Investigating the source separation rate of municipal solid waste and economical and social determinance in Iran (2017)

Background: Municipal solid waste is a serious environmental issue in human societies. The source separation is a necessity for efficient municipal waste management (MSW). Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the source separation rate of MSW in several Iranian cities, as well as to identify the determinance of the participation level in source separation. Methods: In this study, the source separation rate of waste in 12 cities of Iran was evaluated by information from waste management organizations and the economical and social determinance were reviewed. Data were analyzed by Excel. Findings: In some cities, despite the coverage of about 90% of the training plans, the rate of source separation of MSW was less than 40%, and the average of source separation for all studied cities was 13.46%. The value of dry solid waste in all studied cities was estimated 705,000 tons per year which about 610,000 tons are collected as the mix with other wastes. Awareness and education as the cultural factors and social trust, economic issues, and the continuity of the source separation plan as the social factors have been effective in people's participation in these projects.  Conclusion: Higher source separation rate in the wastes at the urban area requires consideration of all determinance in the planning and policy of WMS.