VIENNA

1/24

Final Storage Landfills: Key Element of Sustainable Waste Management

Vertederos de almacenamiento finales – elemento clavede todo sistema de gestion sostenible de los residuos

Paul H. BrunnerVienna University of Technology

VIENNA

2/24

Resources, cycles and flows to sinks

Resource WasteAnthropo‐sphereStock

Recycling

Environment

VIENNA

3/24

Development of resource extraction

Coal mining then … 

VIENNA

4/24

Unlimited progress of technology

Thyssen Krupp Excavator 288

… and now

VIENNA

5/24

“Input equals output”

300

200

150

350

250

020406080100120140160 20

CO2[ppm

]

CO2

todayx 1000 years before today

+ 75 %

500

020406080100120140160 20

1.000

1.500

CH4 [ppb

]

todayx 1000 years before today

CH4 + 300 %

input240.000 t/day

output240.000 t/dayAnthropo‐

sphereStock +/‐0

VIENNA

6/24

Consequences of resource extraction at the “back end”

Muir and Riggs Glaciers

VIENNA

7/24

CO2 not the only example: CFCs et al.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/0/926/ozone_oct_sep_avg2000.jpg

VIENNA

8/24

„Planet earth“ as a limited sink

nach A. Nieman ergänzt durch G. Döberl

Atmosphere 4.200 [Mio. km³]

Pedosphere 0,3 [Mio. km³]

Hydrosphere 1.400 [Mio. km³]

.

VIENNA

9/24

Global produ

ction 19

50 ‐20

10

Financial crisis of 2008

0

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Concrete  1,5‐>30x109 t/y

20x

Automobiles 7‐>70x106  10x

30x

20x

10x

Ammonia 7‐>200x106 t/y 30x

Fast growing global material flows

4x

Chlorinated paraffins20‐>600x103t/y

Cadmium 5‐>20x103t/y

VIENNA

10/24

Substance flows to sinks are invisible (Cu)

copperVineyards and railway

VIENNA

11/24

Time [y]Cu in

 ballast re

cycling residu

e [m

g/kg]

Landfill ordinance

geogenic Cu

Recycling material

Quality criteria:

0                                10                               20 

III

Xtotal Cu in ballast residue

Ballast as a “sink” for Cu from railroads

2010

VIENNA

12/24

Investigating into Cu metabolism

VIENNA

13/24

+1.9 kg/y+1.8 kg/y

MFA for railway derived Cu

VIENNA

14/24

catenarywire

‐9.6 kg/km.year

~ 80 % of Cu flow uncontrolled into the environment

10.0

5.0

0.0

‐5.0

‐10.0

Losses to  environ‐ment and possibly

others

+9,7 kg/km.year

~ 20 % of Cu flow to recycling and landfilling

trackballast

+2.6 kg/km.year

Chan

ge in

 cop

per stocks [kg/km

. year]

‐2.7 kg/km.year

rolling stockcomponents

From sources to sinks – the full picture

VIENNA

15/24

Just a railway issue? Cf. urban surfaces… 

where is the zinc?

VIENNA

16/24

Global Zinc flows to sinks

VIENNA

17/24

From inorganic to organic substances

recycling

Eol vehicles 0.6 t/y

stock 76 t (‐ 3.2)stock ?? (+ 2.6)

X

XX

plastics in c&dwastes  2,6 t/y

key controlprocess

consumption waste management X

Vyzinkarova et al, 2013

export

City of Vienna, 2010

pBDE

VIENNA

18/24

resource management waste management

The need for sinks and final sinks

ANTH

ROPO

SPHER

EEN

VIRO

NMEN

T

landfill

waste transformation

underground fill

residu

e

emissions emissionsemissions

air

soil water

ENVIRONMENTAL SINKS

ANTHROPOGENIC SINKSrecyclingflows

off‐flowscollection

&recycling

resources

production and utilization phase

final sinkIntermediate sink

VIENNA

19/24

Incineration: perfect sink for organics

Source:  SGP‐VA

Off‐gas

Waste Water

Filter Cake

Scrap Metal

Bottom Ash

Filter‐Ash

Boiler Ash

WaterAlkaline Process WaterAcidic Process Water

H 2O

MSW

FURNACE BOILER ESP FLUE GAS CLEANING

ESP ... electrostatic precipitator

DENOX

WASTE WATERTREATMENT

VIENNA

20/24

Resource recovery from WTE‐bottom ash

Center for Sustainable Waste Recovery and Resource Use

VIENNA

21/24

Recovery of NF‐metals from separated ash

Recovery-Efficiency

1st generation 62 %2nd generation 95 %3rd generation >98 %

Center for Sustainable Waste Recovery and Resource UseSource:

Metal Concentration[g/100g]

Aluminum 70Copper 15Silver 0.06Gold 0.003Palladium 0.001

Recovery-Efficiency

62 %

VIENNA

22/24

The landfill: a “Final Sink” for wastes?

Organic waste (MBT) landfill Bottom ash landfill Filter ash landfill

CH4 CO2H2

TOC  NH4 Cl etc.SO4 Cl etc.

emissions  of leachate, gas, TOC  and N

large                                         small

VIENNA

23/24

“Reactor” versus “Final Storage” landfill

Reactor landfill Final Storage landfill

3

1

2

Barriers1st: Treated  (mineralized) waste ‐> After care free!!!2nd: Top and bottom landfill liners to keep out water and for control3rd: Geogenic barrier (“natural attenuation”)

VIENNA

24/24

Conclusions

1. Sinks as ultimate resource?2. Zero waste is not feasible!3. New role and priorities for waste management:

‐> „clean“ cycles and „safe final sinks“4. “Design for sinks” as a new objective of WM5. WM must signal sink constraints!6. WM must supply sinks: incineration and landfills7. New knowledge base for planning: 

‐> “Metabolism of the anthroposphere”!

VIENNA

25/24

Recycling is not  …              

….is the final sink