Characteristics of Treated Waste from European and Southeast Asian Cities

The three countries (Luxembourg, Germany and Thailand) were chosen for this comparative study due to their unique MBT implementation. An analysis of MBT samples after the pretreatment process was carried out in order to define and compare their physical and chemical parameters and their geotechnical properties. The particle size of MBT waste is visibly smaller than untreated waste. Biodegradable material increases with decreasing particle sizes. Characteristics such as are significantly reduced water content, total organic carbon and potential heavy metals. The geotechnical results of the small fraction are improved to be highly compact, low permeability and highly water absorbent material. Within this analysis, different factors are characterized with regards to their (1) application of policy and past experiences, (2) their objectives in reduction of the overall amount of waste and enhancement of waste recovery, (3) funds, (4) effectiveness, (5) skills and cultures.