3Rs sustainable waste management.pptThe 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle): an approach to sustainable solid waste management Janya Sang-Arun Sustainable Consumption and Production Group

The 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle): an approach to sustainable solid waste management

Janya Sang-Arun

Sustainable Consumption and Production Group

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)

Janya Sang-Arun IGES | http://www.iges.or.jp BNDES seminar, 14 -16 May 2012, Recife

3Rs in Asia

The 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle)

• An approach to minimise resource consumption in the level that sufficient for basic need (reduce), use goods and materials until it can’t be repaired or fixed to perform its function (reuse), and reprocess the materials that being discarded into new products (recycle).

• An approach that increasing resource efficiency, and contributing to sustainable consumption and production, and millennium development goals, etc.

• An approach to minimise waste to final disposal site

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3Rs in Asia

Waste flow under a conventional waste management

3

Waste discards from consumption and

production

Landfill or incineration

Waste discards from

consumption and production

Reduce

Reuse

Waste recovery/

intermediate treatment

Landfill

Incineration

Waste flow under a 3R concept


3Rs in Asia

The 3R contribution to lifecycle material management

4


3Rs in Asia

Problems of waste management in most countries

• The rate of waste generation is increasing greater than capacity of local governments (skills and budget), especially in developing countries.

• Increasing social resistance to new landfill and incineration projects.

• Increasing concerns on environmental impacts including greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.

5

The 3Rs can contribute to reducing waste for collection and transport to final disposal site.

Lifecycle environmental impacts from the 3Rs is much lower than landfill of unsorted waste.

How the 3Rs contribute to sustainable solid waste management?


3Rs in Asia

3Rs implementation in Japan

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3Rs in Asia

The 3R implementation to establish a sound material cycle society in Japan

• Introducing series of national laws and action plans

• Mandatory waste separation at source to facilitating efficient recycling system

• Mandatory recycling for some types of products and waste

7


3Rs in Asia

Examples of regulation and policy that aligned with the 3Rs and sound material cycle society in Japan

8

Basic environment law

Fundamental law for establishing a sound material cycle society

Waste management and public cleansing law

Law for the promotion of effective utilisation of resources

Container and packaging

recycling law

Home appliance

recycling law

Food recycling

law

Construction material

recycling law

Automobile recycling

law

Law on promoting green purchasing

Full enforcement 4/00 5/01 5/02 1/054/01

Full enforcement 8/94

Promulgated in 2001

Promulgated in 1971, last amendment in 2002 Promulgated in 1991, last amendment in 2000


3Rs in Asia

Changes in MSW generations after introducing the 3Rs

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1987

Source: MOEJ, 2012

15.6% reduction

16.1% reduction


3Rs in Asia

Changes in residual lifetime of landfill in Japan

10

164,937 160,347152,503

144,816138,259 132,976 130,359

122,015 121,842 116,044

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Res

idu

al n

um

ber

s o

f ye

ars

Res

idu

al c

apac

ity

(th

ousa

nd m

3 )

Residual capacity Residual number of years


3Rs in Asia

Changes in recycling rate of municipal solid waste in Japan

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14.315

15.916.8

17.6

19.019.6

20.3 20.3 20.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Rec

ycli

ng

rat

e (

%)

Top recycling rate in 2009 was 80% in Osaki town of Kagoshima Prefecture


3Rs in Asia

Changes in cost for MSW management in Japan

YearTotal cost

(billion JPY )*Cost per head

(JPY/person/yr)*Cost per

tonne (JPY)*

20002,371(47.4)

19,700(394)

56,329(1,127)

20041,934(38.7)

15,200(304)

36,236(725)

20081,817(36.3)

14,200(284)

37,766(755)

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* Values in (..) are Brazil Real


3Rs in Asia

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3R implementation in Thailand (developing country)


3Rs in Asia

3R implementation for establishing a recycling society in Thailand

• Announce national policy to promote implementation of the 3Rs, but no legislation

• Implementation at local level by initiatives of municipalities

• Promoting community based recycling activities in collaboration with waste buyers and recycling companies

• Achieving 23% recycling rate due mainly to recycling business that operated by private (informal) waste management sectors (waste pickers, waste buyers, recycling company)

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3Rs in Asia

3R implementation for establishment of recycle society in Phitsanulok, Thailand

• Based on a voluntary basis

• Reducing use of plastic bag by using reusable containers for shopping and carrying food

• Campaign to encourage residents separate recyclables for sale

• Collaborating with waste buyers

• Promoting household organic waste composting

• Implementing a mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) and segregation of plastic from MBT for pyrolysis (liquid fuel-diesel, gasoline)

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Photo: Suthi Hantrakul


3Rs in Asia

Changes in MSW generations after introducing the 3Rs in Phitsanulok, Thailand

142 139

127

82 8478 80 82 84 84

8982

76

02.1

10.6

42.340.8

45.143.7

42.340.8 40.8

37.3

42.3

46.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

% o

f re

du

ctio

n c

om

par

ed t

o 1

997

Was

te f

or

colle

ctio

n s

ervi

ce (

ton

nes

/day

)

Saving 210,000 USD/yr


3Rs in Asia

3R’s contribution to climate change mitigation

Sectors Climate co-benefits

Waste - Reduced methane emissions from landfill- Reduced carbon dioxide emissions from burning of plastics

Energy and transport

- Reduced emissions from energy use in the process of resource extraction, agriculture, good production and distribution, and waste transportation and treatment

- Reduced emissions from fossil fuels by using energy recovered from waste

Industry - Reduced emissions from industrial processes by reducing product demand

- Reduced emissions from chemical fertilizer production

Agriculture - Avoided nitrous oxide emissions from farmland by reducing use of chemical fertilizer

- Increased soil carbon sequestration

Land use change and forestry

- Reduced emissions from mining and deforestation

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3Rs in Asia

GHG emissions from different waste treatment technologies in Thailand- LCA perspective

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Baseline for mixed waste management is sanitary landfilling of mixed waste without gas recovery.

The baseline of organic waste utilisation is sanitary landfilling of organic waste without gas recovery

Source: Sang-Arun et al, 2012


3Rs in Asia

Type of recyclables

GHG emissions from recycling1

(A)

GHG emissions avoidance from virgin

process1

(B)

GHG emissions avoidance from sanitary landfill

(C)

Net emissions from recycling*

(D) = (A)-(B)-(C)

(tCO2-eq/tonne of waste)

Paper 1.27 0.97 2.38 -2.08

Plastic 2.15 1.90 0 0.25**

Aluminium 0.39 12.47 0 -12.08

Steel 1.10 2.95 0 -1.85

Glass 0.57 1.03 0 -0.46

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Remarks: 1Menikpura, 2011;

*Plastic recycling in Japan is more climate friendly than incineration.

GHG emissions from recycling activity in Thailand – LCA perspective


3Rs in Asia

Example of GHG emissions from integrated waste management system in Muangklang Municipality

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36% emissions reduction (LCA)

12% emissions reduction in the waste sector (avoided landfill

emissions)

103 1.3

3444

-94 -619 -120

2715

-1000

-500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Transportation Front-endseparation

Sanitary landfill Animal feed Composting Anaerobicdigestion

Net emissions

GH

G e

mis

sio

ns

(tC

O2e

q/y

r)


3Rs in Asia

The 3R policies in developing Asian countries

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• 3Rs for Improved solid waste management policy

– National 3R strategies, integrated solid waste management

– Philippines, Malaysia, Viet Nam, China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.

• 3Rs in climate change mitigation action policy

- Avoiding GHG emission from the waste sector

- China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, etc


3Rs in Asia

Keys to success

• Strong commitment of the leader and top decision maker

• Regular public communication and sharing information including public consultation

• Begin with small scale and enlarge it later

• Continuity of the program

• Participation of all stakeholders (complete cycle/chain)

• Campaign and public events for mass participation

• Be Positive! Be creative!

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3Rs in Asia

Conclusion

• 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) is a sustainable approach that can contribute to sustainable solid waste management and other global issues such as sustainable consumption and production, resource saving, climate change, poverty reduction, and so on.

• 3Rs is applicable to any country, however the level of implementation could be varied depending on the readiness and conditions of each locality.

• 3Rs is highly relevant with public participation, thus it would take sometimes for campaign and raising awareness of the locals.

• 3R implementation could be on a voluntary basis or mandatory basis depending on suitability of each country or city. In addition, any stakeholders can take initiatives.

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Documents

3Rs sustainable waste management.pptThe 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle): an approach to sustainable solid waste management Janya Sang-Arun Sustainable Consumption and Production Group