Environmental Impacts of Waste Management Strategies Case studies compilation
The environmental impacts of waste management strategies vary significantly depending on the methods employed, ranging from waste prevention to disposal, and the existing waste management strategy which is being upgraded. Selecting efficient waste management strategies is key for minimizing the environmental impact and resource conservation while bringing value to the communities where they are developed. Factors that need to be considered in the decision-making process include the nature and amount of the waste to be handled, resources and technology availability, current and future policy, and environmental, societal and economic aspects. In other words, decision-makers need to take a regional approach when developing waste management strategies. An important premise is that local conditions are important and no one-size-fits-all exists.
This report provides two case studies of waste management strategies employed in two IEA Bioenergy Task 36 countries, Ireland, an EU member state, and the U.S. The case study report considers waste management strategies, applied to tackle particular waste challenges in each location, and the technical and environmental aspects of the strategies in relation to energy valorisation within the framework of IEA Bioenergy Task 36. Each case study begins with an overview of relevant regional policies for waste management which provides context for each waste management strategy employed in the case studies.
The case studies included in this compilation are:
Waste-to-Energy facility (Indaver Ltd.) in Meath, Ireland: The Meath Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facility is a grate incinerator located near Duleek in County Meath. The incinerator was the first of its kind to operate in Ireland and it opened its gates in August 2011. The waste-to-energy facility has capacity to divert up to 235,000 tonnes of municipal waste from landfill per year and generates 18MW of electricity with 41.5% considered renewable due to combustion of waste of biological origin. Further environmental benefits arise as due to the avoided production of electricity generated at the average grid mix. Further, metals sent for recovery are assumed to displace the virgin production of such metals, hence the CO2 emissions from production are considered to be avoided.
Renewable Energy & Urban Agriculture Campus (Green Era) in Illinois: The Green Era Renewable Energy & Urban Agriculture Campus is a local hub for renewable energy generation, urban farming, and community programming and education in the Auburn-Gresham neighbourhood of Chicago’s South Side in Illinois. The campus’ anaerobic digester system can process approximately 80,000 tons of food waste per year. The food waste is collected from restaurants, food companies, manufacturers, and residents, providing an alternative to the current practice of landfilling and prevents 42,500 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions every year. Further social benefits arise from the community focus, for example by providing an onsite Education Center which will offer workshops and trainings across a variety of topics led by community practitioners.
The report provides an overview of potential waste management strategies for valorisation of waste, including waste prevention and reduction, reuse and recycling and energy recovery, along with consideration of the associated environmental impacts. The report further provides the regional context to the case studies in terms of policy and the approaches that could be used to manage the waste.
Policies in both regions favour waste management strategies which focus on waste prevention, reuse and recycling, and energy recovery above landfilling. In both the Irish and U.S. case studies, alternative waste management strategies have been implemented to avoid disposal of waste by landfilling which is the last priority in the relevant policies.
Both case studies highlight the environmental benefits of waste management strategies which are implemented to avoid the current regional practice of landfilling. This case study compilation highlights that different waste management strategies can be considered as responsible waste management approaches when considering local conditions, needs, trade-offs and solutions.
For more information, contact: Dr. Fionnuala Murphy, University College Dublin. Email: fionnuala.murphy@ucd.ie