Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste in Soweto, Johannesburg Municipality, South Africa: Implications for Sustainable Waste Management Practices

Abstract

The generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) has been consistently increasing due to various factors, such as the improvement of living standards, urban migration for employment opportunities, and, most notably, rapid population growth. In South Africa, inadequate collection and transportation methods result in the accumulation of solid waste. The objective of this study is to quantify and analyse the composition of municipal solid waste by type, evaluate proximate and ultimate analysis, and assess the potential effectiveness of energy generation from Johannesburg City in Soweto. According to the proximate analysis findings, the MSW contains a significant amount of moisture and ash. Therefore, it requires additional separation and purification processes before its utilization. The elemental analysis results indicate that the waste material has a decreased concentration of sulfur and nitrogen, which is desirable. The study's findings can help to select and design the thermal waste-to-energy (WTF) process for the composition of the studied waste, thereby expediting the transition to a circular economy in urban regions and reducing pollution.