2014 Volume 25 Issue 3 Pages 165-172
Although personal care items such as cosmetics and medical products are becoming necessities for human life there is not much information regarding how to dispose of the used items. In this study, we made two investigations : (1) studied the current situation regarding the production of personal care items and (2) researched carbon and nitrogen loads eluded from personal care items and bottles collected from municipal incombustible waste streams.
The first investigation showed that the amount of personal care items in circulation was not affected by a change in economic conditions. In addition, it was revealed that the waste amount ratio for personal care items was less than 10 % of the total waste amount. The second investigation showed that the carbon and nitrogen loads for personal care items was higher than that of incineration ash and incombustible waste residue. In order to decrease environmental loads at landfills, it was found that removal of personal care items from their bottles is the recommended treatment process.
