Starting from an existing waste management district without thermal treatment facilities, two different management scenarios for residual waste were compared by a life cycle assessment analysis. The base scenario uses aerobic mechanical biological treatment for processing residual waste before landfill. In the improved scenario, the residual waste is first mechanically sorted into two main fractions: a Dry fraction; a mechanically sorted organic fraction. The Dry fraction was further processed in a mechanical physical sorting facility to increase the amount of recyclables extractable before being disposed of in landfill. The organic fraction was processed/disposed of in a bioreactor landfill. Field and experimental tests determined that the amount of recyclable plastics, metals and glass extractable from the Dry fraction were, respectively, about 3% w/w, 1.6% w/w and 6.2% w/w of the residual waste. The most relevant impact categories of the management schemes were global warming and fresh water eutrophication, both being reduced, respectively, by 50 % and 10% with respect to the base scenario. There were negative values (i.e. environmental gain) for particulate matter, acidification and resource depletion. Material recycling gave the highest contribution to these findings even if the bioreactor landfilling and mechanical and physical treatments gave relevant benefits.
Enhanced material recovery by imporvements of source segregated collection and mechanical treatment: results of the life emares project
DI MARIA, Francesco;MICALE, CATERINA;
2015
Abstract
Starting from an existing waste management district without thermal treatment facilities, two different management scenarios for residual waste were compared by a life cycle assessment analysis. The base scenario uses aerobic mechanical biological treatment for processing residual waste before landfill. In the improved scenario, the residual waste is first mechanically sorted into two main fractions: a Dry fraction; a mechanically sorted organic fraction. The Dry fraction was further processed in a mechanical physical sorting facility to increase the amount of recyclables extractable before being disposed of in landfill. The organic fraction was processed/disposed of in a bioreactor landfill. Field and experimental tests determined that the amount of recyclable plastics, metals and glass extractable from the Dry fraction were, respectively, about 3% w/w, 1.6% w/w and 6.2% w/w of the residual waste. The most relevant impact categories of the management schemes were global warming and fresh water eutrophication, both being reduced, respectively, by 50 % and 10% with respect to the base scenario. There were negative values (i.e. environmental gain) for particulate matter, acidification and resource depletion. Material recycling gave the highest contribution to these findings even if the bioreactor landfilling and mechanical and physical treatments gave relevant benefits.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
