Waste Mechanics Research Needs

Municipal solid waste became a target of engineering studies merely a few decades ago when the size of cities became large and the amount of waste increased due to goods-consuming life styles. Most studies so far have addressed environmental issues so that ground water may be protected from pollution and odor as well as insects may be reduced. In this paper, the author would like to state that there are different problems concerning municipal solid waste that should be solved from a mechanical perspective. The first problem is a collapse of waste landfill that is triggered by heavy rainfalls. The collapse may kill people who are living nearby and hence there is a need to mitigate this waste hazard. This problem is particularly important in mega cities of developing countries where the population is increasing rapidly and efforts for mitigation are not adequate. The second problem is the reuse of closed landfill areas. This idea comes from the situation in Tokyo, particularly, that lacks space resource for future development.