Recycling of municipal solid waste in the State of Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is located at the northwestern (NW) corner of the Arabian Gulf and occupies an area of about 18 000 km(2) with a population of over 2 million and an annual growth rate of 4.7%. The amounts and composition of solid waste generated usually change from country to country and from one residential area to another. Currently, the total quantities of different solid wastes generated in the State of Kuwait are estimated at more than 4 million tons. About 1 million tons per year (representing 25% of the total) are household solid wastes (HHSW) generated in the residential areas, with a per capita rate of about 1.7 kg/day. The average of typical composition (% by weight) consisted of 51.1% food, 18.6% paper and cardboard, 5% wood, 13.4% plastics, 4.5% glass, 5% metals, and 2.4% others. Moisture content was estimated at about 40-45% by weight and the average density of such wastes is 590 kg/m(3). The main disposal system commonly practiced in Kuwait is dumping sites. Kuwait has limited land and resources; it needs to find more effective methods for disposing of its waste. The conventional method includes recycling of different ingredient, paper, metals, glasses, plastics, etc. This study aims at explaining the composition of generation rates of HHSW and commercial solid waste (CSW) in the State of Kuwait and information about the experience of Kuwait in the field of recycling of paper, glass, plastics, metals and scraps, used oil, and batteries, etc.