Household hazardous waste: composition of paint waste.

'Paint waste', a part of the 'household hazardous waste', amounting to approximately 5 tonnes was collected from recycling stations in two Danish cities. Sorting and analyses of the waste showed paint waste comprised approximately 65% of the mass, paint-like waste (cleaners, fillers, etc.) comprised 15-25% and foreign items comprised 10-20%.Water-based paint was the dominant part of the paint waste. The chemical composition of the paint waste and the paint-like waste was characterized by an analysis of 27 substances in seven waste fractions. The content of critical substances was low and the paint waste was less contaminated with heavy metals than was the ordinary household waste. This may suggest that households no longer need to source-segregate their paint if the household waste is incinerated, since the presence of a small quantity of solvent-based paint will not be harmful when incinerated. Allowing household paint waste to be collected with ordinary household waste is expected to reduce the cost of handling household hazardous waste, since paint waste in Denmark comprises the major fraction of household hazardous waste.     

Local waste management constraints and waste administrators in China

Local level waste authorities and their officials directly interact and serve the people on behalf of higher governments. Given the influential positions they have on the quality of life of the citizens, these local waste authorities deserve more attention from researchers. This study throws light on the factors related to local waste management and administrators that have caused waste management failures in three mainland Chinese cities. Based on a survey conducted in 2002-2003, it was found that waste administrators in these cities are not professionally competent in their jobs and they are also not confident in using economic instruments to address waste management issues in their cities. These local waste authorities are generally under-funded, and funding politics has to some extent eroded the incentives to carry out the instructions of higher waste authorities. The community at large also does not respect local waste management work. The residents frequently litter, are unobservant of waste collection times and are unwilling to pay for waste collection service. All of these are handicapping environmentally sound waste management.     

Integrated waste management--looking beyond the solid waste horizon

Waste as a management issue has been evident for over four millennia. Disposal of waste to the biosphere has given way to thinking about, and trying to implement, an integrated waste management approach. In 1996 the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) defined 'integrated waste management' as 'a framework of reference for designing and implementing new waste management systems and for analysing and optimising existing systems'. In this paper the concept of integrated waste management as defined by UNEP is considered, along with the parameters that constitute integrated waste management. The examples used are put into four categories: (1) integration within a single medium (solid, aqueous or atmospheric wastes) by considering alternative waste management options, (2) multi-media integration (solid, aqueous, atmospheric and energy wastes) by considering waste management options that can be applied to more than one medium, (3) tools (regulatory, economic, voluntary and informational) and (4) agents (governmental bodies (local and national), businesses and the community). This evaluation allows guidelines for enhancing success: (1) as experience increases, it is possible to deal with a greater complexity; and (2) integrated waste management requires a holistic approach, which encompasses a life cycle understanding of products and services. This in turn requires different specialisms to be involved in the instigation and analysis of an integrated waste management system. Taken together these advance the path to sustainability.     

Influence of assumptions about household waste composition in waste management LCAs

This article takes a detailed look at an uncertainty factor in waste management LCA that has not been widely discussed previously, namely the uncertainty in waste composition. Waste composition is influenced by many factors; it can vary from year to year, seasonally, and with location, for example. The data publicly available at a municipal level can be highly aggregated and sometimes incomplete, and performing composition analysis is technically challenging. Uncertainty is therefore always present in waste composition. This article performs uncertainty analysis on a systematically modified waste composition using a constructed waste management system. In addition the environmental impacts of several waste management strategies are compared when applied to five different cities. We thus discuss the effect of uncertainty in both accounting LCA and comparative LCA. We found the waste composition to be important for the total environmental impact of the system, especially for the global warming, nutrient enrichment and human toxicity via water impact categories.     

Discussion on the methodology for determining food waste in household waste composition studies

Food waste has become an increasingly discussed topic in recent years. However, there is little authoritative data on food waste quantities and composition and systematic and comparable data are missing. Household waste composition analyses, which are often carried out routinely at regular or irregular intervals, provide an opportunity for obtaining data about food waste at both local and regional levels. The results of prior waste composition studies are not really comparable due to the different classifications, definitions and methods used; in addition, these are mostly insufficiently described and not reproducible by a third party. The aim of this paper is to discuss a methodology for determining the proportion of food waste in household waste composition studies, by analysing specific problems and possible solutions. For that purpose, findings from the literature are analysed and the approach and results of a composition analysis of residual waste of a stratified sample (urban, rural area) are presented. The study suggests that in order to avoid a significant loss of information, waste should not be sieved before sorting and packed food waste should be classified into the relevant food waste category together with its packaging. The case study showed that the overall influence of the proportion of food packaging included in the food waste category, which amounted to only 8%, did not significantly influence the results and can therefore be disregarded.     

Measuring waste prevention

The Waste Framework Directive (WFD-2008/98/EC) has set clear waste prevention procedures, including reporting, reviewing, monitoring and evaluating. Based on the WFD, the European Commission and will offer support to Member States on how to develop waste prevention programmes through guidelines and information sharing on best practices. Monitoring and evaluating waste prevention activities are critical, as they constitute the main tools to enable policy makers, at the national and local level, to build their strategic plans and ensure that waste prevention initiatives are effective and deliver behaviour change. However, how one can measure something that is not there, remains an important and unresolved research question. The paper reviews and attempts to evaluate the methods that are being used for measuring waste prevention and the impact of relevant implemented activities at the household level, as the available data is still limited.     

Does industrial waste taxation contribute to reduction of landfilled waste? Dynamic panel analysis considering industrial waste category in Japan

Waste taxes, such as landfill and incineration taxes, have emerged as a popular option in developed countries to promote the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle). However, few studies have examined the effectiveness of waste taxes. In addition, quite a few studies have considered both dynamic relationships among dependent variables and unobserved individual heterogeneity among the jurisdictions. If dependent variables are persistent, omitted variables cause a bias, or common characteristics exist across the jurisdictions that have introduced waste taxes, the standard fixed effects model may lead to biased estimation results and misunderstood causal relationships. In addition, most existing studies have examined waste in terms of total amounts rather than by categories. Even if significant reductions in total waste amounts are not observed, some reduction within each category may, nevertheless, become evident.Therefore, this study analyzes the effects of industrial waste taxation on quantities of waste in landfill in Japan by applying the bias-corrected least-squares dummy variable (LSDVC) estimators; the general method of moments (difference GMM); and the system GMM. In addition, the study investigates effect differences attributable to industrial waste categories and taxation types. This paper shows that industrial waste taxes in Japan have minimal, significant effects on the reduction of final disposal amounts thus far, considering dynamic relationships and waste categories.     

The effect of food waste disposers on municipal waste and wastewater management.

This paper examines the feasibility of introducing food waste disposers as a waste minimization option within urban waste management schemes, taking the Greater Beirut Area (GBA) as a case study. For this purpose, the operational and economic impacts of food disposers on the solid waste and wastewater streams are assessed. The integration of food waste disposers can reduce the total solid waste to be managed by 12 to 43% under market penetration ranging between 25 and 75%, respectively. While the increase in domestic water consumption (for food grinding) and corresponding increase in wastewater flow rates are relatively insignificant, wastewater loadings increased by 17 to 62% (BOD) and 1.9 to 7.1% (SS). The net economic benefit of introducing food disposers into the waste and wastewater management systems constitutes 7.2 to 44.0% of the existing solid waste management cost under the various scenarios examined. Concerns about increased sludge generation persist and its potential environmental and economic implications may differ with location and therefore area-specific characteristics must be taken into consideration when contemplating the adoption of a strategy to integrate food waste disposers in the waste-wastewater management system.     

Inconsistent pathways of household waste

The aim of this study was to provide policy-makers and waste management planners with information about how recycling programs affect the quantities of specific materials recycled and disposed of. Two questions were addressed: which factors influence household waste generation and pathways? and how reliable are official waste data? Household waste flows were studied in 35 Swedish municipalities, and a wide variation in the amount of waste per capita was observed. When evaluating the effect of different waste collection policies, it was found to be important to identify site-specific factors influencing waste generation. Eleven municipal variables were investigated in an attempt to explain the variation. The amount of household waste per resident was higher in populous municipalities and when net commuting was positive. Property-close collection of dry recyclables led to increased delivery of sorted metal, plastic and paper packaging. No difference was seen in the amount of separated recyclables per capita when weight-based billing for the collection of residual waste was applied, but the amount of residual waste was lower. Sixteen sources of error in official waste statistics were identified and the results of the study emphasize the importance of reliable waste generation and composition data to underpin waste management policies.     

European Union waste management strategy and the importance of biogenic waste

In the European Union (EU), waste management is almost totally regulated by EU directives, which supply a framework for national regulations. The main target in view of sustainability is the prevention of direct disposal of reactive waste in landfills. The tools to comply with these principles are recycling and material recovery as well as waste incineration with energy recovery for final inertization. The adaptation of the principles laid down in EU directives is an ongoing process. A number of countries have already enacted respective national regulations and their realization shows that recycling and incineration are not in competition but are both essential parts of integrated waste management systems. In the EU, the amount of residual waste available for energy recovery can supply approximately 1% of the primary energy demand. About 50% of the energy inventory of municipal solid waste (MSW) in most EU countries is of biogenic origin, and MSW is to the same extent to be looked upon as regenerative fuel. Hence part of the CO₂ released from waste incineration is climate neutral. In the EU, this share could produce savings of the order of 1% of annual CO₂ emissions if energy from MSW replaced that derived from fossil fuel.     

Using plastic bag waste to assess the reliability of self-reported waste disposal data

Direct waste analysis (DWA) and the material flows approach are the two standard methods to quantify aggregated waste streams and analyze waste composition. Yet, with the increasing application of producer responsibility measures, product-based waste data rather than aggregated waste data are becoming important. It is over this requirement that both approaches fail to some extent in delivering the type and quality of information that is needed. This study uses plastic bag waste as an illustration to show how self-reported questionnaire survey data may be used to assess disposal quantities of product-based waste types. The estimates from a large-scale questionnaire survey with over 4,100 completed cases were verified against DWA data of the same year in Hong Kong. It was found that self-reported data give systematically lower figures (on the order of 1.3-5 times) than those obtained from standard methods such as DWA for Hong Kong and the UK. However, it is demonstrated that self-reported data can be internally consistent. Also, the magnitude of underestimation may not be as considerable as it appears since the data from DWA are not themselves entirely accurate owing to the difficulties in obtaining a pure load of waste for field analysis and the variable moisture contents or contamination levels in waste material.     

Neighbourhood-based waste management: a solution for solid waste problems in Jakarta, Indonesia

Municipal solid waste management in the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta, is examined from a point of view of researchers and waste management practitioners. Major impediments to waste management in Jakarta include non-involvement of stakeholders in planning and decision-making, unskilled staff undertaking the duty, the absence of long-term waste management strategies, and weak coordination between authorities and neighbourhood association workers who undertake primary collection. It was revealed that lack of resources is seen as the least important of all impediments. The success of managing solid waste in Jakarta cannot be separated from the presence and the role of a neighbourhood association, which performs waste collection on a daily basis as well as keeping their respective areas clean by employing their own waste service workers. A neighbourhood-based waste management strategy is a promising solution for Jakarta, because it is more applicable and suitable for Jakarta's context compared to community-based waste management. The performance of this approach is examined and the improvement for wider adoption is discussed for a long-term solution.     

Facilitating the improved management of waste in South Africa through a national waste information system

Developing a waste information system (WIS) for a country is more than just about collecting routine data on waste; it is about facilitating the improved management of waste by providing timely, reliable information to the relevant role-players. It is a means of supporting the waste governance challenges facing South Africa - challenges ranging from strategic waste management issues at national government to basic operational challenges at local government. The paper addresses two hypotheses. The first is that the identified needs of government can provide a platform from which to design a national WIS framework for a developing country such as South Africa, and the second is that the needs for waste information reflect greater, currently unfulfilled challenges in the sustainable management of waste. Through a participatory needs analysis process, it is shown that waste information is needed by the three spheres of government, to support amongst others, informed planning and decision-making, compliance monitoring and enforcement, community participation through public access to information, human, infrastructure and financial resource management and policy development. These needs for waste information correspond closely with key waste management challenges currently facing the country. A shift in governments approach to waste, in line with national and international policy, is evident from identified current and future waste information needs. However, the need for information on landfilling remains entrenched within government, possibly due to the poor compliance of landfill sites in South Africa and the problems around the illegal disposal of both general and hazardous waste.     

Property-close source separation of hazardous waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment--a Swedish case study

Through an agreement with EEE producers, Swedish municipalities are responsible for collection of hazardous waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). In most Swedish municipalities, collection of these waste fractions is concentrated to waste recycling centres where households can source-separate and deposit hazardous waste and WEEE free of charge. However, the centres are often located on the outskirts of city centres and cars are needed in order to use the facilities in most cases. A full-scale experiment was performed in a residential area in southern Sweden to evaluate effects of a system for property-close source separation of hazardous waste and WEEE. After the system was introduced, results show a clear reduction in the amount of hazardous waste and WEEE disposed of incorrectly amongst residual waste or dry recyclables. The systems resulted in a source separation ratio of 70 wt% for hazardous waste and 76 wt% in the case of WEEE. Results show that households in the study area were willing to increase source separation of hazardous waste and WEEE when accessibility was improved and that this and similar collection systems can play an important role in building up increasingly sustainable solid waste management systems.     

Leaching behaviour of waste and stabilized waste materials; characterization for environmental assessment purposes

The importance of systematic trends in trace contaminant leaching from waste materials and stabilized waste is stressed. Similarities in leaching behaviour of different waste materials and mechanisms for leaching from stabilized waste forms are identified. The use of diffusion measurements to quantify the mobility of specific chemical species in waste and soil is discussed. Implementation of more fundamental regulatory testing procedures which reflect the behaviour of materials in end use applications, is recommended to allow better control over environmental impact in the wide variety of utilization and disposal practices.     

A model for quantifying construction waste in projects according to the European waste list

The new EU challenge is to recover 70% by weight of C&D waste in 2020. Literature reveals that one major barrier is the lack of data. Therefore, this paper presents a model which allows technicians to estimate C&D waste during the design stage in order to promote prevention and recovery. The types and quantities of CW are estimated and managed according to EU guidelines, by building elements and specifically for each project. The model would allow detection of the source of the waste and to adopt other alternative procedures which delete hazardous waste and reduce CW. Likewise, it develops a systematic structure of the construction process, a waste classification system and some analytical expressions which are based on factors. These factors depend on technology and represent a standard on site. It would allow to develop a database of waste anywhere. A Spanish case study is covered. Factors were obtained by studying over 20 dwellings. The source and types of packaging waste, remains, soil and hazardous waste were estimated in detail and were compared with other studies. Results reveal that the model can be implemented in projects and the chances of reducing and recovery C&D waste could be increased, well above the EU challenge.     

Why energy from waste incineration is an essential component of environmentally responsible waste management

This paper outlines the key factors involved in adopting energy from waste incineration (EfWI) as part of a waste management strategy. Incineration means all forms of controlled direct combustion of waste. 'Emerging' technologies, such as gasification, are, in the author's view, 5 to 10 years from proven commercial application. The strict combustion regimen employed and the emissions therefrom are detailed. It is shown that EfWI merits consideration as an integral part of an environmentally responsible and sustainable waste management strategy, where suitable quantities of waste are available.     

Pyrolysis of virgin and waste polypropylene and its mixtures with waste polyethylene and polystyrene

A comparison of waste and virgin polypropylene (PP) plastics under slow pyrolysis conditions is presented. Moreover, mixtures of waste PP with wastes of polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) were pyrolyzed under the same operating conditions. Not only the impact of waste on degradation products but also impacts of the variations in the mixing ratio were investigated. The thermogravimetric weight loss curves and their derivatives of virgin and waste PP showed differences due to the impurities which are dirt and food residues. The liquid yield distribution concerning the aliphatic, mono-aromatic and poly-aromatic compounds varies as the ratio of PP waste increases in the waste plastic mixtures. In addition to this, the alkene/alkane ratio of gas products shows variations depending on the mixing ratio of wastes.     

Industrial waste minimization--experience from Lithuania.

Waste represents the loss of both material and energy resources. Because excessive waste generation is a symptom of inefficient production processes, low durability of goods and unsustainable consumption patterns, waste quantities can be considered as an indicator of how efficiently society uses raw materials. Therefore, good waste management begins with preventing waste from being generated. The objective of this paper is to present the work related to waste minimization in Lithuania by introducing successful examples from industry, to bring ideas and inspiration to authorities, companies, and others working in the field of waste minimization. The paper is supporting EU waste policy manifested in the EU waste strategy and the proposed Sixth Environmental Action Programme. Many enterprises are still unaware of the full costs of waste management. Therefore, by applying the methodology presented in the paper, companies could make substantial reductions in their waste, and therefore, disposal costs. Waste minimization (WM) often results in substantial savings through reduced purchasing costs and more efficient practices. It also has wide environmental benefits such as reduced energy consumption and less environmental pollution, conservation of natural resources and extension of valuable landfill capacity. Therefore, waste prevention should have the highest priority in waste strategies, as this is the only way to stop the growth of the amount of waste and reduce the loss of resources (EUC Bulletin 12, 1996).     

Effect of mixing ratio of woody waste and food waste on the characteristics of carbonization residue

Biomass such as woody waste and food waste can be converted to a renewable energy source by means of carbonization processes. The basic characteristics of woody waste and food waste, such as proximate analysis and heating value, were evaluated before carrying out carbonization tests. Carbonization tests were carried out to obtain the basic characteristics of carbonization residue on changing the proportion of food waste from 0% to 30% in the mixture of woody waste and food waste. The effect of the food waste was estimated by basic characteristics of the residue such as the heating value, yield, and fuel ratio. As increased the food waste content, the bulk density, yield and chlorine content of the carbonization residue increased, but fuel ratio, the carbon content and heating value of the residue decreased. From the results of the basic characteristics of the residue, the optimum food waste content in carbonization tests was found to be 20%. Even if food waste is combined with woody waste at levels up to 30%, the sulfur and chlorine concentrations in the residue were much lower than the regulatory standard levels. From the results for the fuel ratio and heating value of the residue, the carbonization residue is suitable for use as a renewable energy source and can be categorized by the second grade level of solid fuel products.