Household hazardous waste quantification, characterization and management in China’s cities: A case study of Suzhou

• Published in: Waste management (Elmsford) Vol. 34; no. 11; pp. 2414 - 2423
• Main Authors: Gu, Binxian, Zhu, Weimo, Wang, Haikun, Zhang, Rongrong, Liu, Miaomiao, Chen, Yangqing, Wu, Yi, Yang, Xiayu, He, Sheng, Cheng, Rong, Yang, Jie, Bi, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Categories; Characteristics; China; Chinese city; Cities; Consumption; Driving forces; Exact sciences and technology; Hazardous Waste - analysis; Hazardous wastes; Household hazardous waste; Households; Other wastes and particular components of wastes; Pollution; Refuse Disposal; Regression; Residential; Seasons; Streams; Systematic tracking survey; Waste management; Waste Management - standards; Wastes; China; China, People's Rep., Jiangsu Prov., Suzhou; China, People's Rep; Driving forces; Systematic tracking survey; Chinese city; Household hazardous waste; Characteristics; Cosmetic; Factor analysis; Correlation analysis; Regression model; Solid waste; Packaging; Hazardous waste; Urban area
• ISSN: 0956-053X; 1879-2456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2014.06.002

•Systematic tracking survey of household hazardous waste was conducted in a Chinese city.•Uncertainties in the generation of household hazardous waste were analyzed.•Recommendations were made regarding the management of household hazardous waste in Chinese cities. A four-stage systematic tracking survey of 240 households was conducted from the summer of 2011 to the spring of 2012 in a Chinese city of Suzhou to determine the characteristics of household hazardous waste (HHW) generated by the city. Factor analysis and a regression model were used to study the major driving forces of HHW generation. The results indicate that the rate of HHW generation was 6.16 (0.16–31.74, 95% CI) g/person/day, which accounted for 2.23% of the household solid waste stream. The major waste categories contributing to total HHW were home cleaning products (21.33%), medicines (17.67%) and personal care products (15.19%). Packaging and containers (one-way) and products (single-use) accounted for over 80% of total HHW generation, implying a considerable potential to mitigate HHW generation by changing the packaging design and materials used by manufacturing enterprises. Strong correlations were observed between HHW generation (g/person/day) and the driving forces group of “household structure” and “consumer preferences” (among which the educational level of the household financial manager has the greatest impact). Furthermore, the HHW generation stream in Suzhou suggested the influence of another set of variables, such as local customs and culture, consumption patterns, and urban residential life-style. This study emphasizes that HHW should be categorized at its source (residential households) as an important step toward controlling the HHW hazards of Chinese cities.