Municipal solid waste treatment: the key to sustainable environmental management

8 November, 2024

Although there are several methods for the treatment of municipal solid waste, some stand out for their wide use and effectiveness. Contenedores Mata has almost 30 years of experience in the sector and is familiar with the main systems used worldwide. Incineration, controlled landfill, pyrolysis and biomethanization stand out.

One of the most popular systems is incineration, which consists of thermally burning the waste until it is transformed into gases or ashes. In northern European countries, where there are specialized plants, it is possible to obtain a large amount of energy from incinerated waste. However, in most countries, such as Spain, the most commonly used waste treatment system is controlled dumping in landfills. To avoid soil and water contamination, proper management and design of the landfill is essential, so it is common to use quarries or abandoned mines.

To achieve an effective treatment of solid waste, it is necessary to separate it properly in specific containers. In this way, discarded materials can be reused and benefits such as energy, fuels or fertilizers can be obtained. In short, the treatment of solid urban waste is not only important to minimize the environmental impact of the waste we generate every day, but also represents an opportunity to take advantage of the resources we can still obtain from it.