An in-depth report on the development, advancement, and implementation of pneumatic waste collection systems and a proposed program for the practical evaluation of such a system in terms of waste disposal parameters, engineering design, and economic costs

Abstract

At the turn of the nineteenth century the collection and removal of most urban household waste materials was accomplished via local refuse disposal wagons. These refuse vehicles, sometimes referred to as honey wagons (I was not able to ascertain exactly why they were called honey wagons although it probably had something to do with the refuse carts' similar attraction of flies), would pick-up both a residence's solid and liquid waste, typically on either a weekly or monthly schedule. This practice continued, especially in Europe, until around the early 1920s when it became more and more common for urbanized areas to design and construct basic waste water collection systems. These sewage systems, using water as both the medium and mechanism for the waste transport, replaced the function of the refuse wagon, at least as far as liquid waste removal was concerned. .... And just what are the other alternatives to the aforementioned manual collection method? Several ideas and possibilities have been suggested including the conveyance of solid waste via hydraulics (similar to waste water), air-cushion and rubber-tired trolleys, as well as the use of underground conduits with magnetically transported gondolas. However, the one alternative that has shown the most promise and has actually been implemented at various sites throughout both Europe and the United States is the pneumatic waste transport system.