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Waste Management in Germany (short version)

Dr.-Ing. Helmut Schnurer Deputy Director General from 1985 until 2006 Head of Waste Management Directorate at the Federal Ministry for the Environment Bonn, Germany . Waste Management in Germany (short version). Some Facts and Figures (1). Until 1972: 50.000 uncontrolled landfills in FRG

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Waste Management in Germany (short version)

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  1. Dr.-Ing. Helmut Schnurer Deputy Director General from 1985 until 2006 Head of Waste Management Directorate at the Federal Ministry for the Environment Bonn, Germany Waste Management in Germany(short version) Dr. Helmut Schnurer

  2. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Some Facts and Figures (1) • Until 1972:50.000 uncontrolled landfills in FRG Most have been closed within few years and replaced by central waste management facilities (engineered landfills, MSWI) • Today:High Tech Industry transfers waste to secondary raw materials and energy: • turnover of 50 billion EURO/y • 250 000 jobs • Invested money 1993-2005: • 9 billion EURO for remediation and closure of > 500 landfills • 3 billion EURO for new facilities to recycle and recover 12.5 million tons of waste per year (bio waste, RDF) • 7.5 billion EURO for new facilities to pretreate 14 million tons of MSW per year

  3. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Steps of Development (1) • First: reduce waste for disposal • Inform / motivate citizens and industry • Start of separate collection of recycable waste • Promote reuse (packaging) • Increase gate fee for landfills • Second: priority for recycling/(recovery) • Reduce waste going to landfill (no capacities) • Save resources (secondary raw materials/RDF) • Introduce extended producer responsibility (packaging, batteries, waste oil, scrap cars, WEEE) • Promote composting, paper recycling and others

  4. Dr. Helmut Schnurer

  5. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Problems with Landfilling Wastes Landfill gas Landfill = Water CPB- Reactor Surface water Barriers Leachate

  6. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Steps of Development (2) • Third: stop landfilling of untreated MSW, because of • Opposition from citizens against new sites • High costs for new landfills and aftercare • Old landfills became contaminated sites • Landfilling is the contrary of sustainability • Landfilling adds significantly to the emissions of climate damaging gases (methane) New regulations limit the contents of biodegradable material (TOC) and of soluble hazardous substances

  7. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Scientific R&D in Germany • At Germany‘s largest research center: Forschungszentum Karlsruhe (FZK) • Research on incineration of different wastes at test facility TAMARA (grate) • Results on knowhow and technology • Improving incineration geometry to reduce generation of toxic substances • Improve off gas treatment (dioxins, NOX, HM‘s) • Develop online control systems (e.g.: mercury) • Feedback to German technology providers [Director: Prof. H. Seifert, ITC-TAB <helmut.seifert@itc-tab.fzk.de>

  8. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Steps of Development (3) • Fourth: Consequences of restrictions for landfilling: All MSW has to be pre-treated since 2005 Regulations do not define the way – but the results: specifications of pre-treated waste + stringent requirements to protect emissions into air and water

  9. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Integrated Waste Management System waste yes secondary raw material can be avoided no can be recovered yes recycling or energy recovery no can be landfilled yes landfill thermal treatment energy no

  10. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Emissions from waste incineration in Germany (per 100 000 t of MSW) Before 1990 Today 210.000 t NOX410.000 t SO2 180 kg Cd 130 kg Hg 6 g Dioxin 36.000 t NOX 0,9 t SO2 1,2 kg Cd 1,2 kg Hg 0,003 g Dioxin

  11. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Steps of Development (4) • Fifth:Solutions in Germany (public and private operators) • Rely on proven technology: Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI, mainly grate) • 73 MSWI facilities are operating presently • Total capacity of 17.9 million tons per year (65%) • Mechanical-biological-treatment (MBT) • 66 facilities with 7.2 mill t/y (26%) • Co-incineration in coal fired power plants and cement kilns • presently only 2.3 mill t/y, 8% [Praxis is similar in some other European countries like A, CH, DK, NL, S]

  12. Dr. Helmut Schnurer A new Experience: Waste Management contributes to Climate Protection (1)(Research Report 205 33 314 BMU/UBA/Oeko-Institut/ifeu, 8/2005) • Methane-emissions from dumps are 21-times more effective than CO2 • Out phasing landfills for solid waste in Germany has reduced such gas emissions significantly • Incineration of organic waste has no impact on climate change • Outphasing landfill and other modern waste management activities contribute to a total reduction of 46 mill t CO2 equivalents from 1990 until 2005 (which is the highest individual contribution to climate protection in Germany)

  13. Dr. Helmut Schnurer A new Experience: Waste Management contributes to Climate Protection (2)(Research Report 205 33 314 BMU/UBA/Oeko-Institut/ifeu, 8/2005) • Mayor contributions for reductions aside out phasing of landfills are • MSWI and Co-incineration (substitution of fossil fuel) • Metal recycling • Paper recycling • Glass recycling • Total reductions from 1990 until 2020 are assumed to be 50 mill t in Germany, mainly by no landfilling (76%), MSWI (9%), co-incineration (7%) and material recycling (5%) • The reduction potential for the old EU (15 MS) could be 134 mill t CO2 equivalents, almost 100 mill t from terminating landfilling! (USA?) More energy efficient

  14. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Alternatives to landfilling ? • Avoid waste generation: zero waste is unrealistic • Recycle all wastes: good for certain wastes, unrealistic for all wastes (no technology available, no market, high costs) • Recycling and energy recovery: Germany’s goal for 2020 for MSW (with few exemptions), unrealistic for all wastes • Energy recovery is necessary for all organic waste, plastic waste; thermal treatment is necessary for contaminated waste • Which Waste-to-Energy system should be chosen???

  15. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Some results from Germany: „alternative“ Technologies failed (1) • Thermoselect • One facility built at Karlsruhe • Never reached specifications/continuous operation  shut down  loss of 400 mill € • Schwel-Brenn-Verfahren • Developed by experienced company (Siemens) • Pilot plant al Ulm worked well • First full scale facility started construction but was not finished due to technical problems and increasing costs • Gasification at Schwarze Pumpe • Facility worked well with specific wastes • Operation terminated due to not competitive high operating costs

  16. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Some more results from Germany: „alternative“ Technologies failed (2) • Pyrolysis • Several small sized plants have been built • Only one is still operating (why:  technical problems and how to dispose off hazardous tar) • Plasma Technology • Only experiments and test rigs; no large facility for waste has been realized • Katalytic Depolimerisation • Small test rig promises to transfer waste into diesel • No large facility has proven to be available for mixed waste • Deep well injection • In theory an ideal solution for organic sludge • Technical realisation failed

  17. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Lessons to be learned • Established technologies for defined and clean substancies don‘t work autimaticly for heterogeneous wastes  MSW = chameleon • Alternative technologies have to cope with: • Existing stringent emission standards • Warrant reliable continous operation • Verify a complete analysis of inputs/outputs • Proof of reliable costs (invest, operation, maintenance) • If a solution for managing the arising wastes is needed urgently – proven technology is recommended • Decisions to rely on „alternative technologies“ can only be recommended, if disposal of arising wastes will be secured – in case of the new technology system fails

  18. Dr. Helmut Schnurer Report from EEA from January 08(conclusions) Source: ISSN 1830-2246 “Better management of municipal waste will reduce greenhouse gas emissions” (EEA: European Environmental Agency) • The amount of municipal waste is expected to grow by 25 % from 2005 to 2020 • Increased recovery of waste, and diverting waste away from landfill play a key role in tackling the environmental impacts of increasing waste volumes. • As recycling and incineration with energy recovery are increasingly used, net greenhouse gas emissions from municipal waste management are expected to drop considerably by 2020. • Limiting or avoiding growth in waste volumes would further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector and deliver other benefits to society and the environment.”

  19. Dr. Helmut Schnurer THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND FOR DISCUSSION More information on www.bmu.de and http://europa.eu.int

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