In this paper we applied two instruments:Waste Prognostic Tool
and Minitab software in order to investigate and predict solid waste
generation in Iasi, Romania. The following conclusions can be
drawn:
- the prediction with Waste Prognosis Tool showed a slight
decrease in the amount of biodegradable waste generated for
2012e2030 period of time, but this will continue to be the
highest percentage fraction of the total municipal waste
generated, followed by paper and cardboard, and plastics;
- Minitab is more adequate for prediction, more complex, and also
showing the data and plots in a much better view and correlation
compared with Waste Prognostic Tool, which is a software
special created for waste forecasting with variables already
predetermined;
- the regression analysis can be successfully applied to determine
the changes of response variable when a predictor variable
changes;
- the variables population aged 15 to 59 years and total municipal
solid waste are significant factors for the analysis and strongly
influences thewaste generation, while number of population and
urban life expectancy are less significant;
- time series analysis is a technique which can be successfully
applied for waste prognostic and in our case the S-Curve trend
model is the most suitable for municipal solid waste prediction
for total waste and for each waste fraction evaluated.
Since in this study we have conducted the RA considering social
variables, in the following studies we will also consider economic
indicators as variables which will replace the urban life expectancy
variable that proved to have less influence on waste generation
with gross domestic product per capita or other economic indicator.
Also, models like ANN or ARIMA will be applied for municipal solid
waste prediction in the next studies, in order to make a comparison
of these tools and recommend the best one for decision makers.