Hazardous and industrial waste composition and associated management activities in Caspian industrial park, Iran

- Metals, organic waste, and paper and cardboard constituted 80.9% of the total waste.
- Other components were responsible for only 19.1% of total waste.
- The majority of wastes came from metallic industries and food and beverage industries.
- Total hazardous waste accounted for nearly 6.85% of the total waste.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the waste composition and related management practices in Caspian industrial park. In the first step, all the industrial processes, the types and quantities of products, waste generation, management activities and other general data were obtained by means of a structured questionnaire. In the next step, a total number of 20 industries were selected and their wastes were manually sorted and then weighed to determine physical composition of the waste generated. In addition, detailed information about the waste in all industries was identified through interviews and observations. Based on the results, total generation rate of waste in Caspian industrial park was 3890.4 kg/day. Metals, organic waste and paper and cardboard constituted about 80.9% of total waste generated. On the other hand, all other components were responsible for only 19.1% of the waste. It was also indicated that the majority of industrial wastes came from metallic industries (31.2%) and food and beverage industries (26.4%). In addition, total hazardous waste accounted for nearly 6.85% of total waste generated. In order for the best management of industrial wastes, it is very important to increase motivation for waste recycling and reusing among employees and managers.