Waste - Landfill

Title

Solid waste management in European countries: A review of systems analysis techniques

Reference

Journal of Environmental Management
Volume 92, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 1033-1050

Author(s)

Ana Pires, Graça Martinho and Ni-Bin Chang

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

In the past few decades, solid waste management systems in Europe have involved complex and multi-faceted trade-offs among a plethora of technological alternatives, economic instruments, and regulatory frameworks. These changes resulted in various environmental, economic, social, and regulatory impacts in waste management practices which not only complicate regional policy analysis, but also reshape the paradigm of global sustainable development. Systems analysis, a discipline that harmonizes these integrated solid waste management strategies, has been uniquely providing interdisciplinary support for decision making in this area. Systems engineering models and system assessment tools, both of which enrich the analytical framework of waste management, were designed specifically to handle particular types of problems. Though how to smooth out the barriers toward achieving appropriate systems synthesis and integration of these models and tools to aid in the solid waste management schemes prevalent in European countries still remains somewhat uncertain. This paper conducts a thorough literature review of models and tools illuminating possible overlapped boundaries in waste management practices in European countries and encompassing the pros and cons of waste management practices in each member state of the European Union. Whereas the Southern European Union (EU) countries need to develop further measures to implement more integrated solid waste management and reach EU directives, the Central EU countries need models and tools with which to rationalize their technological choices and management strategies. Nevertheless, considering systems analysis models and tools in a synergistic way would certainly provide opportunities to develop better solid waste management strategies leading to conformity with current standards and foster future perspectives for both the waste management industry and government agencies in European Union.

Policy theme(s)

Waste >> Waste management >> Landfill
Waste >> Waste management >> Recycling

Keywords

Solid waste management, Systems analysis, Integrated solid waste management, Sustainability

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479710004275
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

alp11931@fct.unl.pt

Title

Solid waste management in European countries: A review of systems analysis techniques

Reference

Journal of Environmental Management
Volume 92, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 1033-1050

Author(s)

Ana Pires, Graça Martinho and Ni-Bin Chang

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

In the past few decades, solid waste management systems in Europe have involved complex and multi-faceted trade-offs among a plethora of technological alternatives, economic instruments, and regulatory frameworks. These changes resulted in various environmental, economic, social, and regulatory impacts in waste management practices which not only complicate regional policy analysis, but also reshape the paradigm of global sustainable development. Systems analysis, a discipline that harmonizes these integrated solid waste management strategies, has been uniquely providing interdisciplinary support for decision making in this area. Systems engineering models and system assessment tools, both of which enrich the analytical framework of waste management, were designed specifically to handle particular types of problems. Though how to smooth out the barriers toward achieving appropriate systems synthesis and integration of these models and tools to aid in the solid waste management schemes prevalent in European countries still remains somewhat uncertain. This paper conducts a thorough literature review of models and tools illuminating possible overlapped boundaries in waste management practices in European countries and encompassing the pros and cons of waste management practices in each member state of the European Union. Whereas the Southern European Union (EU) countries need to develop further measures to implement more integrated solid waste management and reach EU directives, the Central EU countries need models and tools with which to rationalize their technological choices and management strategies. Nevertheless, considering systems analysis models and tools in a synergistic way would certainly provide opportunities to develop better solid waste management strategies leading to conformity with current standards and foster future perspectives for both the waste management industry and government agencies in European Union.

Policy theme(s)

Waste >> Waste management >> Landfill
Waste >> Waste management >> Recycling

Keywords

Solid waste management, Systems analysis, Integrated solid waste management, Sustainability

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479710004275
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

alp11931@fct.unl.pt

Title

Migration behavior of landfill leachate contaminants through alternative composite liners

Reference

Science of The Total Environment
Volume 409, Issue 17, 1 August 2011, Pages 3183-3196

Author(s)

Gamze Varank, Ahmet Demir, Selin Top, Elif Sekman, Ebru Akkaya, Kaan Yetilmezsoy and M. Sinan Bilgili

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Four identical pilot-scale landfill reactors with different alternative composite liners were simultaneously operated for a period of about 540 days to investigate and to simulate the migration behaviors of phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-CP, 2-MP, 3-MP, 4-MP, 2-NP, 4-NP, 2,4-DNP, 2,4-DCP, 2,6-DCP, 2,4,5-TCP, 2,4,6-TCP, 2,3,4,6-TeCP, PCP) and heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Ni) from landfill leachate to the groundwater. Alternative landfill liners of four reactors consist of R1: Compacted clay liner (10 cm + 10 cm, k = 10-8 m/sn), R2: Geomembrane (2 mm HDPE) + compacted clay liner (10 cm + 10 cm, k = 10-8 m/sn), R3: Geomembrane (2 mm HDPE) + compacted clay liner (10 cm, k = 10-8 m/sn) + bentonite liner (2 cm) + compacted clay liner (10 cm, k = 10-8 m/sn), and R4: Geomembrane (2 mm HDPE) + compacted clay liner (10 cm, k = 10-8 m/sn) + zeolite liner (2 cm) + compacted clay liner (10 cm, k = 10-8 m/sn). Wastes representing Istanbul municipal solid wastes were disposed in the reactors. To represent bioreactor landfills, reactors were operated by leachate recirculation. To monitor and control anaerobic degradation in the reactors, variations of conventional parameters (pH, alkalinity, chloride, conductivity, COD, TOC, TKN, ammonia and alcaly metals) were also investigated in landfill leachate samples. The results of this study showed that about 35-50% of migration of organic contaminants (phenolic compounds) and 55-100% of migration of inorganic contaminants (heavy metals) to the model groundwater could be effectively reduced with the use of bentonite and zeolite materials in landfill liner systems. Although leachate contaminants can reach to the groundwater in trace concentrations, findings of this study concluded that the release of these compounds from landfill leachate to the groundwater may potentially be of an important environmental concern based on the experimental findings.

Policy theme(s)

Waste >> Waste management >> Landfill

Keywords

Landfill leachate, Contaminant transport, Phenolic compounds, Heavy metals, Zeolite, Bentonite

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969711004323
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Contact the study author at:

gvarank@yildiz.edu.tr

Title

Future landfill emissions and the effect of final cover installation - A case study

Reference

Waste Management
Volume 31, Issue 7, July 2011, Pages 1522-1531

Author(s)

David Laner , Johann Fellner and Paul H. Brunner

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are potential long-term sources of emissions. Hence, they need to be managed after closure until they do not pose a threat to humans or the environment. The case study on the Breitenau MSW landfill was performed to evaluate future emission levels for this site and to illustrate the effect of final cover installation with respect to long-term environmental risks. The methodology was based on a comprehensive assessment of the state of the landfill and included analysis of monitoring data, investigations of landfilled waste, and an evaluation of containment systems. A model to estimate future emission levels was established and site-specific predictions of leachate emissions were presented based on scenario analysis. The results are used to evaluate the future pollution potential of the landfill and to compare different aftercare concepts in view of long-term emissions. As some leachable substances became available for water flow during cover construction due to a change in the water flow pattern of the waste, a substantial increase in leachate concentrations could be observed at the site (e.g. concentrations of chloride increased from 200 to 800 mg/l and of ammonia-nitrogen from 140 to about 500 mg/l). A period of intensive flushing before the final cover installation could have reduced the amount of leachable substances within the landfill body and rapidly decreased the leachate concentrations to 11 mg Cl/l and 79 mg NH4-N/l within 50 years. Contrarily, the minimization of water infiltration is associated with leachate concentrations in a high range for centuries (above 400 mg Cl/l and 200 mg NH4–N/l) with low concomitant annual emission loads (below 12 kg/year of Cl or 9 kg/year of NH4-N, respectively). However, an expected gradual decrease of barrier efficiency over time would be associated with higher emission loads of 50 kg of chloride and 30 kg of ammonia–nitrogen at the maximum, but a faster decrease of leachate concentration levels.

Policy theme(s)

Waste >> Waste management >> Landfill

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X11001073
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Contact the study author at:

d.laner@iwa.tuwien.ac.at

Title

Is Biodegradability a Desirable Attribute for Discarded Solid Waste? Perspectives from a National Landfill Greenhouse Gas Inventory Model

Reference

Environmental Science & Technology, 2011; : 110527020106046
DOI: 10.1021/es200721s

Author(s)

W. Levis, Morton A. Barlaz.

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the use of biodegradable materials because they are believed to be 'greener'. In a landfill, these materials degrade anaerobically to form methane and carbon dioxide. The fraction of the methane that is collected can be utilized as an energy source and the fraction of the biogenic carbon that does not decompose is stored in the landfill. A landfill life-cycle model was developed to represent the behavior of MSW components and new materials disposed in a landfill representative of the U.S. average with respect to gas collection and utilization over a range of environmental conditions (i.e., arid, moderate wet, and bioreactor). The behavior of materials that biodegrade at relatively fast (food waste), medium (biodegradable polymer) and slow (newsprint and office paper) rates was studied. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyoctanoate) (PHBO) was selected as illustrative for an emerging biodegradable polymer. Global warming potentials (GWP) of 26, 720, -1000, 990, and 1300 kg CO2e wet Mg-1 were estimated for MSW, food waste, newsprint, office paper, and PHBO, respectively in a national average landfill. In a state-of-the-art landfill with gas collection and electricity generation, GWP's of -250, 330, -1400, -96, and -420 kg CO2e wet Mg-1 were estimated for MSW, food waste, newsprint, office paper and PHBO, respectively. Additional simulations showed that for a hypothetical material, a slower biodegradation rate and a lower extent of biodegradation improve the environmental performance of a material in a landfill representative of national average conditions.

Policy theme(s)

Waste >> Waste management >> Landfill
Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Industrial emissions

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es200721s
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Contact the study author at:

jwlevis@ncsu.edu

Title

Biodegradability and biodegradation rate of poly(caprolactone)-starch blend and poly(butylene succinate) biodegradable polymer under aerobic and anaerobic environment

Reference

Waste Management, Vol 31, Supplement S62-S71

Author(s)

H.S. Cho, H.S. Moon, M. Kim, K. Nam and J.Y. Kim

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The biodegradability and the biodegradation rate of two kinds biodegradable polymers; poly(caprolactone) (PCL)-starch blend and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), were investigated under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. PCL-starch blend was easily degraded, with 88% biodegradability in 44 days under aerobic conditions, and showed a biodegradation rate of 0.07 day-1, whereas the biodegradability of PBS was only 31% in 80 days under the same conditions, with a biodegradation rate of 0.01 day-1. Anaerobic bacteria degraded well PCL-starch blend (i.e., 83% biodegradability for 139 days); however, its biodegradation rate was relatively slow (6.1 mL CH4/g-VS day) compared to that of cellulose (13.5 mL CH4/g-VS day), which was used as a reference material. The PBS was barely degraded under anaerobic conditions, with only 2% biodegradability in 100 days. These results were consistent with the visual changes and FE-SEM images of the two biodegradable polymers after the landfill burial test, showing that only PCL-starch blend had various sized pinholes on the surface due to attack by microorganisms. This result may be use in deciding suitable final disposal approaches of different types of biodegradable polymers in the future.

Policy theme(s)

Waste >> Waste management >> Landfill

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X10005830
There is a fee to view this study in full

Contact the study author at:

jaeykim@snu.ac.kr