Biowaste management in the light of EU waste policy and drivers Enzo Favoino

Transcription

1 Biowaste management in the light of EU waste policy and drivers Enzo Favoino Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza 1

2 Overview The pivotal role of biowaste in waste management the EU policy and related drivers Possible approaches for regulatory enforcement and operational implementation Importance of separate collection Variety of process systems 2 2

3 Contextual remarks: More than just waste management Biodegradables represent the vast majority of MSW arisings (above all in S and SE Europe) Major contributor to GHGs from inappropriate management of MSW (4 to 11% of total GHGs come from landfills) Proper management often driven by strategies to reduced impacts of disposal Landfill diversion targets (EU Landfill Directive) Extended benefits: soils, farmlands, the environment Climate Change (UNFCCC) Desertification (UNCCD) Biodiversity, fertility, resilience, prevention of floods, erosion (EU Soil Thematic Strategy) 3

4 MSW composition (EC, 2001) AU BE DK FIN FRA GER GRE IRL ITA YEAR (quantities) Total MSW (million tonnes) (38) Total (OECD) (1997 data, or latest year) Kitchen and Yard Waste Yard Waste Kitchen Waste Paper and card Paper Cardboard Timber I Textiles Nappies Plastics Glass Metals Ferrous metals 1.7 Non-ferrous metals 0.9 Other

5 The regulatory context: drivers from EU env policy Revised Waste Framework Directive waste hierarchy Recycling/reuse targets prevention programmes Landfill Directive diversion targets for biodeg waste obligation for pretreatment EU Climate Change Programme EU Soil Strategy 5

6 The regulatory context: drivers from EU env policy Revised Waste Framework Directive waste hierarchy Recycling/reuse targets prevention programmes Landfill Directive diversion targets for biodeg waste obligation for pretreatment EU Climate Change Programme EU Soil Strategy 6

7 Strategic approaches to reduce impact of organics in landfills Landfill diversion targets (Directive 99/31 EC) Probably the most important driver for waste management in last decade in the EU (and elsewhere) Landfill Bans (e.g. US, Brazil) Garden waste only or organics as a whole May be lacking some flexibility, anyway an important driver to consider for proper evolution of waste management systems! Requires proper definition of acceptance. 7

8 Some savings just to give a touch Replacement of mineral fertilisers kg CO 2 -eq/tonne Biogas Production kg CO 2 -eq/tonne Peat replacement kg CO 2 -eq/tonne C sequestration 11 to 326 kg CO 2 -eq/tonne EC Report Soils and climate change Reduced N 2 O release + Improved Workability + Water retention + Replacement of pesticides.. 8

9 Climsoil Report, EC "The report underlines the need to sequester carbon in soils. The technique is cost competitive and immediately available, requires no new or unproven technologies, and has a mitigation potential comparable to that of any other sector of the economy." m 9

10 The regulatory context: drivers from EU env policy Revised Waste Framework Directive waste hierarchy Recycling/reuse targets prevention programmes Landfill Directive diversion targets for biodeg waste obligation for pretreatment EU Climate Change Programme EU Soil Strategy 10

11 The regulatory context: drivers from EU env policy Revised Waste Framework Directive waste hierarchy Recycling/reuse targets prevention programmes Landfill Directive diversion targets for biodeg waste obligation for pretreatment EU Climate Change Programme EU Soil Strategy 11

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13 Decoupling! GDP, Waste Time 13

14 EP resolution of 20 April priorities for 7th EAP (the EP) Takes the view that the 7th EAP should provide for full implementation of waste legislation, including compliance with the waste treatment hierarchy while ensuring coherence with other EU policies; considers that it should set more ambitious prevention, re-use and recycling targets, including a net decrease in waste generation 14

15 EP resolution of 20 April priorities for 7th EAP (the EP) Takes the view that the 7th EAP should provide for full implementation of waste legislation, including compliance with the waste treatment hierarchy while ensuring coherence with other EU policies; considers that it should set more ambitious prevention, re-use and recycling targets, including a net decrease in waste generation 15

16 What does it take to get there? intensive kerbside incl. food waste + PAYT intensive kerbside, incl. food waste separation Road containers + kerbside (doorstep) for a few dry recyclables (paper) additional systems, organics included trhough containers on the road additional systems, containers on the road for dry recyclables > 80 % 70 % 50 % 40 % 20 % 16

17 Article 22 bio-waste Member States shall take measures, as appropriate, ( ) to encourage: (a) the separate collection of bio-waste with a view to the composting and digestion of bio-waste; (b) the treatment of bio-waste in a way that fulfils a high level of environmental protection; (c) the use of environmentally safe materials produced from bio-waste. The Commission shall carry out an assessment on the management of bio-waste with a view to submitting a proposal if appropriate. The assessment shall examine the opportunity of setting minimum requirements for bio-waste management and quality criteria for compost and digestate ( ) in order to guarantee a high level of protection for human health and the environment. 17

18 Article 22 bio-waste Member States shall take measures, as appropriate, ( ) to encourage: (a) the separate collection of bio-waste with a view to the composting and digestion of bio-waste; (b) the treatment of bio-waste in a way that fulfils a high level of environmental protection; (c) the use of environmentally safe materials produced from bio-waste. The Commission shall carry out an assessment on the management of bio-waste with a view to submitting a proposal if appropriate. The assessment shall examine the opportunity of setting minimum requirements for bio-waste management and quality criteria for compost and digestate ( ) in order to guarantee a high level of protection for human health and the environment. 18

19 The pivotal role of separate collection A tendency to reduce avoidable contamination through separately collected inputs Conservation of the natural asset of soils (EU Soil Strategy) Increasing concerns on healthy food production Biowaste compost remarkably better, on the average, than mixed MSW compost Not just glass and plastics Heavy metals Organic pollutants 19

20 Quality depends on separate collection Cd [mg kg -1 dm] Cr [mg kg -1 dm] Cu [mg kg -1 dm] 6, , ,0 3,0 2,0 1, ,0 BWC Sludge Compost MSW/MBT- C 0 BWC Sludge Compost MSW/MBT- C 0 BWC Sludge Compost MSW/MBT- C 3,0 2,5 2,0 1,5 1,0 0,5 0,0 BWC Hg [mg kg -1 dm] Sludge Compost MSW/MBT- C BWC Ni [mg kg -1 dm] Sludge Compost MSW/MBT- C BWC Pb [mg kg -1 dm] Sludge Compost MSW/MBT- C 20

21 Food waste in residual waste Municipality % Food waste Altivole 7,82 Arcade 8,24 Breda di Piave 7,61 Casale sul Sile 9,42 Castello di Godego 8,05 Cessalto 6,30 Conegliano 9,40 Cornuda 7,19 Giavera del Montello 6,88 10% in residual waste (30%) = 3% of MSW Starting from 35-40% organics in MSW 90%+ diversion! 21

22 Sep collection of biowaste: a wealth of approaches VGF e.g. NL, FL High percentages of organics in residuals May imply high deliveries of garden waste Biobin e.g. GE, AT, (UK) Lower percentages of organics in residual waste (particularly lower in AT) bespoke food waste collection e.g. ES, IT, (UK) Adopts cheaper open lorries (instead of compactors) Higher frequency possible Lowest percentages of organics in residual waste Collection of residual waste may be sharply reduced (saves money) 22

23 The regulatory context: drivers from EU env policy Revised Waste Framework Directive waste hierarchy Recycling/reuse targets prevention programmes Landfill Directive diversion targets for biodeg waste obligation for pretreatment EU Climate Change Programme EU Soil Strategy 23

24 The regulatory context: drivers from EU env policy Revised Waste Framework Directive waste hierarchy Recycling/reuse targets prevention programmes Landfill Directive diversion targets for biodeg waste obligation for pretreatment EU Climate Change Programme EU Soil Strategy 24

25 Implementing Directive 99/31 (and art. 11 of WFD - material recovery targets!) Bans on biodegradables to landfills (e.g. BR, US) Most stringent provisions May lack flexibility Requires codified thresholds for acceptance at landfills Obligation on separate collection On Municipalities (e.g. NL) may be deceived with poor performing / low participation systems On households (e.g. AT) very effective, if stringent control possible May require phased implementation Targets for sep collection / composting / recycling Specific biowaste processing targets (e.g. Sweden) General recycling + composting targets (IT & UK) Result-oriented + flexible 25

26 Assessing pretreatment and reduction of biodeg waste 2 main provisions in Directive 99/31 Diversion targets Obligation on pretreatment (with possible relaxations) Key issues: A flexible approach (e.g. UK) or a threshold value (GER, AUT)? Test methods to detect real degradability of materials (fish is not plastics VS not suited) Codified approaches: Threshold for acceptability (and biodegradability: GER, AUT) Threshold for biodegradability, NOT for acceptability (ITA) Proportionality: NO threshold, assessment of the balance of biodegradability LATS (UK) 26

27 Pretreatment Besides thermal treatment, also biological treatment (MBT) able to reduce/degrade/mineralise biodegradable materials (80-90% loss of fermentability) and optimise landfilling of outputs Worth considering: Costs (Cap.Ex. and Op.Ex.) Flexibility (possibility to turn into sites processing separately collected materials) Scalability (viability of options also at low throughputs: rural areas, small waste management districts) Timeline for construction! (the sooner, the better) 27

28 Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) 28

29 Anaerobic Digestion (+) Turns biogenic C into a substitute fuel wider benefits (renewable energy AND soil improvers) (+) Not dependent on availability of bulking materials (e.g. metropolitan areas, lack of gardens) (-) Unit investment and operational cost usually higher than composting (in spite of revenues from energy production, even if Renewable Energy is subsidised) (-) Less independent from economies of scale (-) Cost for the management of wastewaters requires good integration of waste management and management of wastewater 29

30 Another possibility: going small 30

31 Low-tech, modular approaches (particularly suited for small districts, pilot areas) 31

32 Thanks for your attention Enzo Favoino +39 (335)