Technical Drawings – Low-Cost Waste Incinerator Overview

The low-cost waste incinerator (LCI) is a cheap and basic structure which deals with domestic waste. It consists of an inner refractory incinerator surrounded by an outer protective wall made and is made from standard cement blocks, bricks and steel. These drawings give an overview of the various components. More detailed drawings are in other documents. Incineration is the process of waste treatment through the combustion of substances from waste materials. It is also known as thermal treatment due to the use of heat in the process. It involves the conversion of waste material into gas and heat. The heat generated through the incineration process can be used for generating electric power. The document contains a guide for the construction of a low-cost incinerator that can be very beneficial for the waste management solution in developing countries around the world. Waste is often subjected to a comprehensive waste management activity at the primary collection stage providing a source of income for many people. It takes the form of picking or scavenging waste for materials that have value either for reuse or for recycling into other products. Typical scavenged materials include glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, rags, gunny bags, and scrap metals. The introduction of an incinerator has to bring benefits to those who were most affected by it, both environmental and social, and avoid adverse impacts. Many developing countries will already have a waste management system which may be formal (provided by or on behalf of the local government), informal or a mix of both. Introducing incineration may raise issues for people deriving a living from the existing waste management system especially in the informal sector, which may be the primary or only source of income for many people. If low-cost incinerators are to be successful in the long term, then it is essential that any country that is installing them should have the capacity to build and operate them efficiently and effectively to minimise environmental impact and to ensure operator safety. The industrial base of the country is crucial for incinerators to operate as it is from the industrial sectors that the skills needed to build an incinerator can be obtained. The level of skills already available will be determined by whether the industry is formal or informal and the range of established sectors.