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 Life Cycle Assessment Tools for the Development of Integrated Waste

Management Strategies for Cities and Regions with Rapid Growing Economies  

LCA-IWM 

  Prof. Johannes Jager, Emilia Szpadt, Jan den Boer

Technische Universität Darmstadt Institute WAR

(Institute for Water Supply and Groundwater Protection, Wastewater Technology, Waste Management, Industrial Material Flows and

Environmental Planning)

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Agenda

• Introduction of the project

• Current waste management in the EU Accession States

• Proposed tools for waste management planning

• State of work

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Research Programme: Environment and Sustainable Development (EESD)

Key-action “The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage”

4.1 Sustainable city planning and rational resource management

4.1.2 Improving the quality of urban life

LCA-IWM within EU research Programme

LCA-IWM

EU 5th Framework Programme1998-2002

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Involved Municipalities: Barcelona, Reus (Spain) Wroclaw (Poland) Nitra (Slovakia) Xanthi (Greece)Kaunas (Lithuania)

Consortium

1. Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany

2. Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) Grup AGA , Spain

3. Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Austria

4. Wrocław University of Technology, Poland

5. Democritus University of Thrace, Greece

6. novaTec, Luxemburg

8 University Partners and 4 SMEs:

7. De Straat Milieu adviseurs, the Netherlands

8. Infrastruktur & Umwelt, Germany

9. Servei de Tecnologia Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain

10. Wameco, Consulting company, Poland

11. Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania

12. Slovak University of Technology, Slovakia

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Objectives of LCA-IWM: Develop decision support for:

• Planning of new • Optimisation of existing waste manag. systems

Two tools are proposed:

• Waste Prognostic model • Criteria and quantitative indicators

for assessment of the (i) environmental, (ii) economic (iii) social performance

of integrated waste management strategies

Targeted user: waste management decision maker (planner) in EU Accession Countries and South European Regions

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Assessment model

Credits: Energy Compost Secondary materials

Fin

al d

isp

osal

Colle

ctio

n s

yste

ms, tra

nsp

ort

Tem

pora

ry s

tora

ge

Waste pre-treatment & treatment

• Composting

• Digestion

• Mech.-Biol. Pre-treatment

• Incineration

• Recycling: (paper, glass, metals, plastics, WEEE)

Environ-mental

Economic

Social

Project milestones

Prognostic model

• hazardous waste

• bulky waste

• residual waste

• WEEE

• organic waste

• plastics

• metals

• glass

• paper & cardboard

Waste quantity & composition

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Why waste prognostic model is needed

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1879 1925 1965 1978 1995 1998

Other

Mineral

Plastics

Glass

Metals

Paper

Textiles

Organics

Poland United Kingdom

Data sources: Williams, P.T., Szpadt, R., 1999

Underlying factors: Socio-economic development, consumption patterns, environmental awareness etc.

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• Waste Quantities • Factors of Influence

– general (temp., area, population)– economic (GDP)– social (education, housing equipment)– environment (CO2 emission)– waste management (waste treatment

capacity)

Data collection on waste generation and socio-political developments

time series: 1970 – 2001 32 states, 55 citiesover 33.000 data sets

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Delivery: Prognostic model

Waste generationanalysis

W

B

AW=f(A,B)

Prognosis ofinfluencing factors

1980 1990 2000 2010

A

B

Waste prognosis

1980 1990 2000 2010

B

W

A

W ... Waste quantityA,B ... Influencing factors (e.g. population, average size of households)

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bottom lining5% accord. EU standards 25% - one layer lining70% no isolation

gas installation 10% of landfills 10 plants – el. engine

leachate collection 20% of all landfills

Why waste management planning tools are neededExample: Poland

selective collection – app. 2% of MSW; the rest landfilled

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Why waste management planning tools are neededCase study: Poland

Polish Waste Law:(...) the next urgent step is to develop waste management plans:• at regional level: by June 2003• at the county level by December 2003 • at the commune level by June 2004

Potential to develop optimal waste management systems !!!

• lack of experience on advance waste management technology• lack of data for impact assessment • lack of public acceptance

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Landfill

Landfill

Energy

Cement kiln

Landfill

Energy

Incineration

Energy

Landfill

Mech.-Biol. Pre-treatment

Mech.-Biol. PretreatmentComposting

Incineration

Compost

Mech.-Biol. Pretreatment

CompostingIncineration

Landfill

Compost

Energy

Recycling

Materials

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Scenario 4

Scenario 5

Waste management assessment model

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Prognosticmodel

Waste generation

Temporary storage

module 1

INVENTORY

Collection module 1

Temporary storage

module n

Collection module n

Treatment module 1

Treatment module n

Credit module 1

Credit module n

Products: energy and secondary materials

economic indicators

environm.indicators

social indicators

economic criteria

environm. criteria

social criteria

ASSESSMENT

Im pa ctre

fere

nce

scen

ario

1

scen

ario

n

Im pa ctre

fere

nce

scen

ario

1

scen

ario

n

I m p ac tre

fere

nce

scen

ario

1

scen

ario

n

AGGREGATIONTransport module 1

Transportmodule n

Material / energy flow(waste, products

Information flow(emissions, costs)LEGEND

Assessment tool structure

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Sources of criteria selection for waste management assessment

1) General objectives of waste management according to Framework Directive on Waste (74/442/EEC as amended by 91/156/EEC)

2) Specific targets of the European Waste Policy (landfill directive, packaging directive, WEEE)

3) Targets of the European 6th Environment Programme

4) Consortium understanding of sustainability in waste management

5) Targets of the selected municipalities

6) Expertise of involved partners

En

viro

nm

en

tal

Socia

l Econ

om

ic

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Environmental criteria for WM assessment - examples

– global warming potential– health impact (toxic emissions)– resources consumption

- reduction of landfilling of organic waste

- recovery & recycling targets for glass, paper, plastics

EU Recovery/recycling quotas

LCIA approach

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minimisation

Social sustainability

Social equity Social functionSocial acceptance

Cost

s allo

cati

on

Ben

efits

dis

trib

uti

on

Qu

alit

y o

f em

plo

ym

en

t

Wast

e m

inim

isati

on

Wast

e v

alo

risa

tion

Loca

l em

plo

ym

ent

creati

on

Perc

eiv

ed r

isk

Odour,

Nois

e

Vis

ual i

mpact

Pri

vate

an

d u

rban

space

consu

mpti

on

Social criteria and indicators for WM assessment - examples

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Problems & Further work

• European dimension

• Prognosis model development – data availability

• Level of detail of the assessment criteria and indicators

• Quantification of standard module inventory data

• Verification phase in the involved municipalities

• Tools and Handbook