The role and place of solid waste transfer station in the waste management system

The municipal waste is a waste type that includes predominantly household waste (domestic waste) with sometimes the addition of commercial wastes collected by a municipality within a given area. EU waste management principles were defined in the Waste Framework Directive 75/442/EEC. A transfer station is a building or processing site for the temporary deposition of waste. Transfer stations are often used as places where local waste collection vehicles will deposit their waste cargo prior to loading it into larger vehicles. The primary reason for using transfer station is to reduce the cost of transporting waste to disposal facilities. There are many countries in Europe using this solution in waste management system, for example: Germany, Belgium, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland. Waste transfer stations play there an important role in a community's total waste management system, serving as the link between a community's solid waste collection program and a final waste disposal facility. In Poland only several waste transfer stations exist, but none of them fulfils the role like this station located in EU or United States of America. This article includes characteristics and role of solid waste transfer stations (located mainly at rural area) in waste management systems