with a number of problems, the main ones being the need for large financial investments and instilling in people a culture of waste separation.

Strange as it may sound, the development of civilization is having an increasingly difficult impact on the ordinary existence of a person. It would seem that a small thing like the emergence of new types of packaging for goods automatically increases the amount of garbage in landfills. The problem of solid waste disposal has grown into one of the most important problems of modern civilization. Huge quantities of garbage accumulate in landfills, are buried, and burned. But a significant part of the garbage can be recycled and make money from it.

Every year, about 400 million tons of new waste are generated around the world. The growth rate of landfills is ahead of any forecasts and even outpaces population growth, for example, the planet’s population increases by 1.5–2% per year, and the volume of landfills by 6% per year. Each city resident throws about 400 kg of waste into a landfill during the year.

We never thought about the fact that many items in our everyday life were already garbage in the past. Take a closer look, plastic or cardboard packaging, all kinds of containers, basins, boxes, buckets, toys, clothes, books, magazines... this list can be continued for a very long time. Polyester fiber, aluminum alloys - all this is also extracted from ordinary household waste. In developed countries, the percentage of use of recycled resources obtained from garbage is quite high, for example: in Japan, more than 65% of literature is printed on recycled paper.

The structure of municipal solid waste has changed significantly over the past decades. If at the beginning of the last century, city garbage dumps consisted mainly of food residues, now in the first place are components such as paper, glass, metals, polymers, rubber, inert and building materials. It is especially difficult to dispose of unsorted waste, which in Russian conditions is the absolute majority. Today, humanity uses three ways to dispose of waste: landfilling, incineration and composting. Moreover, landfilling is the simplest and most common type of waste management. But in addition to territorial problems associated with the “conquest” of more and more new lands, such landfills drag behind them a whole train of related problems. Long periods of natural decomposition of waste in the natural environment are one of them, for example, paper takes up to 10 years to decompose, a tin can takes more than 90 years, and plastic takes up to 500 years. And rubber products and glass bottles are not recycled at all in the usual way. The next problem is ecology, hence the pollution of air, soil and groundwater, as well as a high epidemiological danger. Well, the third problem is that the overwhelming number of existing landfills will be filled in the coming years if the current practice of dumping waste continues. This means that other waste disposal technologies are needed, related not to their disposal, but to their recycling.

Sorting equipment

It is precisely this method of waste processing that includes the sorting of solid household waste, which has long been common in Europe and America. The main goal of complex sorting is the maximum extraction of components suitable for recycling from the entire mass of solid waste. The main types of such secondary raw materials include waste paper, rubber products, plastics and polymers, glass containers, wood waste, non-ferrous and ferrous metals. In the structure of the garbage flow, the most common type of urban waste is paper and cardboard - up to 35% of the total mass, then plastic - up to 15%, then textiles - up to 11%, glass - up to 8% and metal - up to 4%, the rest is organic matter. . And only 6% of household waste cannot be useful.

The sorting equipment offered today can be divided into several types: with automatic or manual sorting of waste, in stationary or mobile design, on a road or even on a railway. Various options for waste sorting complexes are offered by both European and Russian companies. The “stuffing” is approximately the same for all: a platform for the passage of special vehicles, a checkpoint, a weighing platform, an overpass for vehicles for unloading solid waste, the main production building, warehouses for storing secondary raw materials, areas for accessing and loading road trains with recyclable materials.

The “mechanics” of the main actions are also practically the same: garbage is brought in by garbage trucks, weighed and tested for radiation, then goes to the receiving department, where, after removing large parts, the waste is disposed of small items. After this, small fractions of waste are conveyed through conveyors into self-unloading storage bins. At the next stage, most of the food waste, leaves, organic matter, small glass vials, glass fragments, metal and plastic bottle caps, small waste paper, and batteries are eliminated. Next, a range of large items are sifted, such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, gas cans, 0.33 l and 0.5 l bottles, food packaging, lump food waste, wood waste, medicine boxes, disposable tableware, tubes household chemicals, kitchen utensils, etc.

The waste cleaned in this way is fed to a belt conveyor, the drive drum of which is made of magnetic material and serves as a metal separator, and then to the sorting table conveyor located in the sorting cabin. Passing through the sorting table, items that have previously undergone shaking and metal selection are subjected to manual or automatic sorting to extract useful recyclables. Items arriving at the sorting table are approximately equal in size, which allows them to be removed with maximum productivity. Selected useful secondary materials are sent to their pre-storage departments (storage chambers). The percentage of recyclables removed on preliminary and final sorting conveyors can reach 85–95%. After compaction, the non-recyclable part of solid waste is transported to a landfill for subsequent disposal.

Industry personalities

Stationary waste sorting complexes are the largest group of equipment offered. This is understandable - the construction of such a facility covers the need for waste treatment, for example, of an entire city. Company Husmann Rus LLC, being the official representative of the company Husmann on the territory of Russia, offers equipment with a capacity of 5,000 to 500,000 tons of solid waste per year. Sorting lines of this brand are usually used when the sorting site is located at a significant distance from the landfill at a distance of 20 km or more. A distinctive feature of this manufacturer is the use of special transfer presses of a series of different capacities, which effectively compress unused waste fractions, thereby reducing the area of ​​waste disposal at landfills, which in turn reduces the cost of transporting waste to the place of their disposal, and also significantly extends the life of the landfill . Stationary presses for “tailings” (non-recyclable waste) can be equipped with storage containers of various sizes and automatic systems for moving containers. Sorting lines predominantly use conveyor loading from a reloading press.

Waste sorting complexes based on presses MP Husmann preserve the environment and profitably solve the problem of waste disposal. All equipment is made of high-quality steel, suitable for use in aggressive environments and thought out to the smallest detail, from ease of use, when the installation can be operated by only one person, to ease of service with accessibility and easy replacement of all technological components. The quality of the equipment is also evidenced by the fact that a significant part of all sorting lines produced by other companies are equipped with presses manufactured by Husmann.

GC "Ecomtech" also produces and sells complexes for sorting solid waste. When developing equipment, the company relies on both traditional and innovative design solutions. Among the proposed solutions are waste sorting complexes with a capacity of 80,000 to 160,000 tons of solid waste per year. The customer has a choice; for example, it is possible to equip the sorting line with a magnetic separator for separating cans, large metals and a rotary separator for screening out small metal fractions up to 80 mm in size. Bulky waste is separated at the receiving site and fed into the shredder. A high-performance automatic horizontal press is installed to remove non-valuable waste. In addition to standard solutions, we additionally offer transfer stations for manual sorting of solid waste with a single feeding and sorting conveyor with variable speed, which replaces two separate conveyors: feeding and sorting. For sorting and packaging cardboard, paper, PET, etc., recycling pressing lines are produced. The complex is also available for order in a version with automatic sorting. Ecomtech Group of Companies is also ready to offer its customers waste sorting complexes with the ability to produce RDF fuel.

CJSC "EcoNatsProject", subsidiary CJSC "Kominvest-AKMT", is a developer and supplier of waste management equipment, successfully implementing projects for the construction of turnkey waste sorting complexes with a capacity of 40,000 to 400,000 tons/year and above. Typically, the waste sorting complex includes a shredder for preliminary grinding of large pieces of waste, a screen for dividing the waste stream into several fractions by size, a sorting platform with manual or automatic selection of recyclable materials from the waste stream. A magnetic separator for separating ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic metals, conveyors and presses for pressing selected valuable fractions or screening fractions for storage and transportation are also installed. Plus, the company offers packaging machines for the safe long-term storage of waste or packaging of recovered recyclables, as well as for packaging RDF fuel.

It is gratifying that the Kominvest-AKMT company itself is actively developing the direction of waste processing, offering its customers equipment for sorting it, as well as related products. To meet the technological needs of waste processing facilities, the company offers conveyors, shredders, separators, screens and all kinds of presses. Being an official dealer Doppstadt, the company supplies high-quality equipment for waste processing from a German manufacturer. The product range includes stationary and mobile waste shredders, all kinds of crushers for shredding waste, drum or disk screens and screw extruders for separating liquid and solid fractions of biodegradable waste.

Under the brand name PRESSMAX We produce various types of pressing equipment for recycling waste: cardboard, paper, metal shavings, PET, aluminum bottles, film, textile waste and other municipal solid waste. Waste sorting lines are produced with a capacity from 50,000 to 200,000 tons/year. Standard waste sorting stations consist of several conveyors and are manufactured exclusively using imported components: INNOVARI gearboxes, ESQ frequency drives, Craft bearings. Options include a press for waste paper, cardboard, polyethylene, PET bottles or a press for pressing metal shavings, aluminum and tin cans, metal scraps, metal barrels and other metal waste, as well as a press for metal, plastic, paper and other waste, and also "tails". The proposed solutions from PRESSMAX for waste sorting complexes cover the needs of cities with a population of up to 1,000,000 people.

Mobile complexes for sorting solid household waste are necessary when they require frequent movement from place to place. The benefit is obvious: the mobility of the equipment allows you to quickly move it from place to place without expensive dismantling and sort waste directly at the landfill before disposal, thereby reducing transport costs to zero.

JSC "Tiskond" offers company equipment Hammel(Germany). The productivity of the lines offered by the company can be up to 120 thousand tons of solid waste per year. They are equipped with various additional equipment upon request. Depending on the volume of sorted waste, the line can be serviced by 8 to 16 people. The energy intensity of the line is 22 kW. Mobile waste sorting complexes from Hammel are installed on a hard surface using a concrete or asphalt surface and, if necessary, are easily transported to a new location. Sorting lines can also be used in cases where, instead of household waste, it is urgently necessary to sort bulky or industrial waste.

The use of such equipment is very important for large cities and large industrial centers. A special feature of Hammel equipment is the use of unified pressing equipment, which can be used both for pressing waste and for pressing recyclables. Additionally, the waste sorting line can be equipped with a preliminary and secondary shredder for large materials, optionally with a diesel or electric drive. Thanks to the patented two-shaft waste processing principle, the output size of the crushed material ranges from 150 to 400 mm. Hammel's versatile mobile plants can process and sort all types of industrial and domestic waste, offering a complete waste sorting solution.

LLC "Ural-Sot" from Sverdlovsk region produces mobile sorting lines and offers four main models of different types. So, Ural-Sot-2 with a sorting volume of 800 to 900 m 3 per shift, it is used at landfills and transfer sites. Ural-Sot-3– a self-propelled sorting complex with a capacity of up to 200 m 3 per shift, can operate autonomously in small settlements, in dacha cooperatives and during the liquidation of unauthorized landfills. Ural-Sot-4– a version suitable for use, except for standard conditions, and for sorting old, stale landfills with a processing volume of 3000–4000 m3. Ural-Sot-5 is a mini-sorting complex that replaces containers in residential areas.

Mobile sorting lines developed by Ural-Sot LLC fully solve the assigned tasks of sorting solid waste at landfills, transfer sites, spontaneous or temporary landfills, effectively processing glass or plastic containers, metal structures, aluminum cans, cardboard, etc. In the event of a lack of electricity at the solid waste landfill, the complex can have a diesel power plant with a capacity of 30 kW. The solid waste sorting line itself is an insulated “car” on a semi-trailer platform with 14 workplaces with a conveyor installed in the center. To heat workplaces, 4 electric heaters of 2 kW each are installed. The room also has a control panel, ventilation and lighting. It is worth noting that the cars from which the lines are assembled can be transported on roads without obtaining permission from the traffic police.

Engineering company GREENEX LLC(Ukraine) offers a mobile rail sorting complex. The sorting line is only part of a large complex for the maintenance of railway tracks with the processing of solid waste. Maud. TKPO-300 can be used as a waste sorting plant with a capacity of 300 kg/h. The complex itself is, in fact, a waste incineration plant serving the access roads of seaports and large railway junctions. The specifics of working at such facilities prompted the company's designers to create an installation that combines the sorting of solid waste with the extraction of recyclable materials and further disinfection and incineration of the residue. This approach ensured maximum economic and environmental efficiency. Along the existing railway tracks, the complex quickly moves to a given point, the accumulated waste is fed to a receiving and sorting line, where recyclable materials are extracted from it, and the waste does not end up in a landfill, but for thermal destruction. In addition to the mobile railway version, the complex can be installed on a vehicle platform or in a stationary container version.

With the development of the direction of sorting solid household waste, more and more factories are appearing that produce waste sorting complexes of various capacities. Competition is only good - for example, many companies equip their lines with ultraviolet lamps, which allows, during the waste sorting process, to disinfect it from pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms present on the surface of the waste before feeding the waste to the sorting table. Video surveillance systems, fire extinguishing systems, wastewater collection and disinfection systems are installed - all this is done for the benefit of workers.

Attempts to ease the heavy manual labor when sorting waste are being made by a large number of designers - not so long ago a Finnish company ZenRobotics created a special robotic line for sorting solid household waste. Modern technology, which is based on an adaptive search algorithm and a set of various sensors, allows an industrial robot to determine, in addition to its dimensions, the materials that make up an object, and quickly and accurately direct it to the desired storage container or to the desired conveyor belt for processing. These robotic capabilities significantly increase the overall efficiency of presorting compared to traditional manual methods.

To summarize, it must be said, to our deep regret, that numerous foreign waste sorting complexes previously supplied to Russia, in most cases, do not work as efficiently and with lower productivity than stated by the manufacturers. All of them are technically impeccable, but are designed to work with other incoming raw materials - previously sorted, following the example of countries where a system of separate waste collection and transportation has been established for decades, but in Russia, and, perhaps, throughout the entire post-Soviet space, this system does not work. The mentality of the majority of Russians still does not accept waste separation schemes, out of habit they throw everything in the trash bin. According to experts, it will take about 15 years to establish the separate principle of waste collection among the population - thus, companies involved in sorting solid household waste have time to develop this “golden” business.