Energy and Material Recovery from Solid Waste Generated at Rumuokoro Market in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

This study presents the characterisation of solid waste from Rumuokoro market in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Exactly one-hundred-kilogram representative sample of the waste stream was characterized for a period of ten days into ten different components based on the organic and inorganic contents. The results of the study showed that plastic wastes constituted the highest proportion of 24.34 % and the second highest were food wastes (18.12 %). The other components were determined as paper (8.68 %), metals (8.61), glass (8.49 %), miscellaneous organics (8.17 %), textile (7.89 %), wood (6.89 %), leather (5.86 %) and tin cans (3.12 %). The energy content of the waste was estimated at 22.14MJ/Kg of solid waste, indicating that the waste could be a source of energy. However, due to environmental risks associated with the release of dioxins on combustion of plastics, the plastic wastes could be processed and used as damp proof membranes in the construction of buildings or as geo-membrane for landfill caps and bottom liners. This represents a sustainable approach of converting hazardous waste to saleable products.