Municipal solid waste composition determination supporting the integrated solid waste management system in the island of Crete

Transcription

1 Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx Country report Municipal solid waste composition determination supporting the integrated solid waste management system in the island of Crete E. Gidarakos *, G. Havas, P. Ntzamilis Laboratory of Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management, Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, GR Polytechnioupolis Chania, Crete, Greece Accepted 27 July Abstract A one-year survey was conducted in the greater region of Crete (located at the lower region of the Aegean Sea) for the purpose of identifying waste composition (including chemical and physical characterization), as well as any seasonal variation. The investigation was carried out repeatedly at seven landfills and one transfer station in Crete, in four phases. Each sampling phase corresponded to a season (autumn, winter, spring, summer). ASTM D (2003) standard method and RCRA Waste Sampling Draft Technical Guidance were used. Hand sorting was used for classifying the collected wastes into the following categories: plastics, paper, metals, aluminium, leather wood textiles rubbers, organic wastes, non-combustibles and miscellaneous. Further analysis included proximate and ultimate analysis of combustible materials. Metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury were also investigated. The results show that there has been a significant decrease of organic wastes during the last decade due to the increase of packaging materials, as a result of a change in consumption patterns. Three main waste categories were determined: organic wastes, paper and plastics, which combined represent 76% of the total waste in Crete. Furthermore, a high fraction of glass and a seasonal variation of aluminium indicate a strong correlation of waste composition with certain human activities, such as tourism. There is also a variation between the municipal solid waste (MSW) composition in the region of Crete ( ) and MSW composition suggested in the National Solid Waste Planning (2000) [National Solid Waste Planning, Completion and particularization of Common Ministerial Act //1944/1997: National Solid Waste Planning, June 2000]. The results of this survey are to be utilized by the regional solid waste authorities in order to establish an integrated waste treatment site, capable of fulfilling the regional waste management demands. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction * Corresponding author. Tel.: ; fax: address: gidarako@mred.tuc.gr (E. Gidarakos). The cornerstone of successful planning for a waste management program is the availability of reliable information about the quantity and the type of material being generated and an understanding about how much of that material that collection program managers can expect to prevent or capture. Effective waste management through MSW composition studies is important for numerous reasons, including the need to estimate material recovery potential, to identify sources of component generation, to facilitate design of processing equipment, to estimate physical, chemical, and thermal properties of the waste and to maintain compliance with national law and European directives. The composition of generated waste is extremely variable as a consequence of seasonal, lifestyle, demographic, geographic, and legislation impacts. This variability makes defining and measuring the composition of waste more difficult and at the same time more essential X/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi: /j.wasman

2 2 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx In Greece several waste composition studies have been conducted in the past twenty years (Parisakis et al., 1990, 1991, 1992), but they were not carried out using the same method or under a systematic approach dictated by organized regional waste management strategies (Table 1). One can observe a correlation between demographic and socio-economic conditions of a region with the respective MSW composition data. Furthermore, MSW composition data of National Planning for the year 2000 are different from respective data of more recent studies. In recent studies, for example in Salonica and Pylaia in 1998 (Papachristou et al., 2002; Koufodimos and Samaras, 2002), one can observe a significant decrease of putrescibles (food stuff, leaves, etc.) and a great increase of plastics and packaging material (see Table 1) (Papachristou and Chatziaggelou, 1991; Papachristou et al., 2002; PERPA, 1985). The island of Crete (Fig. 1) is one of the greatest tourist resorts in Greece (Table 2) and numbers almost half a million residents (2001). Furthermore, Crete is a combination of urban, mountainous, rural and purely tourist regions. Heraklion, geographically located in the centre of Crete (Fig. 2) with nearly 140,000 residents, is the metropolis of Crete. Chania and Rethymnon lie in the west, and Agios Nikolaos in the east. Regions with high seasonal variability in population due to tourism are Hersonisos and Malia, located east of Heraklion and west of Agios Nikolaos. Ierapetra, located south of Agios Nikolaos, qualifies as rural mainly because of the numerous greenhouses located there. Taking into account the above special characteristics of the island of Crete, one would expect that a special solid waste management strategy is implemented. Unfortunately, in past years, solid waste management in Crete has consisted mainly of illegal dumping. It was only in the last decade that the first regional solid waste management strategy was designed and started being implemented in the region of Chania. According to Waste Framework Directive 75/442/ EEC (EEC, 1975), member states are obliged to take the necessary measures in order to ensure that the final disposal or exploitation of waste is performed without endangering public health and without causing any damage to the environment. In its 1996 Communication on the Review of the Community Strategy for Waste Management 1 the EU Commission enacted the waste management hierarchy: prevention/minimization, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and safe disposal. It should be pointed out that this hierarchy is just a proposal and not a result of a detailed environmental and economic evaluation of each alternative. Such an evaluation has to be performed so that the regional solid waste authorities are able to choose the appropriate management scheme. Essential primary data used in this evaluation are recentreliable waste composition data. 1 COM 96(399) final, Table 1 MSW composition (%) in some Greek regions and cities (adapted from Parisakis et al.), wet weight Nationwide planning 2000 Kalamata 1992 Xanthi Komotini Chania 1990 Kos 1989 Rhodes 9/87-8/88 Heraklion 1987 Pylaia 1998 Salonica 1998 Salonica 4/86-3/87 Region/city: Athens 6/83-6/84 Putrescible Paper Inert + misc LWTR Aluminium Metals Plastics Glass

3 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx 3 Table 2 Main characteristics of the study area Rethymnon Heraklion Lassithi Population a b Hotel beds c a 2001 National Census, b Sitia region excluded. c National Tourist Organization (NTO, 2002), The primary goal of this study was to develop a representative, statistically defensible estimation of the waste composition for the region of Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi (Agios Nikolaos). A survey was conducted by the Department of Environmental Engineering of the Technical University of Crete, in the region of Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi, for the purpose of identifying waste composition (including chemical and physical characterization), as well as any seasonal variation. The sampling plan consisted of one-week sampling period in each of seven landfills in the region of Crete and was carried out in four phases, corresponding to each season (winter, spring, and summer, autumn) (see Table 2). In comparing these data with composition data from other regions, certain variations can be observed, which can be attributed to specific social activities, such as tourism. This study can hopefully be used to establish a baseline for monitoring progress in achieving waste management objectives and to assist the regional solid waste authorities in setting future policy directions and management priorities. As it was mentioned above, the geographical areas studied in this analysis are the Prefectures of: Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi in the island of Crete (Fig. 2). Regions of Chania and Sitia were excluded from this study. Fig. 1. Region of Crete.

4 4 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx Table 3 MSW production estimation for the Prefectures of Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi (2001 national census, National Tourist Organization data) County Population MSW production (kg/d) MSW production (ton/y) MSW production from tourists (kg/d) MSW production from tourists (ton/y) Total MSW production (kg/d) Total MSW production (ton/y) Rethymnon Heraklion Lassithi Total Fig. 2. Island of Crete study area (sampling sites are marked with an X ). 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Waste quantities estimation The lack of essential equipment (weigh-bridges) at each final disposal site makes the direct determination of disposed waste quantities impossible. Therefore, there is no information on generation rates as a function of season. The estimation of generated quantities of MSW (kg/resident/day) is based on previous studies (Technical Chamber of Greece, 1993; OANAK, 2000), on official National Census data (2001), as well as on National Tourism Organization (NTO) data for the years 2001/2002. As mentioned above the regions of Sitia and Chania were not studied. In this survey the generated MSW quantities in each municipality of the study area were estimated according to the following assumptions: For communities with population less than 10,000 residents: 0.8 kg MSW per resident per day. For communities with population more than 10,000 residents: 1 kg MSW per resident per day. For the Municipalities of Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos and Ierapetra: 1 kg MSW per resident per day. For Heraklion: 1.2 kg MSW per resident per day. The assumption made for the largest municipalities is based mainly on the Regional Planning of Solid Waste Management for the Prefectures of Rethymnon, Lassithi and Heraklion. Apart from these quantities, the daily quantities of MSW due to tourism will be taken into account. For the estimation of the number of tourists, official data of NTO are used. The aim of this study was not to verify the reliability of NTO data and therefore these data were accepted as the only available official information. The estimation of these quantities was carried out using the following data: The total number of tourist beds in each municipality or community. The number of tourist beds in use (fullness). The mean produced quantity of MSW per tourist per day (=1.2 kg/tourist/day). It must be noted that the considered mean produced quantity of MSW per tourist per day is overestimated in an effort to take into account unregistered rooms to let (not included in the official NTO data, being used by tourists, visitors, etc.)

5 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx Waste composition analysis Sampling was carried out at several final disposal sites (landfills) around Crete, according to international standard ASTM D (2003), 2 and RCRA regulation. 3 The determination of the mean composition of MSW was based on the collection and manual sorting of a number of samples of waste over a selected time period covering one week for each season and site. Therefore, four phases of seven sampling weeks (twenty eight weeks in total) were carried out. Vehicle loads of waste were designated for sampling, and a sorting sample was collected from the discharged vehicle load. The sample was sorted manually into waste components. The weight fraction of each component in the sorting sample was calculated by the weights of the components. The mean waste composition was calculated using the results of the composition of each of the sorting samples. Vehicles for sampling were selected at random during each day of the one-week sampling period, as to be representative of the waste stream. According ASTM D , for a weekly sampling period of k days, the number of vehicles sampled each day should be approximately n/k, where n is the total number of vehicle loads to be selected for the determination of waste composition. A weekly period is defined as 5 days. According ASTM D , the number of sorting samples (that is, vehicle loads (n) required to achieve a desired level of measurement precision) is a function of the component(s) under consideration and the confidence level. The governing equation for n is as follows: n ¼ðt s=exþ 2 ; ð1þ where t* is the student t statistic corresponding to the desired level of confidence, s the estimated standard deviation, e the desired level of precision, and x is the estimated mean. Suggested values of s and x for waste components are listed in Table 6. Values of t* are given in statistical tables. Table 6 is the result of one-week sampling at Pera Galinoi landfill (Fig. 2), performed by the investigators, prior to the main sampling period. Each sorting sample weighed kg and was prepared properly (mixed, coned and quartered) from each discharged MSW vehicle load using a front-end loader with at least a 1 m 3 bucket. After sampling, hand sorting was applied for the classification of MSW into the following categories: 2 Standard test method for determination of the composition of unprocessed municipal solid waste. 3 Waste Sampling Draft Technical Guidance, EPA, 530-d Organics: Paper (all kinds, magazines, newspapers, books, packaging materials, cardboard). Putrescibles (food waste, yard waste, leaves). Plastics (PVC, PET, HDPE, LDPE, others). LWTR (leather, wood, textiles, rubber). Inorganic: Glass (all kinds and colours). Metals (all kinds except aluminium). Aluminium (all kinds). Inert materials (stones, ground, construction and demolition wastes). Miscellaneous (nappies, sanitary napkins, materials that do not fit in any of the above categories). Prior to the sampling, landfill sites were ranked according the following specifications: 1. Percentage coverage of urban-tourist and mountainous-rural regions. 2. Total sample size >75% of total MSW production in the study area. 3. Sampling in regions where a great production of recycling materials (e.g., Hersonisos) is expected. 4. Availability of each landfill during the sampling period. According to these requirements, the following sampling sites were selected: Rethymnon Prefecture: Amari S.A. sanitary landfill. Maroulas sanitary landfill. Heraklion Prefecture: Pera Galinoi landfill (Autumn) and Heraklion Transfer Station (Winter). Kazantzakis sanitary landfill. Hersonisos sanitary landfill. Lassithi Prefecture: Ierapetra landfill. Agios Nikolaos sanitary landfill. The above sampling sites appear in Fig. 2 and are marked with an X. The laboratory analyses of MSW included: Proximate analysis: The determination of % moisture content, % ash content, % volatile matter content and the calculation of % fixed carbon. The above analyses were conducted according to ASTM standards E790, E830 and E897.

6 6 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx Elemental analysis: The determination of % content in carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and nitrogen (N). The analyses were conducted according to ASTM standards E777 and E778. Calorific value determination: According to ASTM standard E955 or with other international standard. Heavy metal content determination. The laboratory sample consisted of four sub-samples: putrescibles (food waste), LWTR, plastics (packaging materials, bottles, etc.) and papers (paper, cardboard except sanitary papers). The quantity of each fraction was g according to New Zealand Ministry for the Environment guidelines (Ministry for the Environment, 2002). For the temporary storage and transport of each sample to the laboratory, water-proof sealed bags were used (USEPA, 2001, 2002). The time interval between collection and analysis was 1 4 h. For the preparation of laboratory samples, necessary safety equipment (gloves, masks, goggles) was used, while size reduction of materials was achieved using knives and scissors (hand work) so that the moisture content of waste was not affected. For the size reduction a cutting mill (type P-19 with cyclone separator, Fritsch GmbH, Germany) was used. Moisture content determination became feasible after 24 h of solid waste sample drying (105 C) in an oven (type Jouan EU2 118, Innovens). For volatile matter (at 950 C) and ash (at 550 C) content determination, a furnace capable of high (1200 C) temperatures (type L24/12 with control panel B170, Nabertherm) was used. Elemental analysis was performed using an automatic elemental analyser (type CHN 600, LECO). The calorific value of solid waste samples was determined by using a bomb calorimeter (type AC 300, LECO). The heavy metal content of samples was determined by flame atomic-absorption spectroscopy (AAS) (C.A.U. GmbH, Germany). 3. Results 3.1. Estimated waste quantity The estimation of MSW production and disposal in the study area is shown in Table 3. Assuming that monthly MSW production from permanent residents is constant, we can assess how tourism affects the monthly MSW production. During high season months (months with increased number of tourists), increased MSW quantities are produced (tourism effect, Fig. 3) Waste composition The results of the waste composition analysis for the period are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 6 is used to compare current analysis results (mean values) with respective results in other regions of Greece. Three main waste categories can be identified: Putrescibles Papers and Plastics (P 3 Dominance), which share about 76% of total MSW. Putrescibles represent 39%, while plastics and paper are second with 17% and 20%, respectively. The share of glass (7%) is also considerable, mainly consisting of disposable (not refillable) bottles. Especially in tourist regions such as Hersonisos and Malia, the glass share reached 18% in autumn. Inert materials are particularly low (2%), as construction and demolition wastes (C&D wastes) are transported to separate disposal sites. A great seasonal variation in the glass fraction (autumn and summer >6.5%, winter 4%), mainly in regions of intense tourist activity (e.g., Hersonisos with peak value 18%) was identified. It was also found that there is an extended use of non-refillable, non-returnable bottles (e.g., bottles of low alcohol drinks). Table 4 Laboratory analysis of MSW (mean values a ) Putrescibles LWTR b Plastics Papers Total RDF c % Moisture % Ash % Volatile matter % Fixed carbon C (%) H (%) N (%) HHV (kj/kg) LHV (kj/kg) Pb (ppm) na na na na 16.7 na Cd (ppm) na na na na 0.07 na Hg (ppm) na na na na 0.02 na na, not available. Dry weights. b Leather, wood, textile, rubber. c Refuse derived fuel, consists of paper, plastics and LWTR fractions.

7 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx 7 Fig. 3. Monthly variation of MSW production (tourism effect), wet weight. Fig. 4. Waste composition analysis (annual), wet weight. There is also a great seasonal variation for the aluminium fraction (autumn and summer 2%, winter <1%). Its absolute value is similar to the one in other regions in Greece (Fig. 7). Comparing the winter and summer periods, there is a significant decrease in the concentration of papers (23%), while metals (3.5%) bulky materials and old cars (end-of-life vehicles) concentrations are not present. Furthermore, in Ierapetra, where there is an extensive use of greenhouses, there is a great seasonal variation of plastics share in MSW. This variation was named green effect (Fig. 8). The miscellaneous fraction in MSW is the result of the co-mixture of organics (putrescibles) with other fractions. Furthermore, a comparison of the MSW composition in the region of Crete ( ) and the MSW composition suggested in the National Solid Waste Planning (2000) demonstrates a great variation.

8 8 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx Fig. 5. Waste composition analysis (seasonal variation), wet weight. Fig. 6. Waste composition analysis (spatial, annual variation), wet weight. As far as the proximate analysis is concerned, a resemblance (HHV, LHV, % moisture content) and a lower value of C/N ratio (20.4) in comparison to other regions in Greece (Chania, Kos) was found. The heavy metals content did not present any remarkable difference compared to the one available for Chania or Kos (Tables 4 and 5). Specific gravity of waste was determined to be kg/m 3, showing no considerable variance.

9 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx 9 Fig. 7. Waste composition in Crete and in other regions wet weight. 30,00 25,00 %w/w, wet weight 20,00 15,00 10,00 5,00 0,00 Winter Spring Summer Autumn Plastics Fig. 8. Seasonal variation of plastics concentration in MSW due to greenhouses (green effect) at Ierapetra landfill, wet weight. 4. Discussion According to the ASTM D (2003) standard method, a full year of sampling at several final disposal sites around Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi was conducted (see Table 6). This test method is applied for the determination of the mean composition of MSW based on the collection

10 10 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx Table 5 Physicochemical analysis of MSW in the region of Crete and in other regions Region of Crete a Municipality of Chania Municipality of Kos Municipality of Pylaia % Moisture content 36.7 b % Ash content HHV (kj/kg) Putrescibles Paper Plastics LWTR LHV (kj/kg) Putrescibles Paper Plastics LWTR C/N Lead (Pb) (ppm) B(d) 16.8 C(d) 7.6 Cadmium (Cd) (ppm) B(d) 1.5 C(d) 0.4 Mercury (Hg) (ppm) 0.02 d, dry fraction; B, analysis aiming to biological stabilization; C, analysis aiming to combustion. a Prefectures of Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi, b Calculation based on mean values of moisture content in each laboratory analysis sub-sample and the % share of each fraction in MSW as determined by field analysis. Table 6 Values of mean (x) and standard deviation (s) for within-week sampling to determine MSW component composition (Pera Galinoi landfill, Heraklion, Crete, 2003) Component Standard deviation (s) Mean value (x) Inert Metals Aluminium Glass LWTR Paper Putrescibles Plastics Misc and manual sorting of a number of samples of waste over a selected time of period covering a minimum of one week. This test method includes procedures for the collection of a representative sorting sample of unprocessed waste, manual sorting of the waste into individual waste components, data reduction, and reporting of the results. This test method may be applied at landfill sites, waste processing and conversion facilities, and transfer stations. Its level of confidence and precision values are, respectively, 90% and 0.1%. Current studies results are related to each region sampled. A higher share of putrescibles was found in rural regions, whereas a higher share in papers and plastics was determined in urban regions. Some useful remarks can be noted by observing study results: There is a clearchange in waste composition during the last decade. There is a strong relationship between certain social activities (e.g., tourism) and MSW composition. There is a variation in the MSW composition among different regions of the country. There is a variation between National Solid Waste Planning and the current situation in Greece regarding the MSW composition. Specifically, while in the previous decade ( , Table 1) the putrescibles share was about 55 67%, in recent years ( , Table 1, Fig. 7) this share has decreased to 27 41%, while National Solid Waste Planning (2000, Table 1) suggests a concentration of 47%. Comparing the two decades, a 40% decrease of putrescibles share can be observed. This reduction can be explained by an increase of plastic and paper concentrations. In the previous decade ( ) papers accounted for no more than 20% and plastics for less than 10%. In contrast, recent studies (1995-current) suggest that papers now comprise 25% and plastics percentage doubled reaching 20%. This represents an increase of 25% for paper and 100% for plastics, or 60% in total. In the most recent studies (Salonica 1998, Pylaia 1998 and Cretan Region ), there is also an increase in packaging materials. This change is not only a result of the prevailing consumption patterns, but also an outcome of modern practices for marketing of products and goods. The main point of this study is P 3 Dominance (Putrescibles, Papers and Plastics) which share in total about 76% of MSW. Papers and plastics comprise together about 37% or 71,000 tonnes per year of MSW. This relatively high share of plastics and papers in Crete can be attributed to the extensive use of paper packaging

11 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx 11 materials (especially in summer) and mass production of greenhouses wastes (plastic films). The concentration of plastics is higher in winter and autumn (Fig. 8), likely as a result of the extensive use of plastics in greenhouses construction. Greenhouses are the major waste producers in Crete (as far as plastics are concerned) and that is why the Municipality of Ierapetra (where most greenhouses are constructed) produces by itself more than 30% of the total MSW in Lassithi Prefecture (Fig. 6). The concentration of papers in the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos is also high, as a result of high levels of tourist activities (hotel accommodation, paper packaging materials like tetrapak, etc.). In regions of intense tourist activity (Prefectures of Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi), this study also revealed an increased share of glass. Specifically, glass reached 7%, while in mainly tourist regions, such as Hersonisos and Malia, it was 18%. In comparison, a recent study of Salonica (1998) showed glass share to be about 3%. This difference may be explained by the fact that the ratio between the number of tourists and the permanent population is considerably lower in Salonica than in Hersonisos. Furthermore, glass bottles (e.g., juices, beer) that are consumed in non-tourist regions are mainly refillable, while in Hersonisos significant quantities of non-refillable bottles (mainly low-alcohol drinks) are consumed. Moreover, it is obvious that modern living standards considerably affects MSW composition. For example, in the rural region of Rodopi (Komotini, 1993, Fig. 1) the putrescibles share is 67% while in the metropolis of north Greece, Salonica (1998), it is only 27%. The putrescibles concentration in the region of Crete ( ) is 39% (annual mean value). The same effect of the living standards on MSW composition is also observed among the various municipalities of Crete. For example, in the region of Nikos Kazantzakis municipality, a region mainly rural, the putrescibles fraction is almost 45%. Comparing the region of Chania (Chania, 1990) with the results of this study, an important difference in MSW composition can be noticed. Specifically in 1990 the putrescibles concentration in Chania region reached 55%, while the corresponding concentration for the regions of Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi is now about 39%. Taking into account the fact that between the four regions of Crete there are not any important differences regarding the total socio-economic characteristics, one can claim that in Crete, in the last decade, the putrescibles content has decreased considerably. This is in accordance with the total change of MSW composition for the whole country that was reported previously. Furthermore, the highest putrescibles share (41.3%) is observed at Lassithi Prefecture, likely because of the greenhouses operation (not sold putrescibles quantities). Also, the information published by the National Solid Waste Planning (2000) presents an important difference from the results of newer studies (Salonica 1998, Pylaia 1998 and Region of Crete ). Therefore, the MSW composition that is suggested in the National Solid Waste Planning is not suitable for direct application in Crete, as it does not consider the local peculiarities and social characteristics of the area or the seasonal variations (tourist period). In order to compare MSW laboratory analysis data with respective data from other regions of Greece, the Municipalities of Chania, Kos and Pylaia (Fig. 1) are used. The first two municipalities perform in similar way with the region studied, regarding the activities of MSW production, as they are mainly tourist attractive regions. The comparison with the Municipality of Pylaia is useful to test whether different activities and consumption patterns and habits are the cause of differences in MSW composition. No differences can be identified between the region of Crete ( ) and the region of Chania (1990) (and partly the region of Kos) regarding the MSW calorific value (HHV and LHV) and the moisture content. The C/N ratio in the region of Crete ( ) has a lower value compared to other regions. The heavy metals content (Pb, Cd and Hg) does not present any remarkable variations between the different studied regions. 5. Conclusion This study was carried out in order to establish up-todate waste composition data for local solid waste authorities. This analysis revealed that in the study area (Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi), there is a strong correlation between certain social activities and solid waste composition and quantity. The main activities reviewed in this study are tourism and cultivation. During high season months (months with increased number of tourists), not only are increased MSW quantities produced, but also MSW composition is accordingly altered. High fractions of materials like aluminium cans and glass bottles (especially non-refillable ones) and paper and/or plastics packaging materials are representative characteristics of intense tourist activities and greenhouses operation in the area. This double impact phenomenon (quantity and quality) was named tourism effect and green effect (Figs. 3 and 8). This relationship is a peculiarity of tourist regions and as a result, solid waste authorities have to consider it in Integrated Solid Waste Management Planning. Of course, tourism and greenhouses are not just a Greek problem, but they are an international one, too. There are still a lot of illegal dumping sites in Greece and Europe, and therefore this methodology and the results of this study are a valuable tool to every solid waste manager.

12 12 E. Gidarakos et al. / Waste Management xxx (2005) xxx xxx Comparing the MSW composition data from the present study with other regionsõ data, various MSW composition changes can be identified. Putrescibles concentration decreased and papers plastics concentration increased during the last decade. Moreover, composition data shows a difference between various regions in Greece (rural and urban). In addition, there is a disparity between MSW composition in the region of Crete ( ) and MSW composition suggested in the National Solid Waste Planning (2000). This is observed not only in the putrescibles and plastics fractions, but also in materials that seem to have an important seasonal variation in the region of Crete (e.g., glass). Hence, MSW composition data of National Solid Waste Planning cannot be applied in the region of Crete or in other regions with similar characteristics to Crete. This study is the first integrated study in Greece, conducted in such a great number of final disposal sites. Moreover, it was conducted at various types of final disposal sites (sanitary or not) and transfer stations, so that this study can be utilized in other areas nationally or internationally. In order to accommodate this study, weigh-bridges have to be installed and used at every final disposal site, so that there is a continuous data logging of waste quantities produced. The present study is the first step towards an Integrated Solid Waste Database for the region of Crete. Acknowledgement The financial support of the United Association of Waste Management of Crete (E.S.D.A.K.) is greatly acknowledged. References East Crete Development Association (OANAK), Paraskevopoulos Georgiades Ltd., Integrated Solid Waste Management Planning in the Region of Crete. Regional Corporate Planning of Crete , October EEC, Council Directive on Waste, No. 75/442/EEC, July EPA, RCRA Waste Sampling Draft Technical Guidance Planning, Implementation, and Assessment, EPA530-d , August Available from: < Koufodimos, G., Samaras, Z., Waste management options in southern Europe using field and experimental data. Waste Management 22, Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand, Solid Waste Analysis Protocol, ISBN , March Available from: < National Solid Waste Planning, Completion and particularization of Common Ministerial Act //1944/1997: National Solid Waste Planning, June Papachristou, E., Chatziaggelou, H., Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste of Rhodes, AUTH. Papachristou, E., Ntarakas, E., Mpellou, A., Sfetkos. Ioannidou, Alivanis, K., Petridis, G., Savvidis, I., Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste of Thessalonica. In: Proceedings, 1st Congress of Hellenic Solid Waste Management Association, Athens, 28/2/2002 2/3/2002. Parisakis, G., Skordilis, A., Andrianopoulos, A., Lolos, C., Andrianopoulos, J., Tsompanidis, X., Lolos, G., Qualitative and quantitative estimation of domestic waste of Chania. NTUA Laboratory of Analytic and Inorganic Chemistry, Athens Parisakis, G., Skordilis, A., Andrianopoulos, A., Lolos, C., Andrianopoulos, J., Tsompanidis, X., Lolos, G., Qualitative and quantitative estimation of domestic waste of the Island of Kos. NTUA Laboratory of Analytic and Inorganic Chemistry, Athens Parisakis, G., Skordilis, A., Andrianopoulos, A., Lolos, C., Andrianopoulos, J., Tsompanidis, X., Lolos, G., Physicochemical characterisation of municipal solid waste of Kalamata. Estimation in regard to compost production potential. NTUA Laboratory of Analytic and Inorganic Chemistry, Athens PERPA, Domestic waste composition study with statistically admissible methods in the wider Athens region. ESDKNA, Athens Technical Chamber of Greece, Solid Waste Management Study, Athens United States, Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Investigations Standard Operating Procedures and Quality Assurance Manual, November United States, Environmental Protection Agency, 2002 Office of Solid Waste, Decision-Makers Guide to Solid Waste Management, Volume II, (EPA /530-R ), August 2002.