Waste Assessments & Characterization

Reliable waste data is the foundation of any successful waste management or thermal treatment project. EWS helps clients understand what waste is being generated, in what quantities, how it varies over time, and how its characteristics affect technology selection, system sizing, operating requirements and project economics.

Our work can range from a review of existing waste records and studies to field-based waste audits, sampling and characterization programs. The level of effort is tailored to the stage of the project and the quality of information already available.

For thermal treatment projects, the objective is not simply to determine how much waste exists. It is to understand the feedstock the treatment system will have to manage.

Typical applications: remote communities, mines, industrial facilities, military installations, municipal systems and new waste infrastructure projects.

Waste assessment services may include:

• Review of existing waste generation records, manifests and previous studies
• Field waste audits, sorting, sampling and characterization
• Waste composition and quantity analysis
• Seasonal and operational variability assessment
• Moisture content and heating value analysis
• Identification of problematic or special waste streams
• Assessment of waste suitability for incineration or waste-to-energy
• Confirmation of required treatment capacity and burn rate
• Evaluation of changes in feedstock and their impact on system performance
• Development of waste data for feasibility studies, permitting, procurement or design