EU position:
EfW/WTE classified as
recovery rather than disposal:
European Parliament's Environment Committee – revised Waste Framework
Directive
The European Parliament's Environment Committee has voted on amendments to the Waste Framework Directive to allow efficient waste-to-energy incinerators to be classified as 'recovery' operations rather than disposal.
For MEPs a crucial aim is to reduce the amount of landfill and incineration – both of which cause pollution. They had been divided over whether incineration should be regarded as recovery or disposal and at the first reading had rejected classing waste to energy as recovery. But in the second reading vote they backed the Commission and Council position to classify EfW/WTE as recovery – provided plants meet an energy efficiency standard. MEPs also reinserted targets for recycling and reuse and voted for waste stabilization. Reuse and recycling targets of 50% for household waste and 70% for construction and demolition waste by 2020 were introduced into the draft WFD.
The Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants welcomed this recognition of EfW/WTE's place in the waste hierarchy as a better option than land filling.
To access this article, click here.
Recycling and EfW/WTE are complementary:
From October 10, 2007 Report of E.U. Environmental Agency on Europe's
environment: Recycling and WTE are complementary:
“Recycling of municipal waste and incineration
with energy recovery are used as complementary tools to divert waste
away from landfills and to recover some economic value from waste.
However, it should be recognized that strict technical standards of
incineration must be observed to avoid detrimental effects on public
health and the
environment.”
When comparing waste disposal options, it is sometimes argued that incineration of waste with energy recovery hinders the development of recycling. However, there is no evidence to support this.
Figure 6.26 on municipal waste shows that those
countries with the lowest level of land filling of municipal
waste (less than 25 %) also have the highest levels of both recycling
and incineration with energy recovery. In contrast, countries
with a medium level of landfill (25–50 %) have a medium rate of
recycling and limited incineration with energy recovery. Lastly,
countries with a high share of landfill (greater
than 50 %) have neither much recycling nor incineration with energy
recovery.
More details about the “State of the environment report No 1/2007”, click here.
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ederal Ministry of the Environment: June 2005: no more untreated waste deposited on landfills:
How waste treatment relates to emissions of greenhouse gases
(GHGs) and why Germany enacted a law that banns untreated waste in land
fills.
Read the statement by the German Federal Ministry
of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
"Disposing of waste in landfills is not a solution. It is the
most unsustainable way of waste treatment..."
German Green Party on waste disposal May 25th 2007
– read statement.
Environmental Study: “Waste Sector’s Contribution to Climate
Protection"
The findings of this study show clearly that the municipal waste sector
makes a significant contribution to achieving the climate protection
objectives in Germany. Especially through the ban on landfill of
untreated waste and the resulting reduction in methane emissions, the
waste sector accounts for a large share – 20 % – of the reductions
achieved to date.
Read the Entire Paper
Waste Incineration – A Potential Danger: Bidding Farewell to
Dioxin Sprouting
Article by the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature
Conservation and Nuclear Safety on Dioxin:
In the eighties of the previous century, waste incineration plants
(WIPs) came to be the symbol of environmental contamination: citizens
were beginning to put up a fight against the throw-away society and
'dioxin spouting' on the outskirts of cities. That protest was a
success. Today, more than half of all household waste (65%) is recycled
as bio-waste, waste paper, waste glass, or packaging waste. Since June
1, 2005, untreated waste is no longer land filled. And because of
stringent regulations (cf. the chapters at the end of this paper), waste
incineration plants are no longer significant in terms of emissions of
dioxins, dust, and heavy metals. And this still applies even though
waste incineration capacity has almost doubled since 1985.
Read the Entire Paper
Tackling the waste
Sigmar Gabriel, the German Minister of the Environment, outlines
national innovations and approaches to waste management...
“Our waste policy is based on three pillars: Avoidance, Recovery
and Disposal.”
Read the Entire Paper
Comparison: Land filling, Waste-to-Energy
and Mechanical Biological Treatment:
How do they compare at Best Available Practices?
Of special interest:
Slide 28 – Ecological Fingerprint &
Slide 38 – Greenhouse Effect
View the Entire BASF Report
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