Abstract
The paper presents the results of a 1998 study of the solid waste generation within the greater Muscat City area. The recent data were compared with the available data from the last 10 years to assess the solid waste problems within the area. Five operating landfills were used as the data collection points. It appeared that through the last decade, the solid waste generation rate has increased sharply. However, the rate of waste production stabilized to 750 – 800 ton/day during the last three years of the 1990s. The rate amounts to 1.5 kg/person/day. Overall municipal waste volume decreased through the years while the amounts generated from private sources such as industries and commercial centers increased during the same period. This is due to the fact that the Sultanate of Oman is developing very fast with increasing industrial, commercial and residential activities. About 80 % of the solid wastes is organic materials. This amount is high when compared to figures found in western countries. The data indicate that about 40 percent of the solid wastes are composed of recoverable materials. The concerned authorities should encourage the growth of industries to be involved in recycling business. Such activities will reduce the solid waste discharge in landfills and increase nearly 1.6 folds the expected life of existing landfills. A survey of the operating landfills indicate that the operational efficiency may be substantially improved by incorporating measures that deal with problems of gas production and leachate movements. The paper includes a detailed discussion of the problem and makes recommendations for possible future actions.