SPACESHIP EARTH - Waste Management World · SPACESHIP EARTH World First Report Gives the Global Perspective for Waste Recycling Special Edition Club Med for Composting In the rural

SPACESHIP EARTHWorld First Report Gives the Global Perspective for Waste

RecyclingSpecial Edition

Club Med for Composting In the rural areas of the Mediterranean basin the SCOW project is aiming to develop low cost, technically simple and high quality bio-waste collection and recycling models.

Trending NowFailure to analyse the potential impacts of myriad political, social and economic factors effecting the waste industry could render Circular Economy models irrelevant.

Going Loopy As the EU slowly grinds its way to a decision on the Circular Economy Package, numerous innovators are already successfully experi-menting with projects to close the loop.

SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2015

Official Publication of:

P.b.b. 02Z030115 M, Industriemagazin Verlag GmbH, Lindengasse 56, 1070 WienRetouren an Postfach 100, 1350 Wien

New Cat C15, 402 kW engine - service interval is doubled, from 250 hours to 500 hours between services. This represents a significant saving on service costs over the lifetime of the PreShredder.

Metso’s new EtaPreShred® 4000 Mobile trailer version makes it easier than ever before to process all kinds of waste in almost any location. It has been designed to deliver improved performance and increased efficiency and meets the latest demands concerning emission.

The Plus+1 mobile controller is designed specifically for mobile units, allowing more accurate and efficient operation. The Intercooler works more flexible which saves energy. More space in the power pack allows better access for servicing, saving time and improving up time.

Metso Denmark A/S, DK-8700 Horsens, Denmark · [email protected] · www.metso.com/recycling/waste

New standardNew advantages

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015

CONTENTSVOLUME 16, ISSUE 5

19 36

44

ISWA8 ISWA Report - Global Outlook

ISWA & UNEP’s recently published Global Waste Management Outlook report makes it clear that the time for the world to tackle waste, is now.

RECYCLING SPECIAL12 Concrete Progress for C&D Waste

When it comes to recycling the huge quantities of concrete that enter the waste stream, contaminants have largely pre-vented it being recovered for high-grade applications.

19 Challenges for the Waste Industry The debate on the Circular Economy often takes place with-out taking into account the impact of forces beyond our ca-pacity to control. However, if we fail to analyse these potential impacts, our Circular Economy models risk being irrelevant.

26 Loopy Ideas While the EU Commission continues to ruminate on its promised Circular Economy Package, should be in the wider world progress is being made to close the loop with a number of innovative developments.

28 Double Dutch Recycling Rates ROVA is aiming to increase its recycling rates all the way to 100%. Dubbed the 100-100-100 programme, the scheme was recently awarded ISWA’s Communication Award 2015.

32 Crushing Win for Packager GWP Packaging demonstrates that waste material from its packaging manufacturing process is both easy to collect and process, and is a valuable source of recyclate.

REGULARS

3 From The Editor4 ISWA Comments5 News 46 ISWA Information48 Diary/ Index To Advertisers

FEATURES34 Winning in Vegas

Following our in depth feature on the biggest materials recy-cling facility in North America, WMW heads back to Las Vegas to find catch up with progress.

36 Biowastes Goes Local Begun in 2013 the SCOW project is aiming to develop low cost, technically simple and high quality biowaste collection and recycling models in agricultural and touristic areas of the Mediterranean.

42 Contracts for Indifference? A lack of clarity in the UK government’s Electricity Market reforms as we move from Renewable Obligations to Contract for Difference auctions is having a negative impact on investor confidence in the biomass energy sector.

44 Plant Maintenance When it comes to the specialised plant equipment used in the waste and recycling industry, making sure that the correct maintenance contracts are in place can be almost as import-ant as choosing the right waste management machine in the first place.

New Cat C15, 402 kW engine - service interval is doubled, from 250 hours to 500 hours between services. This represents a significant saving on service costs over the lifetime of the PreShredder.

Metso’s new EtaPreShred® 4000 Mobile trailer version makes it easier than ever before to process all kinds of waste in almost any location. It has been designed to deliver improved performance and increased efficiency and meets the latest demands concerning emission.

The Plus+1 mobile controller is designed specifically for mobile units, allowing more accurate and efficient operation. The Intercooler works more flexible which saves energy. More space in the power pack allows better access for servicing, saving time and improving up time.

Metso Denmark A/S, DK-8700 Horsens, Denmark · [email protected] · www.metso.com/recycling/waste

New standardNew advantages

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ISWAISWAISWAISWAISWAISWA

ISWAISWA

9th ISWA Beacon Conference on

The International Solid Waste AssociationThe Working Group on Energy Recovery in co-operation with

Waste-to-EnergyState of the Art and Latest News • November 18-19 2015 in Malmö, Sweden

Operational experience Flexible energy mix Public awareness & communication Detoxification of society Biogas production & Incineration Gasification & Incineration Best Available Techniques

For more information and registration please visit www.beacon-wte.net

Sponsors will have stands in proximity to the conference venue

Visit Filbornaverket November 20, one of Europe’s most technically advanced and most efficient waste-to-energy

plants. Register on our website.

Annons Beacon 2015_WMW.indd 1 2015-09-25 09:55

3SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD

MAJOR TOM TOGROUND CONTROL,

From Far Above the MoonPlanet Earth is Blue,

But Now Its Fate is Down to You

FROM THE EDITOR

Like a lot of boys, when I was growing up my walls were plastered with posters of spaceships. Some, like the picture of the Saturn V I’d been lucky enough to stand next to at Kennedy Space Center, were even real.

Given the galactic theme to my bedroom, it’s hardly a surprise that my childhood dream was to be an astronaut. At least it was, until I found out that the training involved being repeatedly placed into a centrifuge and spun around until you passed out from the GeForce.

In many ways that realisation simply made the astronauts themselves seem supermen, so as you can imagine, seeing not one, but two real life astronauts at the 2015 ISWA Congress in Antwerp was something of a treat.

Dutch Astronaut André Kuipers, who’s spent some 204 days in space, gave us an insight into what it’s like to live in orbit, while Al Worden, the Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 15 lunar mission in 1971, spoke of his sense of wonder at seeing multiple Earthrises as he orbited the moon.

Both men had been left with a sense that the Earth is vulnerable. And that vulnerability was a theme which weaved through the entire congress. While tales of the extraterrestrial are certainly inspiring, they were complemented by a more down to Earth presentation from Pierre Yves Cousteau, son of Jacques-Yves Cousteau warning of the damage being caused by pollution and wastes entering the oceans.

It was caution borne out by professor Charles Wilson’s presentation outlining some of the key findings and recommendations of the comprehensive new report produced by ISWA and UNEP, the Global Waste Management Outlook. At nearly 350 pages it’s the most comprehensive review of its kind ever undertaken. It’s key messages are that there is a global waste emergency, it is growing and it can and must be tackled - now. For more on the report head over to page 8.

One of the key actions the Outlook calls for is a move to a more circular economy. In Europe at least, how to go about that is something which has been under discussion for a considerable period now. What the outcome will be is still uncertain, but on page 19 David Newman offers his analysis on some of the factors which need to be considered, including political and economic trends and their impact the waste industry.

Also on the theme of the Circular Economy on page 26 Maxine Perella takes a look at some of the companies already making promising inroads into moving to a circular business model.

When it comes to the role of organic waste in the move to close the circle, collection and appropriate treatment is often a problem in more sparsely populated areas. On page 36 Marco Ricci and colleagues give us the run down on a project in the Mediterranean basin, which is bringing small scale composting projects to sparsely populated regions.

And finally, as you may be aware, the close relationship that WMW has shared with ISWA for many years has just gotten closer, with ISWA’s acquisition of the magazine and website. It’s great to be back in the hot seat, and with all discussions from Antwerp – great timing too.

Ben MessengerChief Editor

The key messages are that there is a global waste emergency, it is growing and it can and must be tackled - now.

Follow WMW magazine on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WMW_Magazine

Ben Messenger Chief Editor

4 WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015

INTRODUCING ISWA’S LATEST ADDITION:WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLDFollowing a fantastic Congress in Antwerp, ISWA has now taken

the opportunity to expand its family with the acquisition of WMW

ISWA COMMENT

I am proud to inform you that the magazine you are reading is now owned by ISWA. When the previous publishers, Pennwell decided to relinquish some titles, we saw the opportunity of taking on and relaunching WMW as the voice of the global waste community. The magazine will now be operated and published by Vienna based

INDUSTRIEMAGAZIN Verlag GmbH. You will see the new WMW from next January when graphics, style and content will

be significantly improved on the current version. I hope you continue to read it, and I also hope that our advertisers will see the increased value in a magazine owned and run by waste sector experts with a global outreach.

Indeed our ambitions are to increase readership in those areas of the world where waste management investments are most needed – Africa, Asia, Latin America - whilst extending our outreach in consolidated markets where new technologies and innovations, above all in collection systems, require constant updating.

We welcome your contributions, articles and suggestions as we enter this new phase of our associations’ activities and thank you for your continued support and interest.

In this edition you will find an article I have developed with the help of a few colleagues over this last long, hot summer. Thanks for their analyses go to Antonis Mavropoulos, Jeff Cooper and Stephen Jenkinson. The article was born out of the excellent work undertaken by ISWA’s Task Force on Resource Management presented in the World Congress in Antwerp this past September (and what a wonderful time we all had in that beautiful city!). You can download the reports from the ISWA Knowledge Base and ISWA will present their findings to the European Commission early November, a sign of our growing influence.

My point is that while increasing resource recovery and circularity is absolutely the right policy, environmentally at least, we face several challenges in making this happen which are beyond our ability to influence- notably low commodity prices, low energy prices, an ageing and falling population, and political opposition of some considerable vested interests.

The way in which we consume and the many new products entering the markets are challenges in themselves and the internet of things is slowly transforming our consumption patterns, from online shopping to sharing our houses and cars. As the world tries to work towards a climate agreement next December in Paris, I note how fossil fuels enjoy subsidies five times higher than renewable energy- and this demonstrates one severe political threat to our industry which we tend to underestimate. Enjoy reading the piece and I hope to get a lot of feedback from you.

My thanks go to the organisers of the Antwerp 2015 ISWA World Congress in which 1300 of us enjoyed an outstanding programme of events, technical content and hospitality in Belgium last September. Antwerp passed the ISWA flag to Serbia where we will all meet next September 2016 and for which the Call for Papers has been published.

Excellent ISWA events are coming up, Beacon Conferences in Hamburg mid October and Malmoe mid November, an EU meeting early November in Brussels, our first Winter School in Texas next January, and many more. I will be at some of these and hope you will be too to continue together to develop our understanding of the opportunities and challenges we face.

David Newman President, ISWA

The way in which we consume and the many new products entering the markets are challenges in themselves and the internet of things is slowly transforming our consumption patterns, from online shopping to sharing our houses and cars.

David Newman President, ISWA


NEWS

NEWS

SEND YOUR NEWS TO WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLD e-mail: [email protected]

ZWE: TIME TO REFORM EXTENDED PRODUCERRESPONSIBILITY

Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) has called for an overhaul to Extended Pro-

ducer Responsibility (EPR) schemes following the publication of a study it commissioned which found that the majority of product waste is not covered by schemes.

The study analysed the waste composition of 15 European cities and found that 70% of MSW is prod-uct waste, and therefore not food or garden waste, and as such could be included under an EPR scheme. However, the au-thors noted that on average only 45% by weight of this product waste is currently covered by EPR schemes. This means that, on average, EPR schemes only cover 32.5% of total municipal waste, with cov-erage varying from 14.9% in Copenhagen to 47.6% in Paris. Furthermore, only 18% of prod-uct waste is collected separately through an EPR scheme.

“The current interpretation of EPR was useful to increase recycling rates in Europe over the last 20 years,” said Joan-Marc Simon, director of ZWE. “But it will need updating for it to help move us towards a circular economy.”

RecomendationsThe report goes on to make a series of recom-mendations to the European Commission.

Specifically, the authors noted that because the sole implementation of EPR through Pro-ducer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) has been found to progress too slowly towards zero waste, the new Circular Economy Package, cur-rently being deliberated over by the Commission,

should take into account the feasibility of com-plementing them with more EPR instruments. While recognising that PROs are a cornerstone of EPR policy, the report called for a strong incentive framework outside PROs.

Further, according to the study reuse should be integrated into EPR with binding reuse tar-gets. Such targets should be defined for existing EPR schemes and also a set of minimum require-ments for reuse in order to avoid competition for collected streams between recyclers and the reuse industry.

In addition to this, the authors argued that EPR should be constructed in such as fashion as to avoid reusable or recyclable materials ending up in landfills or incinerators. Accord-ing to the report such a ban should be en-forced gradually, in order to promote redesign

of products and materials that currently cannot be recycled, despite their

separate collection. The suggest-ed starting point for this would

be banning incineration of any waste that is collected through an EPR scheme.

Carrot and StickThe authors also called for environmental tax reform

to shift the tax burden from labour to environmentally

harmful production and con-sumption. Currently, labour tax-

es were said to account for 53,3% of total tax revenue in the Eurozone

Area against 5.7% for environmental taxation.Other recommendations included the

introduction of legally binding eco-design re-quirements as well as better EPR schemes with full-cost coverage, targets for separate collec-tion the expansion the current EPR scope to include more products.

They also concluded that existing EPR schemes have been ineffective at driving eco-design, both because of its limited cover-age of product waste and the lack of modula-tion of EPR fees based on eco-design.

ZWE urged the European Commission to de-velop minimum European-wide individualised criteria based on eco-design.

“We call on the European Commission to use the upcoming waste package to include incentives to redesign systems and products in order to drive prevention and reuse, foster a serviced-based economy, put recycling as last option and progressively phase out disposal,” urged Simons.


REPORT

New research from global forestry prod-ucts industry analysts, RISI, has high-

lighted the potential for future demand for Old Corrugated Cardboard (OCC) to outpace supply at current rates.

The organisation noted that containerboard markets have enjoyed historically low OCC pric-es since the peak in 2011. However, it said that market dynamics are changing. According to the analysts, market shares of containerboard grades with high recycled fibre content are ex-pected to continue to rise over the next 15 years. Over the same period, virgin fibre content in the world containerboard sector will decline. This will eventually limit availability of high quality OCC at reasonable prices.

In response, RISI postulate that container-

board producers in some regions will have to make adjustments to maintain overall quality of their finished products and achieve better prof-it margins. The report, OCC/UKP Market Analy-sis, also noted that producers may respond by increasing mix of unbleached kraft pulp (UKP) or starting up new virgin containerboard ma-chines.

“According to our latest forecasts, OCC de-mand will continue to grow. The global OCC recovery rate will have to climb even higher to support additional capacity in the recycled con-tainerboard segment. OCC availability, therefore, may become a significant issue again in the fu-ture-as we saw in 2011,” commented Hannah Zhao, Senior Economist of Global Recovered Paper at RISI.

FINNISH ENERGY FIRM ENTERS WTE JV IN LITHUANIA

Finnish energy firm Fortum is to form a joint venture with state owned heat and power

distributor, Lietuvos Energija, to build a com-bined heat and power waste to energy plant in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Fortum explained that the total investment cost of the plant is approximately EUR 150 mil-lion, of which Fortum’s direct commitment is approximately EUR 20 million.

UAB Fortum Heat Lietuva will be a minori-ty owner of the new joint venture, UAB Kauno kogeneracinė jėgainė with up to 49% share.

According to current plans, the new plant will use approximately 200,000 tonnes of local municipal waste per year to produce heat for

Kaunas city district heating network, which serves approximately 111,000 households and 3500 businesses.

The new plant will produce approximately 500 GWh heat and 170 GWh electricity annu-ally and Fortum estimated that it will reduce the CO2 emissions by 65,000 tonnes per year. It is s expected to be commissioned in the au-tumn 2019.

Vitalijus Žuta, head of UAB Fortum Heat Li-etuva noted that the new plant is also in line with Lithuania’s National Energy Independence Strategy. The establishment of the joint venture is subject to EC merger clearance. The decision is expected by end of 2015.

OCC MARKET TO FACE FUTURE SCARCITY AND QUALITY ISSUES

NEWS

IN BRIEFNew Baler Packs a Punch for UK RecyclerSouth West England based C&I waste recycler, M J Church, has taken delivery of a new twin ram baler from Middleton Engineering. The new baler, which is said to be six times as powerful as the machine it replaces, will be used to process waste streams including mixed construction plastics, rigid plastics and cardboard, as well as waste from the company’s skip hire and collection service.

Kansas City Recycling AcquisitionHouston, Texas based waste services company, WCA Waste Corporation, has completed the acquisition of Town and Country Disposal, a Kansas City, Mis-souri collection, transfer and materials recycling company. Town and Country operates over 100 collection vehicles in the Kansas City mar-ket from its hauling facility in Harrisonville, Missouri and also owns and operates a solid waste transfer station and a new materials recycling facility. WCA’s regional vice president Kevin O’Brien commented: “WCA will maintain the locally-oriented customer service.”

UK Should Learn from Overseas on BioindustriesAccording to a study carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research on behalf of the BBIA, a UK trade body representing the bio-based industries, the UK has the opportunity to develop a domestic bio-plastics industry able to support 35,000 jobs, produce £1 billion in gross employment compensation and generate £2 billion of gross value added to the economy, with a lo-cal production of 120,000 tonnes considering just relevant flexible and food packaging.CEBR’S analysis, claimed to be the first of its kind in the country, showed that for the UK to fully capitalise on the industry’s potential, a supportive technological, legislative and commercial environment should be in place. To achieve this, the UK can learn from the examples set by Europe, the US and Asia.

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Manage-ment’s new 2015/2016 president, professor

Jim Baird, was inaugurated recently at Glasgow City Chambers.

He used the occasion to outline a number of themes for his presidential year. These in-clude the need for renewed efforts to tackle

waste crime through collaborative working with industry and regulators, and the impor-tance of promoting resource efficiency and Circular Economy learning - both in higher education in the UK and through CIWM’s abili-ty to promote communities of knowledge and good practice internationally.

NEW PRESIDENT FOR THE CIWM


NEWSNEWS

IN BRIEFBoost for Battery Recycling in VermontThe state of Vermont has approved bat-tery stewardship organisation program, Call2Recycle, to implement the first mandated US primary (single-use) battery recycling program beginning 1 January next year, making battery recycling more convenient for residents.Call2Recycle explained that for 21 years it has voluntarily served the state of Vermont with a free rechargeable battery collection and recycling program and added that a new law minimises consum-er confusion, as residents will no longer need to separate out single-use batteries when they recycle. It is hoped that the program will also help maximise the number of batteries being diverted from landfill.Building on its current network of nearly 100 drop-off sites within 10 miles of 86% of Vermont residents, Call2Recycle said that it will continue to make it easy and convenient to recycle batteries.

Four Shortlisted for Virgin Islands Waste ProjectA shortlist of four companies has been selected for a major waste project on the Virgin Islands according to consultants, Gershman, Brickner & Bratton (GBB).The four have been selected from a total of 12 submissions to the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority’s (VIWMA) Request for Qualifications (RFQ).The shortlisted developers will now participate in a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to compete to finance, plan, design, permit, construct, own, operate and maintain the most cost effective waste management facility which may in-clude production of energy, fuel, recycled materials, and/or other products. The RFP, issued with the assistance of GBB and the ensuing Service Contract is antici-pated to include a twenty year term.

NEW ACTION PLAN TO TACKLE UK’S 7M TONNES OF FOOD WASTE

In a bid to increase the amount of household food waste being recycled in the UK the key

players involved in developing a new action plan met in Birmingham recently.

Initiated by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) the group will shape and deliver the plan; working to identify tangible, industry led actions to maximise the amount of household and commercial food waste collected and recycled in England.

The organisation added that food waste prevention will remain a priority, but noted that despite the UK’s best efforts to minimise food waste there is still seven million tonnes wasted every year by households alone – and there will always be a significant proportion of unavoid-able food waste.

With recycling rates in England hitting something of a plateau over recent years, WRAP said that increasing the volume of food waste recycled could provide a huge boost and

help the UK deliver on the EU target of 50% re-cycling by 2020.

“At present, just over 10% of household food waste is captured and recycled,” commented Marcus Gover, Director at WRAP.

“This means that the majority is still ending up in the residual waste stream, which is a cost-ly loss for local authorities and a missed oppor-tunity for food waste recyclers,” he continued. “Keeping it out of landfill and channelling it into recycling is an urgent priority, which is why we need the whole sector to work together - and this is exactly what the new action plan is designed to achieve.”

Ray Georgeson, chair of the Steering Group, added: “I’m confident that by working more close-ly across the supply chain, identifying current bar-riers, and finding ways to overcome these as cost effectively as possible for all involved, we can find the best ways forward and increase the amount of food waste we currently recycle.”

BITING INTO FOOD WASTE

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THE GLOBAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

OUTLOOK

REPORTISWA


When it comes to waste management, assessing the situation on a global scale is a monumental task. But with the recent publication by the UNEP and ISWA of the Global Waste Management Outlook report, it is one that has just been tackled. The findings? Doing nothing cannot be an option. By Ben Messenger

Launched at a press conference on the first day of the spectacular ISWA 2015 World Congress in Antwerp recently, the Global Waste Management

Outlook (GWMO) report warns that recapitalise Inadequate waste management has become a major public health, economic and environmental problem. Among its key findings are that seven to 10 billion tonnes of urban waste is produced each year and three billion people worldwide lack access to controlled waste disposal facilities.

“It’s an environmental emergency on the scale of climate change,” warns David Newman, ISWA president. “70% of our waste just goes into the Earth. Huge amounts end up in the ocean. We’re here to call for action. To say to international organisations, to national governments, to local governments all over the world, you have to give increasing attention and increasing finance to the problem.”

“This very first worldwide waste report really is a monumental work that has taken ISWA and UNEP experts two years to write,” he continues. “The Global Waste Management Outlook will help the waste management industry define its future over the next decade, and it also is an urgent call for action for investments to drive a global clean-up of the billions of tonnes of waste still dumped into our environment.”

Anyone opening the report will quickly realise that “monumental’ is no exaggeration. At nearly 350 pages it offers an integrated global solution to the waste problem, including calling for immediate improvement of waste collection and disposal, preventing waste and maximising reuse and recycling of resources. It also calls for a major shift away from the linear “take-make-use-waste” economy and towards the circular “reduce-reuse-recycle” approach to the lifecycle of materials.

“It does present some very stark facts,” Tim Kasten, deputy director of UNEP’s Division of Environmental Policy Implementation tells the WMW. “About the seven billion tonnes of waste being generated, about the three billion people that are without basic services or without controlled disposal sites. There are a number of other very shocking statistics that come out, but there is also a very positive note to the Outlook, and that is in the opportunities we see from looking at waste as a resource… Waste is not waste until it’s wasted.”

“What this Outlook does is present us with the information for the first time so that we can look at what the problems are, what the costs are and what the opportunities are,” he continues. “We do recognise in the Outlook that there is a low contribution from development assistance going into this area and we do believe it could be increased significantly. We are now suggesting that this be done.”

A FEW OF THE FINDINGSOne of the key findings is that globally waste generation is growing rapidly in all but the high-income regions of the world, as populations rise, migration to cities continues, and economies develop. In 2010, the traditional high-income countries were said to account for around half of all waste generation. However, that is forecast to change quickly, with Asia overtaking these countries in terms of overall MSW generation by around 2030 and Africa potentially overtaking both later in the century.

In terms of waste collection, the report finds, median coverage is around 50% in low-income countries, but much lower in some. It also drops sharply in the more rural areas of many countries. It is estimated that at least two billion people worldwide still lack access to solid waste collection.

However, the report notes evidence that suggests significant progress has been made in many middle-income countries over the past few years, particularly those with gross national income per capita above $2500 PA.

Another area in which a considerable disparity between rich and poor countries is in organic waste, which are significantly higher in middle- and low-income countries (averaging 46 to 53%) than in high-income countries (averaging 34%). Yet according to the report these averages might be understating the differences. In lower income countries, most organic waste is ‘unavoidable’, while in high-income countries there is a great deal of avoidable food waste that could have been eaten.

The report also cites numerous success stories from developing countries. For example, the inclusion of informal recyclers into the municipal waste management system in Bolivia resulted in the collection and treatment of

REPORT ISWA


29,000 tonnes of waste and the creation of 443 green jobs. A similar scheme in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, is diverting 1200 tonnes of waste daily from the landfill and employing some 8250 people.

In Kenya, the authors report that a non-profit organisation and the private sector are running separate initiatives to treat the country’s e-waste. Between them, they process up to 30 tonnes of e-waste per month and market the recovered materials, while safely disposing of the hazardous wastes. Both facilities are reportedly fast approaching self-sustainability, proving that safe recycling can be a successful business model in developing countries as well.

According to UNEP executive director, Achim Steiner the report makes clear that an urgent response to the world’s mounting waste problem is not only an environmental necessity, but also an economic investment.

“Inaction is costing countries five to 10 times more than investments in proper waste management,” he argues. “A greater commitment by nations to systematically apply the 3 R’s can transform the problem of waste into a resource for our economies.”

“The global waste management goals proposed by this report have the potential to

result in dramatic reductions in greenhouse gases, the creation of millions of green jobs and economic benefits in the hundreds of billions of dollars. By achieving them, we would also be taking massive strides toward realising the Sustainable Development Goals,” says Steiner.

Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren, president of the United Nations Environment Assembly meanwhile brings up producer responsibility. “Major producers should also be more involved in managing the entire lifecycle of their products,” she says. “International cooperation will be vital in preventing developing countries from becoming dumping grounds.”

According to the report’s editor-in-chief, professor David C. Wilson, Independent waste and resource management consultant and Visiting Professor in Waste Management at Imperial College London, UK, a transition to a more holistic approach would in the long term cost considerably less than doing nothing.

“If we focus on the financial costs of proper waste management, or even on the economic costs taking into account avoided public health problems and the environmental costs of inaction, we run the risk of overlooking many other difficult to quantify, but none the less important benefits,” he tells a packed theatre.

Wilson also explains that the report makes

a recommendation that globally, citizens must also take responsibility for their actions and be encouraged to do the right thing. That’s a point backed up by Philip Heylen, Antwerp’s vice mayor for Culture, Economy & City Maintenance, chairman of ISVAG Intermunicipal waste to energy organisation and chairman of ISWA2015 Antwerp. “On space ship Earth,” he says. “There is no room for passengers - we are all crew!”

In his closing remarks to the Congress, David Newman summarises: “The GWMO shows us, in these 300+ pages of detail, how to go forward. In summary: governance, economically sound foundations, communications between stakeholders, applicable technologies for each city and region, a transparency in public service, a dedication to maintaining public health, saving resources for future use – here is the waste industry in a nutshell and the GWMO frames the agenda of where we want to be in the next five, 10 and 15 years.”

Ben Messenger is chief editor of Waste Management World.

This article is on-line. Please visit www.waste-management-world.com

Four groups of actions are to be taken, but not in sequential steps. There is no time to wait until one problem is ‘solved’ before beginning to address the next. However it is not possible to do everything and reach very high standards at once, particularly when resources are limited – the developed countries have evolved their current, sophisticated waste management systems via a series of intermediate steps over 30-50 years. The inforgrapic is used to visualise this in a summary of the report aimed at Decision Makers

294 Global Waste Management Outlook

phones, people can now learn from each other at an unprecedented scale in time and space, something that

Figure 6.5 What needs to be done at the local and national level

Ensure access for all to basic waste services (A)

Deal with the hazardous substances in wastes (B)

Tackle the problem at the source (C)

Close a clean material cycle (D)

Bring wastes under control

Move from a linear to a circular economy

• Reducing waste improves resource security, improves well-being and saves everyone money

• Design out waste and hazardous waste

• Maximize repair, reuse and emanufacture

• Keep materials separate/segregate waste at source to minimize contamination and facilitate reuse and recycling

• Separate hazardous waste, and in particular hazardous healthcare waste, from other waste at source

• Manage them separately in environmentally sound facilities

• Need a holistic approach to managing all residuals, as pollution controls concentrate contaminants from air emissions and wastewater into (often hazardous) waste

• Extend affordable collection services to all in society, irrespective of income level

• Ensure the controlled disposal of all waste as a necessary first step towards environmental protection

• Maximize recycling

• In low-income countries, integrate existing small-scale entrepreneurial recycling within mainstream waste management

• Develop environmentally sound energy recovery facilities and landfills for residual waste that cannot be sustainably recycled

Stop uncontrolled dumping and burning

Bring hazardous wastes under control

Focus on the ‘feedback loops’Focus on waste prevention

management’ – controls over illegal disposal (point (A) in Figure 6.5

relatively low-cost, win-win component of an integrated solution.

Achieving what is a substantial step-change in waste management in low- and in some middle-income

However, making it happen by 2030 is also going to require financial support from the international community. International and bilateral donors need to prioritize waste management and to increase significantly the percentage of overall international development funding directed to meeting this challenge.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL

REPORTISWA


12 Concrete Developments A Project in Antwerp has successfully

used optical sorting to create high quality recycled concrete.

19 Industry Trends While all the talk is on the Circular

Economy Package, it’s important to keep an eye on economic and political trends that effect the industry.

RECYCLINGSUPER HEROES

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26 Loopy Ideas Some see the circular economy as a

nice idea, others are actually making it a reality.

28 Dutch Lessons A Dutch experiment aimed at

achieving a 100% recycling rate and zero waste has won ISWA’s 2015 Communication Award.

32 Crushing Power An automated baler is helping

CWP Packaging increase efficiency and revenues from recyclate.

34 High Stakes Recycling in Las Vegas

A progress update as the largest recycling facility in the US nears completion.


CONCRETE PROGRESS FOR

C&D WASTE IN ANTWERP

SPECIALRECYCLING


Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) represents one of the EU’s largest waste streams. According to the Directive

2008/98/EC on waste, at least 70% by weight of non-hazardous C&DW must be recuperated by 2020. Eurostat estimates an annual C&DW generation of 970 million tonnes across the EU-27, representing an average value of almost two tonnes per inhabitant, with an average recovery rate of 47%.

A large proportion of the stony fraction of C&DW can be easily re-used or recovered as recycled aggregates within the construction sector, all-be-it almost exclusively in low-grade unbound applications such as (sub)foundations. However, this market is becoming

saturated. Therefore, a shift towards more structural concrete applications (requiring a higher quality of the recycled aggregates) is currently being investigated and promoted.

Successful examples of producing recycled concrete using recycled C&DW aggregates have been widely reported, with interest principally focused on the use of concrete aggregates. While the use of Mixed Recycled Aggregates (MRA) has also been considered, the sulfate content is often indicated as a restrictive limitation.

The content of contaminants such as organic matter (wood, plastics, organic foams), gypsum or autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) in recycled aggregates must be minimised to make these aggregates suitable for high-grade

Huge quantities of concrete enter the waste stream each year, but contaminants have largely prevented it being recovered for high-grade applications. A project in Antwerp has successfully used an optical sorting systems to change all that. By Jef Bergmans, Kris Broos, Peter Nielsen, Philippe Dierckx, Yvan Brijsse and Kurt Jacobs

Decontamination of the building.

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Located in the heart of Europe the port houses the continent’s biggest petrochemical cluster and employs 150,000 people.

THE PORT OF ANTWERP

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X-FRACTION (M%): EFFECT OF NIR SORTING

Comparison of the percentage of X-fraction (in m% of the complete sample) before and after application of the NIR sorting technology.

SPECIALRECYCLING


applications. The presence of contaminants can lead to unwanted effects: e.g. cracking, weak points and delay in hardening.

Several studies indicate that the most effective way of minimising the amount of contaminants in C&DW materials is selective demolition. Moreover, policy programs indicate selective demolition as a key factor for C&DW waste minimisation. OVAM, the public waste agency of Flanders, states that it is their goal to set selective demolition as the standard in the construction sector by 2020. This case study describes the selective demolition of an office building in the Port of Antwerp (PoA).

SORTING When source separation is not possible, subsequent separation of undesired compounds is necessary to obtain aggregates suitable for high-grade applications. Traditionally, separation is performed by manual sorting cabins, density separators (e.g. windshifters) and/or magnetic separators. However, more rigorous separation might be needed to meet the required levels of purity for high-grade applications.

Advanced automated sorting techniques by colour or chemical composition have been

successfully developed in other industries (e.g. high quality sorting of plastics and glass). The use of these automatic techniques in C&DW recycling could result in a guaranteed supply of pure recycled materials than can be used in high-grade construction applications. Here we assess the performance of Near Infrared (NIR) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) sorting solutions.

The NIR sorting is used to produce MRA with a higher technical and environmental quality because of lower soluble sulfate contents (mostly related to gypsum and AAC particles) and organic matter contents. Afterwards, UV-VIS sorting is performed to obtain a concrete (grey) fraction and a ceramic (red) fraction.

Selective demolition and automatic sorting techniques not only allow the production of high quality aggregates, but also produces pure fractions of materials that are currently present as impurities in the stony fraction (e.g. AAC). In this case a medium sized industrial building was constructed in the PoA, using recycled concrete aggregates in structural concrete and recycled AAC in new floor screed products.

SELECTIVE DEMOLITION OF AN OFFICE BUILDING Having selected an office building in the PoA, demolition was performed selectively in order to allow reuse possibilities for a number of building elements and recycled aggregates that are usable in high-grade concrete applications.

The office building was built in a very traditional Belgian structure. Foundations and most other structural elements consisted of concrete. Bricks and gypsum plasterboard were used for the outer and inner walls respectively. Asbestos containing tiles covered the roof.

The elements to be reused (aluminium window frames, radiators, fire protection doors) were dismantled and removed by hand before the start of the demolition works. This dismantling process took about one working day.

In a subsequent step the building was decontaminated. The asbestos containing roof tiles (six tonnes) were removed by hand. The roof tiles were put in a container with a plastic coverage preventing dust and was subsequently transported to a landfill site. Furthermore, mercury containing fluorescent lamps and electronic devices were removed.

During the subsequent demolition, the

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inner wall coverage (gypsum plasterboards and XPS insulation boards) was removed first. These materials can greatly decrease the quality of the stony fraction if not collected separately. Afterwards, the building was demolished with a hydraulic crane. Six separate fractions were collected: concrete (foundation), a mixed stony fraction (mainly bricks and mortar from the outer walls), aluminium (light fittings), wood (mainly from the roof structure), gypsum plasterboard and calorific waste (insulation).

The small size of the office building and surroundings did not allow for economically viable onsite crushing and sieving of the stony fraction. Onsite crushing and sieving is usually performed on demolition sites of >3,000 tonnes of stony material and enough available space for the machinery. Crushing and sieving of the stony fraction was performed offsite at a recycling site in the PoA.

SENSOR BASED SORTING TECHNOLOGIES The NIR sensor-based sorting targets the selective removal of contaminants (e.g. gypsum, organic material) from the valuable stony particles. Input material is evenly fed onto a conveyor belt, where it is detected by the NIR sensor. The detected impurities are separated from the material flow by jets of compressed

air. The particle size of 6mm, guarantees both optimal resolution and efficient removal through air jets. Sorting capacities depend on bulk density and grain size of the input fraction, but reached up to 11 tonnes/h/m in the NIR sorting tests.

Six samples of recycled aggregates from C&DW were collected in five different EU countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden). Because selective demolition of the office building did not create a sample of MRA with enough impurities, the Belgian sample (sample 6) was obtained by adding gypsum and AAC particles to the MRA.

A bag of approximately 1 m³ from each sample was sent to the research facilities of TOMRA Sorting GmbH in order to eliminate problem fractions using NIR sensor-based technologies. A representative subsample was taken and used for characterisation. This subsampling was performed in accordance with EN 932-1.

Before and after sorting, the determination of constituents was performed according to EN 933-11. The proportion of each constituent was determined and expressed as a mass percentage.

Most samples after sorting show reductions in the X-fraction higher than 50%. Sample 2 was the only fraction where the reduction was

<50%. This was attributed to the presence of high levels of dark blue AAC (most AAC is white). Since the NIR sensor was not programmed to eject this type of AAC, this particular impurity was not removed.

The use of recycled aggregates in high-grade construction applications (e.g. concrete, cement bound products) requires low contents of sulfates. The NIR technology achieves notable reductions in the soluble sulfates by removing large parts of gypsum and AAC.

The obtained MRA can be upgraded further by using a UV-VIS sensor. By using this technology, the MRA can be separated into a grey concrete fraction wit a purity >97%.

PRODUCTION OF RECYCLED AGGREGATE CONCRETE After the demolition work was complete a waste collection centre was constructed in the PoA using products with recycled C&DW. The selectively demolished concrete fraction was reprocessed into new concrete products that were used for the production of foundation concrete and polished concrete floors, both inside and outside the building.

The latter application in particular can be considered as very high level, demonstrating the technical possibilities of pure recycled concrete aggregates.

Six tonnes of asbestos containing roof tiles were removed by hand, placed in a container to prevent dust and transported to a landfill site.

Grey concrete fractions obtained from MRA after UV-VIS sensor-based sorting.

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Following selective demolition the concrete aggregates of the office building’s foundation comply with the standard for “high-quality concrete aggregates” of SB 250, the standard specifications for road works in Flanders (Rc > 90; Rcu > 95; Ra < 1; XRg < 0.5; FL < 2).

The produced concretes were ready-mixed and used in foundation concrete (up to 60 m% replacement of the coarse aggregate fraction) and flooring concrete (up to 30 m% replacement of the coarse aggregate fraction). No additional measures (e.g. amount of water or cement) were taken for the use of recycled aggregates.

Initial characterisation tests showed no differences between the different aggregate replacement rates. The well-documented concrete products can be assessed in time. Up till now, two years after construction, no differences with concrete with natural aggregates has been detected.

FLOOR SCREED PRODUCTS FROM RECYCLED AAC Selective demolition allows the production of pure fractions from materials that are currently disposed. The development of recycling options

for these fractions would lower the amount of material that needs to be landfilled. One of these materials is autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC).

The amount of AAC waste that can be recycled in the production of new AAC is limited because of quality issues. Furthermore, recycling AAC into traditional concrete or as unbound aggregate causes both technical and environmental problems because of the low compressive strength (2-8 MPa) of AAC and its high amount of leachable sulfate: typically > 10,000 mg/kg dm (L/S = 10).

Critical requirements for the immobilisation proved to be sufficiently alkaline conditions and the presence of sufficient Portland clinker aluminate (C3A) to react with the sulfates contained in the AAC. To reach a sufficiently high alkalinity in the developed cement stabilised sand products, the use of CEM I is crucial. The use of blended cements results in a lower leachate pH (<12) and a rise in sulfate leaching. The developed products contained enough reactive aluminate to immobilise the available sulfate.

However, when AAC waste is contaminated with gypsum particles, local hotspots of

leachable sulfates can create a depletion in reactive aluminium. This results in a strong increase in sulfate leaching.

We developed recycled products containing crushed AAC from C&DW (210 kg/m³). The crushed AAC (0-8 mm) was mixed with cement, sand and water. During cement hydration a reaction of the AAC leachable sulfate and the aluminate contained in the cement resulted in the formation of (insoluble) ettringite: Ca3Al2O6 + 3CaSO4 + 32H2O ↔ Ca6Al2(SO4)3(OH)12.24H2O (ettringite).

The main conditions influencing the formation of ettringite, and hence the leaching of sulfate, were examined. A sufficiently high pH was found to be crucial to meet sulfate leaching standards. This high pH was met when using ordinary Portland cement. The presence of additional sulfate as gypsum impurities in the AAC waste proved detrimental towards sulfate leaching.

A floor screed was produced using recycled AAC from a selective demolition and installed in the office building of the waste collection centre. The screed showed a compressive strength of 5.6 MPa and a heat resistance of 2.0 mK/W. The presence of the low-density AAC in

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the floor screed had a positive influence on its thermal insulation capacities.

CONCLUSIONThis case study illustrates the possible added value of selective demolition and advanced sorting techniques for the creation of high-grade recycling options. Additionally, a recycling pathway for one of the more problematic C&DW types (AAC) was demonstrated.

In this case study, a selective demolition of an office building was performed, allowing

reusable items and high-grade aggregate fractions that can be used in structural concrete applications to be obtained. A prior decontamination ensured safe work conditions and recycled products.

Sensor-based sorting technologies proved to be able to produce very pure high-grade aggregates. NIR sorting lowered the amount of unwanted contaminants (X-fraction: gypsum, organic materials, metals) by half, while UV-VIS sorting allowed the production of a grey concrete fraction with a purity of >97%.

The concrete aggregates after selective demolition were used in foundation concrete and polished concrete flooring. Initial characterisation tests showed no differences between the different aggregate replacement rates and concrete with natural aggregates while no additional measures were taken for the use of recycled aggregates.

Furthermore, a new recycling route for AAC waste was developed. Crushed recycled AAC was used as a sand replacement in floor screeds. The main problem for the recycling of AAC is the presence of leachable sulfates. These sulfates were immobilised with the

formation of ettringite by combination with Portland cement. The use of recycled AAC can have a positive effect on the heat insulating capacities of constructions.

The developed products were all used in the construction of a waste collection centre in the PoA. This case study is a good example of the opportunities for high-grade recycling of pure C&DW fractions and allows for further follow-up on the long term performance of the recycled products.

Jef Bergmans, Kris Broos, Peter Nielsen, Philippe Dierckx, Yvan Brijsse and Kurt Jacobs express their gratitude to the EU FP7 project IRCOW (Innovative Strategies for HighGrade Material Recovery from Construction and Demolition Waste - grant agreement no. 265212) for funding the research.


SPECIALRECYCLING


CHALLENGES FOR THE WASTE INDUSTRY

IN THE EU

The debate on the Circular Economy often takes place without taking into account the impact of forces beyond our capacity to control. However, if we fail to analyse these potential impacts, our Circular Economy models risk being irrelevant. By David Newman

In preparing this article I looked at four external factors affecting the recovery of secondary

raw materials: the markets for primary raw materials; changing consumption patterns; the market for energy and the impact of renewables; and demographics in Europe. How they play out is difficult to predict, but I will (foolishly) make some suggested outcomes.

1. PRIMARY RAW MATERIALS MARKETSAll indicators I have been able to find show that there is no real

increase in the price of most primary raw materials over the last ten years; indeed, where indicators go back further, we see no increase for as long as 20 or even 25 years. We see spikes of volatility (2008-09) but not a long-term trend. Even taking into account some of the minor more precious metals, such as platinum, we can note the same trend.

Similarly, wood fibre prices which determine timber, pulp and paper prices currently trade at approximately the same US$ price as in 1990. This is important for the waste sector, as paper constitutes one of the largest fractions of recovered materials from the MSW stream.

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We also tend to believe that because population increases, so consumption and prices of primary materials must increase, especially daily use materials like paper. This is actually only part of the story - consumption may increase, as we can also see with food, but so far the Earth has found more than enough resources to deal with the demand. The Club of Paris predictions of 1970 are not born out by reality. Our question should be: how long will this continue?

US food prices over 30 years have risen only in line with inflation, 2.6% a year. In that same period the world’s population doubled, poverty decreased and the absolute numbers of starving decreased too.

While we can see that globally traded commodities show no price stress relative to perceived or future scarcity, we also know that global economic growth is continuing. The two trends appear contradictory but are the reality.

Over recent years, data illustrate how global economic growth has continued apace (except 2008-9) even while commodity prices were falling fastest. Various sources predict growth to continue over the next five years.

2. CHANGING CONSUMPTION PATTERNSWhen thinking of how the waste industry is affected by economic development we cannot ignore growth of the internet and a new economy based upon sharing, knowledge and data.

Non- material economies such as Uber, Facebook, Google, Airbnb or Amazon do not affect raw material prices yet they affect personal and societal incomes. As web-based services enable people to share products (like their cars, houses or photos), economic growth is beginning to occur without increasing hardware or infrastructure stocks significantly.

As people can purchase through the web everything from food to films so the need for personal mobility changes, shopping malls close down (in the US and India especially), young people feel less need to drive a car, and new personal relations through Facebook for example, change lifestyle patterns.

Whilst malls close, Amazon warehouses and transport delivery services increase. The economy is changing and the internet is forcing that change rapidly where web access is fast. How the growth of non-material economies will affect growth patterns in developed economies needs to be explored. Its impact upon the waste industry could be significant as consumption, transport and packaging patterns change rapidly.

New products are changing the economy and consequently waste streams- use of portable readers has decimated the printed - paper industry causing a decline

in the volumes and prices of paper (therefore pulp and timber) related to the sector – ironic as world literacy rates are climbing but bad news for those in paper recycling and good news for the trees. Though a tiny proportion, bio-based materials are entering the supply chain and therefore our waste streams, from biodegradable plastic packaging and films to bio-based plastics for engineering uses or as containers.

For the waste industry, recycling of secondary raw materials faces flat to falling markets over the medium term. The current situation in which plastics and paper recycling facilities and MRFs are closing in the UK and US, will continue and gain speed over the next months unless policies change (see below). This trend in the US has gained momentum since the economic crisis of 2008 and illustrates the close link, in open economies, between market conditions and recycling industries.

COMMODITY PRICES

We tend to think that because copper (like phosphates) is a known, finite resource, its price will continue to increase. Markets do not think like this: they want to know the supply and demand in the short term and value the commodity on those data. (In the full version of this article on the WMW website, you can find many more graphs of minerals for which prices are all acting in the same way.)

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In Europe some market volatility has been flattened out by EPR systems and an analysis of the effectiveness of these systems in ensuring recycling markets is a chapter this paper will not discuss. While EPR systems can be considered to have improved recycling of some defined streams, their performances are difficult to compare from one nation to another even for the same waste streams, both in economic and technical comparisons. An analysis of how EPR schemes will continue to support recycling in falling markets and at what cost, is a subject requiring greater study than undertaken in this paper and I would welcome research on this.

3. ENERGYAs we know energy prices show a similar picture of falling prices; oil dropped briefly $40 a barrel at the end of August 2015 and is trading at prices not seen in 10-15 years. I do not believe anyone could have foreseen the drop in natural gas prices, currently trading at one quarter of the value in 2008.

Whilst appearing to be only marginally influential on the waste industry, the reality is that falling renewable prices are also playing

a role in changing the ways our economies produce and distribute energy supplies throughout the chain. PV, solar, wind, geo-thermal, hydro-electric, biomass, anaerobic digestion, have all become competitive major players in the energy chain, reducing reliance on fossil fuels in many advanced economies.

In the UK (not a notoriously sunny country) 18% of electricity was produced in the first quarter of 2015 from renewable energies whilst Germany in 2014 achieved 31% of all energy from renewables.

How do these trends play out for the waste industry?

First, increasing competition between energy suppliers is putting a downward pressure on energy prices in the medium term.

Secondly, this will lead (as the UK has just shown) to a decreasing willingness and fiscal capacity of governments to support renewables investments through price subsidies which can cause reduced competitiveness of the national economy on global markets. The author is certain that subsidies for renewable energy production from waste are in decline as they are for many other renewable sources.

Finally for the waste industry, old technologies (the early waste to energy plants, the first AD plants) will quickly become obsolete and face closure as their production costs will exceed a declining income resulting from falling energy prices and subsidies. New and more efficient plants will be built, but also the scale of investments will diversify- medium scale has little future.

For organics treatment, energy price risks will lead to a return to old fashioned composting in many parts of the more advanced EU as such investments are lower per unit treated and carry lower market risks. Medium sized AD will not be economically sustainable without subsidies, leading to the development of large plants (>100,000 tp/a capacity) and the return to composting where volumes do not permit this.

4. DEMOGRAPHICSEurope faces the paradox of ageing populations whilst raising walls against immigration from the south and east, for ethnic and religious reasons. Migration within the EU from east to west is already an established and continuing social phenomenon partially responsible for the depopulation of Eastern Europe.

CHANGES IN FOOD AND ENERGY PRICES 1995–2014

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s.Whilst appearing to be only marginally influential on the waste industry, the reality is that falling renewable prices are also playing a role in changing the ways our economies produce and distribute energy supplies throughout the chain.

SPECIAL RECYCLING


Elderly people earn and consume less, so more elderly people means less overall consumption of goods and services (except healthcare) and less waste. Data from the Australian government in 2010 show how over 65s spend less than half of the 45-54 age group. For countries with ageing populations the implications for waste generation are clear.

We must ask ourselves, what role will migration play in altering these trends?

According to a UN model (you can see the graphics in the article online), even with 1.6 million migrants entering the EU annually until 2050 (about current levels during the Syria/Iraq crisis) population will fall in all EU countries except UK, France and Spain. They attract migrants wishing to join friends and families.

Other countries are facing

quite often dramatic declines in population, with eastern Europe losing up to a third of their population by 2050, whilst even rich and prosperous Germany will lose 10% and Italy 7%. Eastern Europe will empty whilst Western Europe will become increasingly crowded and multicultural, if these predictions are fulfilled. Without immigration the decline in population in some countries will be dramatic, notably Germany. Eight of the 10 fastest declining populations from 2013 to 2014 are from Europe, the other two are small island states in the Caribbean.

Whilst investors in waste infrastructure will be cautious about investing in East Europe except perhaps for the large urban infrastructures, ageing populations and falling consumption/waste production of older people will be a EU-wide phenomenon except perhaps for the UK.

CONCLUSIONSHow will the recycling industry look in the future? How will the new dematerialised, sharing economy affect the flows and volumes of recyclable materials? Will low market prices enforce an increase in quality recycling and reduce demand for “dirty” or impure recyclates? Will the new economy growing in economically developed nations lead to cleaner production methods (bio-based for example substituting some fossil fuel based materials?) and easier to recover and re-use products and materials? Where will the non marketable recyclates end up? Is there a new opportunity here for waste to energy plants to recover some of the materials they lost to recycling in the last decade? And how will Chinese recycling growth affect the exports of recyclates to that economy? We already know how this is working out.

The trends are clear: unless there are significant policy changes, particularly fiscal policies, the recycling industry in

developed nations (and elsewhere it exists only as a marginal or informal economy activity) is about to undergo a dramatic transformation in the same way it did when recycling was mandated by national and EU targets at the turn of this century. The whole Circular Economy package, as presented in 2014, looks to be significantly out of tune with these trends.

Investing in infrastructure which has a pay-back of twenty or more years requires long term planning and analysis of markets. “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future” said Danish physicist Niels Bohr, but the conclusions the author has reached are the following:

1. Material resource recovery will be under growing stress unless raw material prices increase in the near future. This is not imaginable from the data available. Therefore recovery of raw materials (plastics, paper/board, glass, metals, metals from electronics) will decline or stagnate unless supported by fiscal policies, such as increased or new contributions from producers under EPR schemes; higher, direct taxation of waste disposal alternatives (landfill, incineration) to make recycling cheaper: or a carbon tax to price in the costs of extraction and transformation of virgin raw materials. To add to this stress in recovery of secondary raw materials are falling overall volumes in some waste streams, caused by the internet changing consumption habits; and an ageing and declining population consuming less.

2. Foodwaste will continue to be the highest proportion of MSW arisings and could offer the most interesting opportunities in investment as climate change policies drive foodwaste from landfill into treatment. Very

Whilst investors in waste infrastructure

will be cautious about investing

in East Europe except perhaps for

the large urban infrastructures,

ageing populations and falling

consumption/waste production

of older people will be a EU-wide

phenomenon except perhaps for the UK.

SPECIALRECYCLING


small volumes of foodwaste are collected separately and treated in the EU today compared to the potential. The City of Milan is now intercepting almost 100kgs/inhabitant annually, an indicator of what good collection systems can achieve. If fiscal policies go in the direction of lower subsidies, we should expect the growth of composting to handle increasing volumes of foodwaste collected; similarly, we can expect source segregated collection schemes developing across Europe; low energy prices may lead to the decline of small to medium sized AD plants (<100,000 t/pa) and cuts in subsidies will render them financially unsustainable. AD plants will need to offer to the market not just biogas transformed into electricity, but also methane into the grid and as fuel for transport, whilst heat from AD turbines should be used for district heating, as the example of SESA (350,000

t/pa) near Padova in Italy has demonstrated, to render the plants highly efficient.

3. Energy prices appear unlikely to rise in real terms into the foreseeable future. The author first predicted this in a lecture given in 2012 and subsequently. Renewables are becoming competitive, ubiquitous and accepted by the population; the ability of renewables to feed into their grids, but also to supply locally off-grid, makes them a realistic alternative now and into the future as their unit costs decline. Still, the fossil fuel industry has halved its costs in one year to regain market share and fight against the growth of renewables and new fossil sources such as shale gas/oil. For waste sector investors the message is: renewable energy from AD or thermal plants will only be competitive if large-scale, highly efficient and offering a series of services- electricity, gas,

district heating, motor fuel. The opportunity is evident for new, efficient waste to energy plants in an era of declining resource recovery levels due to low raw material prices. Where will those materials go if there are no markets for them? Not to landfill surely. One example is Austria where the efficient packaging collection system is now sending much of its recyclates to energy recovery. Energy recovery has a window of opportunity which may close in the medium term and new investments depend in part on EU policies and taxes, the growth of recycling, and the development of capacity in Eastern European countries.

4. Growth (rather than substitution of obsolete plants, which will continue of course) in the waste industry will be driven in the medium term future by growth in population in key countries which will drive investments in collection systems especially of

THE FALLING CAPITAL COST PER WATT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future” said Danish physicist Niels Bohr.

2010

$ 6.55

$ 3.30

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

CSP: Trough

CSP: Tower

PV: Mono Si

PV: Multi Si

PV: CdTe

The cause and consequence of this has been the dramatic uptake of renewable energies in nations that have sponsored this through incentives and subsidised investments.

SPECIAL RECYCLING


organics, urban hygiene services and disposal, through AD or waste to energy. The author does not foresee waste sector growth through material recycling (resource recovery) unless EU imposed limits are agreed, adhered to and enforced. So far this has not happened. 20 of 28 EU countries are struggling to meet the 2020 50% recovery target. To achieve higher levels of recycling will require deterrent taxation to make recycling cheaper than alternatives while raw material prices remain low. Countries such as the UK have already signalled they are not prepared to go this route. Other countries, to the east of Europe, that face the dual challenges of population ageing and declining as well as lacking economic competitiveness for historic reasons, are highly unlikely to meet the targets of 50% agreed for 2020 and are unable or unwilling to increase taxation. And we should recall, taxation is a national, not an EU prerogative.

GLOBAL FUEL SUBSIDIES 2012

EU25 POPULATION STRUCTURE BY AGE GROUP SINCE 1960

Still, global subsidies to fossil fuels exceed by a factor of 5 those to renewable energy in a paradoxical and sickening play with the major threat to human existence – climate change – and we can expect the fossil fuel industry to insist in its attacks on renewables and new fossil sources such as shale gas and oil.

Ageing populations will affect overall economic activity as people retire, take pensions, and contribute less to GDP.

Oil

Electricity *Natural GasCoal

Global fossil fuel subsidies$ 543 bn

Global renewable subsidies$ 101 bn

$ 277 bn

$ 124 bn

$ 135 bn

$ 7 bn

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8.5 9.9 11.2 10.7 12.3 12.9 14.917.5 19.0 18.5

1.5 1.8 2.3 3.2 3.4 4.7 5.8 7.2 9.2 11.4

0–14 years 15–64 years 65–79 years 80+ years

SPECIALRECYCLING


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THE MESSAGE TO THE EC FROM THE WASTE SECTOR SHOULD BE:

1. Higher future targets for resource recovery are unrealistic unless accompanied by fiscal measures to make them achievable, and taxes are national prerogatives, not the EU’s. Will we get a EU-wide CO2 tax, which could change this scenario? And what about enforcing current targets across the EU before setting new ones?

2. Phasing out landfills is a preferential environmental policy but we have to ensure first that the compliance bodies in those countries prevent illegal dumping and ensure waste goes to secure disposal. Further, banning landfill without making alternative disposal methods financially attractive is just ensuring chaos- waste will

always go to the cheapest disposal destination.In this sense we could encourage transfer of waste between EU nations to the best available disposal technologies- the shipping of RDF from the UK to northern European incinerators is a preferential environmental solution, rather than landfilling in the UK, with guaranteed secure disposal which has positive social implications (district heating in northern European cities, for example) as well as using spare capacity that was, until recently, valued at 2.5 million t/pa.

3. The EU should work to promote collection and treatment of food waste, for climate change and soil quality reasons; eliminate the inefficiencies in the system, harmonising EPR systems for example to ensure a level playing field throughout the EU; modernise

the grid to allow interconnectivity for energy suppliers; promote standards for waste derived fuels (methane from biogas to grid for example or RDF).Further it should reduce extra-EU shipments of waste and recovered resources to promote domestic growth in these industries and prevent waste dumping in non – EU nations; eliminate subsidies on carbon based energy; establish an effective EU-wide emissions trading system which prices in resource extraction and transformation that could really revolutionise the recycling sector.It should also simplify end-of-waste criteria, standards and trading of secondary raw materials to encourage resource circularity; promote the introduction of innovative products to reduce resource consumption and waste, such as bio-based and biodegradable materials; ban

certain materials that are virtually impossible to recycle (as New York State has done with polystyrene, France will do with plastic disposable table ware, Italy with PE carrier bags). Finally, the EU needs to harmonise the data collection systems which are shamefully chaotic today for a continent wishing to be a unified market.

David Newman is the President of ISWA.

This article is on-line. Please visit www.waste-manage-ment-world.com

SPECIAL RECYCLING


While the EU Commission continues to ruminate on its promised Circular Economy Package, in the wider world progress is being made to close the loop with a number of innovative developments By Maxine Perella

LOOPY IDEASCLOSING THE CIRCLE

ONE PROJECT AT A TIME

Just how far traditional waste and resource managers can venture into a genuine circular revolution – one that goes beyond recycling towards closed

loop materials re-entry, reuse and remanufacture – remains to be seen. But certainly there are some promising signs of innovation as industry leaders look to reconfigure their service propositions and experiment with more ambitious material optimisation and asset utilisation strategies.

In the UK, Veolia is busy integrating its energy, waste and water expertise to reinvent itself as a manufacturer – essentially shifting from a service supplier to a resource producer. “Specifically in the UK we are focusing on manufacturing green products and green energy using waste, waste water and wasted heat as a resource mine,” says the company’s head of circular economy, Dr Forbes McDougall.

Veolia is investing in various areas to deliver what it calls ‘circular customer solutions’. It is working with a leading consumer goods company, for example, to repurpose its waste detergent into a truckwash. Dr McDougall says the truckwash is undergoing final testing on Veolia vehicles before being rolled out across the business – it will eventually be sold as a product on the open market.

The company is also working to transform

paper pulp. “Using prototype technology, we are trialling a new process that creates pulp from contaminated domestic paper for use in the construction, packaging and moulded fibre industries,” Dr McDougall says. Traditionally such paper would end up in landfill or energy recovery facilities. Although it requires more processing to remove the contaminants, Veolia has recognised the high fibre content of the paper has a commercial value.

“We extract the value from this paper source while reducing its environmental impact. The five-step process we have developed enables us to remove contaminants and create Pro-Fibre that can replace virgin materials used in the construction and packaging industry, including insulation materials and biodegradable pots,” Dr McDougall explains.

Suez Environnement meanwhile is exploring how it can build on its reuse activities through targeted stakeholder collaborations – this could see the company help facilitate product repair going forward, particularly in regard to electrical and electronic items.

“We prefer partnerships to developing repair skills in-house,” says David Palmer-Jones, CEO of Suez’s UK recycling & recovery division (formerly known as SITA). “In the B2B sphere we see product takeback as part of an integrated circular

economy service offer in partnership with the customer. Suez is actively pursuing new networks with intermediates and end-users for this purpose.”

On the remanufacturing front, UK based Refuse Vehicle Solutions (RVS) offers a rebuilding and asset management model for refuse collection vehicles that has picked up as a case study exemplar by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. It is akin to contract hire whereby a customer purchases a vehicle, including the maintenance, that can last for up to ten years – seeing the vehicle through its the first, second and third life until it becomes parts.

“Refuse vehicles are a significant asset costing between £130,000 and £150,000, yet operators are only getting an average five years service from these vehicles at which time they are practically worthless due to poor maintenance,” RVS’ managing director Spencer Law explains. “With preventative maintenance and remanufacturing processes these refuse vehicles can be kept in optimum condition for 15-plus years.”

As well as sourcing used refuse trucks and component parts for remanufacture, RVS supplies brand new vehicles and manages

SPECIALRECYCLING


these assets from ‘cradle to grave’ to maximise their operational lifetime and value. “Ultimately operators should be looking at longer term contract hire periods that focus on better maintenance and servicing to keep vehicles running at optimum levels for longer, with options to overhaul and remanufacture to keep them in service as second tier vehicles,” Law says.

The UK’s waste sector is considered by many to be ahead of the curve compared to the rest of Europe when it comes to these types

of circular service offerings, perhaps due to its historic reliance on landfill which has meant a more aggressive zero waste push in recent years. But in Germany, recent moves by two waste management companies may signal a transitional shift in thinking.

Landbell, an independent waste management specialist for packaging and electrical waste and other waste streams, has set up Berlin-based subsidiary Green Alley Investment to fund entrepreneurs and start-ups who can help unlock innovation around issues such as resource conservation, reuse and upcycling.

Along similar lines is Kraftwerk Accelerator, based in the city of Bremen – an accelerator programme established by waste to energy provider swb Gruppe, which is looking to promote intelligent waste management models suited for future smart cities. The Kraftwerk scheme is currently sourcing ideas around recycling opportunities for wind power plants, as well as upcycling suggestions for waste combustion slag and recovered synthetic materials.

Elsewhere around the world US waste operators have been slow to react to circular thinking, although a potential game-changer from Rubicon Global is attracting a lot of interest given the rise of Uber across North America. Rubicon has developed a smart app which will enable on-demand collection of household waste. The company effectively acts as a digital broker, connecting small, local waste hauliers with nearby residents that want to schedule a pick-up using their phones. The app is being trialled, and there are similar solutions under development in other countries including Ireland.

Looking ahead, circularity also has potential to take flight in emerging economies, such as Africa and India. Given these regions aren’t so locked into established recovery infrastructure, there are solid opportunities to design in better circular processes from the start which may in time leapfrog the linear processes that exist in more developed nations.

One success story is the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA) – a government-backed national waste tyre project that has diverted more than 146,000 tonnes of used tyres from landfill since its inception in 2012. The model works on the basis of producer responsibility by applying a weight-based levy on tyres manufactured in or imported into the country, which funds the necessary infrastructure to recover the waste tyres and channel them into new supply chains.

According to REDISA’s CEO Hermann Erdmann, since the scheme started, South Africa’s tyre recycling rate has leapt from 4% to 19%. “The model aims to extract waste management fees on producers, give producers the opportunity to reduce their costs by designing in circularity, use the fees collected to directly fund the development of recycling industries, establish reverse logistics networks, carry out R&D and promote secondary interests,” he says.

REDISA is now working with two universities to explore new valorisation technologies for waste tyres and is assessing the potential to extend tyre life through the use of an environmental rating system.

As for India, waste management is still very much emerging industry there – but this could present opportunities as well as challenges, says Ranjith Annepu, co-founder of Be Waste Wise. “By the time India transitions to circular economy thinking, it will likely jump a step and adopt technology and mechanisms of the day,” he observes.

For India, the future may lie in start-ups like Banyan Sustainable Waste Management Solutions, an upcycler based in Andhra Pradesh. Annepu, who acts as a consultant for Banyan, says the company wants to extend the life of plastics and is seeking partnerships with vehicle and electronics manufacturers to produce components using 100% recycled material, as well as FMCG collaborations to convert flexible packaging into new products such as bags.

Maxine Perella is a freelance journalist.


SPECIAL RECYCLING


DUTCH DREAM:100% RECYCLING RATE

Following the implementation of a drop off facility based kerbside collection scheme across 17 of its 20 municipalities, publically owned Dutch waste and recycling firm ROVA, is aiming to increase its already impressive recycling rates of 80-90% all the way to 100%. Dubbed the 100-100-100 programme, the scheme was recently awarded ISWA’s Communication Award 2015.By Natascha Spanbroek and Anne Telman-Oosterwijk

Since October 2009 the key vision underlying the strategy of publically owned Dutch waste and recycling firm, ROVA, has been the transition

‘from waste to resource’. Based on this vision, the organisation has set a target for residual waste reduction from the 2011 level of 174kg per capita to 30kg in 2020.

Amongst its efforts to achieve this goal has been the development of a special collection model designed to increase flows of reusable waste by providing a higher level of service for these flows. In practice, this means that organic and garden waste, plastics, and paper and cardboard are collected at kerbside.

At the same time, residual waste services have been downscaled through a transition from kerbside collection to drop-off facilities. Most of these facilities use underground containers and are positioned strategically within neighbourhoods. This model has been implemented in 17 of the 20 municipalities that ROVA services in the Netherlands since 2012, with impressive results. These municipalities show a substantial increase in the percentage of

recycled household waste, up to 80-90%.This success has prompted ROVA to

consider what further steps it can undertake to contribute to a 100% recycling rate and a waste-free society. Municipal household waste collection takes place at the end of a product’s life cycle. To a large extent, possibilities for product and material reuse are determined by the choices made by consumers and producers.

With this in mind, at the beginning of this year ROVA launched a social experiment centering on waste prevention. To gain insight into the (im)possibilities of living ‘waste-free’, the company challenged 100 households to live a 100% circular life as regards waste and raw materials (0 kg residual waste and a decrease in the total amount of household waste) for 100 days. The experiment was titled ‘100-100-100’.

THE EXPERIMENTThe main goal of the social experiment was to raise awareness: directly among the participating households and indirectly through communication and the interest generated in the experiment. Another aim was to provide

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information about opportunities and obstacles on the road to a waste-free society, in terms of:n Willingness and scope for further

behavioural change among the general public

n Opportunities for producers (e.g. eco-design)

n The nationwide political debaten Insight into remaining household waste

products.

100 DAYSThe 100-day challenge started on 1 January 2015. Participating households were motivated via a web platform at www.100-100-100.nl - as well as by each other! Each week, households where challenged to take part in a specific assignment on a waste-related theme.

For example: count how many products/packages you open on one day or take a picture of the waste in your kitchen sink after preparing an evening meal. These assignments helped to raise participants’ awareness of their behaviour as regards household waste. Households could also fill in a special waste meter on the

platform to keep track of their own results and compare them with those of other participating households.

As part of the experiment’s research component, 50 households were intensively monitored and given a concrete line of action appropriate to their specific situation. For example, they received a special bin to promote waste separation, a visit by a coach or tips about the best way to arrange their refrigerator contents to prevent food waste.

The remaining households in the experiment received more general online coaching. To verifiably measure the impact of different forms of communication on the participating households, we also tracked a control group that did not take part in the experiment.

The 100-100-100 experiment stimulated participating households to reduce their residual (and overall) waste by means of:A) Improved waste sorting at home

(separation)B) Changing consumption behaviour (buying

products that can be recycled after disposal)

C) Waste prevention (the best method of waste prevention is to buy less).

RESEARCHROVA collaborated with the University of Groningen’s Psychology Department and with Utrecht University. Groningen contributed to the project’s behavioural dimension and Utrecht determined the environmental impact.

To measure and monitor households’ knowledge, behaviour and attitudes in relation to waste management at home, the University of Groningen developed a questionnaire that both participating households and the control group were asked to fill in at three points during the experiment (before, midway and at the end).

The environmental impact was measured on the basis of four indicators:1. Primary energy use2. GHG emissions3. Absolute scarcity4. Critical materials.

The waste produced by participating households was collected and analysed (before the experiment started and at the end) to

Each year ISWA honours an excellent Waste Communication Campaign that increases public awareness and promotes sustainable waste management. The judging panel had an excellent selection of waste management communication promotions to assess in 2015 and found it difficult to determine an over-all winner from those put forward. The first three were separated by only a few points. Finally, the panel decided upon the following as the winner of the 2015 Communication Award: ”100-100-100, Dutch social experiment in waste management” run by NV ROVA Holding from the Netherlands.

SPECIAL RECYCLING


determine its environmental impact. This analysis was conducted using the iWastemodel. After the final analysis it was possible to establish in how far the social experiment had positively affected environmental impact.

RESULTSBy the end of the experiment, participating households achieved a residual waste result equal to 22.5kg per person per year. This is 89% less residual waste than the Dutch average (210kg per capita per year). Some participating

households even attained the goal of zero waste. When considering the challenge of living ‘waste-free’, the question remains: Is it possible? The answer depends on how much effort households are willing to make.

Most of the households participating in this experiment did not attain 0kg of residual waste. The products that remained (85% correctly separated) in the residual waste were:n Nappies and incontinence pads (42%)n Pet waste, e.g. cat litter (18%)n Medical waste (7%)n Personal care products (5%)n Full vacuum cleaner bags (5%)n Non-recyclable packaging (4%)n Plastic and metal products other than

packaging (1%)n Other (5%)

This testifies that there are quite a few products/materials that are not recyclable. In our scenario, the only way for households to be ‘waste-free’ would be to avoid these particular products.

RESEARCHUtrecht University concluded that the increased share of sorted waste and the

reduction of residual waste resulted in a smaller impact for all four indicators. The University of Groningen concluded that waste separation increased among both participants and the control group.

People (in all groups) seemed to find waste separation easier than they had expected (especially in the case of plastic and kitchen/food waste). When it came to reducing waste – in the form of prevention – only participants in the 100-100-100 experiment made actual progress. The weekly assignments and tips on the website contributed to this result.

COMMUNICATION Another important result was the campaign’s spillover effect, due to:n Very active local community, with more

than 35 online posts per dayn Contacts with other innovators and early

adopters nationwiden Free publicity for the waste-reduction

message; massive local and national media attention (prime-time, 3.8 million viewers)

n Comprehensive and in-depth articles in the media (with positive tone of voice)

n Contacts with circular economy players.

Communication was key to the project’s success, with prime time attention from 3.8 million viewers.

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RECOMMENDATIONS‘Reduction is possible!‘Residual waste reduction can be achieved through more and better waste separation. The participating households furthermore showed that reduction of residual waste can also be achieved by focusing on prevention. Our recommendations:n Choose a clear message: ‘The throwaway

economy is behind us; think and act circular’, ‘let’s stop talking and start acting – and most importantly, acting together’

n Work from a household perspective: residents are the key to success

n Let people experience the ease of waste separation for themselves (easier than expected), especially for plastics and biodegradable waste. Seek to give people the impetus to try it for themselves to disprove the notion that waste separation requires drastic household adaptations

n Communicate not only on waste separation but also on prevention and reduction

n To effect behavioural changes in household waste management, long-term intervention is essential. Specifically, give positive feedback and emphasise the contribution

to sustainability (promote a green identity).n Practice what you preach! Ask colleagues

to participate, local politicians can also be participating citizens, and of course ensure that your own office or events are ‘zero-waste proof’

n Make it fun! Make it a challenge: not a ‘push’ but a ‘pull’ strategy.

BRIGHT FUTURETo a large extent, the choices of consumers and producers determine the possibilities for product and material reuse. A circular economy needs consumers who choose and ask for sustainable solutions. If there are enough ‘zero-waste consumers’, producers will switch to more sustainable products.

To support this process, ROVA has made its roadmap and online platform available to other municipalities. The project has proved immensely successful in reducing residual waste and therefore deserves to be continued. The Dutch government has set a target to lower annual per capita residual waste from 210kg to 100kg by 2020.

An implementation programme, called VANG, is being created to achieve this target.

This programme has adopted the 100-100-100 project. VANG offers Dutch municipalities and waste management companies a complete package enabling them to start 100-100-100 projects in their own regions. This package consists of a licence to use the basic online platform, a comprehensive manual on how to conduct the project and extensive documentation to get started.

Two waste management companies have already launched a 100-100-100 project and we hope there will soon be 100 municipalities to challenge 100 households to live a 100% circular life as regards waste and raw materials for 100 days, resulting in ‘100-100-100-100’!

Natascha Spanbroek is a programme manager at ROVA and Anne Telman-Oosterwijk is responsible for creating the online community to share 100-100-100 experiences. Email: [email protected] [email protected]


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CRUSHING VICTORY FOR UK

PACKAGING FIRMW iltshire based GWP

Packaging produces customer specific

corrugated cardboard packaging for industries including beverages and foodstuffs, medical, automotive and IT.

“Our task is to design packaging solutions which perfectly showcase the packaged good at the point of sale and protect it from transport damage,” explains James Pedley, operations manager at GWP. “The

main priorities in the process are cost-efficiency and environmental compatibility.”

These priorities are reflected in the sophisticated processes the firm uses. For example, die cutting machines play a central role in the automated production process cutting cardboard sheets by means of cutting, punching and grooving into finished die cut cartons and fitments.

UK based packaging manufacturer, GWP Packaging demonstrates that waste material from its packaging manufacturing process is both easy to collect and process, and is a valuable source of recyclate.By Daniela Dannert-Weing

James Pedley, operations manager at GWP says that quality, flexability and reliability were the key factors in the decision to invest in the VK 4208.

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Bollegraaf Recycling Solutions is the trading name of Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery bv and Lubo Systems bv.

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With a track record of 50+ years in the industry, Bollegraaf is a leading global engineer and manufacturer of turnkey recycling solutions and recycling equipment. Your business is our challenge, we aim to give you the highest return on investment. From Municipal Solid Waste to Plastics recycling, you name it, we know how to sort it.

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It’s a process that by necessity produces an amount of offcut waste. However, because the waste material produced is homogenous there is a healthy market for it as a recyclate.

“We design the punching dies so as to save as much material as possible and so that only small amounts of punchings, edge cuts for example, accumulate. We then return these to the recycling loop”, Pedley adds.

To optimise the handling of the punchings GWP took the decision to invest in a fully automatic VK 4208 channel baling press from German manufacturer, HSM to compress and bale the waste die cut pieces ready for recycling.

According to HSM the VK 4208 is best suited to industrial applications with medium material loads and a throughput rate up to approx. 251 m³/hour such as those found in the processing industry, department stores, document shredding facilities, printing and paper industry.

It replaced a long-serving baling press, which could no longer live up to the modern production concept or the increased safety requirements. Technical faults resulted repeatedly in production stops, the operation of the press was labour- intensive, and the insufficiently compacted bales attracted poor prices on the recycling market.

OPERATING EFFICIENCYThe new baler has been integrated into the production process and operates by means of air feeding. The waste, which occurs at several die cutting machines, is extracted by suction while production is ongoing and taken directly to the channel baling press to be shredded with blade ventilators into corrugated cardboard remnants.

According to Pedley, the reliability of the press effects the efficiency of the entire process. “If it fails, production comes to a standstill for us,” he says.

The operations manager regards the fully automatic operation of the HSM VK 4208 as another benefit. Where before he had to assign a full time operator for baling, the new press operates independently. Once full a light beam triggers a horizontal pressing process. The collected material is compacted into bales with a specific pressing power of 75 Newtons per square metre and is then strapped automatically with wire.

The bales weigh up to 420 kg - on average twice as heavy as they were with the old machine. This bale density and weight is sought after by recycling companies, which pay more than they did before.

THE FULL PACKAGEBefore opting for the VK 4208 baler Pedley took time to get acquainted with various suppliers across Europe and to compare technical options and says that he selected the HSM machine based on quality and performance.

Upon delivery the baler was installed and ready for action over a single weekend, which was all the time that was available for the dismantling of the old machine and the commissioning of the new machine in a difficult to access area. However, everything went smoothly and the factory’s operations continued uninterrupted.

Pedley, explains that prior to installation GWP’s own maintenance team was able to carry out preventive maintenance on the press. He credits the team’s ability to do this to the training in the technology provided by the manufacturer.

“The integration of the HSM VK 4208 channel baling press enabled us to substantially increase the efficiency of our production process,” he concludes. “Downtime caused by faults is a thing of the past.“

Daniela Dannert-Weing


The bales are highly compacted and can weigh up to 420 kg while the excellent bale quality increases revenue from the sale of the recyclable waste die cut pieces.

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Following our in depth feature on the biggest materials recycling facility in North America, WMW heads back to Las Vegas to find catch up with progress. By Evan Williams

WINNINGIN VEGAS

Southern Nevada Recycling Center in North Las Vegas, Nevada is rapidly nearing completion. This is an extraordinarily large project,

developing a new state-of-the-art 100,000+ square foot (9300m2) recycling center that will enable Republic Services to further expand All-in-One-Recycling™ throughout Southern Nevada. The key players include the owner, Republic Services, the design-build general contractor Cambridge Companies, and recycling equipment manufacturer and suppler, CP Group.

SITE WORKThe site work is largely complete. Excess soil material has been removed from the site, curbs and gutters are installed, and the site is ready for asphalt. The perimeter masonry fence is 75% finished and is expected to be fully complete imminently. In addition, plantings for

landscaping are under way and the building and site signage installation will begin shortly.

FACILITY, EQUIPMENT & OFFICE PROGRESSThe construction of the Process, Tipping, and Bale Storage buildings is functionally complete with only final connections to be made for sprinkler installation around equipment and viewing platforms. Minor work remains for safety signage, final sprinkler installation and minor coordination of building related items for the equipment installation.

CP Group is on site and installing equipment. The container and screen lines are in place and the placement of the three balers has begun. Two balers are in place and the third will come online shortly after the facility start-up. The presort line is in position with the glass and overall system installation complete to begin the commissioning process.

The CP Group Equipment Installation

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The administration building, which includes offices, locker rooms, employee’s break room, and an exhibit space for public engagements is complete. Punch work is currently being completed, including final cleaning in order to turn the administration space over to the owner.

Both the equipment commissioning process and turnover of the administration space to Republic Services are scheduled to occur in the very near future.

COORDINATION IS KEYThere has been much progress on the project and ongoing activity covers the entire site. There have been many complications on such a large and complex project, but continuous coordination between the project’s key players ensures that the final product will best reflect the needs of the owner.

With an eye toward the project being completed and equipment commissioned, the project team continues to aim for an on-time

opening of the facility to start serving the citizens of Clark County before the end of 2015.

Evan Williams is a Design Project Manager for Cambridge Companies (Griffith, IN). [email protected] visit www.CambridgeCoInc.com.


Aerial View of the Southern Nevada Recycling Center Construction Progress(September 5, 2015)

Scales Under Construction

Landscape Work In Progress

FEATURES

HSM GmbH + Co. KG · Germany · [email protected] · Gratis-Hotline 00800 / 44 77 77 66

With HSM - turn your waste into valuable material!

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BIOWASTE GOES LOCAL IN THE

MEDITERRANEAN

Begun in 2013 the SCOW project is aiming to develop low cost, technically simple and high quality biowaste collection and recycling models in agricultural and touristic areas of the Mediterranean. With the first results in, what can be learned? By Marco Ricci, Michele Giavini, Ramon Plana, Marta Vila and Gemma Nohales


The kit for the new kerbside collection in Pallars Sobirà, the two compartment single

driver vehicle and results of biowaste collected in compostable bags

FEATURES

Separate collection and composting of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) is a widely implemented technique. However, a

lot of peripheral factors can negatively impact its economic and practical viability, especially when trying to implement an effective scheme for collecting and treating the OFMSW in rural touristic areas.

Nonetheless, it is true that in those areas there may be much need for compost utilisation, and this is even more important in the Mediterranean area where 74% of the land is covered by soils that have less than 2% of organic carbon in the topsoil.

Additionally, it is estimated that in the countries of the Mediterranean basin the organic fraction ranges from 30% to 50% of total municipal waste. In a bid to help close the carbon cycle and to properly manage organic waste in the area, in 2013 three year SCOW (Selective Collection of the Organic Waste in tourist areas and valorisation in farm composting plants) project began with the aim to develop a low cost, technically simple and high quality biowaste collection and recycling models.

THE PROGRAMMEFunded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument’s (ENPI) cross-border cooperation Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme (CBCMED), SCOW’s goal is to define an innovative and sustainable biowaste management system through effective collection and treatment in decentralised small-scale composting plants. These plants are located near to the where the waste is being generated, and, at the same time, close to where the compost can be utilised. It is notable that this project aims at treating food waste collected from households and large producers, and not only yard trimmings or other agroindustrial biowaste.

The selective collection and small-scale composting facilities are being implemented by project partners in the mediterranean region. Three of these, Pallars Sobirà in Catalonia, Spain (coordinated by BCNecologia), Upper Galilee in Israel (managed by Upper Galilee Regional Council) and Corte in Corsica (managed by SYVADEC) are at the most advanced stage of implementation; the first two have supplied the first reliable data for this article. Moreover, other project partners are taking care of overarching

Biowaste collection schemes and composting facilities being deployed under the SCOW project.


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parallel tasks such as monitoring (Environment Park, Turin, Italy) and communication activities (MIGAL, Israel).

POLICY FRAMEWORKIn accordance with the waste hierarchy, composting is being addressed by the EU as a favoured option for the management of food waste. Despite this fact, and the obligation to reduce biodegradable waste sent to landfill (Directive 1999/31/EC), a directive clearly specifying targets and options for biowaste was never published. By now, only article 22

of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC generally states that EU Member States shall take measures, as appropriate, to encourage the separate collection of biowaste with a view to composting and digestion. The recent proposal of the new Circular Economy package, with a new a requirement to set up separate biowaste collection systems, has been withdrawn to be replaced by a future new proposal.

In this puzzled framework, many best practices are developing autonomously at such a pace that policy makers are increasingly evaluating local success stories. In this sense, one goal of the SCOW project is also to create a network to disseminate results and define common guidelines aimed at the EU level including non-EU countries in the Mediterrenean basin.

The first important result was the publication of the “Manifesto for Proper Food Waste Management in the Mediterranean” which highlights the most important needs and paths to follow to promote an effective food waste management. It is structured in 10 points and covers all aspects from the collection stage to the treatment, compost quality and market, awareness and participation as well as cooperation between north and south Mediterranean countries.

COLLECTION & COMPOSTING PLANT DESIGNThe Mediterranean Basin is characterised by heterogeneous conditions such as population density, orography, weather, soils, organic waste composition, availability of complementary (bulking) materials, diverse needs/uses of compost. Moreover, different waste management and planning regulations are in place, and sometimes even lacking, on a national and local basis. Those different circumstances obliged each SCOW partner to think of an operational model for collecting and treating biowaste that may fit to its local conditions.

Therefore, the six regions are implementing different collection schemes and composting facilities. All of them will deploy source separation of the biowaste streams, mainly through door-to-door collection, in some cases with centralised containers and including community composting (direct input of municipal organic wastes in the composters).

Concerning the selection of the composting plant, the rationale behind the SCOW project is based on the concept and design of a simple composting facility for food waste and other sources of organic waste such as agricultural wastes and by-products, should follow these key elements:

The delivery of food waste kitchen caddies in the Kibbutzes of Upper Galilee, Israel, and the wheeled bins for kerbside collection.


Key features of the areas where the decentralized composting facilities are going to be built.

FEATURES

• Flexibility: Composting facilities should be prepared to treat different sources of organics and to accept varying waste quantities, according to seasonal waste generation arising due to tourists

• Decentralised: Small–scale facilities to reduce the impact of the hauling phase, the cost of generating the finished compost, and to create jobs in the region itself

• Knowledge: Facility operators must know and understand the composting process to insure proper operation and good results

• Simple management/technology: The site should be easily adapted to the conditions, characteristics and needs of the incoming feedstock

• Feedstock Quality/Source Separation: A simple and small size composting facility can easily treat only organics that contain very low (< 2%) concentrations of nonorganic impurities (glass, plastics, metals, etc.). To ensure this requirement is achieved, source separation and door-to-door collection of organic wastes, from big producers (hotels, restaurants, fresh markets, etc.), as well as households, should to be implemented.

Essentially three types of composting methods are used: turned open windrows/heaps

(Palestine), aerated static piles in concrete bunkers (Catalonian) as well as small or very small-scale in-vessel composting (Upper Galilee, Liguria, Corsica and Malta). This system will be complemented in some zones with composting “modules” (community composters with 1 m3 capacity) serving groups of few households or a single business as well as educational centres and other public facilities.

CATALONIA: PALLARS SOBIRÀ Pallars Sobirà is a Catalonian county with 6883 inhabitants, 15 municipalities and a very low population density (five inhabitants/km2). Located in the central Pyrenees, most of it is a protected nature reserve.

It experiences a high tourism fluctuation; according to official statistics, on a yearly basis its equivalent population is roughly 30% higher than the resident population. Most importantly, during the peak season (mainly in summer months and especially in August) it’s temporary population more than doubles. This can be seen from the monthly waste statistics analysed as a baseline before the project.

For this specific area, a complete renovation of the waste collection scheme has been put in place. The existing large containers on the

streets were removed and a new kerbside collection scheme for all recyclable fractions was implemented, including food waste collection (three times per week and including complementary services in summer) with compostable bags and 7l vented caddies to be kept in the kitchen, and street delivery with temporary 20l buckets for households and mainly 240l wheeled bins for big producers.

Moreover, a small-scale composting facility is currently being built, with aerated static piles in concrete bunkers and low-tech equipment while including forced aeration as required by the regional government. The plant is designed to be able to treat all food waste collected in the area with the necessary flexibility to accommodate the inputs during the peak season, and is built according to the principles of technological simplicity, low investment and operational costs, high quality using part of the existent facilities of the county recycling center.

ISRAEL: UPPER GALILEE The Upper Galilee Regional Council in Israel’s Upper Galilee region is a major tourist region with 29 cooperative Settlements (“Kibbutz”) and 20,000 inhabitants. Given the unusual residential

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FEATURES

scheme of the Kibbutz, specific decentralised composting machines have been designed by the Council in the framework of the SCOW project. They are electromechanical in-vessel composters able to treat all the food waste generated by one or two kibbutz (around 200-250 t/y). This will minimise hauling costs, maximise use of locally available bulking materials and enable local use of the finished compost for community gardening and agriculture.

For biowaste collection, a specifically designed truck was purchased, including mixing screws and a conveyor belt for discharging the composting mixture directly into the electromechanical composter. Food waste is collected in the Kibbutzes twice a week; citizens use a 7l kitchen caddy without bags and deliver close to their house in 320l bins. The truck can automatically load these bins and mixes food waste with some amount of bulking material (shredded trimmings) that is loaded at the beginning of the collection route.

FIRST RESULTS To date, the most remarkable result of the project in terms of actual implementation has been the excellent recycling rate achieved in Pallars Sobirà. In March this year, after just a few

weeks of operation, the overall recycling rate increased from 32% to 80%.

There has been a particular attention to the optimisation of the collection stage in order to avoid unnecessary costs. The use of specific lightweight vehicles with two tanks (7m3/3m3) has proven to be an effective and quick solution. They allow the collection of two different fractions at the same time, normally using the small compartment for daily collection of nappies; they are operated by a single driver/collector. Three trucks are

sufficient to cover all of the participating municipalities.

Initial results suggest that the amount of biowaste being captured at source is around 177 kg/capita/year, calculated taking into account the total kg of waste generated in 2013 per resident inhabitant and the percentages of door-to-door collection for each fraction during March and April 2015. This value falls well above the average food waste collected in the other counties of Catalonia (average: 49.5 kg/capita/year, to a maximum: 96.0 kg/capita/year, where

The electromechanical composter built in Israel, Upper Galilee, to treat food waste in Kibbutz Kfar Hanassi.


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door–to-door is mostly implemented) and also relating to best practices in other European countries. For instance, in Sardinia, Italy where intensive food waste collection is now evenly spread, the average is 99 kg/ca.

It should be taken into consideration that Pallars Sobirà is a county with a large number of touristic activities (campsites, hotels, restaurants, etc.) which generate important quantities of food waste therefore the final kg per registered inhabitant can be increased, especially in summer time.

In Upper Galilee, the kerbside collection scheme put in place in the Kibbutzim has to date being successful, with a good commitment and participation by citizens although this additional collection has not been made mandatory. By April 2015 around 3000 were involved in the seven Kibbutzes participating in the SCOW project.

The first results related to the period January - April 2015 and show that the total amount of food waste collected is around 55 kg/capita/year. It should be noted that by now many large biowaste generators, like the social canteens inside the kibbutzes, are still not participating but will soon be provided with the necessary containers as soon as the new collection truck will be fully operational.

CONCLUSION The SCOW project focuses on demonstrating cost-effective solutions for the management of biowaste to obtain high quality final compost. It also allows the comparison of results from different technologies/models. One of the final objectives is that these types of experiences can be replicated in other Mediterranean areas reducing the impacts at source with a separate collection and treatment using the SCOW project developed know-how and tools.

The SCOW project has by now proven to be a relevant platform in order to encourage cross-border cooperation between EU and non-EU Mediterranean countries.

It is clear that food waste collection and composting can be a real challenge in disperse or rural areas, or where no specific incentive schemes are in place, but with some smart and simple optimisation strategies and tools this can be done even there.

For sure citizens’ encouragement and sensitisation is key, especially when the collection scheme is newly implemented in “pioneer” areas.

Low cost composting solution for food waste treatment and compost production are really interesting because they can pave the way for establishing a local network aimed at sharing

costly equipment such as vehicles, shredders, turners or screeners, and most importantly expertise between local operators, which is the real success factor.

With all these strategies and related tools what is been considered a waste will be transformed in a local resource closing in proximity the cycle of the organic matter.

Marco Ricci: CIC - Italian Composting Association, Italy / www.compost.it, [email protected] Giavini: ARS ambiente and CIC - Italian Composting Association, Italy / www.compost.it, [email protected] Plana: Organic Wastes Management Consultancy, Barcelona, Spain /www.maestrocompostador.com,[email protected] Vila and Gemma Nohales: Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain / www.bcnecologia.net, [email protected] and [email protected] (www.biowaste-scow.eu/Manifesto-for-food-waste- managment)



CONTRACTS FOR INDIFFERENCE?

A lack of clarity in the UK government’s Electricity Market reforms as we move from Renewable Obligations to Contract for Difference auctions is having a negative impact on investor confidence in the biomass energy sector. by Matt Drew

We are in a strange, slightly artificial period, where a large number

of developers in the Biomass Energy market are rushing to close deals and build plants before the Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) scheme closes to projects not commissioned before the end of March 2017.

The question is, why is this rush happening now when the much touted replacement scheme, the Contract for Difference (CfDs) auction process, is already in place? After all, biomass energy projects clearly have a long term beneficial role as part of the UK’s future energy makeup and continuing

funding opportunities beyond 2017 through CfDs, with an annual government pot of some £200 million plus, must surely be attractive.

In simple terms the CfD auctions, touted as the first of their kind in the world, enable proposed renewable energy projects utilising different technologies to compete against each other based on the minimum level of subsidy per MWh that they would need. The problem is that potential investors have little confidence that money invested in getting new projects off the ground will not be wasted under the new regime, due to the complexity, length and opaque nature of the CfD process.

WHY?Whilst the intention behind the CfDs is admirable, delivering lower renewable energy costs to consumers and guaranteeing minimum energy prices to the generators, there are a number of issues that potentially inhibit the development of Biomass Energy projects.

In the first place, the way the funding is split under CfDs into different pots for different technology groups can easily edge out Biomass projects. For example Biomass Energy with Combined Heat and Power (CHP) shares Pot 2 for ‘Less Established Technology’ with Offshore Wind. However, one 500MWe Offshore Wind Project

can take £115 million of the £150 million Pot 2 budget. The effect of this is that Offshore Wind can dominate the Pot 2 budget and therefore exclude Biomass projects. In Pot 3 for Biomass Conversion projects, it’s notable that budget hasn’t even been allocated thus far.

On top of this, CfD auctions are intended to take place annually, with developer submissions in October, and the awards in February the following year. Only at this point would developers and investors know if the upfront investment required, often running into millions, would actually be realised.

Of course there are examples of biomass projects that have failed

FEATURES

Wheelabrator Technologies’ proposed 550,000 tpa waste to energy plant in facility in Kent secured a Contract for Difference earlier this yearCredit: Wheelabrator Technologies.


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to proceed under the current ROC scheme. However these have been down to issues with the project itself such as planning and environmental objections, not as a result of a bidding process against alternative technologies and projects. This is a real risk to investors and many of them are likely to step away from the renewables market just at a time when investment is really needed.

FIRST CFD AUCTIONThe results from the first CfD auction were quite striking. Of the 27 contracts awarded, none were to Biomass Energy. Of the Pot 2 allocation it was totally dominated by two Offshore Wind Projects totalling 1162 MWe. In addition there were three Advanced Conversion Technology (ACT) projects awarded totalling 62MWe. These three ACT projects are generating energy from commercial and domestic waste, exactly how we should be tackling this waste stream. However it meant that no CfD’s were awarded to Biomass CHP projects which were effectively squeezed from the Pot.

Already this is sending a signal to potential investors who will be unwilling to invest time, energy and capital in planning potential Biomass investments if the CfD process remains unsupportive. This is despite the fact that Biomass CHP utilising domestic virgin and waste wood is an excellent way of generating local electricity and heat. It’s also a base load energy source, non-fluctuating with high availability, and provides low cost heat for industry and domestic use.

What’s more, in the UK waste wood is a plentiful resource. An estimated 10 million tonnes are

produced every year, including forestry residues and other sources. By contrast, a typical medium sized CHP plant can convert 6000 to 80,000 tonnes of domestic waste wood (including grades A, B & C, forest thinnings, stumps and bark) and other low quality waste wood into 170,000 MWhr of renewable thermal energy, each year. All without diverting prime timber resources.

DELAY TO THE SECOND CFD AUCTIONFurther doubts came in July when the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced the postponement of the next CfD auction round, which was due to begin in October. Since then DECC has not laid out any firm plans as to what is going to happen other than stating that they will outline plans for the future of the CfD in the autumn.

This again leaves investors with uncertainty and no firm plans for when projects can move forward. Many stakeholders believe this is putting the entire renewables sector on hold.

THE WAY FORWARD With the delay to the next CfD auction, is there time to reconsider the place for Biomass CHP? Everyone recognises that it has a place to play in the future energy makeup of the UK. It provides base load power and heat. It can be sized to local demands of fuel, energy and heat, and utilises a resource that currently is underutilised.

The question is, can DECC see a clear path to encourage not stifle investment in this important part of the UK Energy market?

MATT DREW, IS THE UK MANAGING DIRECTOR AT SAXLUND INTERNATIONAL

FEATURES


When it comes to the specialised plant equipment used in the waste and recycling industry, making sure that the correct maintenance contracts are in place can be almost as important as choosing the right waste management machine in the first place. By Fred Bell

The machinery used in waste management and in recycling applications requires a considerable financial outlay and downtime can

seriously affect return on that investment. While improved machine durability might mean better value for money, being prepared for any repairs and maintenance is central to keeping a site running smoothly.

The machines used in waste management and recycling are designed to be adaptable, dependable and tough in order to deal with the operations that they will face, and they are normally thoroughly tested over their working life. However, although these machines are developed for harsh environments and high levels of daily use, things can – and inevitably will – go wrong. The grime, dirt and loose material prevalent on most waste management sites will accumulate inside machines. This can clog cooling packs, compromise rotating parts, and create a general risk of damage to the machine.

In order to ensure the reliability required for optimum performance and maximum running time onsite, whether at a transfer station, materials recycling facility or civic amenity site, machines need to be supported with a maintenance package designed for the tough world of waste management and recycling.

MAINTAINING CONFIDENCEMaintenance agreements should be flexible enough to allow the machine owner to establish such a contract either on purchase of the machine or at a later date as required. Flexible payment options should also be available to help when planning the maintenance budget. Options can include paying a fixed sum which would cover all regular maintenance and also make any necessary repairs or paying directly for the work as it is carried out.

The primary benefit of a service contract is that the cost of maintaining a machine can be budgeted for over a period of time,

FEATURES

MAINTENANCE:PROTECT YOUR

WORKERS & YOUR INVESTMENT


thus avoiding any nasty surprises. The maintenance schedule should be planned, normally based around machine operating hours, with preventative action being taken when appropriate.

If the machine does fail unexpectedly, then minimising any downtime is the priority, a quick response from your dealer is critical. In most cases dealers will work with their own fleet of support vehicles to enable them to deliver and fit parts quickly, expertly and with minimal downtime.

24 HOUR ACCESSTechnology has an increasingly important role to play in the maintenance of machines working in the waste and recycling sector. Advanced telematics systems, encompassing satellite technology, are increasingly being introduced into the industry and can help machine owners and dealers to more accurately monitor machine performance at the touch of a button and 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This allows appropriate steps to be taken to protect machines and maximise running times.

This comprehensive access to information is particularly important if operating hours on site are long. Some plants utilise a two, or even three, shift system and may work 24 hours a day. Scheduling machine maintenance in these cases can be particularly difficult as the dealer must be able to match the operator’s hours, get the right parts and fit them quickly.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPSIn most cases, a maintenance package will be delivered by the official franchised dealer, which means that the owner can be assured that the machine is receiving the best support available and will have a full service history; with positive implications for the resale value.

By extending relationships with their dealers in this way, machine owners can also get to know the technicians who will be fitting parts and maintaining machines – expert customer care should come as part of the deal whether for routine services or more urgent repairs.

KEEPING WORKERS SAFEService contracts also mean that any temptation to carry out unauthorised or unsafe maintenance is avoided. This will not only protect the machine but will also ensure that only qualified personnel carry out maintenance work.

In the UK for example site operators have a legal requirement under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). These regulations place duties on people and companies “who own, operate or have control over work equipment”.

The Health and Safety Executive reports that “Work equipment is any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work (whether exclusively or not)”. It also states that “PUWER requires that equipment provided for use at work is:• suitable for the intended use

• safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to ensure it is correctly installed and does not subsequently deteriorate”.

Any business or organisation that uses work equipment or is involved in providing work equipment for others to use (which includes for hire), must manage the risks from that equipment.

UP TO THE JOBWaste management isn’t a 9am to 5pm job and site operators need to know that their machines are up to the job if they’re going to run a successful and safe waste management and recycling plant.

When making a significant investment in a machine it is advisable to select a brand with a solid reputation in the industry and one that is willing to provide suitable warranties, parts and on-going support.

Waste and recycling sites are harsh environments and a challenge to work on to say the least, but get the right machine for the job, and just as importantly the support to keep it running, and you’re in business.

Fred Bell is JCB’s business manager for the waste and recycling industries. www.jcbwastemaster.com


When North Yorkshire, UK based waste and recycling firm Yorwaste recently decided to invest in three new machines it took a ‘whole life valuation’ approach to its decision. At the end of that process it went for a package put together by the team at dealer T.C. Harrison JCB. The order includes two of the brand new JCB

457 Stage IV/Tier 4 Final Wastemaster Wheeled Loaders.

The decision making process compared capital outlay, fuel consumption, maintenance and warranty packages, as well as potential resale value. It also included a trial of the machines.

“The JCB machines came out on top of the comparison exercise and I was also really impressed by how proactive the sales team from TC Harrison JCB were,” explains Kevin Smith, head of continuous improvement at Yorwaste.

“They offered us trial units and different specs and had a real desire to work with us. The trials were essential, I wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a spin up the road,” he continues. “Why would I invest company money without knowing the machines could do the job? The waste and recycling industry is a tough business and we really put machines through their paces.”

Yorwaste, which employs 250 people and works across 12 sites in North Yorkshire, now has a fleet of 30 JCB machines. The company works on landfill, materials transfer, recycling, composting and energy from waste and has found the JCB Wastemaster range best suited to meet its many varied requirements.

Yorwaste takes delivery of the two new 457 and 437 wheeled loaders at the beginning of November, but knows a little bit about what to expect when they arrive. It already has two of the older model 457s in use at its compost business, turning the windrows to help break the material down. They are also used for loading the bulk material into lorries.

The new models feature a new JCB CommandPlus cab, offer 16% fuel efficiency over the previous model and have no need for a costly diesel particulate filter (DPF).

CASE STUDY YORWASTE & ITS WASTEMASTERS

FEATURES


PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE

ISWA INFORMATIONVISIT WWW.ISWA.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

ISWA GENERAL ASSEMBLE SIGNSDECLARATION ON CLIMATE CHANGEOn 6 September, the ISWA General Assembly held its annual meeting in Antwerp, Belgium. The 79 National Member Representatives present elected new Board Members and signed a Declaration on Climate Change and Waste and Resource Management.

The Declaration on Climate Change and Waste and Resource Management is part of the continuing work which ISWA is doing on climate change mitigation. Gary Crawford, ISWA Board Member and Chair of ISWA’s Working Group on Climate Change and Waste Management, mentioned that the world is at a tipping point and climate change mitigation requires immediate action, which the waste sector should and can play a significant role in.

“The waste industry must help reduce net emissions in order to meet the two degree Celsius stabilisation point and this declaration is aimed at the policy makers who can assist facilitate this,” he said.

The declaration indicates what ISWA should be committed to do, it discusses how ISWA call upon governments to act and how ISWA needs to leverage funds from the public and private sectors in order to achieve the goals.

“The ISWA Declaration on Climate Change and Waste and Resource Management underlines how the waste industry can play a huge role in reducing carbon emissions, if the policies are right,” said ISWA President David Newman. “So let us now get that declaration out to the press and politicians in our countries around the world to underscore how we, the waste industry, are part of the growing global business community embracing positive change for the environment. And

let us make this happen at COP21 - United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris next December.”

The newly elected members on the ISWA Board of Directors are Rüdiger Siechau, Germany; Bettina Kamuk,

Denmark; Alexei Atudorei, Romania; and Atilio Savina, Argentina.

Günay Kocasoy from Turkey, meritorious long term member and National Member Representative, has been designated Honorary Member of ISWA.

ISWA General Assembly 2015

ISWA General Assembly signs Climate Change Declaration


ISWA CALENDAR 2015/2016OCTOBER ISWA MaSWA Annual Conference:Use waste as investment opportunityin Macedonia20-22 October 2015Skopje, Macedonia

Working Group Meeting on Communication22-23 October 2015Malta

Working Group Meeting Energy Recovery29-30 October 2015Berlin, Germany

NOVEMBER

Joint event of the ISWA European Group and the ISWA Task Force on Resource Management3 November 2015, Brussels, Belgium

NOVEMBER

Ecomondo - The Green Technologies EXPO3-6 November 2015Rimini, Italy

ISWA Beacon Conference on Waste-to-Energy18-19 November 2015Malmö Sweden

DECEMBER

STC Meeting3 December 2015Vienna, Austria

Working Group Meeting on Recycling and Waste Minimisation3-4 December 2015Budapest, Hungary

Board Meeting4-5 December 2015Vienna, Austria

JANUARY

ISWA-SWIS Winter School on Solid Waste Management - LANDFILL & LANDFILL MINING18-29 January 2016Arlington & DentonTexas, United States

APRIL

ISWA Co-operation Conference on Healthcare Waste14-15 April 2016London, United Kingdom

ISWA Study Tour on Collection, Sorting & Recycling25 - 29 April 2016 Vienna, Austria

ISWA WORLD CONGRESS 2015, ANTWERP, BELGIUM, 7-9 SEPTEMBERThis year the city of Antwerp was the stage for the ISWA World Congress. Almost 1300 waste management experts from more than 90 countries attended the event subtitled ‘Let’s make the most of our resources and waste!’

The participants were offered a lot during the three congress days: a truly spectacular opening ceremony (watch the congress mood video to get an impression); the extensive scientific programme containing 230 speeches, including key notes from Dambisa Moyo, Pierre-Yves Cousteau and Herman Van Rompuy; a welcome reception with a diamond cocktail; the launch of the GWMO (Global Waste Management Outlook), a

joint project by UNEP and ISWA; the presentation of the brand new ISWA report ‘Wasted Health – The tragic case of dumpsites’; the gala dinner and the ISWA Award Presentation Ceremony with a first class show programme at the Hilton Antwerp, which made many congress delegates dance until very late night.

At the closing ceremony the ISWA flag was handed over to representatives from the city of Novi Sad, Serbia, where the next ISWA World Congress will take place 19-21 September 2016. Save the date!

To get a more detailed impression of ISWA World Congress 2015 in Antwerp please visit the video and picture galleries available at www.iswa.org.

For more details on the above mentioned events and meetings please go to www.iswa.org.

Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium at the Opening Ceremony of ISWA2015.


Chief EditorBen MessengerEmail: [email protected]: +44 7917 566259

International Sales ManagerFelix KeckeisEmail: [email protected]: +44 7593 954911

PublisherINDUSTRIEMAGAZIN Verlag GmbHHans F. Zangerl, General ManagerEmail: [email protected] 561070 Vienna, AustriaTel: +43-1-585 9000-90www.industriemagazin-verlag.at

AdvertisingEditorial/News Contact: [email protected] Correspondence/Press Releases: Please send to Waste Management World at [email protected]

DIARY

DIARY OFEVENTSECOMONDORimini, Italy3-6 November 2015T: (+39) 0541/744.492F: (+39) 0541/744.475E: [email protected]: www.en.ecomondo.com

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING ASIA WRF 2015Singapore10-13 November 2015E: [email protected]: www.icm.ch

RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM WASTE CONFERENCEOrlando, Florida, US16-19 November 2015W: www.REWConference.com

ENERGY FROM WASTELondon, UK7-8 December 2015T: +44 (0) 20 7827 6000 F: +44 (0) 20 7827 6001E: [email protected]: www.smi-online.co.uk

15TH INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS RECYCLING CONGRESS IERC 2016Salzburg, Austria19-22 January 2016E: [email protected]: www.icm.ch

ENERGY FROM WASTELondon, UK24-25 February 2016T: + 44 (0)1322 221144M:+ 44 (0)20 7501 6742 W: www.efwconference.com

16TH INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE RECYCLING CONGRESS IARC 2016Berlin, Germany16-18 March 2016E: [email protected]: www.icm.ch

IFATMunich, Germany30 May – 3 June 2015T: +49 89 949-11358E: [email protected]: http://www.ifat.de

UK AD & BIOGAS 2016Birmingham, UK6-7 July 2016T: +44 (0) 20 3176 0503 E: [email protected]: adbioresources.org/uk-ad-biogas-2016

WASTECONIndianapolis, US22-25 August 2016W: www.swana.org/events/wastecon/Indianapolis2016

RWMBIRMINGHAM, UK13-16 September 2016T: +44 (0) 203 033 2049E: [email protected]: www.rwmexhibition.com

POLLUTEC 2016Lyon, France2-5 December 2016T: +33 (0)1 47 56 21 54F: +33 (0)1 47 56 21 10E: [email protected]: www.pollutec.com

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ownership of the whole process and coordination with

subcontractors. Our customer-focused and single point of

contact philosophy, which includes highly experienced

Certified IPMA® Project Managers, ensures a seamless

process from idea to execution and successful operation of

your plant. Total turnkey solutions that leave you nothing else

to do but turn the key.

There’s much more to be said. Find out by contacting us at

[email protected] or visit volund.dk

When we deliver a turnkey project…

B A B C O C K & W I L C O X V Ø L U N D

T E L + 4 5 7 6 1 4 3 4 0 0 | S A L E S @ V O L U N D . D K | V O L U N D . D K

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