Multi-sector evaluation of generation, composition and sustainable treatment systems for commercial waste streams in India

India is currently facing fundamental challenges in managing rising amounts of solid waste, in which the growing commercial sector accounts for a large proportion. Development and implementation of sustainable waste management systems require a profound understanding on commercial waste generation and composition characteristics. In this article, solid waste generated from three different commercial establishment areas and scales were investigated, characterised and analysed based on the number of employees in South India. Each commercial waste stream was further stratified into different waste generator types. The multi-sectoral commercial waste analysis results showed that organic waste share ranges from 4.9 to 60.4 wt% for different establishment sizes and types. A noticeable amount of 30.2–55.8 wt% sanitary and biomedical wastes were identified in IT & offices establishments. Through an analysis of 195 companies, mixed waste generation per employee (E) were obtained as 114.8, 180.4, 322.7 and 1537.0 g E⁻¹d⁻¹ for education facilities, IT and offices, manufacturing companies and hotels and restaurants, respectively. The chemical analysis showed that mixed waste of medium and large establishments does not comply with the existing Indian composting requirements. However, commercial waste above a particle size of d > 60 mm complies with the proposed quality guidelines for Indian refuse-derived fuel.