Characteristics and Composition Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste in Jalingo, Taraba State of Nigeria

In Jalingo, Nigeria, municipal solid waste is currently disposed of in unmanaged open dumpsites. These sites pose significant environmental and health risks due to odor, smoke, and greenhouse gas emissions. To address these issues and inform the design of a more effective waste management system, this study was conducted to analyze the characteristics and composition of the city's municipal solid waste. A random sampling method based on the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards was used to collect and analyze waste from Mile Six and Pantinapu dumpsites. The analysis included determining the waste's composition and conducting a proximate analysis to measure moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, and fixed carbon. The study revealed that the largest components of the waste were: Plastics: 29.67% to 34.67%, Agricultural waste: 28.00% to 29.00%, Paper/cardboards: 9.88% to 11.93%, Textiles: 4.04% to 9.20% and Food waste: 5.66% to 6.00%. The smallest components were glass (0.90% to 1.30%) and metals (0.42% to 1.11%). This study shows that the municipal solid waste has a significant energy potential. The heat values ranged from 6.3236 MJ/kg to 6.6758 MJ/kg, suggesting that a waste-to-energy plan, such as incineration for electricity generation, is a feasible and viable option.