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How is municipal waste handled?
How is municipal waste handled?
Municipal waste disposal is a core component of modern urban management, aiming to minimize environmental pollution while maximizing resource recycling. According to current waste management regulations, mixed waste in residual waste bins undergoes a systematic processing process—from sorting and recycling, pollutant separation, to final energy conversion. Each step must strictly adhere to regulatory requirements to achieve the principles of “reduction, resource utilization, and harmlessness.”
The waste in residual waste bins is typically the mixed waste remaining after initial sorting, but it still contains a significant amount of recyclable materials (such as plastics, paper, and cardboard). Processing companies’ primary task is to meticulously sort these materials according to local regulations and industry standards. For example, clean plastic bottles (such as PET) and uncontaminated paper and cardboard can be separated through mechanical or manual sorting and directly fed into the recycling system. After cleaning, shredding, melting, and other processes, these materials can be remade into packaging containers, building materials, or industrial raw materials, reducing reliance on virgin resources.
Mixed waste often contains non-recyclable contaminants (such as plastic film contaminated with food residue, oily paper towels, and metal-plastic composites). These foreign materials can reduce the quality of recycled materials and even render entire batches of recyclables useless. Therefore, the processing requires precise removal of contaminants through automated sorting equipment (such as near-infrared spectroscopy to identify plastic types and magnetic separators to extract metals) and manual verification. For example, contaminated paper may be unusable for papermaking due to damaged fibers and must be diverted to other processing stages. Electronic products or composite materials made of mixed materials are often classified as non-recyclable due to the high cost of separation.
After sorting and purification, the remaining non-recyclable waste (such as broken ceramics, heavily contaminated film, and mixed organic matter) is processed for energy recovery. This waste is typically sent to an incinerator, where high-temperature combustion converts the organic components into heat, which in turn drives generators to produce electricity or heat. Modern incineration technology, equipped with advanced pollution control equipment (such as flue gas purification systems and waste heat recovery devices), can effectively reduce emissions of harmful substances such as dioxins and nitrogen oxides, while also reducing waste volume by over 90%, significantly reducing landfill demand. Some cities also reuse incineration slag, processing it into roadbed materials or construction materials, further transforming waste into treasure.
Municipal waste is not simply waste but a misplaced resource. Through the coordinated operation of classified recycling, pollutant separation, and energy-based processing, the value of residual waste is gradually unlocked: recyclables are returned to the production chain, energy is efficiently converted, and residual waste is scientifically reduced and rendered harmless. This process not only alleviates landfill pressure and reduces carbon emissions, but also provides critical support for sustainable urban development. In the future, with increasingly refined classification and technological advancements, waste management will further advance towards the goal of “zero waste.”
We are a manufacturer of solid waste disposal machines, including urban waste shredder, double-shaft shredders, single-shaft shredders, sorting machines, metal crushers, and RDF machines.