Physical characterization of municipal solid waste in different particle size fractions in the city of Tangier-Morocco: Effects of socio-economic status

The principal purpose of the study is to identify the differences in components in the Municipal Waste (MW) based on income levels and different particle sizes; MW survey goal is to propose future strategies for sustainable solid waste management. We performed physical characterization on wet waste generated in Tangier's city, following the MODECOM; Method of household waste recommended by the French Environmental Agency ADEME. The sampling protocol aims to separate three different size fractions, varying from 150 to 25 mm, and 13 categories of MW. Total waste weights of 400 kg were collected from containers of four habitat types spatially distributed at three different socioeconomic levels. The results indicate that the putrescible fraction represents the big part, about 53 percent, followed by the recoverable/recyclable fraction (Plastic, glass, paper/cardboard, and metals), about 23 percent. The installation of composting plants for the organic matter, and sorting centers for recycling activities are the most efficient segment of solid waste management solutions in the region.