Technical Guidelines Design, Construction and Operation of Physical-Chemical Treatment Facilities

​1.1        Purpose

This Technical Guideline (TG) has been developed to provide a range of options and guidance on the selection of the best appropriate techniques and practices related to physical-chemical treatment of waste based on local KSA economic, environmental, and social context. For the selection of the best option, the following criteria are taken into consideration:

• - Minimum operational and capital cost;

• - Sustainability of operations;

• - Technical feasibility; 

• - Circularity; 

• - Environmental Impacts & Risks; and

• - Compliance with the new Waste Management (WM) Law and its Regulations.

This document is intended to provide technical guidance to all stakeholders with respect to physical – chemical treatment activities of waste. Activities include but are not limited to:

• - Design, construction, and operation of treatment facilities;

• - Environmental pollution prevention, reduction, and control measures;

• - Design and implementation of environmental monitoring program; and

• - Proper management of by-products and waste streams produced.

1.2        Scope

Efficient and proper waste management is an essential part of the transition to a circular economy and is based on the "waste hierarchy" which sets the following priority order: prevention, (preparing for) reuse, recycling, recovery and, as the least preferred option, disposal. However, secondary products are inherent to any industrial process and normally cannot be avoided. In addition, the use of products by society leads to residues. In many cases, these types of materials (both secondary products and residues) cannot be reused by other means and may become unmarketable. These materials are typically considered for further treatment. In this document, the basic reasons for treating waste are:

• - To reduce the hazardous nature of the waste;

• - To recover inherent resources and material;

• - To reduce the amount of waste which has to be finally sent for disposal; and

• - To transform the waste into a useful material.

This guidance document covers the physical and chemical treatment of waste. Due to the nature of physical and chemical processes, it is mainly applied to the following categories of waste:

• - Solid and/or pasty waste;

• - Waste oil;

• - Pollution abatement components;

• - Flue-gas treatment (FGT) residues;

• - Spent solvents;

• - Excavated contaminated soil;

• - Water-based liquid waste; and

• - Waste containing Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) or mercury and of other waste.

Wastewater, radioactive, nuclear, or military wastes are not included in the scope of the mandate of the National Center for Waste Management (MWAN) and accordingly, are also not included in the scope of this document.​

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