Study on the Gonabad solid waste properties, Iran

Municipal solid waste (MSW) has been one of the most important environmental issue for all regions in Iran. This study is conducted in a period of 12 months from the beginning of 2013 on wastes of Gonabad by random sampling; one sample was taken in each month according to the standard instruction and physical analysis. The results showed that, on average of 332.5 tons of waste is generated daily in the city of Gonabad of which 75.5% is corruptible, 11.04% is plastic, 4.47% are papers and cartons, 2.71% is glass, 3.22% is fabric, 1.28% are metals, 0.57% is soil, 0.66% is wood and 0.55% are other things. Also, the average per capita of daily waste generation in the city of Gonabad is 588.75 g per person per day and the average of waste density in transport station is 163.33 kg/m3. According to the results, it follows that in addition to reduce the costs and environmental pollution, we can provide income and employment opportunities in the region through the source separation program and implementation of recycling industry in Gonabad. KEY WORDS: Solid waste, Waste management, Qualitative and Quantitative, Gonabad