D OF WASTE What does this mean? Dr. A. Goddard

Transcription

1 D OF WASTE What does this mean? Dr. A. Goddard FUEL and ENERGY RESEARCH FORUM and the EPSRC Bioenergy CDT event on Low Grade ass Challenges and Opportunities Tuesday 27 th June, 2017

2 Presentation Contents What is waste? Broad and Narrow definition Legal frameworks Chronology of waste ashes to ashes What does nature do some examples Humanity is out of step why? Environmental risk Who decides? What are the mechanisms in place Some examples Some confusions 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 2

3 CHALLENGE Bigger and faster rolling ball 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 3

4 What is waste? In a general sense when applied to a manufacturing system, waste is: Any activity that adds costs or time but does not add value Consuming more resources (time, money, space etc) than are necessary to produce the goods or services that the customer wants. Pure waste Actions that could be stopped without effecting the customer. Incidental waste Actions that need to be done based on how the current system operates but do not add value. In this case; the emphasis is on the user/customer/client, but the costs focus on the producer. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 4

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6 Broad - UN definition According to the Basel convention of the United Nation s Environmental programme: wastes are substances or objects, which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by the provisions of national law Based on LAW SOCIETY. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 6

7 Narrow - EU Definition Article 3(1) of the new WFD defines waste as 'any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard'. The terms 'substance' and 'object' are not to be understood in the sense of EU chemicals legislation, but as autonomous terms of waste legislation which are to be read broadly. Definition of waste - European Commission - Europa EU ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/pdf/guidance_doc.pdf A Producer basis. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 7

8 Broad Legal Principles involved Sustainable Development Principal Precautionary Principal Polluter Pays Principal Preventative Principal Principal of Integration Public Participation Principal Substitution Principal Proximity Principal These are great foundations to build on. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 8

9 There are a number of trends that effect the production and generation of waste, these are: Urbanisation Global competition in manufacturing Lack of interest in global concerns Energy production near use is increasing Health effects of air quality are been understood. Wealth and waste are linked 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 9

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11 IXED MUNICIPAL WASTE now seems like we have avelled full circle with sh now being produced at entral ERF plants, though ith much less air ollution. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 11

12 aste Hierarchy 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 12

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14 Natures Way The natural world is full of cyclic mechanisms for recovering key elements vital to life The whole ecosystem depends on the efficient recovery of these elements. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 14

15 Humanity out of step Humans are able to do a number of things that make it difficult for the biosphere to deal with our activities, these can be fundamentally considered as: Producing a natural compound in high levels than the biosphere can t handle, a good example is carbon dioxide making the level increase in the atmosphere. Combinations of atoms that are difficult to wet- polymeric hydrocarbons like the plastics polyethylene or polypropylene. Unusual combinations of elements like DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane ) an insecticide, that doesn t occur in nature Use of elements not used by nature, that have very limited supplies. In addition to the changes, the time scale of these changes is also critical. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 15

16 Limits to energy use We are limited presently by the amount of energy that we can harness from the sun and the amounts fixed by plants. The main difference is nature s ability to recover and reuse all the materials used to make the leave. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 16

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18 What wastes are available? Agricultural residues like straw Food waste materials Municipal waste residues after removal of recyclates (paper/metal/glass/textiles/aggregates) Water treatment residues. The full waste catalogue will contain many more opportunities. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 18

19 Mechanisms to allow end of waste UK use of PAS for product designation though in England there is also a quality protocol. BAT sector guidance with built in existing mechanisms steel making and slag by-product description. General methods developed by the JRC in the EU. Across the board or replacements with product comparisons, eriafinal.pdf 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 19

20 End-of-waste criteria What are the end-of-waste criteria, and why are they needed? End-of-waste criteria specify when certain waste ceases to be waste and obtains a status of a product (or a secondary raw material). According to Article 6 (1) and (2) of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC, certain specified waste shall cease to be waste when it has undergone a recovery (including recycling) operation and complies with specific criteria to be developed in line with certain legal conditions, in particular: the substance or object is commonly used for specific purposes; there is an existing market or demand for the substance or object; the use is lawful (substance or object fulfils the technical requirements for the specific purposes and meets the existing legislation and standards applicable to products); the use will not lead to overall adverse environmental or human health impacts. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 20

21 WHO CONTROLS THIS? 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 21

22 Illustrated Examples EXAMPLE 1: Compost oversize EXAMPLE 2: Incinerator APCR 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 22

23 ASE STUDY 1: Compost oversize versize is the material generated after screening compost to the required size. lease see the ORG document of the general issues involved at web site: ttp:// RG&EA_meeting_notes_compost_oversize.pdf

24 POSSIBLE OPTIONS

25 There are a number of processes now that can provide options for compost oversize: Manufacture of RDF for power generation. Combustion as waste with a Industrial emissions compliant processes. Use in growth media, some routes were very close to approval. In Scotland they have a separate decision document, though it does put severe restrictions on contamination. The combustion in smaller plants that don t meet IED limits is not legal. Wood in these processes must be either virgin wood or lightly contaminated for descriptions of the grades see PAS /06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 25

26 Environmental Comparators Defra have generated a number of comparators for assessment of wastes to be used in a number of applications from growth media to concrete block manufacture. However, at least ten samples will be needed over a considerable time span (2 years) to ensure all normal variations are taken care of in the presented data. There is also no end of waste panel to allow these decisions. So it should be a slow process and needs to though about a long time in advance. The regulator also has within it s powers the right to have an enforcement position where it will consider end of waste criteria to have been met, by a body of work within a research project that examines the three key concerns of impact on the environment and human health and that it should be a legal activity. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 26

27 Illustrated Examples EXAMPLE 2: ERF incinerator ash 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 27

28 CASE STUDY 2: APCR Treatment prior to 2005 This waste arises from scrubbing ERF (Energy from waste plants) emissions to air for acid gases (about 2-3% of input mass). Originally treatment requirement was not difficult co-disposal landfill could accept hazardous waste. Treatment process involved wetting of a powder with a high organic waste stream, the ashes are naturally cementious so require water to set. These could be transported and handled easily after initial wetting at atreatment plant prior to landfill. It was consigned to landfill as corrosive/toxic solid, over the top. It was not an offence to over specific the hazards within the special waste regulations.

29 HAZARDOUS PROPERTIES How do you start to look at wastes in terms of hazardous nature? EWC list of wastes how are they organised? Absolute/Mirror CLP Classification for labelling and packaging Classification of mixtures How? Testing Assessment

30 CHANGES to HAZARDOUS WASTE and LANDFILL CO-DISPOSAL It has set targets for reductions in the amounts of biodegradable wastes to landfill and also some specific bans. Key changes: Co-disposal ban 16/07/2004 Hazard types (explosive/oxidising/flammable) 16/07/2002 Liquid to hazardous landfill ban 16/07/2002 Classification into inert/non-hazardous/unreactive/hazardous 16/07/2005 Pre-treatment requirement for non-hazardous waste 16/07/2005

31 CHANGES REQUIRED to make a non-hazardous residue Options were to treat to become non-hazardous to make acceptable to landfill (so waste leaving needed to be non-hazardous). Reduced liquid inputs to non-hazardous wastes. Needed to effect neutralisation of the APCR with two processes these are acid addition to the material in the mixer and use of a Electric arc furnace dust that reacts with lime (Pozzolanic reaction) Metal are naturally diluted due to the treatment process below the hazardous thresholds. This is not acceptable to the regulator. It is considered to be dilution.

32 IN EUROPE Same Rules Yes They can do the following, with the same regulations? They landfill liquids- banned in In France landfills below 1million m3 are not in the directive. They dilute hazards contaminated soil mixed with APCR to hazardous landfill. Salt mine storage not landfill? One example in the UK. There is no pre-treatment undertaken, though an absolute requirement of the directive.

33 Approved Process routes are: Hazardous landfill sites after treatment there is a derogation in place of x3 of the landfill leachate limits for anions. Bagged APRC to a salt mine. Plasma treatment to a glass, which can be used for aggregate applications. Very energy intensive which can produce an inert glassy solid end of waste? Carbonation processes that again allow recovery of the material in aggregate applications. There are other routes proposed and used in other countries 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 33

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35 I want to leave you with one sobering thought What is plan b if plan a is to make sure earth can sustain humanity? The closest habitable planet to Earth is Gliese 581 c. It was discovered in It is at a distance 20 light years from earth. Although this is far in earth terms, it is relatively close in astronomical distances. I.E. 5,878,000,000,000 miles x 20 = A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG WAY to travel. Getting there is IMPOSSIBLE, is the best word to describe how difficult this journey is. Please Start to take care of the planet for my children, their children and there great grand children. 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 35

36 EARTH RISE

37 REFERENCES R1 waste definition e/69590/pb13813-waste-legal-def-guide.pdf R2 Complex value optimisation for resource recovery (CVORR) R3 Environmental Law, Bell.S, McGillivary. D, 6 th Edition, Oxford University Press, 2006, ISBN R4 Defra guidance on environmental risk assessment 27/06/2017 TFERF Low Grade Biomass - Challenges and Opportunities 37