Effect of PET Bottle Compaction on the Saturation of the Waste Container

Abstract

Engineers and users are being pushed by environmental concerns to maximize efficiency while minimizing ecological damage. Waste collection vehicles require fossil fuels during their collection route, as well as when lifting and emptying the containers, even if the design of separate waste collection islands has focused on the idea of recycling. Even in a computer plan–assisted collection, saturated containers may have low waste density, meaning that a sizable portion of the container becomes unusable due to the shape of the waste. To maximize container utilization, this study will investigate the type and compaction potential of each container. The simulation study will provide an answer to the question of how the density of waste placed in the various containers changes as a result of compressing each bottle.
The research and development will optimize not only the saturation of the container but also the number of collection routes; in addition to the economic benefits, the environmental load will be reduced. The frequency of lifting and emptying the container will decrease, resulting in reduced maintenance and repair costs for the vehicle′s lifting system and container.
It is a misconception that compaction by hand in one place, throughout the diameter of the PET bottle, is the optimum way to increase the efficiency of waste collection. Based on the tests carried out in this paper, foot diameter compaction at full height is considered to be the most appropriate method after the use of a costly compactor.