Life cycle analysis of municipal solid waste management possibilities in Asturias,Spain

Abstract

Directive 1994/62 concerning packaging and packaging waste and Directive 1999/31 related to waste disposal will substantially modify the management and treatment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Europe. In this study, a life cycle analysis has been carried out of the different possibilities of managing Municipal Solid Waste in Asturias. The “Integrated Waste Management” (IWM-1) model was employed, analysing the different alternatives for collection and treatment of MSW. This model predicts overall environmental burdens of MSW management systems and includes a parallel economical model. The sources of costs in the different systems of collection and treatment of MSW were considered in the economical analysis, as well as the sources of resource gathering that may be obtained via the sale of recovered materials. What emerges from this study is the soundness of management strategies based on biological treatment technologies in comparison with thermal treatments, together with the need to increase the level of collection at source.

Keywords

Life cycle analysis cost analysis landfill Municipal solid waste management recycling composting biomethanisation incineration wmr 684-9

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Randa Group. (1996) Estado de la situación y perspectivas de futuro del Análisis del Ciclo de Cida: aplicación a los envases y sus residuos.

Fava, J.A. , Page, A. (1992) Application of product life-cycle assessment to product stewardship and pollution prevention programs; Wat. Sci. Tech., vol. 26, nº 1-2, pp. 275-287, 1992.

Rodríguez-Iglesias, J. , Castrillón, L. , Marañón, E. , Sastre, H. , (2000) Biomethanisation of Municipal Solid Wastes. Water Research, vol. 34, nº 2, pp. 447-454.

White, P.R. , Franke, M. , Hindle, P. (1995) Integrated solid waste manegement: a lifecycle inventory; Blackie Academic & Professional, London.

Billigmann, F-R. (1996) Política de desechos en Alemania: los comienzos de un cambio radical. Secretario General de la Asociación Federal de la Industria Alemana de Gestión de Desechos (BDE); DYNA, nº 2, pp. 26.

Rodríguez-Iglesias, J. , Castrillón, L. , Marañón, E. , Sastre, H. (1998) Solid state anaerobic digestion of unsorted Municipal Solid Waste in pilot plant; Bio. Tech., nº 63, pp. 29-35.

Rodríguez-Iglesias, J., Castrillón, L., Marañón, E., Sastre, H. (2000) Modelización de la producción de biogás en vertederos controlados; Residuos, nº 56, pp. 38-42.

McDougall, R.R. , Hruska, J.P. , The use of life cicle inventory tools to support an integrated approach to solid waste management, Waste Manag. Res., vol. 18, pp. 590-594, 2000.

McDougall, R.R. , Life Cycle Inventory Tools: Supporting the Development of Sustainable Solid Waste Management Systems, Corporate Environmental Strategy, Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp. 142-147, 2001.

10.

Clift R. , Doig A. , Finnveden G. The application of Life Cycle Assessment to integrated solid waste management, Process Safety and Environmental Protection, vol. 78, no. 4, pp. 279-287, 2000.

11.

Goedkoop M.J., The Eco-indicator 95, Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment, NOH Report 9523, PRé consultants, Amersfoort, 1995.

12.

UCPTE, Annual Report 1993, UCPTE Office, Viena, Austria, 1994.

13.

BUWAL 250, Life Cycle Inventories for Packagings, Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forest and Landscape (SAEFL). Environmental Series nº 250. CHEMICAL-3003 Berne, 1998.

14.

IAWG , Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Residues , International Ash Working Group . Studies in Environmental Science 67. Elsevier Science, Oxford, 1997.

15.

US EPA , Application of Life Cycle Management to evaluate integrated Municipal Solid Waste Strategies. Research Triangle Institutute (RTI), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, 1997.

16.

German Federal Association for Quality Compost, Kompostverwertung in den verschiedenen Bundesländen, Briefliche Mitteilung und Marketpotential von Kompost im 1996, Bundessgütegeinschaft Kompost eV, Köln, 1997.

17.

Schauner, P. , Industrial composting of home-sorted waste. Procter & Gamble France S.N.C., Neuilly, France, 1995.