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2.5 Topic b: Collection and transfer

In preparation for collection, MSW is typically stored in either metal or plastic trash cans, plastic or paper bags, or special containers designed for mechanized collection. Residential waste in North America is collected in at least four ways: (a) at the curbside or alley; (b) from on the property (e.g., the backyard); (c) from a drop-off or mail box collection point; or (d) it is directly hauled by residents to the disposal site. The most common method is curbside or alley collection, where the resident places full waste containers at the curb or in the alley and retrieves them emptied. Backyard collection is more labor-intensive, more costly, and therefore less common. Collection usually occurs at least once per week and even more frequently in urban areas where storage space is limited.

Drop-off and mailbox collection centers are used in areas (e.g., rural) where individual collection is impractical and in communities where cost savings are more important than service provision. Drop-off sites typically house dumpsters or even larger roll-off containers, which may be equipped with a compactor. Special pick-up dates are usually established for bulky items such as old appliances, furniture, and tree stumps. Commercial and institutional waste is usually collected from a dumpster located at the establishment. These generators often hire a collection company to handle their waste, but some local governments take on this responsibility.

A number of truck types are currently used for waste transportation, including rear, side, and front loaders, roll-off and tilt frames, transfer trailers, and vehicles designed for collecting recyclables. Rear and side loaders are the most common collection vehicles for residential collection and can be loaded automatically or by hand. Front loaders are typically used to pick up large dumpsters for the collection of commercial or institutional waste. Roll-off container collection is more commonly used in rural areas. The containers are placed strategically throughout the region, residents drop off their waste, and the containers are collected and transported to disposal facilities. Much larger transfer trailers are used for bulk transport of compacted waste from transfer stations to more remote disposal facilities; they can be either open-top or enclosed.

Because collection programs are often the most expensive component of local waste management systems in North America, the design and management of collection systems have undergone reevaluation and redesign. One of the main planning decisions is whether the collection system should be publicly operated, through government contract to private firms, or by freely operating private firms. Regarding increased recycling activity, while separate collection of source-separated recyclables has extended the capacity of regular refuse collection trucks, it has also demanded the purchase or modification of additional vehicles.

Due primarily to the shortage of acceptable sites, new landfills and waste-to-energy plants often serve several communities or an entire region. Regional MSWM facilities in North America are thus making transfer stations a vital component of many waste management systems. Transfer stations are centralized facilities where waste is unloaded from smaller collection trucks and loaded into larger vehicles for hauling. Their design typically includes a tipping floor and either bulldozers for pushing waste into transfer trailers or a compactor for packing waste into trailers. In addition, more recyclables are now being sorted and processed at transfer stations.

The longer distance from the place where MSW is collected to regional waste management facilities often makes transfer stations cost-effective. Transfer trailers carry larger volumes of MSW than regular collection trucks, which lowers fuel costs, increases labor productivity, and saves wear and maintenance costs of collection vehicles. These advantages, however, must be balanced against the time spent transferring waste from collection trucks to transfer trailers and the capital costs of purchasing trailers and building transfer stations.

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