Summary and conclusions

Miljøteknologi på affaldsområdet - Danske styrkepositioner og potentialer

The Danish and the international waste management industry is currently influenced by substantial changes regarding the political demands for environmental solutions and sustainability, the development of new technologies, demands for new organisational structures, and important changes of the prevailing market conditions through internationalization and globalization.

This report presents an analysis of technological potentials in the field of waste management, including identification of possible Danish positions of strengths. The focus is on technologies substituting existing methods of treatment that are not marketed or fully applied because of various barriers.

The report takes the approach of cycle consideration and sets up a model for this inspired by the “cradle-to-cradle” concept. This concept views all types of waste as potential nutrients for new productions. In the biological metabolism waste contains a variety of nutrients and similarly that, according to this way of thinking, should be taken back to cultivated areas. This ought to be done in order to maintain a sustainable agricultural production and especially because such recirculation of nutrients has wide, positive implications on the level of pressure on the environment and, thus, positive influence on climate change.

Likewise, in the technological sphere it ought to be made sure that all substances and materials are part of closed loops as opposed to open streams. In closed loops, substances and materials circulate continuously, thereby saving large amounts of resources compared to open streams. At the same time – and this is an important point – the energy required to maintain the closed loops is far less than required by open streams. By having more closed loops society will elongate the resources of fuels and other resources and prevent large emissions of carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gasses and other environmental harmful emissions from power plants and other energy installations.

The model therefore looks at the energy sector. Especially here, the so-called renewable fuels (e.g. wood, straw, organic waste) may substitute fossil fuels, which have positive environmental and climate effects, as just described. Unfortunately, the burning of bio fuels also means that the flow of materials remains open. Nutrients, which forms part of the bio fuels, will not be taken back to arable land. Therefore, it is a challenge to apply such technologies that at the same time are able to make use of the energy content of the waste materials and at the same time maintain a closed loop for important nutrients.

However, such technologies are available today in the form of facilities that produce biogas, bio ethanol and biodiesel and can replace fossil fuels and at the same time provide for the recycling of nutrients to arable land. However, these technologies are still under development, especially those which are based on waste products as opposed to specifically cultivated crops.

The biological waste metabolism

The analysis of the organic waste cycle shows that approximately 1 million tonnes of organic waste from households is annually treated in waste incineration facilities. The waste stream is open.

Animal manure constitutes around 32 million tonnes annually of which only around 4 % is currently being used in biogas facilities or otherwise applied in the energy supply. The waste loop is in principle closed, but there are problems in relation to the management of nutrients in the external environment.

The production of straw is approximately 5.5 million tonnes a year. Two thirds of this enters a closed loop without utilization of the energy content whereas the last third enters an open stream in which nutrients by and large are lost, but the energy content is exploited.

The production of sludge from waste water treatment facilities is approximately 1 million tonnes annually. The energy content is utilized and about half of the quantity is being spread on arable land as part of a closed loop. The other half is incinerated and is thus part of an open stream with loss of nutrients as a consequence. The proportion of sludge being incinerated is increasing.

The technologies for treatment of organic waste differ with respect to energy efficiency and with respect to whether they may be part of an open stream or can be an element in a closed loop.

Waste incineration plants and thermal gasification plants has a high energy efficiency but nutrients are lost. As a general rule, an open stream of materials is treated.

Facilities producing biogas, biodiesel and bio ethanol may be part of closed loops while the energy content is exploited. Aerobic composting may be part of a closed loop but the process offers no possibilities to exploit the energy content of the waste.

The technological waste metabolism

The analysis of the technological waste cycle shows that approximately 1.6 million tonnes of non-biodegradable waste and paper/cardboard is currently incinerated in waste to energy plants. The waste stream is open. This waste amount may form the basis for more than a doubling of the recycling of household waste, in particular by recycling of the plastic waste fraction.

A number of so-called mono-waste streams, i.e. specific waste streams such as gypsum, tyres, PVC, and mineral wool are being collected and recycled into the production processes. The waste stream is hereby transformed into closed loops thus generating significant positive effects on the environmental and climate. However, the total quantity of the waste stream is included.

Other mono-waste streams are still entirely open, e.g. glass reinforced plastic, tar paper (roof felt) and others. Some efforts are being initiated for the development of recycling schemes for these waste streams.

Composite waste streams, e.g. hazardous waste, shredder waste, etc. are collected and treated separately, but the stream is not part of a closed loop. This type of waste is often treated by shredding/sorting and perhaps segregation of precious materials before landfilling or incineration. Thus, these waste streams are open.

Building and demolition waste and part of the residues from the energy sector waste are currently being recycled to a large extent. The recycling conserves raw materials (e.g. gravel), but materials are only to a limited extent being recycled in closed loops for which reason the waste streams are in effect still open.

Technologies for treatment of waste streams in the technological metabolism are adapted to each waste stream and thus very different from each other. The prerequisite for obtaining a more closed loop is either sorting at the source of various waste types and fractions, or increased sorting in front-end sorting facilities after the primary collection has taken place. A new technology is “Renescience”, that may be thought as a replacement for other dry front-end sorting technologies.

In connection with source segregation in households, institutions, commercial and industrial enterprises, a long range of means may be taken advantage of to ensure the best possible effect. These could include e.g. prohibition, orders, agreements, economic incentives, sanctions, actions to change of attitude and education.

Danish positions of strength

Based on the market evaluation, international and Danish tendencies within the waste sector, and input from the workshop, the following Danish positions of strength were identified:

The biological metabolism
1. Production of biogas from individual and joint plants with cogeneration of power and heat. Animal manure and other by-products are raw material
2. Bio ethanol and biodiesel technologies, including enzymes and research. Development of bio ethanol and biodiesel solutions takes place in specialized research groups in Denmark, and commercial production is established
3. Various technologies for straw (bio ethanol on straw, straw ashes as fertilizer, combustion of straw)
4. Other activities concerning treatment and recycling of the organic waste quantity, including among other domestic waste, by combined anaerobic and aerobic treatment
The technological metabolism
1. Special technologies for certain mono-waste streams/special waste fractions: Gypsum, stone wool, tyres, crushing of concrete and bricks, impregnated and CCA treated timber, glass fibre
The technological metabolism/Energy sector
1. Waste incineration facilities and –technology: Denmark, being the country in the world with the highest installed incineration capacity per capita, has a leading position in terms of technology and knowledge concerning waste-to-energy installations
2. Bio ethanol and biodiesel (both second generation technologies operating on straw)
3. Combustion of straw, in central facilities with cogeneration as well as in smaller heat-producing plants and in individual furnaces

Development opportunities for the waste management sector might include:

Increased separate treatment of biodegradable waste for the purpose of maintaining closed loops with simultaneous utilization of the energy of the waste
1. Production of biogas from source segregated organic domestic waste and similar waste types
2. Significant increase in the production of biogas from animal manure and other by-products from the agricultural production and attached industries
3. Significant increase in the production of biogas and/or other fuels (biodiesel, bio ethanol) from by-products from the vegetable and animal production
Improvement of the technological metabolism with the purpose of closing streams of substances and establish more closed loops
1. Increase or intensify source segregation in households and businesses with the purpose of increasing the recycling of especially plastics, but also other waste fractions such as glass, paper/cardboard, textiles, etc.
2. Development and further application of mechanical front-end sorting facilities for domestic waste as well as other waste
3. Closure of other open streams, e.g. glass fibre, shredder waste
The technological metabolism/Energy sector
1. Thermal gasification of special waste streams such as impregnated wood, stump of trees and similar

Means

These development opportunities might be pursued by among other things the implementation of the following:

Increased public support to research and development in the area, including in particular:

Further development of biological treatment technologies, especially for biogas, biodiesel, bio ethanol and enzyme based pre-treatment of waste
Development and further commercialization of Danish technologies for treatment of mono-streams

Implement new requirements for products and product responsibility, including:

Improvement of products, also composite and complex products, with the aim to increase recyclability
More take-back and deposit schemes

Removal of barriers and put incentives into force with the aim of

Supporting establishment of commercially viable markets for promising waste technologies by means of waste plans, waste by-laws, environmental requirements, etc.
Establish a model for quick inter-ministerial co-ordination of levies, legislation, environmental requirements, etc. with the aim of supporting the establishment of a market for promising technologies

Ensure sufficient waste quantities for emerging technologies

Prescribe certain minimum requirements for a number of fraction or waste types for source segregation and collection from various waste producers
Enter into agreements with or issue legislation regarding relevant lines of businesses with the aim to ensure proper management of special waste types, e.g. via increased producers’ responsibility
Work actively on the international division of work in respect to which activities that are most beneficially, economically and environmentally carried out in Denmark and which should be carried out in other European countries or Asia
Instigate prohibition of landfilling or incineration of special types of waste which for political reasons are wanted to be managed in closed loops and for which adequate technologies have been developed

Stakeholder comments from the dialogue meeting

The stakeholder comments from the dialogue meeting can be summarized as follows:

There is a need for a clear, long-term and coherent policy for waste, energy, and resources upon which the sector strategy for waste can firmly build.

There is a need for removal of barriers for the introduction of new technologies and a need to regulate in relation to goals and to establish incentives to achieve these goals as opposed to regulating specific facilities and technologies.

A long range of new technologies and solutions are emerging, but the practical implementation is among other things hindered by administrative procedures, the current structure of incentives, other legislation, and the current organization of the waste sector. The current framework is seen to give waste incineration and landfilling a privileged position. The players want fewer barriers for access to the market, primarily by deregulation.

There is no special need for financial support of emerging technologies rather there is a need for swift relegation of administrative and regulative barriers. Furthermore, stronger incentives are needed for innovative solutions, including legislative furthering of innovation.

In the future, guiding principles should be resources and closed loops rather than waste and waste streams, which is in harmony with the Government’s waste policy and the seven guiding principles. There is a particular requirement for prioritization of resource conservation and resource looping by means of an active policy towards scarce global or Danish resources.