School of Civil EngineeringPATHOGEN CONTROL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE

INSTITUTE FOR RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE

Recycling and resource recovery systems:measuring value in an increasingly globalised world

Dr Costas Velis

ISWA Resource

Management Task Force

ISWA Resource

Management Task Force

Waste hierarchy according to revised WFD:

2008/98/EC Directive (Art. 4)

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New European resource

management vision

‘Towards a circular economy:

A zero waste programme for Europe’

Material flows

in anthropo- or techno-sphere (cities)

Graph source: TU Vienna

Prof Paul Bruner

Resource management – which vision?

Resource efficiency +

effectivenessZero waste

Cradle to cradle

Sustainable consumption

and production

Final storage quality landfill

Circular economy

Low carbon footprint

Resilient and adaptable

infrastructure

Materials criticality

East London Waste Authority: 2 x 180 ktpa

biodrying – SRF production MBT plants

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Systematic sorting of wastes

200 years ago in London!

Sifting – manual separation

by women in dust-yards 1900

(Mayhew, 1862)

VELIS, C. A., WILSON, D. C. & CHEESEMAN, C. R.

(2009) 19th century London dust-yards: A case study in

closed-loop resource efficiency. Waste Management,

29, 1282-1290.

Introduction of mechanical

processing for MSW:

ca 1870?

Drivers for waste management

1020 1850 1970 1990 2000

Resource

value

Public Health

- collection

Climate change

Environment

- disposal

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t: ©

DC

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2010

Resource

management

Rediscover

recycling

2020

Policy

Fiscal measures

Regulation

Legislation

Law enforcement

San Francisco,USTompkins County, US

Managua, NC

Rotterdam, NL

Canete, PR

Belo Horizonte, BRCurepipe, MULusaka, ZM

Moshi,TZ

Nairobi, KE

Bamako, ML

Sousse, TU

Varna, BG

Delhi, IN

Ghorahi, NP

Bengaluru, IN

Dhaka, BN

Kunming, CH

Quezon City, PH

Adelaide, AU

Global waste and resources management

Organics in MSW across 20

reference cities around the world

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Paper

Glass

Metals

Plastics

Organics

Other

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Income level

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Payatas dumpsite: Metro Manila, Philippines

Waste everywhere...

Web source: http://www.veoliaenvironmentalservices.co.uk/hampshire/pages/er_marchwood.asp

Slide source: Chris Cheeseman, ICL

Today’s EfW plants: e.g. Veolia in Southampton

New European resource

management vision

‘Towards a circular economy:

A zero waste programme for Europe’

Waste plastics flows in the UK and... beyond

Reprocessed for export?

Around 70% wt. of “recycled” UK plastics are exported

Source: Zhou, 2012

Waste hierarchy according to revised WFD:

2008/98/EC Directive (Art. 4)

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European waste plastics

‘value recovery’

Adopted from: Consultic,

as cited by

PlasticsEurope, 2013

EU-27 exports

46% wt.

of the post-

consumer

plastics that

collects for

recycling

Waste plastic exports transactions:

is your sustainability global?

Code 3915:

“waste, pairings

and scraps of

plastics”

Data source:

UN Comtrade - 2011

Waste plastics import transactions

China rules!

Code 3915:

“waste, pairings

and scraps of

plastics”

Data source:

UN Comtrade - 2011

China dominates global waste plastic imports

EU-27 depends on China and HK SAR to

absorb its exported waste plastics

3 possible destinations within China

“3-non enterprises”: no rules for operation – no quality standards – no inspection

Big centralised reprocessing facilities

Incineration / energy from waste

Documentary on reprocessing plastic

scrap imports “Deadly waste in China”

See at 2DF:http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek#/beitrag/video/1993090/Die-

Doku:-Tödlicher-Müll-in-China

A complex and potentially vulnerable market

China oligospony – huge EU dependence if recycling targets are to be met

Poor environmental control and H&S, and sub-optimal manufacturing practices in China

General pathway of least environmental performance – risk transfer

Dispersion of PoPs vs. destruction in EfW?

Do environmental / health recycling aspired benefits materialise?

Opportunities for high value closed-loop recycling value recovery and local green growth and energy generation under optimal conditions

Issues with plastics recycling via exports

Africa – EU research collaboration

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Payatas dumpsite: Metro Manila, Philippines

Labour intensive resource recovery?

SRF real time QM – biogenic

energy content

International co-operation for

resource recovery?

UK RDF / SRF exports

Over 0.5 Mt in 2011

Global scale realities:

E-waste distribution

Source: International electronics recovery coalition, available at http://www.ierc.info/e-waste-dumping-an-interactive-map/

Code Hazardous properties

H1 Explosive (E)

H2 Oxidising (O)

H3-A Flammable (F)

H3-B Highly flammable (F+)

H4 Irritant (Xi)

H5 Harmful (Xn)

H6 Toxic (T) / Highly toxic (T+)

H7 Carcinogenic

H2

H1

H6

H4H5

H3-B

H3-A

Hazardous properties

Waste categories: place of arising + physical

macro features vs. chemical composition

Similar

woodchemical

composition

Processed wood in furniture

(bulky waste)

Wood from gardens /

public green

(green waste)

Solid biomass grown for biofules

(fuel) Chemically treated wood in buildings

(C&D waste)

Mixed wood (residual

household waste)

Source Wiki – created by: Smokefoot

Cellulose

Hemicellulose

Lignin

Source: http://www.environment-

agency.gov.uk/aboutus/wfo/134219.aspx

End of Waste – UK implementation

London Mayors’ vision: Waste-to-Energy

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Examples of solid recovered fuel types

SRF as used in a UK cement

UK industrySource: letsrecycle.com http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/waste-

management/shanks-in-second-castle-cement-fuel-

deal

A finely shredded fluffy SRF, in

storage production pitSource: Nottinghamshire Recycling Ltd.

http://www.nottsrecycling.co.uk/information/11/

solid+recovered+fuel+(srf)/

Stabilat® SRF: production from

different inputs to different 3D

and type specsSource: Herhof GmbH

http://www.herhof.com/en/business-

divisions/stabilat/rdf-production-with-stabilat.html

Example of plastic film fluff-

type SRFSource: MID UK Recycling Ltd.

http://www.midukrecycling.co.uk/energy-from-

waste/rdf-srf.aspx

Example of fluff-type SRFSource: ERFO

http://www.erfo.info/

MBT-derived (bio-drying) SRF in

the UK, mainly for cement kilnsSource: Shanks

http://www.shanks.co.uk/corporate-services/local-

authority/srf-and-fuels

Quality management

SRF according to CEN TC/343

“solid fuel prepared from non-hazardous waste to be

utilised for energy recovery in incineration and co-

incineration plants and meeting the classification and

specification requirements laid down in CEN/TS 13359”

ERFO: “prepared” means:

processed, homogenised and up-

graded to a quality that can be

traded amongst producers and

users

CEN TC/343 SRF standards

End of Waste?

STANDARD REFERENCE TITLE

CEN/TR 14980:2004 Solid recovered fuels - Report on relative difference between biodegradable and biogenic fractions of SRF

CEN/TR 15404:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of ash melting behaviour by using characteristic temperatures

CEN/TR 15441:2006 Solid recovered fuels - Guidelines on occupational health aspects

CEN/TR 15508:2006 Key properties on solid recovered fuels to be used for establishing a classification system

CEN/TR 15591:2007 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of the biomass content based on the 14C method

CEN/TR 15716:2008 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of combustion behaviour

CEN/TS 15401:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of bulk density

CEN/TS 15405:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of density of pellets and briquettes

CEN/TS 15406:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of bridging properties of bulk material

CEN/TS 15412:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of metallic aluminium

CEN/TS 15414-1:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of moisture content using the oven dry method - Part 1: Determination of total moisture by a reference method

CEN/TS 15414-2:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of moisture content using the oven dry method - Part 2: Determination of total moisture content by a simplified method

CEN/TS 15639:2010 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of mechanical durability of pellets

EN 15357:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Terminology, definitions and descriptions

EN 15358:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Quality management systems - Particular requirements for their application to the production of solid recovered fuels

EN 15359:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Specifications and classes

EN 15400:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of calorific value

EN 15402:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of the content of volatile matter

EN 15403:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of ash content

EN 15407:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and nitrogen (N) content

EN 15408:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of sulphur (S), chlorine (Cl), fluorine (F) and bromine (Br) content

EN 15410:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of the content of major elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, Si, Ti)

EN 15411:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of the content of trace elements (As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Tl, V and Zn)

EN 15413:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the preparation of the test sample from the laboratory sample

EN 15414-3:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of moisture content using the oven dry method - Part 3: Moisture in general analysis sample

EN 15415-1:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of particle size distribution - Part 1: Screen method for small dimension particles

EN 15415-2:2012 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of particle size distribution -

Part 2: Maximum projected length method (manual) for large dimension particles

EN 15415-3:2012 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of particle size distribution -Part 3: Method by image analysis for large dimension

particles

EN 15440:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of biomass content

EN 15440:2011/AC:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the determination of biomass content

EN 15442:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for sampling

EN 15443:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Methods for the preparation of the laboratory sample

EN 15590:2011 Solid recovered fuels - Determination of the current rate of aerobic microbial activity using the real dynamic respiration index

http://www.cen.eu/CEN/S

ectors/TechnicalCommitt

eesWorkshops/CENTech

nicalCommittees/Pages/

Standards.aspx?param=

407430&title=CEN/TC+34

3

Access from:

REACH after EoW???

If End of Waste status is achieved:

the product (possibly) becomes subject to the REACH regulation

(Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals)

http://www.hse.gov.uk/reach/

Life cycle assessment:

some challenging outcomes

LCA evidence that plastics recycling over performing EfW

only if virgin polymer is replacedabove 70-80%

(Rajendran, Hodzic et al., 2013)

Extracting value from waste plastics

►No evaluation at all: E.g. as the EfW is leading the way to quantifying

efficiency and quality via R1 and biogenic content measurement

►No quality, no material criticality, no systems / overall resource efficiency

considerations for recycling

►System boundaries? MRF input vs. virgin material substitution?

►Closed loop and down-cycling count the same

►Overestimation by considering rejects as “recycled”

►No traceability – transparency

►Export often for down-cycling? – human health and environmental risks?

Quality of recycling:

real sustainability benefits

• Need to ask the right questions to inform the way forward

• Focus on truly sustainable and high value (e.g. PET close loop)

• Transparency – traceability – quality controls before exports

• Establish a maximum acceptable environmental cost for recycling

• Focus on clean material cycles and prevention of pollution

dispersion

• Higher ambitious intangible generic recycling targets will increase

the materials collected: are we creating a hot potato and for whom?

• Should we move out of inertia and use “priming” in this debate?

• Why not use targets / measure much more downstream?

• Quality quality quality?

• Quantify quantify quantify

Waste hierarchy according to revised WFD:

2008/98/EC Directive (Art. 4)

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At best: just a static “environmental” hierarchy of

waste processing options: simplistic >> simple?

Third sector – largely ignored

Not much yet – focus onwards

Main beneficiary: collection for

recycling

Recovery – where is the limit?

Disposal: move away – BUT

safe final sinks + dev.

Countries?

Is waste hierarchy outdated in a

globalised recycling system?

No systems - boundaries

No multiple aspects of value

No trade-offs

No optimisation

Recycling

business as usual

High unverifiable

numbers

Recycling for resource recovery

Quality and impact

orientated

Systems optimisation

Lower recycling numbers – more tangible benefits

Meaningful waste hierarchy level

distinctions

Clear quantification of contribution to resource

recovery

Systems holistic approach – scientific + policy metrics as R1

EfW

Multiple closed loop and down-cycling equal

No End of Waste –quality management

No metrics – poor data –low confidence

Collected for recycling-exported for???

Recycling operation modes: focusing on actual

resource efficiency quality outcomes?

R1 EfW formula: defining the line between

recovery vs. disposal

• WFD 2008/98/EC: allows

efficient EfW facilities to be

classified as ‘energy

recovery’ operations

• Single most important

development

• Systems and measurable

outcome focused approach

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P f i

w f

E E ER

E E

System A

Environment Economics

Social

System B

System C

Optimal value

“If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it”

C-VORR at University of Leeds:

novel framework and tool

for optimizing resource efficiency beyond just

solid waste management

Make trade offs explicit – eliminate partial accounting

Extend to comprehensive environmental and social valuation

Do not lose transparency by unnecessary aggregation

Separate objective measurement from value judgment

Explicitly design your system boundaries

Include all ‘values’ that could be of relevance

Sophisticated multi-objective optimisation

Inform the urge to circular and green economy with real

comprehensive evidence

Complex Value Optimisation

of Resource Recovery

Please join our efforts

for an evidence-based

circular and green economy

c.velis@leeds.ac.uk

Thank you!

Muito obrigado!