Residential solid waste generation and classification study of ten headquarter cities of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan

Effective municipal solid waste collection and disposal system is not possible without reliable solid waste generation and classification data which varies significantly due to geographic factors, socio-economic status, waste collection system, seasonal variations, and people's behaviour. In this study, solid waste generation and classification survey have been carried out in ten headquarter cities of Azad Jammu & Kashmir districts in the summer of 2017. The sample size for the survey, i.e., the number of households to be selected was determined out using EPA Ireland's Municipal Waste Characterisation Procedures. Each city was further divided into three classes based on socio-economic conditions, namely high-, medium-, and low-income groups. During the survey, nearly 7 tons of residential waste were collected and segregated into different categories. The residential solid waste generation rate varied in the range of 0.170-0.367 kg/capita/day. The average solid waste generation rate for AJK is 0.282 kg/capita/day. The average classification of residential solid waste of AJK shows 62.04% as organic waste, 25.88% as combustible waste, and 24.08% as recyclable waste. The study also compares the solid waste generation rate of AJK, with similar studies.