TRANSFER AND

TRANSPORT OF
SOLID WASTE
(DATA COMPILED FROM RECOMMENDED BOOKS AND VARIOUS ONLINE RESOURCES – PLAGIARISM DO NOT APPLY)

BS 8 TH SEMESTER
TRANSFER AND
TRANSPORT
Transfer and transport refers to the means, facilities and
appurtenances used to affect the transfer of waste from one
location to another (usually to more distant location).
Typically, the waste from relatively small collection vehicle is
transferred to larger vehicle and is transported to distant
location for safe disposal or further processing.
TRANSFER STATION
Solid waste collection zone expands with the spread of the
urban population.
• produces the problem in collection of the solid waste from the
scattered households and colonies.
• addressed through setting up a waste transfer station, where
collected waste from the small and medium sized vehicles is
transferred to large containers.

Transfer station reduces the fuel consumption per unit

volume of the solid waste and improves the transportation
efficiency.
The transfer may occur in any of following ways:
(1) directly from smaller vehicle to larger vehicles,
(2) transferring waste dumped by small vehicles on open
space,
(3) transferring waste through infrastructure accompanied by
some removal, separation, compaction, shredding etc.
*Transfer station should not be mixed with citizen‘s
communal containers.
Communal container means a container in which all the
adjoining houses has a right to dispose waste.
• It is specially designed for the exclusive use of the residents
of the specific area and it should not be used for industrial or
commercial vehicles.
NEED OF A TRANSFER
STATION
The decision to establish a transfer station is based on
economics. When the haul distances increase, it becomes
uneconomical to transport waste by the collection vehicles
which are necessarily small capacity and have mechanisms to
pick-up waste.
In case of long haul, their collection mechanism remains idle for
long time, which is uneconomical too.
Besides this, the transfer stations are required when waste
disposal or processing facilities are not directly accessible.
• For example, transportation of waste from Islands is not possible
through conventional highway transportation.
• Alternate means, like ocean-going barges are required to
transport the wastes to the processing facilities or disposal sites.
While planning to construct a transfer station, hauling cost
must be compared with the cost of transfer station in order to
establish a relationship for breakeven analysis.
Based on the routing scheme, if the one way hauling
distance from the last collection point to the waste
processing or disposal facility is short, transfer station will
not be required.
If the processing or disposal facility if far away from the last
collection point, transfer station will be required.
In congested areas of the cities, like the walled city in Lahore
and similar other areas, small capacity vehicles like donkey
carts, tri-wheelers etc., are used for collection of solid waste
as shown in the Figure (next slide):
Such vehicles cannot go to distant disposal sites for
unloading. Transfer stations are to be provided near the
service areas in such cases.
Transfer stations are also required when waste processing
and disposal facilities are located in remote areas and are not
directly accessible though highways.
• As a rule of thumb the transfer station would be feasible if
landfill or waste processing facility is 20-30 miles or more
(one-way) (Beck, 2010).
Transfer of waste components is an integral part of the
operation of a material recovery facility (MRF). In an MRF
great reduction of the final disposable waste takes place.
Thus, if MRF facility is provided then transfer station tend to
be needed.
EXERCISE
Determine the break-even time for a hauled container system
and a stationary container system as compared to a system
using transfer and transport operations, when the following
data are applicable;
1. Transportation cost:
a) HCS using a hoist truck with 8-m3 container = Rs. 8/-hr.
b) SCS using 20-m3 compactor = Rs. 12/hr.
c) Tractor-trailer transport unit 120-m3 capacity = Rs. 16/hr.
2. Transfer station cost:
Amortization and operation Costs = Rs. 0.35/m3
TYPES OF TRANSFER
STATIONS
Based on the mode used to load the transport vehicles,
transfer stations are classified into three general types:
a) Direct discharge
b) Storage discharge
c) Combination of direct and storage discharge types.
DIRECT DISCHARGE
TRANSFER STATION
In this type of transfer station, the waste in the
collection vehicles is emptied directly into the
large transport vehicles as shown in Figure.
DIRECT DISCHARGE
TRANSFER STATION
Sufficient number of transport trailers are available, So that
the collection vehicles have not to wait for longer durations
for unloading.
Used when waste is not need to be sorted at transfer station.
STORAGE DISCHARGE
TRANSFER STATION
In storage discharge transfer station waste collection
vehicles unload into a storage pit, from where the wastes are
loaded into transport vehicles by various types of auxiliary
equipment.
The storage capacity varies between 1 to 3 days.
MRF can be established at storage discharge transfer station.
COMBINED TRANSFER
STATION
These are multipurpose facilities that serve a broader range
of users.
The wastes which require segregation will be deposited at
storage discharge transfer facility and the wastes not
requiring salvage can be served at the direct discharge
section.
TRANSPORTATION OF
WASTE
All types of motor vehicles to be used to transport solid
wastes should satisfy the following requirements.
i) Minimum hauling costs.
ii) Covering of wastes during haulage.
iii) Designed according to highway traffic rules.
iv) Allowable volume and weight limits not to be exceeded.
v) Unloading methods should be simple and dependable.
TYPES OF
TRANSPORTATION
VEHICLES
a) Trucks (compactor, dumper, etc).
b) Truck-trailer combination.
c) Tractor semi-trailer combination.
d) Tractor semi-trailer - pull trailer combinatio
MEANS FOR
TRANSPORTATION OF
MSW
Railway
For transporting the solid wastes to remote landfill sites, use
of railways is ideally suitable, where such facility exists.
Rail transfer stations are complicated due to huge capital
requirements for the construction of rail lines, installation of
equipment to remove or replace rail roof for loading and
unloading of the solid wastes.
Water Navigation
In England, Japan and
Malaysia, barges are
used to transport
wastes for Islands.
METHODS USED TO
UNLOAD WASTE
CONTAINERS
One of the following methods could be used for unloading of
the transfer vehicles or containers at the transfer station,
landfill or waste processing facility;
a) Live bottom or walking floor
b) Push blade
c) Drag chain
d) Tipper
A) LIVE BOTTOM OR
WALKING FLOOR
The longitudinal
floor of the
transfer vehicles
is vibrated back
and forth.
This movement
pushes the solid
waste out of the
transfer vehicle or
the bottom
surface of the
vehicle is
B) PUSH BLADE
A telescoping rod
connected with
the blade, pushes
the solid waste
from the front of
the containers
toward back
similar to the
compactors.
C) DRAG CHAIN
Some transfer
vehicles are
equipped with
chains on
sprockets that
can extend from
the front of the
vehicles to the
rear and through
pulling the chain,
the solid waste is
dragged out of
D) TIPPER
Some transfer
vehicles are not
equipped with any
unloading
mechanism.
At the unloading
site, the transfer
vehicles is simply
lifted at an angle
causing the door
to open and solid
waste to slide out.
LOCATION OF
TRANSFER STATIONS
Whenever possible, transfer stations should be located:
a. As near as possible to the weighted center of the
individual solid waste production areas to be served,
b. Within easy access of major arterial highway routes as
well as near secondary or supplemental means of
transportation,
c. Where there will be a minimum of public and
environmental objection to the transfer operations, and
d. Where construction and operation will be most
economical.