Contribution by George Sbokos (info@ecothesis.gr)
Dear Antonis,
thanks for delivering the ISWA White Paper Summary on Waste and Climate Change. I hope your message will be a part of the decision making proccess in Copenhagen. On the same day, the 7th of Dec. “…an important piece of news came from the U.S.: the Environmental Protection Agency found that the gases contributing to global warming threaten public health and opens the way for establishment of standards regardless of developments in Congress…”. So I first had to ask myself, how tight could the american evaluation range of the importance of global warming be, in order to be understood and manageable only as a "public threat".
Then I questioned if is it not a matter of a tight evaluation range. The Irak and Afganistan issue had to be labeled as a “terrorist threat” in order to legalize the bombardments, the H1N1 had to be upgraded to a “pandemie” in order to forward the use of untested vaccines. I came up to the conclusion that Bureaucracy and laws have to be neutralized, in order to move on with some political issues. In that meaning, “public threat” might be the key word to put the U.S. Congress off.
Even if so, that might be a "CHANGE WE CAN". I mean, till now we were only common to the famous words of President George Bush senior "the American lifestyle is non-negotiable", delivered to justify its refusal to participate in the first World Summit on Environment in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Or the words of the George Bush junior administration in 2002, which refused to sign the Kyoto agreement on climate change and reiterated its refusal to the G8 Summit in July 2005, arguing that “the U.S. economy will be destroyed if we try to reduce emissions from industry to the levels indicated the Kyoto agreement”.
Consider, the world would only need 66,7 billions per anno to apply the goals against global warming. Consider, this amount is 12 times less than the money given to the banks last year. Consider, it represents the 2/3 of the annual worldwide military spending. Consider it is the ½ of the money given to advertisement (Le Monde, 6.12.2009).
Wish the best and raise your voice to an ambitious agreement in Copenhagen!
12.09.2009
12.04.2009
'Intelligent' waste collection system trialled in Shanghai
This is from "Science for Environment Policy / Issue 176" (service from the European Commission)
New research has developed a system to monitor municipal waste. It uses sensors to calculate the weight, volume and, potentially, type of waste, identify hazardous waste and optimise the routes of waste collection trucks.
The EU's Sixth Environment Action Programme identifies waste prevention and management as one of four top priorities1. In the EU, approximately 3562 million tons of waste are thrown away every day. The research, funded by Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea and partly funded by the EU-China Energy and Environment Programme2, developed an early detection system in Shanghai, China for monitoring the content of waste containers that could help manage the waste situation. The Pudong area in Shanghai generates about 2820 tons a day and this figure is set to increase.
In the past, such systems have only been able to monitor the level of content within the container, but this study investigated other properties. The system consists of a set of sensors and a camera mounted onto the containers to estimate the weight of the waste, its volume and the type. The sensors could also measure the temperature inside the container and liquid levels. Geographic data on the location of the container was also recorded. After significant development in the laboratory, two fully equipped prototypes were tested in the Pudong area in real conditions.
The system successfully measured weight and volume of waste, providing a means to monitor the overall amount of waste. Another goal of the system was to detect materials that could be a potential risk for the incineration plant, such as bricks or concrete. This could be done by calculating the density using weight and volume data. From this, the researchers could calculate a density threshold over which the content might be considered risky. This was estimated at 1kg per litre over more than 1000 trials during field tests.
The second objective of the system was to devise the most efficient route for the waste collection trucks. Again, this used measurements of waste weight and volume. Assuming that a truck can only hold a certain amount of waste and must serve a certain number of waste collection points, routes were identified to make collection as efficient as possible, specifying the location and order of collection points. This led to reduced traffic emissions and costs and helped prevent and manage problems with collecting waste.
The researchers suggest that most issues related to municipal waste (monitoring, sorting, accounting, reduction policies, pollution surveys) could benefit from gathering data at each single production point to be sent wirelessly over the town. As well as developing this data-collecting capacity, the researchers intend to assess the economic impact of fitting the equipment on standard waste containers.
Source: Rovetta, A., Xiumin, F., Vicentini, F. et al. (2009). Early detection and evaluation of waste through sensorized containers for a collection monitoring application. Waste Management. 29:2939-2949
New research has developed a system to monitor municipal waste. It uses sensors to calculate the weight, volume and, potentially, type of waste, identify hazardous waste and optimise the routes of waste collection trucks.
The EU's Sixth Environment Action Programme identifies waste prevention and management as one of four top priorities1. In the EU, approximately 3562 million tons of waste are thrown away every day. The research, funded by Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea and partly funded by the EU-China Energy and Environment Programme2, developed an early detection system in Shanghai, China for monitoring the content of waste containers that could help manage the waste situation. The Pudong area in Shanghai generates about 2820 tons a day and this figure is set to increase.
In the past, such systems have only been able to monitor the level of content within the container, but this study investigated other properties. The system consists of a set of sensors and a camera mounted onto the containers to estimate the weight of the waste, its volume and the type. The sensors could also measure the temperature inside the container and liquid levels. Geographic data on the location of the container was also recorded. After significant development in the laboratory, two fully equipped prototypes were tested in the Pudong area in real conditions.
The system successfully measured weight and volume of waste, providing a means to monitor the overall amount of waste. Another goal of the system was to detect materials that could be a potential risk for the incineration plant, such as bricks or concrete. This could be done by calculating the density using weight and volume data. From this, the researchers could calculate a density threshold over which the content might be considered risky. This was estimated at 1kg per litre over more than 1000 trials during field tests.
The second objective of the system was to devise the most efficient route for the waste collection trucks. Again, this used measurements of waste weight and volume. Assuming that a truck can only hold a certain amount of waste and must serve a certain number of waste collection points, routes were identified to make collection as efficient as possible, specifying the location and order of collection points. This led to reduced traffic emissions and costs and helped prevent and manage problems with collecting waste.
The researchers suggest that most issues related to municipal waste (monitoring, sorting, accounting, reduction policies, pollution surveys) could benefit from gathering data at each single production point to be sent wirelessly over the town. As well as developing this data-collecting capacity, the researchers intend to assess the economic impact of fitting the equipment on standard waste containers.
Source: Rovetta, A., Xiumin, F., Vicentini, F. et al. (2009). Early detection and evaluation of waste through sensorized containers for a collection monitoring application. Waste Management. 29:2939-2949
11.06.2009
Waste management after 2030
It seems that this presentation was a real hit. In ISWA's 2009 Lisbon congress and in HSWMA's 2009 Athens Conference the more or less same presentation created a huge effect between the audience and a plethora of congratulations.
Please allow me to thanks all people encouraging me to write a paper with the same title - I am already working on this.
In the meantime, my presentation is available at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22205324/The-Future-of-SWM
The main topics are:
Historic waste
Increasing Quantities
Changing composition of waste
Recycling and resource scarcity
Energy revolution
Robotics
All those are viewed and discussed according their waste management impacts
Please allow me to thanks all people encouraging me to write a paper with the same title - I am already working on this.
In the meantime, my presentation is available at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/22205324/The-Future-of-SWM
The main topics are:
Historic waste
Increasing Quantities
Changing composition of waste
Recycling and resource scarcity
Energy revolution
Robotics
All those are viewed and discussed according their waste management impacts
7.02.2009
Comparing N2O emissions from organic and mineral fertilisers
This is from "Science for Environment Policy / Issue 158" (service from the European Commission)
A recent study compares the effects of organic, 'natural' fertilisers, such as compost, with mineral, synthetic fertilisers, such as urea, on N2O emissions from Mediterranean soil. It suggests that there is little difference between the fertilisers, but that pig slurry offers the best overall balance in terms of emissions and crop yield.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG). Although N2O exists in smaller quantities than CO2 in the atmosphere, it is a more powerful GHG. One of its main anthropogenic sources is agricultural soil, the result of applying organic and mineral fertilisers. These fertilisers also produce nitric oxide (NO) which damages the ozone layer.
Previous studies on the effects of applying natural organic and mineral fertilisers on N2O and NO emissions have produced contradictory findings. Emissions are influenced by conditions such as soil type, crop, temperature and water levels in the soil. Research, conducted under the EU NitroEurope project1, investigated the effect of both types of fertiliser on a non-irrigated crop under Mediterranean conditions. It also investigated the effect of the first rainfall events in autumn on changing levels of N2O and NO.
Eighteen 30 m2 plots were selected at a location near Madrid where no crop had been sown and no fertiliser applied in the previous 5 years. Individual plots were treated with four natural organic fertilisers (composts and liquid manures), a mineral fertiliser (urea) and a control treatment without any nitrogen fertiliser. Barley was sown on the same day in each plot. Changes in N2O and NO were measured during the whole experimental period from January to October.
There were no significant differences between the fertilisers and very low emissions were measured for all treatments and throughout the study period. However, to compare, composted, organic municipal solid waste (MSW) produced fewest N2O emissions and composted crop residue with sludge (CCR+S), also a natural organic treatment, produced the least NO. Three of the four natural organic fertilisers (MSW, CCR+S and untreated pig slurry) produced smaller NO emissions than urea, and a NO sink was observed at several points, particularly when soil temperatures were low. The authors suggest that further studies are needed to investigate this process. The research observed brief rises of N2O emissions in autumn when the first rainfall events occur and the dry soil becomes wet.
An emission factor was calculated which related N2O emissions to the amount of barley produced. This indicated that digested pig slurry is the most efficient fertiliser for this type of Mediterranean agrosystem if the aim is to reduce N2O emissions without reducing crop yield. In comparison, composted residues mixed with sewage sludge and urea both had high emissions factors, i.e. it would not be possible to reduce N2O emissions without also reducing crop yield.
1. NitroEurope was supported by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme. See: www.nitroeurope.eu
Source: Meijide, A., García-Torres, L., Arce, A. et al. (2009). Nitrogen oxide emissions affected by organic fertilization in a non-irrigated Mediterranean barley field. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 132: 106-115.
Contact: ana.meijide@upm.es
A recent study compares the effects of organic, 'natural' fertilisers, such as compost, with mineral, synthetic fertilisers, such as urea, on N2O emissions from Mediterranean soil. It suggests that there is little difference between the fertilisers, but that pig slurry offers the best overall balance in terms of emissions and crop yield.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas (GHG). Although N2O exists in smaller quantities than CO2 in the atmosphere, it is a more powerful GHG. One of its main anthropogenic sources is agricultural soil, the result of applying organic and mineral fertilisers. These fertilisers also produce nitric oxide (NO) which damages the ozone layer.
Previous studies on the effects of applying natural organic and mineral fertilisers on N2O and NO emissions have produced contradictory findings. Emissions are influenced by conditions such as soil type, crop, temperature and water levels in the soil. Research, conducted under the EU NitroEurope project1, investigated the effect of both types of fertiliser on a non-irrigated crop under Mediterranean conditions. It also investigated the effect of the first rainfall events in autumn on changing levels of N2O and NO.
Eighteen 30 m2 plots were selected at a location near Madrid where no crop had been sown and no fertiliser applied in the previous 5 years. Individual plots were treated with four natural organic fertilisers (composts and liquid manures), a mineral fertiliser (urea) and a control treatment without any nitrogen fertiliser. Barley was sown on the same day in each plot. Changes in N2O and NO were measured during the whole experimental period from January to October.
There were no significant differences between the fertilisers and very low emissions were measured for all treatments and throughout the study period. However, to compare, composted, organic municipal solid waste (MSW) produced fewest N2O emissions and composted crop residue with sludge (CCR+S), also a natural organic treatment, produced the least NO. Three of the four natural organic fertilisers (MSW, CCR+S and untreated pig slurry) produced smaller NO emissions than urea, and a NO sink was observed at several points, particularly when soil temperatures were low. The authors suggest that further studies are needed to investigate this process. The research observed brief rises of N2O emissions in autumn when the first rainfall events occur and the dry soil becomes wet.
An emission factor was calculated which related N2O emissions to the amount of barley produced. This indicated that digested pig slurry is the most efficient fertiliser for this type of Mediterranean agrosystem if the aim is to reduce N2O emissions without reducing crop yield. In comparison, composted residues mixed with sewage sludge and urea both had high emissions factors, i.e. it would not be possible to reduce N2O emissions without also reducing crop yield.
1. NitroEurope was supported by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme. See: www.nitroeurope.eu
Source: Meijide, A., García-Torres, L., Arce, A. et al. (2009). Nitrogen oxide emissions affected by organic fertilization in a non-irrigated Mediterranean barley field. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 132: 106-115.
Contact: ana.meijide@upm.es
6.30.2009
Biowaste management and ISWA's position
This a presentation that outlines ISWA's position paper on the Green Paper for Biowaste Management. It was made during an event organised by the European Economic and Social Counciland the municipality of Salerno, which applies a complete source separation program. The presentation emphasizes the view for biowaste management as well as lessons that have been learned through biowaste management around Europe.
The presentation is available at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16952026/Biowaste-Position
The presentation is available at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16952026/Biowaste-Position
Recycling campaigns: factors affecting succcess and failures
A new paper is posted at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16951395/Recycling-Campaigns-factors-affecting-success-and-failures
The paper has been presented in Brazil and Serbian conferences.The abstract is like this.
"As the move towards recycling societies seems to be global, there is a need for a better understanding of success and failures factors for recycling activities. Big differences between recycling programs within a country, even within a city, highlight the importance of local conditions and appropriate design of recycling activities. But going further it is necessary to discuss about recycling and personal behavior.
The aim of this paper is to outline the major issues and questions that are related with the failure and success of recycling programs in the framework of personal behavior, using evolutionary psychology concepts. By that way, the waste management community would better design and take-care the recycling activities in order to make them more efficient and more oriented to results.
Firstly, major psychological barriers will be presented in the framework of behavioral psychology. Is there any kind of barrier to our brain for long-term results? Is there any structural problem to our personality that renders a more general recycling behavior?
The evolutionary emerging structure of human personality will be described and its impacts to decision-making. The importance of human temporal and spatial scale will be discussed as well. The importance of present-focus brain will be highlighted.
Finally, the already proposed frame of situational conditions – social and environmental values - personal attitudes will be discussed as a mean to understand the actual personal recycling performance.
Major findings regarding social- demographic characteristics and their link to recycling will be summarized. The link between life-style and recycling performance will be assessed through literature review and the effect of neighborhood will be presented. Specific social research outcomes will be presented and comments will be made regarding the correlations between different approaches and views to individual’s recycling performance. Why full recyclers are mainly retired and relatively rich? Why non recyclers are mainly “young without children – families with children – middle aged without children”? What is the role of architecture?
Property plays a role as well and type of flat (with or without terrace, space limit)
Conclusions will be addressed and special emphasis is going to be given to recycling barriers and problems that must be overlapped. The major conclusions are:
• The human personality provides a barrier for recycling due to species characteristic understanding of temporal scale. Our brain is too much present – focus in order to understand and act according long-term impacts. Information campaigns are not enough to change cultural patterns and understanding the problem is important but not enough to change human behaviour.
• Recycling success is a different story in developed and developing countries. In developed countries it is linked with moral values and responsibility, where in developing countries it is usually linked with survival and daily income. Thus, recycling in developing countries should be faced as a major challenge for global achievements
• Recycling behavior is framed by situational conditions, social- environmental values and personal attitudes. The later determines the intention to recycle while the first the possibility to actually contribute
• Recycling activities should be carefully designed according local conditions and situation, taking into account social-demographic characteristics, architecture, finding the starting point and creating clusters
• Social and collective behavior as a mean to handle the present focus brain barrier will be addressed."
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16951395/Recycling-Campaigns-factors-affecting-success-and-failures
The paper has been presented in Brazil and Serbian conferences.The abstract is like this.
"As the move towards recycling societies seems to be global, there is a need for a better understanding of success and failures factors for recycling activities. Big differences between recycling programs within a country, even within a city, highlight the importance of local conditions and appropriate design of recycling activities. But going further it is necessary to discuss about recycling and personal behavior.
The aim of this paper is to outline the major issues and questions that are related with the failure and success of recycling programs in the framework of personal behavior, using evolutionary psychology concepts. By that way, the waste management community would better design and take-care the recycling activities in order to make them more efficient and more oriented to results.
Firstly, major psychological barriers will be presented in the framework of behavioral psychology. Is there any kind of barrier to our brain for long-term results? Is there any structural problem to our personality that renders a more general recycling behavior?
The evolutionary emerging structure of human personality will be described and its impacts to decision-making. The importance of human temporal and spatial scale will be discussed as well. The importance of present-focus brain will be highlighted.
Finally, the already proposed frame of situational conditions – social and environmental values - personal attitudes will be discussed as a mean to understand the actual personal recycling performance.
Major findings regarding social- demographic characteristics and their link to recycling will be summarized. The link between life-style and recycling performance will be assessed through literature review and the effect of neighborhood will be presented. Specific social research outcomes will be presented and comments will be made regarding the correlations between different approaches and views to individual’s recycling performance. Why full recyclers are mainly retired and relatively rich? Why non recyclers are mainly “young without children – families with children – middle aged without children”? What is the role of architecture?
Property plays a role as well and type of flat (with or without terrace, space limit)
Conclusions will be addressed and special emphasis is going to be given to recycling barriers and problems that must be overlapped. The major conclusions are:
• The human personality provides a barrier for recycling due to species characteristic understanding of temporal scale. Our brain is too much present – focus in order to understand and act according long-term impacts. Information campaigns are not enough to change cultural patterns and understanding the problem is important but not enough to change human behaviour.
• Recycling success is a different story in developed and developing countries. In developed countries it is linked with moral values and responsibility, where in developing countries it is usually linked with survival and daily income. Thus, recycling in developing countries should be faced as a major challenge for global achievements
• Recycling behavior is framed by situational conditions, social- environmental values and personal attitudes. The later determines the intention to recycle while the first the possibility to actually contribute
• Recycling activities should be carefully designed according local conditions and situation, taking into account social-demographic characteristics, architecture, finding the starting point and creating clusters
• Social and collective behavior as a mean to handle the present focus brain barrier will be addressed."
5.26.2009
New York to phase out bottled water for public sector!
This is something I copied from www.edie.net/news. It is written by Mr. Sam Bond and I really find it very interesting.
"13-5-2009
The Governor of New York has announced plans to ban the purchase of bottled water by state-owned agencies.
The ban will cover both small bottles and those used by water coolers.
State agencies will be expected to phase out their consumption of bottled water over the next six months.
Governor David A Paterson said the move would save the state money as well as having obvious environmental benefits.
The move will make New York the second state, after Illinois, to scrap the use of bottled water.
Similar initiatives have already taken place north of the border in Canada.
Bottled water will be replaced by tap water.
"Taxpayers have spent billions of dollars to ensure that we have clean drinking water supplies," said Governor Paterson.
"If we are going to make such significant investments, we should reap the benefits and use that water. Our efforts will serve as an example for local governments, businesses and residents to follow."
The Governor's Executive Order requires each agency to lay out the specific actions and policies that will be undertaken to achieve compliance with the ban, assess the capability of existing facilities to provide tap water for consumption in place of bottled water and identify reasonable improvements that can be made to ensure reasonable access to tap water for consumption.
It has been backed by New York Senator Antoine Thompson and Congressman Bob Sweeney.
Environmental NGOs have also welcomed the move.
Peter Lehner, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "A decade ago, NRDC released a comprehensive study revealing bottled water is no safer or more pure than municipal drinking water.
"In fact, New York State is home to some of the highest quality drinking water supplies in the nation.
"Governor Paterson's announcement not only makes sense when it comes to public health - it will save taxpayers money and cut global warming emissions from the manufacture and transport of bottled water." "
"13-5-2009
The Governor of New York has announced plans to ban the purchase of bottled water by state-owned agencies.
The ban will cover both small bottles and those used by water coolers.
State agencies will be expected to phase out their consumption of bottled water over the next six months.
Governor David A Paterson said the move would save the state money as well as having obvious environmental benefits.
The move will make New York the second state, after Illinois, to scrap the use of bottled water.
Similar initiatives have already taken place north of the border in Canada.
Bottled water will be replaced by tap water.
"Taxpayers have spent billions of dollars to ensure that we have clean drinking water supplies," said Governor Paterson.
"If we are going to make such significant investments, we should reap the benefits and use that water. Our efforts will serve as an example for local governments, businesses and residents to follow."
The Governor's Executive Order requires each agency to lay out the specific actions and policies that will be undertaken to achieve compliance with the ban, assess the capability of existing facilities to provide tap water for consumption in place of bottled water and identify reasonable improvements that can be made to ensure reasonable access to tap water for consumption.
It has been backed by New York Senator Antoine Thompson and Congressman Bob Sweeney.
Environmental NGOs have also welcomed the move.
Peter Lehner, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "A decade ago, NRDC released a comprehensive study revealing bottled water is no safer or more pure than municipal drinking water.
"In fact, New York State is home to some of the highest quality drinking water supplies in the nation.
"Governor Paterson's announcement not only makes sense when it comes to public health - it will save taxpayers money and cut global warming emissions from the manufacture and transport of bottled water." "
5.12.2009
COMING BACK FROM BRAZILIAN BEACON CONFERENCE
I just came from Brazil where I was invited to deliver a lecture on “Recycling and personal behavior” during the conference ““Waste Management towards a (re)cyclical system”, which was held in Sao Paulo by the Brazilian member of ISWA ABRELPE.
Waste Management in Brazil seems to have finished its childhood – almost 50% of the huge waste volume of the country is now driven to sanitary landfills and there is a growing interest for waste treatment facilities. Recycling makes remarkable steps forward and the tension between formal and informal sector participation should be creatively resolved because the mutual interest is dominating the real conflict (this was also a very important issue of the conference).
During a visit to the Sao Paulo newest operating landfill, my colleagues from ISWA were surprised by the quality of operation and environmental control to a landfill that receives almost 7.000 tons of waste daily. And definitely it is surprising to know that this megafill is privately operated and state of the art gradually constructed, covering an area of almost 3 km2.
Indicative of what is the current level of discussion in the country is that a new law that prohibits landfilling of every material that has economic value is on the way to be implemented.
ABRELPE has just created a very comprehensive report with the title “PANORAMA of waste management in Brazil” in which the whole picture of waste management is described with the appropriate level of detail, providing a useful tool for everyone who wants to know more.
I have to admit that I was impressed by the active participation and the interest that ABRELPE has managed to raise regarding solid waste management. Important government officials as well as decision-makers and private sector stakeholders were involved to fruitful and I hope productive discussions. ABRELPE seems to be on the right way of growth and gaining influence and as an ISWA Board member I am proud to have those guys as partners and work with them.
Last but not least: Alberto Bianchini (former president of ABRELPE) and Carlos Da Silva are not only the soul of ABRELPE but also wonderful hosts. Their hospitality was more than generous and I really enjoyed their company. Guys it is a pleasure to work with you...
Waste Management in Brazil seems to have finished its childhood – almost 50% of the huge waste volume of the country is now driven to sanitary landfills and there is a growing interest for waste treatment facilities. Recycling makes remarkable steps forward and the tension between formal and informal sector participation should be creatively resolved because the mutual interest is dominating the real conflict (this was also a very important issue of the conference).
During a visit to the Sao Paulo newest operating landfill, my colleagues from ISWA were surprised by the quality of operation and environmental control to a landfill that receives almost 7.000 tons of waste daily. And definitely it is surprising to know that this megafill is privately operated and state of the art gradually constructed, covering an area of almost 3 km2.
Indicative of what is the current level of discussion in the country is that a new law that prohibits landfilling of every material that has economic value is on the way to be implemented.
ABRELPE has just created a very comprehensive report with the title “PANORAMA of waste management in Brazil” in which the whole picture of waste management is described with the appropriate level of detail, providing a useful tool for everyone who wants to know more.
I have to admit that I was impressed by the active participation and the interest that ABRELPE has managed to raise regarding solid waste management. Important government officials as well as decision-makers and private sector stakeholders were involved to fruitful and I hope productive discussions. ABRELPE seems to be on the right way of growth and gaining influence and as an ISWA Board member I am proud to have those guys as partners and work with them.
Last but not least: Alberto Bianchini (former president of ABRELPE) and Carlos Da Silva are not only the soul of ABRELPE but also wonderful hosts. Their hospitality was more than generous and I really enjoyed their company. Guys it is a pleasure to work with you...
4.23.2009
"Turning Waste into Ideas" - ISWA/APESB World Congress 2009,
Every year ISWA’s Congresses constitute a highlight occasion for waste experts and professionals around the world. This year the Annual ISWA Congress will take place in Lisbon with the coorganisation of the Portuguese Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (APESB). The Congress will take place between 12th to 15th October 2009, in Lisbon, at the Cultural Centre of Belém.
The beautiful and famous city, who has to offer great examples of innovation and progress through its historical paths, offers an excellent chance for inspiration and assessment, regarding current and future policies and technologies in waste management.
Besides the classic scientific sessions, the Congress activities will also include an Ibero-american symposium. The four days event will also host technical presentations, polished debates, facility tours, and social events.
For more information visit the conference site: http://www.iswa2009.org/homepage.aspx
The beautiful and famous city, who has to offer great examples of innovation and progress through its historical paths, offers an excellent chance for inspiration and assessment, regarding current and future policies and technologies in waste management.
Besides the classic scientific sessions, the Congress activities will also include an Ibero-american symposium. The four days event will also host technical presentations, polished debates, facility tours, and social events.
For more information visit the conference site: http://www.iswa2009.org/homepage.aspx
4.14.2009
How waste management industry can be involved with production and consumption patterns?
This is a contribution from Erik De Baedts, NVRD director. Thanks a lot Erik for this really inspiring post, I hope there will be some good replies. I am sure that the current discussion regarding green market and green development are inspiring you.
"In The Netherlands the economic crisis is -among other things- seen as an opportunity to give an impetus to more sustainable development. A financial impulse should be subject to conditions regarding sustainability.
To what extent can the waste industry itself give an impulse to sustainable ways of production and consumption?
Waste management companies, beit from a public or a private background, know which materials can be reused and which cannot. So in product chains they can get in touch with producers to indicate which materials to use and which not.
An example: at this point we see tea bags being introduced in plastics. Organic and non-organic materials together in the waste bin. Unnecessarily difficult and costly to manage. Not in any way a sustainable innovation at all.This is just an example from the daily household. However, in textiles, clothing, but also in electronics, and in many sectors, continuously choices about materials and design are being made throughout the industry.
So far, the waste management industry finds itself at the end of the pipelines in all these product chains. It just manages the outcome of choices earlier made by others. Does the waste industry see the opportunity to play a more active role?In fact, can ideas be turned into concrete trajectories? Are there opportunities to promote that waste management companies upscale their activities to become logistic and production companies that are providers of secondary resource?
Of course the use of secondary resources over primary resources is more beneficial to the natural resources we leave to our children and grandchildren. Waste management and recycling industry can be an important partner in such a perspective.
What conditions for production and consumption should be set at government level to promote such a development? Can projects be set in motion that show the dynamics and social responsibility that mark the waste industry?
I look forward to your ideas and inputs."
"In The Netherlands the economic crisis is -among other things- seen as an opportunity to give an impetus to more sustainable development. A financial impulse should be subject to conditions regarding sustainability.
To what extent can the waste industry itself give an impulse to sustainable ways of production and consumption?
Waste management companies, beit from a public or a private background, know which materials can be reused and which cannot. So in product chains they can get in touch with producers to indicate which materials to use and which not.
An example: at this point we see tea bags being introduced in plastics. Organic and non-organic materials together in the waste bin. Unnecessarily difficult and costly to manage. Not in any way a sustainable innovation at all.This is just an example from the daily household. However, in textiles, clothing, but also in electronics, and in many sectors, continuously choices about materials and design are being made throughout the industry.
So far, the waste management industry finds itself at the end of the pipelines in all these product chains. It just manages the outcome of choices earlier made by others. Does the waste industry see the opportunity to play a more active role?In fact, can ideas be turned into concrete trajectories? Are there opportunities to promote that waste management companies upscale their activities to become logistic and production companies that are providers of secondary resource?
Of course the use of secondary resources over primary resources is more beneficial to the natural resources we leave to our children and grandchildren. Waste management and recycling industry can be an important partner in such a perspective.
What conditions for production and consumption should be set at government level to promote such a development? Can projects be set in motion that show the dynamics and social responsibility that mark the waste industry?
I look forward to your ideas and inputs."
Global View of Waste Management is also available through Facebook
Yesterday I created a Facebook Group regarding the Global View of Waste Management blog. You can join it at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=72894372340&ref=mf#
The intention is to inspire a discussion regarding the most important waste management issues with a global interest and view and to find more contributors. Within the first day 32 friends have joined and Erik De Baedts, a good friend from Netherlands Solid Waste Association, has put a triggering issue for discussion:
To what extent can the waste industry itself give an impulse to sustainable ways of production and consumption?
See the whole idea of Erik in the next post.
Thanks a lot Erik for your contribution and welcome. I will be glad to host more triggering questions
The intention is to inspire a discussion regarding the most important waste management issues with a global interest and view and to find more contributors. Within the first day 32 friends have joined and Erik De Baedts, a good friend from Netherlands Solid Waste Association, has put a triggering issue for discussion:
To what extent can the waste industry itself give an impulse to sustainable ways of production and consumption?
See the whole idea of Erik in the next post.
Thanks a lot Erik for your contribution and welcome. I will be glad to host more triggering questions
4.13.2009
Recycling and personal behaviour
As the movement towards recycling societies seems to be global, there is a need for a better understanding of success and failures factors for recycling activities. Big differences between recycling programs within a country, even within a city, highlight the importance of local conditions and appropriate design of recycling activities. But going further it is necessary to discuss about recycling and personal behavior.
The aim of the invited lecture that I am going to present in the Recycling Conference 5-7 May in Sao Paulo (for more information look at http://www.feirasnacipa.com.br/beacon/) is to outline the major issues and questions that are related with the failure and success of recycling programs in the framework of personal behavior. By that way, the waste management community would better design and take- care the recycling activities in order to make them more efficient and more oriented to results.
Firstly, major psychological barriers will be presented in the framework of behavioral psychology. Is there any kind of barrier to our brain for long-term results? Is there any structural problem to our personality that renders a more general recycling behavior?
The evolutionary emerging structure of human personality will be described and its impacts to decision-making. The importance of human temporal and spatial scale will be discussed as well. The importance of present-focus brain will be highlighted.
Then the difference between recycling in developed and developing countries will be emphasized in order to outline the different motivations that do exist to recycling. Those differences provide a useful tool to understand the “moral” against the “survival” recycling and drive to helpful remarks regarding informal sector recycling. The more recycling results that seem to be produced in low- income countries will be discussed and comments will be made regarding the income-related issues. The conclusions are:
1. Informal recycling is low cost and has poor working conditions, but in spite of this it is both efficient and effective, and recovers a lot of materials.
2. Formal recycling initiatives have a tendency to be high cost, inefficient, isolated, and to recover very small quantities of material.
3. Municipalities beginning with recycling would often be better advised to build on the activities of the existing private recycling sector – both informal and formal -- rather than to reinvent formal recycling themselves.
Finally, the already proposed frame of situational conditions – social and environmental values - personal attitudes will be discussed as a mean to understand the actual personal recycling performance.
Major finding regarding social- demographic characteristics and their link to recycling will be summarized. The link between life-style and recycling performance will be assessed through literature review and the effect of neighborhood will be presented. Specific social research outcomes will be presented and comments will be made regarding the correlations between different approaches and views to individual’s recycling performance. Why full recyclers are mainly retired and relatively rich? Why non recyclers are mainly “young without children – families with children – middle aged without children”? What is the role of architecture?
Property plays a role as well and type of flat (with or without terrace, space limit)
Conclusions will be addressed and special emphasis is going to be given to recycling barriers and problems that must be overlapped. The major conclusions are:
• The human personality provides a barrier for recycling due to species characteristic understanding of temporal scale. Our brain is too much present – focus in order to understand and act according long-term impacts. Information campaigns are not enough for change
• Recycling success is a different story in developed and developing countries. In developed countries it is linked with moral values and responsibility, where in developing countries it is usually linked with survival and daily income. Thus, recycling in developing countries should be faced as a major challenge for global achievements
• Recycling behavior is framed by situational conditions, social- environmental values and personal attitudes. The later determines the intention to recycle while the first the possibility to actually contribute
• Recycling activities should be carefully designed according local conditions and situation, taking into account social-demographic characteristics, architecture, finding the starting point and creating clusters
• For all those reasons there is not a global solution for successful recycling. Instead there is an ocean of bad or inappropriate solutions with some islands of successful ones
The aim of the invited lecture that I am going to present in the Recycling Conference 5-7 May in Sao Paulo (for more information look at http://www.feirasnacipa.com.br/beacon/) is to outline the major issues and questions that are related with the failure and success of recycling programs in the framework of personal behavior. By that way, the waste management community would better design and take- care the recycling activities in order to make them more efficient and more oriented to results.
Firstly, major psychological barriers will be presented in the framework of behavioral psychology. Is there any kind of barrier to our brain for long-term results? Is there any structural problem to our personality that renders a more general recycling behavior?
The evolutionary emerging structure of human personality will be described and its impacts to decision-making. The importance of human temporal and spatial scale will be discussed as well. The importance of present-focus brain will be highlighted.
Then the difference between recycling in developed and developing countries will be emphasized in order to outline the different motivations that do exist to recycling. Those differences provide a useful tool to understand the “moral” against the “survival” recycling and drive to helpful remarks regarding informal sector recycling. The more recycling results that seem to be produced in low- income countries will be discussed and comments will be made regarding the income-related issues. The conclusions are:
1. Informal recycling is low cost and has poor working conditions, but in spite of this it is both efficient and effective, and recovers a lot of materials.
2. Formal recycling initiatives have a tendency to be high cost, inefficient, isolated, and to recover very small quantities of material.
3. Municipalities beginning with recycling would often be better advised to build on the activities of the existing private recycling sector – both informal and formal -- rather than to reinvent formal recycling themselves.
Finally, the already proposed frame of situational conditions – social and environmental values - personal attitudes will be discussed as a mean to understand the actual personal recycling performance.
Major finding regarding social- demographic characteristics and their link to recycling will be summarized. The link between life-style and recycling performance will be assessed through literature review and the effect of neighborhood will be presented. Specific social research outcomes will be presented and comments will be made regarding the correlations between different approaches and views to individual’s recycling performance. Why full recyclers are mainly retired and relatively rich? Why non recyclers are mainly “young without children – families with children – middle aged without children”? What is the role of architecture?
Property plays a role as well and type of flat (with or without terrace, space limit)
Conclusions will be addressed and special emphasis is going to be given to recycling barriers and problems that must be overlapped. The major conclusions are:
• The human personality provides a barrier for recycling due to species characteristic understanding of temporal scale. Our brain is too much present – focus in order to understand and act according long-term impacts. Information campaigns are not enough for change
• Recycling success is a different story in developed and developing countries. In developed countries it is linked with moral values and responsibility, where in developing countries it is usually linked with survival and daily income. Thus, recycling in developing countries should be faced as a major challenge for global achievements
• Recycling behavior is framed by situational conditions, social- environmental values and personal attitudes. The later determines the intention to recycle while the first the possibility to actually contribute
• Recycling activities should be carefully designed according local conditions and situation, taking into account social-demographic characteristics, architecture, finding the starting point and creating clusters
• For all those reasons there is not a global solution for successful recycling. Instead there is an ocean of bad or inappropriate solutions with some islands of successful ones
4.02.2009
Brazilian Conference: SWM towards a (re)cyclical system, 5-7 of May Sao Paolo
Nowadays the waste management sector is facing several changes and challenges at a global level. The exchange of experiences and information is a task for everybody.
Because of that, ABRELPE, ISWA National Member in Brazil will hold an ISWA Beacon Conference in Sao Paulo, next may, with the theme “Waste Management towards a (re)cyclical system”.
With this theme, the Conference propose a discussion regarding the paths and solutions for a new waste management system, based on the implementation of an efficient cyclical system to return and recover recyclables, raw materials and energy.
The Conference program will show the most updated subjects on waste management issues towards the development of this sector at a local, regional and global levels.
More information at http://www.feirasnacipa.com.br/beacon/.
Because of that, ABRELPE, ISWA National Member in Brazil will hold an ISWA Beacon Conference in Sao Paulo, next may, with the theme “Waste Management towards a (re)cyclical system”.
With this theme, the Conference propose a discussion regarding the paths and solutions for a new waste management system, based on the implementation of an efficient cyclical system to return and recover recyclables, raw materials and energy.
The Conference program will show the most updated subjects on waste management issues towards the development of this sector at a local, regional and global levels.
More information at http://www.feirasnacipa.com.br/beacon/.
3.26.2009
A very good seminar regarding recycling crisis: May 13, Milan, Italy
The global economic crisis has led, as we all know, to a crisis in the recycling of many waste fractions.
How these markets are evolving, what is happening in different countries in Europe and the developing world, what measures are needed to kick start the recycled materials markets, what policy changes are needed when a "circular economy" stops turning, are all questions which will be discussed in a seminar organised in Milan by Iswa Italy on May 13th.
To register (free for Iswa members) go to www.iswa.it
How these markets are evolving, what is happening in different countries in Europe and the developing world, what measures are needed to kick start the recycled materials markets, what policy changes are needed when a "circular economy" stops turning, are all questions which will be discussed in a seminar organised in Milan by Iswa Italy on May 13th.
To register (free for Iswa members) go to www.iswa.it
3.05.2009
Waste without borders in the EU?
The following text is taken from the conclusions of the 1/2009 report of the European Environmental Agency. The title of this interesting report is "Waste without borders in the EU" and you can download it from
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/waste-without-borders-in-the-eu-transboundary-shipments-of-waste
"Developments in shipments of waste indicate that many of the principles in the EU Waste Framework Directive and EU policies are being achieved.
Almost all waste generated in the EU that requires disposal is disposed of within the EU. This is in accordance with the EU political target to establish a self-sufficient network of disposal installations in the EU. Increasingly, hazardous and problematic waste is shipped for recovery within the EU, which is also in accordance with the political target. Increasing amounts of waste paper, plastics and metals are exported for recycling, driven by the increasing prices of secondary waste materials and supported by EU legislation requirements for increasing recycling rates. This shows waste being used as a resource, which is in line with the EU strategy on waste prevention and recycling.
However, developments in some areas do not fulfill the requirements of the EU Waste Framework Directive nor do they comply with EU regulations on the shipment of waste. EU Member States have not made progress toward individual Member State self-sufficiency in waste disposal. It is currently not possible to document at EU level what specific kind of hazardous and problematic waste is shipped across boundaries. This is due to highly aggregated reporting. Similarly, aggregated reporting means that it is not possible to determine whether shipment of the waste results in better, more environmentally friendly treatment of the waste.
It is difficult to follow some waste streams, in particular e-waste. It would appear that the EU exports a significant quantity of used electrical and electronic products to developing countries that do not have an adequate waste management infrastructure. These are then probably subject to treatment that poses a threat to the environment and human health.
EU Member States collect a huge quantity of data and information on the shipment of waste, but it is still impossible to ascertain whether, at the EU level, these shipments reduce negative effects on the environment….
However ….more than one third of the notified waste is not classified because there is no code that is suitable for the waste. Also, the codes are too general, making it impossible to determine the exact nature of the waste shipped. .. However, all wastes for disposal, as well as hazardous and problematic waste for recovery, must be notified to the relevant national authorities before shipment…."
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/waste-without-borders-in-the-eu-transboundary-shipments-of-waste
"Developments in shipments of waste indicate that many of the principles in the EU Waste Framework Directive and EU policies are being achieved.
Almost all waste generated in the EU that requires disposal is disposed of within the EU. This is in accordance with the EU political target to establish a self-sufficient network of disposal installations in the EU. Increasingly, hazardous and problematic waste is shipped for recovery within the EU, which is also in accordance with the political target. Increasing amounts of waste paper, plastics and metals are exported for recycling, driven by the increasing prices of secondary waste materials and supported by EU legislation requirements for increasing recycling rates. This shows waste being used as a resource, which is in line with the EU strategy on waste prevention and recycling.
However, developments in some areas do not fulfill the requirements of the EU Waste Framework Directive nor do they comply with EU regulations on the shipment of waste. EU Member States have not made progress toward individual Member State self-sufficiency in waste disposal. It is currently not possible to document at EU level what specific kind of hazardous and problematic waste is shipped across boundaries. This is due to highly aggregated reporting. Similarly, aggregated reporting means that it is not possible to determine whether shipment of the waste results in better, more environmentally friendly treatment of the waste.
It is difficult to follow some waste streams, in particular e-waste. It would appear that the EU exports a significant quantity of used electrical and electronic products to developing countries that do not have an adequate waste management infrastructure. These are then probably subject to treatment that poses a threat to the environment and human health.
EU Member States collect a huge quantity of data and information on the shipment of waste, but it is still impossible to ascertain whether, at the EU level, these shipments reduce negative effects on the environment….
However ….more than one third of the notified waste is not classified because there is no code that is suitable for the waste. Also, the codes are too general, making it impossible to determine the exact nature of the waste shipped. .. However, all wastes for disposal, as well as hazardous and problematic waste for recovery, must be notified to the relevant national authorities before shipment…."
2.27.2009
David Newman comments on UN report
This report is a fairly outdated and probably expensive UN report stating the obvious.
We already knew these data from a UK report published over a year ago which shows how Britons throw away 30 percent of the food they buy, even when it is perfectly edible. But so what ?
When we go to the developing countries, where people are presumably poorer than in Britain and therefore likely to reject less of a prime commodity like food, well (guess who ?), UNEP in a report in 2005 tells us that organic (including food) waste accounts for up to 70 percent of urban waste.
Greenpeace reported on fisheries by-catch over a decade ago, demonstrating how many millions of tonnes are wasted annually.
So what has the new UNEP report added ?
What it could have said was : if we can correctly manage and capture the potential in food waste we could:
A) produce energy
B) produce fertilisers
C) reduce CO2 emissions
Until food is so expensive that we cannot afford to waste it all the rest is just talk. The fact is food is too cheap and this comes down to how we obscenely subsidise food production, especially in the rich countries. But that is another question waste managers cannot ask.
We already knew these data from a UK report published over a year ago which shows how Britons throw away 30 percent of the food they buy, even when it is perfectly edible. But so what ?
When we go to the developing countries, where people are presumably poorer than in Britain and therefore likely to reject less of a prime commodity like food, well (guess who ?), UNEP in a report in 2005 tells us that organic (including food) waste accounts for up to 70 percent of urban waste.
Greenpeace reported on fisheries by-catch over a decade ago, demonstrating how many millions of tonnes are wasted annually.
So what has the new UNEP report added ?
What it could have said was : if we can correctly manage and capture the potential in food waste we could:
A) produce energy
B) produce fertilisers
C) reduce CO2 emissions
Until food is so expensive that we cannot afford to waste it all the rest is just talk. The fact is food is too cheap and this comes down to how we obscenely subsidise food production, especially in the rich countries. But that is another question waste managers cannot ask.
2.26.2009
UN calls for food waste revolution
The following was publish by James Murray, in BusinessGreen, 23 Feb 2009.
The world could easily feed its growing population if farmers, businesses and government's simply stepped up efforts to curtail food waste, according to a major new study from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report, which was published at last week's meeting of the UNEP Governing Council in Nairobi, Kenya, warned that without "a green revolution" across the food industry the combination of population growth and climate change will lead to severe food shortages over the coming decades that could see food prices climb by between 30 and 50 per cent.
"We need a Green revolution in a Green Economy but one with a capital G", said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. "We need to deal with not only the way the world produces food but the way it is distributed, sold and consumed, and we need a revolution that can boost yields by working with rather than against nature."
The report, entitled The Environmental Food crises: Environment's role in averting future food crises, calls on food producers, businesses and governments to prioritise efforts to cut food waste as the most effective means of addressing future shortages.
It found that up to 50 per cent of food produced in the US is wasted, while a third of food purchased in the UK is never eaten. Meanwhile, food losses in developing world are similarly high with an estimated 20 to 40 per cent of potential harvests lost as a result o pests and pathogens.
Moreover, 30m tonnes of fish are reportedly discarded at sea each year – enough to sustain a 50 per cent increase in fish farming and aquaculture production, which the UNEP calculates is needed to maintain per capita fish consumption at current levels by 2050 without increasing pressure on an already stressed marine environment.
"Over half of the food produced today is either lost, wasted or discarded as a result of inefficiency in the human-managed food chain," said Steiner. "There is evidence within the report that the world could feed the entire projected population growth alone by becoming more efficient while also ensuring the survival of wild animals, birds and fish on this planet."
The report calls for increased investment in agricultural R&D to help reduce waste during the production process, as well as increased efforts from government's to cut consumer food waste.
In addition, to targeting food waste the report calls for an end to agricultural subsidies, curtailing of the practice of using cereals to feed livestock, increased investment in developing second generation biofuels that do not impact on food supplies and improved water management regimes in drought affected areas.
It also calls for wider adoption of organic farming methods, citing a recent report by UNEP and the UN Conference on Trade and Development which studied 114 small-scale farms in 24 African countries and found that yields more than doubled where organic or near organic techniques were used.
"Simply ratcheting up the fertilizer and pesticide-led production methods of the 20th Century is unlikely to address the challenge", says Achim Steiner. "It will increasingly undermine the critical natural inputs and nature-based services for agriculture such as healthy and productive soils, the water and nutrient recycling of forests, and pollinators such as bees and bats."
The report warned that unless its recommendations are adopted up to 25 per cent of the world's food production could be lost by 2050 as a result of " environmental breakdown".
For example, it said that the retreat of Himalayan glaciers as a result of climate change could put nearly half of Asia's cereal production at risk, while global water shortages could cut crop yields by 20 per cent.
In related news, UNEP released a second report which found that 40 per cent of civil wars fought since 1990 were a direct result of natural resource shortages, a situation that is likely to worsen as climate change accelerates.
It warned that conflicts with a link to natural resources were twice as likely to relapse within five years as conflicts fought for other reasons, and called on the UN to take environmental and resource issues more seriously in its post-conflict planning.
The world could easily feed its growing population if farmers, businesses and government's simply stepped up efforts to curtail food waste, according to a major new study from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report, which was published at last week's meeting of the UNEP Governing Council in Nairobi, Kenya, warned that without "a green revolution" across the food industry the combination of population growth and climate change will lead to severe food shortages over the coming decades that could see food prices climb by between 30 and 50 per cent.
"We need a Green revolution in a Green Economy but one with a capital G", said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. "We need to deal with not only the way the world produces food but the way it is distributed, sold and consumed, and we need a revolution that can boost yields by working with rather than against nature."
The report, entitled The Environmental Food crises: Environment's role in averting future food crises, calls on food producers, businesses and governments to prioritise efforts to cut food waste as the most effective means of addressing future shortages.
It found that up to 50 per cent of food produced in the US is wasted, while a third of food purchased in the UK is never eaten. Meanwhile, food losses in developing world are similarly high with an estimated 20 to 40 per cent of potential harvests lost as a result o pests and pathogens.
Moreover, 30m tonnes of fish are reportedly discarded at sea each year – enough to sustain a 50 per cent increase in fish farming and aquaculture production, which the UNEP calculates is needed to maintain per capita fish consumption at current levels by 2050 without increasing pressure on an already stressed marine environment.
"Over half of the food produced today is either lost, wasted or discarded as a result of inefficiency in the human-managed food chain," said Steiner. "There is evidence within the report that the world could feed the entire projected population growth alone by becoming more efficient while also ensuring the survival of wild animals, birds and fish on this planet."
The report calls for increased investment in agricultural R&D to help reduce waste during the production process, as well as increased efforts from government's to cut consumer food waste.
In addition, to targeting food waste the report calls for an end to agricultural subsidies, curtailing of the practice of using cereals to feed livestock, increased investment in developing second generation biofuels that do not impact on food supplies and improved water management regimes in drought affected areas.
It also calls for wider adoption of organic farming methods, citing a recent report by UNEP and the UN Conference on Trade and Development which studied 114 small-scale farms in 24 African countries and found that yields more than doubled where organic or near organic techniques were used.
"Simply ratcheting up the fertilizer and pesticide-led production methods of the 20th Century is unlikely to address the challenge", says Achim Steiner. "It will increasingly undermine the critical natural inputs and nature-based services for agriculture such as healthy and productive soils, the water and nutrient recycling of forests, and pollinators such as bees and bats."
The report warned that unless its recommendations are adopted up to 25 per cent of the world's food production could be lost by 2050 as a result of " environmental breakdown".
For example, it said that the retreat of Himalayan glaciers as a result of climate change could put nearly half of Asia's cereal production at risk, while global water shortages could cut crop yields by 20 per cent.
In related news, UNEP released a second report which found that 40 per cent of civil wars fought since 1990 were a direct result of natural resource shortages, a situation that is likely to worsen as climate change accelerates.
It warned that conflicts with a link to natural resources were twice as likely to relapse within five years as conflicts fought for other reasons, and called on the UN to take environmental and resource issues more seriously in its post-conflict planning.
2.22.2009
5 year jail term for a plastic bag in New Delhi!
The discussion around plastic bags and their impacts to solid waste management has gone a long way last years.
Just last month New Delhi passed a preliminary ban imposing a five-year jail term or a 100,000-rupee fine, about $2,055, on anyone caught carrying or handing out plastic bags.
That did not stop 67,000 plastics professionals from convening last week for Plastindia 2009, a five-day celebration of all things plastic. Some interesting points regarding plastic bags, waste management and the plastic industry reactions are made by Heater Timmons in New York Times, 17/2/2009. See this at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/business/worldbusiness/17bag.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=plastic%20bags&st=cse
Just last month New Delhi passed a preliminary ban imposing a five-year jail term or a 100,000-rupee fine, about $2,055, on anyone caught carrying or handing out plastic bags.
That did not stop 67,000 plastics professionals from convening last week for Plastindia 2009, a five-day celebration of all things plastic. Some interesting points regarding plastic bags, waste management and the plastic industry reactions are made by Heater Timmons in New York Times, 17/2/2009. See this at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/business/worldbusiness/17bag.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=plastic%20bags&st=cse
2.18.2009
Some thoughts regarding SWM and Climate Change
The importance of Green House Gases (GHG) in decision making for SWM systems becomes an elementary part of every discussion about the future waste management. Below you will find some questions to consider and some thoughts to share about the issue.
I do believe that half of the effort we need is to create an appropriate framework for the assessment of the link between GHGs and SWM. Although there are a lot of very useful related documents, I still believe that the necessary political framework for this discussion is loose and not well defined. For the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA, www.iswa.org ) there is an opportunity to upgrade its profile being a part of the required global drivers for such a discussion. In fact, the global impacts of SWM (as highlighted by GHGs) are an obvious documentation of the need for global action and the necessity of a global know-how provider and driver to more sustainable SWM, exactly what ISWA’s mission is! So allow me to write some thoughts trying to contribute to an initial framing.
Thoughts
Globalization of environmental impacts: GHGs are the most obvious way to highlight that local SWM has a global environmental footprint. There are also a lot of other indications to highlight (in scientific terms) a similar relation between local actions and global effects, but under the current conditions and the global political agenda about Climate Change, the link between SWM and GHGs is the most important tool to create a universal understanding for how our local decisions in SWM contribute to global phenomena.
GHGs and the sense of time: human beings tend to underestimate or even ignore the importance of events that are out of their natural time scale. GHGs impacts are also a very good example in order to prove how previous and current SWM practices create Long Term results which substantially deteriorate the life of future generations.
GHG and developing countries: obviously the GHG effects and their management play a very crucial role for the formulation of international relations and diplomacy efforts. They also have a very clear political and economical content, which is very sensitive and difficult to be avoided. But we have to avoid a direct recommendation of what has to be done in terms of technologies and systems in place. In contrast, we have to point what should be the potential next steps (usually more than one) for more sustainability and less GHG effects in every different level of SWM. We need something like “How GHG effects influence SWM” or similar. The focus should be to criteria and conceptual relations between different practices and technologies and not to a direct indication to what has to be done.
Some Questions
GHG effects should be considered as a risk or as an opportunity for SWM development? (I suggest the second)
What are the impacts to GHGs from the different SWM practices? What are the main risks for SWM systems? Are there any opportunities and where?
What are the impacts to SWM practices and the industry from the accumulation of GHGs? How Climate Change is expected to affect SWM?
What are the key – actions that should be elaborated from different SWM systems and practices in order to minimize the GHGs impacts?
Should we discuss about the economical impacts as well?
Can we categorize Short and Long Term actions?
Can we categorize actions according their effects (e.g. Small, Medium, and High)?
I do believe that half of the effort we need is to create an appropriate framework for the assessment of the link between GHGs and SWM. Although there are a lot of very useful related documents, I still believe that the necessary political framework for this discussion is loose and not well defined. For the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA, www.iswa.org ) there is an opportunity to upgrade its profile being a part of the required global drivers for such a discussion. In fact, the global impacts of SWM (as highlighted by GHGs) are an obvious documentation of the need for global action and the necessity of a global know-how provider and driver to more sustainable SWM, exactly what ISWA’s mission is! So allow me to write some thoughts trying to contribute to an initial framing.
Thoughts
Globalization of environmental impacts: GHGs are the most obvious way to highlight that local SWM has a global environmental footprint. There are also a lot of other indications to highlight (in scientific terms) a similar relation between local actions and global effects, but under the current conditions and the global political agenda about Climate Change, the link between SWM and GHGs is the most important tool to create a universal understanding for how our local decisions in SWM contribute to global phenomena.
GHGs and the sense of time: human beings tend to underestimate or even ignore the importance of events that are out of their natural time scale. GHGs impacts are also a very good example in order to prove how previous and current SWM practices create Long Term results which substantially deteriorate the life of future generations.
GHG and developing countries: obviously the GHG effects and their management play a very crucial role for the formulation of international relations and diplomacy efforts. They also have a very clear political and economical content, which is very sensitive and difficult to be avoided. But we have to avoid a direct recommendation of what has to be done in terms of technologies and systems in place. In contrast, we have to point what should be the potential next steps (usually more than one) for more sustainability and less GHG effects in every different level of SWM. We need something like “How GHG effects influence SWM” or similar. The focus should be to criteria and conceptual relations between different practices and technologies and not to a direct indication to what has to be done.
Some Questions
GHG effects should be considered as a risk or as an opportunity for SWM development? (I suggest the second)
What are the impacts to GHGs from the different SWM practices? What are the main risks for SWM systems? Are there any opportunities and where?
What are the impacts to SWM practices and the industry from the accumulation of GHGs? How Climate Change is expected to affect SWM?
What are the key – actions that should be elaborated from different SWM systems and practices in order to minimize the GHGs impacts?
Should we discuss about the economical impacts as well?
Can we categorize Short and Long Term actions?
Can we categorize actions according their effects (e.g. Small, Medium, and High)?
2.11.2009
Using mobile phones to promote recycling: the London experiment
The text that follows is copied by www.edie.net (12/2/2009)
Londoners are being encouraged to starve their bins in a new electronic game that they can play on the move. Recycle for London's latest publicity campaign, which is funded by the London Waste and Recycling Board, is using a mobile phone game to spread the word.
It is the first time that such technology has been used for a public sector campaign. Players will be challenged to starve their "evil bin" by catching recyclable materials in a green recycling box, scoring points for every item caught, and losing lives if the bin eats the items.
More than 60% of the rubbish thrown away in the capital can be recycled by the city is currently managing an average of just 20%. "In London we throw away so much rubbish that could actually be recycled - it's an important resource which is simply being chucked away," London Mayor Boris Johnson said. "I am very excited that the new Recycle for London campaign is using innovative technologies to boost recycling and my message is to starve your bins and recycle, recycle, recycle."
Mr Johnson added that he is confident that the recycling market will recover, despite reports of the recent downturn in some parts of the market for recycled materials. Councillor Daniel Moylan, from the London Waste and Recycling Board, said: "Along with reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill, driving up recycling is our top priority and we shouldn't let a few scare stories in the media divert us from this important endeavour."
For the first time, the campaign will now be advertised on television, alongside the radio and press adverts and the posters on public transport that most city-dwellers will already be familiar with. Londoners can download the game by texting BIN to 62967. iPhone users can download the game from the Apple Store on iTunes. All users can forward the game to friends. It will work on most internet-ready mobile phones. It does not work on BlackBerries.
Londoners are being encouraged to starve their bins in a new electronic game that they can play on the move. Recycle for London's latest publicity campaign, which is funded by the London Waste and Recycling Board, is using a mobile phone game to spread the word.
It is the first time that such technology has been used for a public sector campaign. Players will be challenged to starve their "evil bin" by catching recyclable materials in a green recycling box, scoring points for every item caught, and losing lives if the bin eats the items.
More than 60% of the rubbish thrown away in the capital can be recycled by the city is currently managing an average of just 20%. "In London we throw away so much rubbish that could actually be recycled - it's an important resource which is simply being chucked away," London Mayor Boris Johnson said. "I am very excited that the new Recycle for London campaign is using innovative technologies to boost recycling and my message is to starve your bins and recycle, recycle, recycle."
Mr Johnson added that he is confident that the recycling market will recover, despite reports of the recent downturn in some parts of the market for recycled materials. Councillor Daniel Moylan, from the London Waste and Recycling Board, said: "Along with reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill, driving up recycling is our top priority and we shouldn't let a few scare stories in the media divert us from this important endeavour."
For the first time, the campaign will now be advertised on television, alongside the radio and press adverts and the posters on public transport that most city-dwellers will already be familiar with. Londoners can download the game by texting BIN to 62967. iPhone users can download the game from the Apple Store on iTunes. All users can forward the game to friends. It will work on most internet-ready mobile phones. It does not work on BlackBerries.
2.05.2009
Urban waste management solutions
This is an article from the DG Environment Newsletter "Science for Environmental Policy" (Special Issue 11, February 2009).
"What is the best way to manage urban waste? Towns and cities generate huge volumes of waste that are often disposed of as landfill. In a new study, researchers explain that sorting urban waste into organic and inorganic streams, which can be turned into energy and fertiliser, offers a much more efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
Each year, 1.3 billion tonnes of waste is thrown away in the EU1. In several European countries, the main way of disposing of this waste is in landfill sites. In Greece, Portugal, the UK, Ireland, Finland, Italy and Spain more than half of all waste ends up as landfill. Aside from the negative environmental impacts of landfill, including heavy metal leaching and slow release of greenhouse gases, landfill sites are in short supply. Alternative waste management strategies are therefore urgently required.
Using the city of Rome as a case study, landfill was compared with four alternative waste management options:
landfill without biogas treatment
landfill with collection of biogas to burn for electricity production
direct incineration of waste with electricity recovery
a scheme where waste is sorted into organic and inorganic streams at landfill sites, and ferrous metals are recycled
In each case, the researchers calculated how much new waste was generated by the waste disposal process itself, how much energy the process required and how much it generated, and the estimated global and local emissions. The results suggest landfill represents the worst waste management strategy both in terms of environmental impacts and energy performance. The data reveal that even incinerating waste is a better option than landfill.
Separating organic and inorganic waste, proved most effective in terms of reducing environmental impacts and energy performance. In this case, organic waste is turned into biogas and fertiliser, and inorganic waste is converted to Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) which is burned to generate electricity. This scenario could lead to an 80 per cent reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill. In terms of global warming potential, this scenario has a positive effect on net greenhouse gas emissions (because the electricity and biogas produced can replace fossil fuels).
For comparison, under the landfill alone scenario, one year's worth of waste from Rome produces an estimated global warming potential equivalent to 1910 kt CO2 (mainly in the form of greenhouse gases emitted from the landfill site). If the waste is separated into streams, there is a net reduction in global warming potential equivalent to 345 kt CO2 from one year's worth of waste.
Although none of the options evaluated provide a full solution to the waste disposal problem, the researchers suggest that the fourth scenario is currently the most viable. This scheme produces twice as much energy as the direct incineration scheme and is the most energy efficient. From an environmental perspective, the same scheme offers the best solution, as the only remaining waste to enter landfill is burnt inorganic waste, which will not decompose further after disposal. In contrast, organic waste directly disposed of in landfill will continue to decompose for thousands of years, releasing greenhouse gases.
1. See: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/index.htm
Source: Cherubini, F., Bargigli, S. and Ulgiati, S. (2008). Life Cycle Assessment of Urban Waste Management: Energy Performances and Environmental Impacts. The Case of Rome, Italy. Waste Management. 28: 2552-2564.
Contact: cherufra@yahoo.it
Theme(s): Climate change and energy, Urban Environments, WasteAdditional information: LIFE has funded a number of innovative projects designed to improve the sustainability of waste management. For project details, please download: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/themes/urban/documents/urban_waste.pdf
"What is the best way to manage urban waste? Towns and cities generate huge volumes of waste that are often disposed of as landfill. In a new study, researchers explain that sorting urban waste into organic and inorganic streams, which can be turned into energy and fertiliser, offers a much more efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
Each year, 1.3 billion tonnes of waste is thrown away in the EU1. In several European countries, the main way of disposing of this waste is in landfill sites. In Greece, Portugal, the UK, Ireland, Finland, Italy and Spain more than half of all waste ends up as landfill. Aside from the negative environmental impacts of landfill, including heavy metal leaching and slow release of greenhouse gases, landfill sites are in short supply. Alternative waste management strategies are therefore urgently required.
Using the city of Rome as a case study, landfill was compared with four alternative waste management options:
landfill without biogas treatment
landfill with collection of biogas to burn for electricity production
direct incineration of waste with electricity recovery
a scheme where waste is sorted into organic and inorganic streams at landfill sites, and ferrous metals are recycled
In each case, the researchers calculated how much new waste was generated by the waste disposal process itself, how much energy the process required and how much it generated, and the estimated global and local emissions. The results suggest landfill represents the worst waste management strategy both in terms of environmental impacts and energy performance. The data reveal that even incinerating waste is a better option than landfill.
Separating organic and inorganic waste, proved most effective in terms of reducing environmental impacts and energy performance. In this case, organic waste is turned into biogas and fertiliser, and inorganic waste is converted to Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) which is burned to generate electricity. This scenario could lead to an 80 per cent reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill. In terms of global warming potential, this scenario has a positive effect on net greenhouse gas emissions (because the electricity and biogas produced can replace fossil fuels).
For comparison, under the landfill alone scenario, one year's worth of waste from Rome produces an estimated global warming potential equivalent to 1910 kt CO2 (mainly in the form of greenhouse gases emitted from the landfill site). If the waste is separated into streams, there is a net reduction in global warming potential equivalent to 345 kt CO2 from one year's worth of waste.
Although none of the options evaluated provide a full solution to the waste disposal problem, the researchers suggest that the fourth scenario is currently the most viable. This scheme produces twice as much energy as the direct incineration scheme and is the most energy efficient. From an environmental perspective, the same scheme offers the best solution, as the only remaining waste to enter landfill is burnt inorganic waste, which will not decompose further after disposal. In contrast, organic waste directly disposed of in landfill will continue to decompose for thousands of years, releasing greenhouse gases.
1. See: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/index.htm
Source: Cherubini, F., Bargigli, S. and Ulgiati, S. (2008). Life Cycle Assessment of Urban Waste Management: Energy Performances and Environmental Impacts. The Case of Rome, Italy. Waste Management. 28: 2552-2564.
Contact: cherufra@yahoo.it
Theme(s): Climate change and energy, Urban Environments, WasteAdditional information: LIFE has funded a number of innovative projects designed to improve the sustainability of waste management. For project details, please download: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/themes/urban/documents/urban_waste.pdf
1.27.2009
Recycling crisis and barriers that we have to overcome
Dear Antonis
You keep going with special articles about the debate to recycling crisis and after a review I made would like to contribute on that as following
RECYCLING CRISIS
1. What are the barriers we have to overcome?
· Lack of short term capital
· Companies will increasingly need financial resources and/ or bank or state guaranties to continue operations and tackle the negative revenue effects of the recession. This will be essential to maintain the high environmental standards internationally, particularly with respect to climate objectives which cannot be achieved without functioning waste management and recycling infrastructure.
· Recycling needs must remain economically viable.
· There is global supply excess of recyclates without knowing the quantities but there are large stocks for those companies which are largely dependent on international sales in emerging markets such as China and India. And once people stopped buying other products, manufacturers in China no longer accepted America’s recyclables – particularly paper for all that packaging. Secondary raw materials as paper and scrap metals are accumulating at the ports of call because contracting parties refuse to accept the goods.
· The private sector what needs to see is good understanding of how serious the situation is by local authorities. Contractors do not want to stop providing a service but if they cannot afford to continue some contracts, yes the council could take them to the court but this would achieve little. There will be costs incurred and there are few companies who will want to take over the contract at present. The better way forward is for councils to pay more to cover the shortfall in material value and we can agree on a structure so that when prices rise again a fair share of this increase ca be returned to the local authority.
· The biggest market problem is with bad quality of mixed papers and it is irrelevant how it is collected and that means we have to continue with good quality.
· There must be data bases to control the supply and demand in the market otherwise is setting down to a new equilibrium will be a long term effect.
· We have to share experiences and problems and communicate and try and find innovation solutions
· If we have to start landfilling recyclables we will lose public confidence in recycling schemes and it will take a long time to build up again.
· As for eventual market recovery, we would say it won’t happen until manufacturing picks up again. In the mean time, survival is a matter of which recycling businesses anticipated a decrease in demand. Everybody is hurting right now. The question is; How long is it going to happen and who’s best prepared for it ? Who can ride out the storm?.
· In recycling business must understand you are going to lose money one year out four and must prepare for it. It must be part of business plan, but it is difficult to find that altitude, certainly among people who understand recycling and particularly the fluctuation should have been expected because the commodities are volatile and risky whether they’re tin cans or crude oil and we have to understand that the good times wouldn’t roll forever.
Best regards
Andrew Kouskouris
You keep going with special articles about the debate to recycling crisis and after a review I made would like to contribute on that as following
RECYCLING CRISIS
1. What are the barriers we have to overcome?
· Lack of short term capital
· Companies will increasingly need financial resources and/ or bank or state guaranties to continue operations and tackle the negative revenue effects of the recession. This will be essential to maintain the high environmental standards internationally, particularly with respect to climate objectives which cannot be achieved without functioning waste management and recycling infrastructure.
· Recycling needs must remain economically viable.
· There is global supply excess of recyclates without knowing the quantities but there are large stocks for those companies which are largely dependent on international sales in emerging markets such as China and India. And once people stopped buying other products, manufacturers in China no longer accepted America’s recyclables – particularly paper for all that packaging. Secondary raw materials as paper and scrap metals are accumulating at the ports of call because contracting parties refuse to accept the goods.
· The private sector what needs to see is good understanding of how serious the situation is by local authorities. Contractors do not want to stop providing a service but if they cannot afford to continue some contracts, yes the council could take them to the court but this would achieve little. There will be costs incurred and there are few companies who will want to take over the contract at present. The better way forward is for councils to pay more to cover the shortfall in material value and we can agree on a structure so that when prices rise again a fair share of this increase ca be returned to the local authority.
· The biggest market problem is with bad quality of mixed papers and it is irrelevant how it is collected and that means we have to continue with good quality.
· There must be data bases to control the supply and demand in the market otherwise is setting down to a new equilibrium will be a long term effect.
· We have to share experiences and problems and communicate and try and find innovation solutions
· If we have to start landfilling recyclables we will lose public confidence in recycling schemes and it will take a long time to build up again.
· As for eventual market recovery, we would say it won’t happen until manufacturing picks up again. In the mean time, survival is a matter of which recycling businesses anticipated a decrease in demand. Everybody is hurting right now. The question is; How long is it going to happen and who’s best prepared for it ? Who can ride out the storm?.
· In recycling business must understand you are going to lose money one year out four and must prepare for it. It must be part of business plan, but it is difficult to find that altitude, certainly among people who understand recycling and particularly the fluctuation should have been expected because the commodities are volatile and risky whether they’re tin cans or crude oil and we have to understand that the good times wouldn’t roll forever.
Best regards
Andrew Kouskouris
1.26.2009
Ideas for discussion regarding landfill tax across EU member states, by A. Kouskouris
After the question you uploaded about harmonized landfill tax within EU member states, I could put the following ideas for discussion:
a) Harmonized landfill tax would provide incentives for waste producers to find solutions for waste recovery, enhance recycling or re-use, and lead to a drop in the amount of waste produced.
b) Against a harmonized minimum tax might argue that national circumstances vary and that a harmonized tax at EU level will be thus not an adequate solution mainly on the basis of costs and competitiveness issues Especially for waste categories for which there is no alternative to landfill (e.g. construction material and mineral waste), and landfill taxes might argue to have no steering effect and could instead lead to fly-tipping. A flat landfill tax would hinder the mix of incentives and flexibility needed at national or local level to divert from landfill. The economic costs of waste landfills and population density differ among the Member States.
For example United Kingdom employs both tradable landfill allowances and a landfill tax. More generally, opponents might warn that introducing new minor taxes should be avoided as it is contrary to deregulation and reducing administrative costs.
a) Harmonized landfill tax would provide incentives for waste producers to find solutions for waste recovery, enhance recycling or re-use, and lead to a drop in the amount of waste produced.
b) Against a harmonized minimum tax might argue that national circumstances vary and that a harmonized tax at EU level will be thus not an adequate solution mainly on the basis of costs and competitiveness issues Especially for waste categories for which there is no alternative to landfill (e.g. construction material and mineral waste), and landfill taxes might argue to have no steering effect and could instead lead to fly-tipping. A flat landfill tax would hinder the mix of incentives and flexibility needed at national or local level to divert from landfill. The economic costs of waste landfills and population density differ among the Member States.
For example United Kingdom employs both tradable landfill allowances and a landfill tax. More generally, opponents might warn that introducing new minor taxes should be avoided as it is contrary to deregulation and reducing administrative costs.
A landfill tax might not be the best solution, by Greg Vogt
The question posed by Mr. Andrew Kouskouris returns to the issue of using special taxes to achieve certain policy goals. Some do not support taxes of any kind, while some support special taxes directed for special costs, purposes, or society benefits. Certainly if one significantly increases a special tax on a certain item, say a pair of shoes, less people will buy shoes. If you support total diversion of waste away from landfills, then raise the special tax to the level you require to meet your goal. This may not be the most efficient way to shift society's resources, but you will have accomplished your goal.
The arguments against a harmonized landfill tax might include:
- expensive, time consuming to execute
- there may be no 'fair' number or method to harmonize
- other, better tools might be well suited to accomplish the same 'landfill diversion' goal (e.g., market forces, permits, etc.)
- often times creative tax credits work better than direct taxes
- we do not want passage of taxes on waste disposal/treatment facilities methods to become too popular government authorities.
Best regards,
Greg Vogt
Managing Director
International Solid Waste Association
Vienna, Austria
The arguments against a harmonized landfill tax might include:
- expensive, time consuming to execute
- there may be no 'fair' number or method to harmonize
- other, better tools might be well suited to accomplish the same 'landfill diversion' goal (e.g., market forces, permits, etc.)
- often times creative tax credits work better than direct taxes
- we do not want passage of taxes on waste disposal/treatment facilities methods to become too popular government authorities.
Best regards,
Greg Vogt
Managing Director
International Solid Waste Association
Vienna, Austria
Do we need a harmonised landfill tax across EU members?
Dear Antonis I write down for your blog the folowintg question I can support and have sent as well to your e-mail: Statistics and reports show that there is not sufficient progress from EU member states to divert waste away from landfill trying to implement landfill directive. Are there any ideas about a harmonised landfill tax with EU member states ? What would be in favour and against on that issue?
Andrew Kouskouris
akousk@epem.gr
Andrew Kouskouris
akousk@epem.gr
1.16.2009
Assessing waste prevention schemes among SMEs
This was published in Science for Environmental Policy, a publication by DG Environment. The article is based at publication "D. and Rechberger, H. (2009). Quantitative evaluation of waste prevention on the level of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Waste Management. 29(2): 606-613".
Evaluating waste prevention schemes is necessary to ensure that funds are spent as efficiently as possible. A new Austrian study proposes a method of ranking schemes to prevent waste production by smaller businesses according to their efficiency in protecting the environment, human health and resources.
Collectively, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute substantially to environmental damage, although they may not be aware of doing so. Initiatives to improve the environmental record of SMEs can therefore play an important role. Incentives that cover 30 per cent of the cost of waste prevention schemes for SMEs in Austria, is an example of such an initiative.
The study conducted a simplified life cycle assessment (LCA) of 52 waste prevention projects from 2005 and 2006, measuring improvements before and after each project in terms of waste produced, energy consumed, CO2 and sulfur dioxide emissions. It also provides data on the impact associated with different waste materials such as paper, cardboard, plastics and metals.
The results were combined with expert opinion to rank each scheme in order of effectiveness. The authors note that one quarter of the projects evaluated were not truly waste prevention schemes, but waste reduction schemes. Waste prevention takes place before waste is generated, collected, stored, processed or disposed of and is aimed at avoiding waste altogether. The three main types of waste prevention measures are:
Optimisation. This reduces the amount of material and energy required, as well as the use of harmful substances, by introducing more efficient processes.
Substitution. This replaces material and energy inputs by using more environmentally friendly options, such as replacing plastic packaging with wood.
Product re-use. This repeatedly uses a product in its original form.
This method suggested that some schemes are not as environmentally beneficial as previously thought. For example, a previously highly regarded scheme to reduce hazardous waste from X-rays was discovered to be not as cost-effective as initially assumed due to the small quantities of chemicals involved. The scheme had been ranked fifth for efficacy in previous comparison studies of waste prevention schemes, but this method placed it at the bottom of the table.
The authors write that SMEs are a vital part of the economy but are often unaware of their environmental impact. The new model could be a reliable method for assessing and ranking waste prevention projects. For example, it could compare the cost of saving 1kg of CO2 in different economic sectors, allow users to choose the most efficient waste management option, support qualitative decisions made by experts and increase the transparency of incentive schemes. Challenges include a lack of means for collecting data on the flow of goods and substances.
Source: Laner, D. and Rechberger, H. (2009). Quantitative evaluation of waste prevention on the level of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Waste Management. 29(2): 606-613.
Contact: d.laner@iwa.tuwien.ac.at Theme(s): Sustainable consumption and production, Waste
Evaluating waste prevention schemes is necessary to ensure that funds are spent as efficiently as possible. A new Austrian study proposes a method of ranking schemes to prevent waste production by smaller businesses according to their efficiency in protecting the environment, human health and resources.
Collectively, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute substantially to environmental damage, although they may not be aware of doing so. Initiatives to improve the environmental record of SMEs can therefore play an important role. Incentives that cover 30 per cent of the cost of waste prevention schemes for SMEs in Austria, is an example of such an initiative.
The study conducted a simplified life cycle assessment (LCA) of 52 waste prevention projects from 2005 and 2006, measuring improvements before and after each project in terms of waste produced, energy consumed, CO2 and sulfur dioxide emissions. It also provides data on the impact associated with different waste materials such as paper, cardboard, plastics and metals.
The results were combined with expert opinion to rank each scheme in order of effectiveness. The authors note that one quarter of the projects evaluated were not truly waste prevention schemes, but waste reduction schemes. Waste prevention takes place before waste is generated, collected, stored, processed or disposed of and is aimed at avoiding waste altogether. The three main types of waste prevention measures are:
Optimisation. This reduces the amount of material and energy required, as well as the use of harmful substances, by introducing more efficient processes.
Substitution. This replaces material and energy inputs by using more environmentally friendly options, such as replacing plastic packaging with wood.
Product re-use. This repeatedly uses a product in its original form.
This method suggested that some schemes are not as environmentally beneficial as previously thought. For example, a previously highly regarded scheme to reduce hazardous waste from X-rays was discovered to be not as cost-effective as initially assumed due to the small quantities of chemicals involved. The scheme had been ranked fifth for efficacy in previous comparison studies of waste prevention schemes, but this method placed it at the bottom of the table.
The authors write that SMEs are a vital part of the economy but are often unaware of their environmental impact. The new model could be a reliable method for assessing and ranking waste prevention projects. For example, it could compare the cost of saving 1kg of CO2 in different economic sectors, allow users to choose the most efficient waste management option, support qualitative decisions made by experts and increase the transparency of incentive schemes. Challenges include a lack of means for collecting data on the flow of goods and substances.
Source: Laner, D. and Rechberger, H. (2009). Quantitative evaluation of waste prevention on the level of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Waste Management. 29(2): 606-613.
Contact: d.laner@iwa.tuwien.ac.at Theme(s): Sustainable consumption and production, Waste
1.14.2009
Questions that need answers regarding recycling
Andrew Kouskouris wrote:
"What are the main problems to recycling markets due to the financial downturn?
If we have to start landfilling recyclables we will lose public confidence in recycling schemes and it will take a long time to build this up again.
Local Authorities must determine the extent of the problems they may be facing.
There is a huge amount of uncertainty in the market place at the moment and what is needed is a co-ordinated approach to solving both the short term needs and issues.
The volume of waste produced by businesses is decreasing.
The story of how this happened is the usual tragic saga of good intentions turning into inflexible regulations , and of unforeseen consequences.
Paper mills close in some member states because are unable to competitive with China’s high-tech mills.
Mixed grades of materials (of varying quality) are typically attracting lower prices because more effort and expense has to go into sorting and cleaning materials to produce the equivalent of virgin raw material.
Understanding the forces driving the economics of recycled materials, the negative environmental consequences of the market downturn are:
- Reduced plant maintenance or lower treatment standards due to pressure to reduce costs
- Lower quality of processed recyclable material due to pressure to reduce costs
- Inappropriate storage of materials until market conditions improve, which could cause environmental harm
- An increase in abandoned vehicles caused by the fall in the price of scrap metal
"What are the main problems to recycling markets due to the financial downturn?
If we have to start landfilling recyclables we will lose public confidence in recycling schemes and it will take a long time to build this up again.
Local Authorities must determine the extent of the problems they may be facing.
There is a huge amount of uncertainty in the market place at the moment and what is needed is a co-ordinated approach to solving both the short term needs and issues.
The volume of waste produced by businesses is decreasing.
The story of how this happened is the usual tragic saga of good intentions turning into inflexible regulations , and of unforeseen consequences.
Paper mills close in some member states because are unable to competitive with China’s high-tech mills.
Mixed grades of materials (of varying quality) are typically attracting lower prices because more effort and expense has to go into sorting and cleaning materials to produce the equivalent of virgin raw material.
Understanding the forces driving the economics of recycled materials, the negative environmental consequences of the market downturn are:
- Reduced plant maintenance or lower treatment standards due to pressure to reduce costs
- Lower quality of processed recyclable material due to pressure to reduce costs
- Inappropriate storage of materials until market conditions improve, which could cause environmental harm
- An increase in abandoned vehicles caused by the fall in the price of scrap metal
1.09.2009
From East to West recycling chain collapses...
It seems that problems with recycling due to global crisis are going worst. The followink link from Guardian is very usefull for more details
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jan/09/recycling-global-recession-china
Lot of thanks to David Newman for his contribution
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jan/09/recycling-global-recession-china
Lot of thanks to David Newman for his contribution
1.08.2009
Would you like to have a diary for 2009 that promotes ISWA?
Trying to arrange my activities for 2009, I thought it will be very useful to have a diary to promote ISWA.
So I simply created one in a word document format. If you want to use it too, you can download it from:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/9903651/ISWA-Calendar-2009
If you like it, please promote it through my blog. That is a simple but effective way to promote ISWA and its activities.
So I simply created one in a word document format. If you want to use it too, you can download it from:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/9903651/ISWA-Calendar-2009
If you like it, please promote it through my blog. That is a simple but effective way to promote ISWA and its activities.
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