Since the pre-industrial era the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by nearly 30%, methane concentrations have more than doubled. The resulting climate change will lead to major environmental changes such as rising sea levels, shrinking mountain glaciers, the spread of infectious diseases and increased heat related mortality, impacts to ecosystems and loss in biodiversity, and agricultural shifts such as impacts on crop yields.
As this increase is at least partly caused by human activity, the effort to confront anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions has increased over the last years. Probably the most important measure implemented is the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
In the EU about one third of manmade methane emissions, with a global warming potential 21 times greater than that of carbon dioxide, can be attributed to solid waste disposal. With some 60% of municipal solid waste still being disposed of to landfill without any form of pre-treatment and extensive reliance on incineration for treatment of most of the remainder, it is clear that there is considerable scope for improvement.
In this report the capability of either European or national legislation to improve the actual situation on greenhouse gas emissions related to the management of municipal solid waste was investigated by using England, Germany and Bulgaria as representatives.
From the results obtained by applying a LCA it becomes obvious that European legislation will improve the actual situation on the management of municipal solid waste. The greenhouse gas emissions generated in England will be reduced by more than 75% and thus result in a negative greenhouse gas flux. In Bulgaria the emissions will decline by more than 82%.
With regard to the waste management hierarchy the greatest improvements will be reached by reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal solid waste from landfilling and meanwhile focusing on material recycling. To deal with the putrescible fraction biological treatment options should be preferred to thermal treatment methods.
All improvements achieved by the different scenarios are based on effective source segregated collection schemes. This measure could be justified by the fact that most treatment options rely significantly on the quality of the input materials and that in comparison with the whole municipal solid waste management emissions based on collection and transportation could be neglected.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Aim
2 Literature Review
3 Life Cycle Assessment
3.1 Technologies
3.1.1 Material Recovery Facilities
3.1.2 Biological Treatment
3.1.3 Thermal Treatment
3.1.4 Landfilling
3.1.5 Recycling
3.2 Actual Situation
3.2.1 England
3.2.2 Germany
3.2.3 Bulgaria
3.3 Scenarios
3.3.1 England
3.3.2 Germany
3.3.3 Bulgaria
3.4 EU Legislation
3.4.1 Council Directive 1999/31/EC
3.4.1.1 England
3.4.1.2 Germany
3.4.1.3 Bulgaria
3.4.2 Directive 2004/12/EC
3.4.2.1 England
3.4.2.2 Germany
3.4.2.3 Bulgaria
3.5 National Legislation
3.5.1 England
3.5.2 Germany
3.5.3 Bulgaria
4 Results and Discussion
4.1 England
4.2 Germany
4.3 Bulgaria
5 Conclusions
6 References
Objectives & Scope
The main objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of European and national legislation on greenhouse gas emissions generated by the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the European Union, specifically by analyzing the current situation and developing future scenarios for England, Germany, and Bulgaria.
- Analysis of actual waste management policies and their impact on climate change.
- Application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using the IWM-2 computer model.
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of current European and national legislative measures.
- Development of future scenarios for England, Germany, and Bulgaria to ensure compliance with waste hierarchy and legislative targets.
- Assessment of the role of source-segregated collection, recycling, biological treatment, and thermal treatment in reducing global warming potential.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2 Biological Treatment
The treatment of biodegradable MSW is performed mainly by applying one of the following three options:
- Composting:
Composting represents the oxidisation of putrescibles by aerobic micro-organism to CO2 and water vapour. The residue is a humic substance that can be used as fertiliser or soil conditioner. Centralised composting can be undertaken in open heaps that are turned and mixed mechanically (windrows), or alternatively in closed vessels with internal mixing, irrigation and aeration (Smith, Brown, Ogilvie and others 2001).
- Anaerobic Digestion:
Like composting AD is based on microbial decomposition, but it takes place in sealed vessels in the complete absence of air (anaerobic conditions). The process converts biodegradable waste to biogas containing mainly methane and CO2. The biogas can be used as fuel, potentially displacing fossil-fuels. The volume-reduced solid residue can be used like compost, but usually requires a period of maturation by composting (Smith, Brown, Ogilvie and others 2001).
To guarantee the later use in agriculture or horticulture the composting and AD rely significantly on the quality of the input (no contaminants such as plastics, metals,…). Thus, source segregated collection of garden and food waste is essential for these processes.
The use of compost from waste may have beneficial effects on greenhouse gas fluxes by replacing other products like fertiliser and peat and may also lead to an increased storage of carbon in the soil (carbon sequestration) (Smith, Brown, Ogilvie and others 2001).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the global challenges posed by climate change, the role of waste management in greenhouse gas emissions, and defines the report's objectives and aim.
2 Literature Review: This section summarizes relevant existing research, emphasizing the importance of the waste hierarchy and the significant impact of landfilling on greenhouse gas emissions.
3 Life Cycle Assessment: This core chapter details the methodology, system boundaries, and the IWM-2 model used to evaluate various MSW management technologies, current national situations, and future scenarios.
4 Results and Discussion: This chapter presents the quantitative findings of the Life Cycle Assessment for England, Germany, and Bulgaria, discussing the potential for GHG reduction through different legislative scenarios.
5 Conclusions: The final chapter synthesizes the results, confirming that European and national legislation can effectively reduce global warming potential when combined with integrated treatment and source-segregated collection.
6 References: A comprehensive list of academic papers, EU directives, government reports, and statistical datasets used to compile the research.
Keywords
Municipal Solid Waste, MSW, Life Cycle Assessment, LCA, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, GHG, Climate Change, Waste Hierarchy, Landfilling, Recycling, Biological Treatment, Thermal Treatment, European Union, Legislation, Sustainability
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The dissertation focuses on how different waste management strategies and legislative frameworks in the European Union influence greenhouse gas emissions, using England, Germany, and Bulgaria as comparative case studies.
What are the key thematic areas covered?
The study covers the waste management hierarchy, the comparison of treatment technologies (landfill, incineration, biological treatment, and recycling), and the impact of EU directives on national waste policies.
What is the main objective of the research?
The objective is to identify the actual situation of MSW management in the three countries, evaluate the associated GHG emissions, and assess whether existing and future European and national legislation can improve this situation.
Which scientific method is employed?
The research uses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, utilizing the IWM-2 computer model to calculate and compare the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of different waste management scenarios.
What is the main topic of the central chapters?
The main body examines the specific waste management technologies, provides a detailed audit of the current waste situations in the three countries, and projects the environmental impacts of compliance with EU legislation through various scenarios.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, waste management hierarchy, landfill directives, and national waste legislation.
Why were England, Germany, and Bulgaria chosen as representatives?
These countries were chosen to represent diverse waste management landscapes within the EU, ranging from established systems (Germany) and evolving systems (England) to an accession country (Bulgaria) with a primary reliance on landfilling.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding the waste hierarchy?
The author concludes that while the waste hierarchy serves as a useful rule of thumb, the most effective approach for minimizing GHG emissions is a qualified combination of various treatment options tailored to local conditions, supported by intensive source-segregated collection schemes.
- Citation du texte
- Mike Speck (Auteur), 2005, The effects of legislation on the municipal solid waste management in the European Union in the context of greenhouse gas emissions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/113730
