The four papers of this dissertation explore themes related to waste prevention, the system boundaries, functional units and scale of life cycle assessments (LCAs) of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, as well as the transparency and consistency of the application of LCA methods. The first paper is a comparative analysis of the methodological choices and transparency of 20 LCAs of MSW that were recently published in peer-reviewed journals, and includes a comparison of their midpoint level impact values using statistical indicators. The second paper proposes a conceptual model, designated WasteMAP (Waste Management And Prevention), for evaluating LCAs of MSW which incorporate waste prevention. In WasteMAP, waste prevention through dematerialization is viewed as analogous to waste treatments so long as it does not affect the functional output (product services) of MSW-generating product systems. Papers 3 and 4 comprise the WasteMAP LCA case study. Paper 3 depicts product LCAs of wine and spirit packaging (conventional, lightweight and refillable, each type generating different quantities of waste) at the scale of the individual package and the municipality. At the municipal scale, the LCAs address impacts from the wine and spirit packaging supplied in the City of Toronto, Canada in 2008, and a waste prevention scenario which substitutes lighter weight and reusable containers. The lowest endpoint level impacts out of the five container types studied were associated with refillable containers and aseptic cartons. Paper 4 addresses the Toronto MSW management system and applies the WasteMAP model to allow for the comparison, on a functionally equivalent basis, of the LCA results of a reference scenario, based on 2008 data, with a scenario incorporating six types of waste prevention activities (prevention of unaddressed advertising mail, disposable plastic bags, newspapers, lightweight and refillable wine and spirit packaging, and yard waste). The findings highlight the benefits of waste prevention, and the relative significance of the decision to account for recycled content when modelling waste prevention. The endpoint level impact assessment results using the ReCiPe and Impact 2002+ evaluation methods are in keeping with the assumption in the waste hierarchy that waste prevention has a superior environmental performance.

The four papers of this dissertation explore themes related to waste prevention, the system boundaries, functional units and scale of life cycle assessments (LCAs) of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, as well as the transparency and consistency of the application of LCA methods. The first paper is a comparative analysis of the methodological choices and transparency of 20 LCAs of MSW that were recently published in peer-reviewed journals, and includes a comparison of their midpoint level impact values using statistical indicators. The second paper proposes a conceptual model, designated WasteMAP (Waste Management And Prevention), for evaluating LCAs of MSW which incorporate waste prevention. In WasteMAP, waste prevention through dematerialization is viewed as analogous to waste treatments so long as it does not affect the functional output (product services) of MSW-generating product systems. Papers 3 and 4 comprise the WasteMAP LCA case study. Paper 3 depicts product LCAs of wine and spirit packaging (conventional, lightweight and refillable, each type generating different quantities of waste) at the scale of the individual package and the municipality. At the municipal scale, the LCAs address impacts from the wine and spirit packaging supplied in the City of Toronto, Canada in 2008, and a waste prevention scenario which substitutes lighter weight and reusable containers. The lowest endpoint level impacts out of the five container types studied were associated with refillable containers and aseptic cartons. Paper 4 addresses the Toronto MSW management system and applies the WasteMAP model to allow for the comparison, on a functionally equivalent basis, of the LCA results of a reference scenario, based on 2008 data, with a scenario incorporating six types of waste prevention activities (prevention of unaddressed advertising mail, disposable plastic bags, newspapers, lightweight and refillable wine and spirit packaging, and yard waste). The findings highlight the benefits of waste prevention, and the relative significance of the decision to account for recycled content when modelling waste prevention. The endpoint level impact assessment results using the ReCiPe and Impact 2002+ evaluation methods are in keeping with the assumption in the waste hierarchy that waste prevention has a superior environmental performance.

The bioreactor landfill is an emerging concept for solid waste management that has gained significant attention in the last decade. This technology employs specific operational practices to enhance the microbial decomposition processes in landfills. However, the unsupervised management and lack of operational guidelines for the bioreactor landfill, specifically leachate manipulation and recirculation processes, usually results in less than optimal system performance. Therefore, these limitations have led to the development of SMART (Sensor-based Monitoring and Remote-control Technology), an expert control system that utilizes real-time monitoring of key system parameters in the management of bioreactor landfills. SMART replaces conventional open-loop control with a feedback control system that aids the human operator in making decisions and managing complex control issues. The target from this control system is to provide optimum conditions for the biodegradation of the refuse, and also, to enhance the performance of the bioreactor in terms of biogas generation. SMART includes multiple cascading logic controllers and mathematical calculations through which the quantity and quality of the recirculated solution are determined. The expert system computes the required quantities of leachate, buffer, supplemental water, and nutritional amendments in order to provide the bioreactor landfill microbial consortia with their optimum growth requirements. Soft computational methods, particularly fuzzy logic, were incorporated in the logic controllers of SMART so as to accommodate the uncertainty, complexity, and nonlinearity of the bioreactor landfill processes. Fuzzy logic was used to solve complex operational issues in the control program of SMART including: (1) identify the current operational phase of the bioreactor landfill based on quantifiable parameters of the leachate generated and biogas produced, (2) evaluate the toxicological status of the leachate based on certain parameters that directly contribute to or indirectly indicates bacterial inhibition, and (3) predict biogas generation rates based on the operational phase, leachate recirculation, and sludge addition. The later fuzzy logic model was upgraded to a hybrid model that employed the learning algorithm of artificial neural networks to optimize the model parameters. SMART was applied to a pilot-scale bioreactor landfill prototype that incorporated the hardware components (sensors, communication devices, and control elements) and the software components (user interface and control program) of the system. During a one-year monitoring period, the feasibility and effectiveness of the SMART system were evaluated in terms of multiple leachate, biogas, and waste parameters. In addition, leachate heating was evaluated as a potential temperature control tool in bioreactor landfills. The pilot-scale implementation of SMART demonstrated the applicability of the system. SMART led to a significant improvement in the overall performance of the BL in terms of methane production and leachate stabilization. Temperature control via recirculation of heated leachate achieved high degradation rates of organic matter and improved the methanogenic activity.

In this study, hazardous waste inventory for Turkey is developed based on wastes identified as hazardous in European Waste Catalogue and Regulation on Control of Hazardous Wastes, Annex 7 Necessity of such inventory arises from importance of acquiring information on the amount of hazardous wastes generated and on their countrywide distribution for a sound hazardous waste management system for Turkey. Hazardous waste inventory is constructed by using waste generation factors obtained from literature which are coefficients that relate production with environmental emissions. Whenever possible, direct information obtained from generators was utilized. Both absolute and minor entries are covered. It is estimated that 4,940,000 &ndash / 5,110,000 t/yr of hazardous wastes are being generated in Turkey. 1,790,000 &ndash / 2,252,000 t/yr of these are classified as absolute entries and 3,146,000 &ndash / 3,160,000 t/yr of hazardous wastes are minor entries. It is observed that highest generation occurs from mining and thermal processes which involve high amounts of minor entries. Beside these industries highest generation occurs from wood preservation. Per capita hazardous waste generation is estimated as 30 &ndash / 77 kg/capita/yr which is in accordance with per capita generation range of EU. Highest hazardous waste generation occurs from Marmara Region with 527,730 t/yr followed by Aegean (524,580 t/yr), Central Anatolia (481,820 t/yr), Black Sea Region (277,850 t/yr), Mediterranean (211,580 t/yr), Southeast Anatolia (58,290 t/yr) and Eastern Anatolia (36,520 t/yr) excluding minor entries from mining industry and thermal processes. The trends in hazardous waste generation and GDP from manufacturing industry show the same trend. Contribution of regions are in the same order both in hazardous waste generation and GDP.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of New South Wales, 2003. / Also available online.

Mémoire (M.E.S.R.)-- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1994. / Résumé disponible sur Internet. CaQCU Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 60-67).

Το κεντρικό ζήτημα που διαπραγματεύεται η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία είναι το θέμα της διαχείρισης των απορριμμάτων στις σύγχρονες κοινωνίες με προσανατολισμό την αξιοποίησή τους και την παραγωγή ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας. Στην Ελλάδα σήμερα παράγονται ημερησίως περίπου 15.000 τόνοι απορριμμάτων, δηλαδή περίπου 5,5 εκατομμύρια τόνοι ετησίως, τα μισά από τα οποία στην Αττική. Μόνο ο όγκος αυτών των απορριμμάτων αποτελεί ζήτημα προς επίλυση. Μέχρι σήμερα ο τρόπος που κυριαρχεί στη διαχείριση αυτού του όγκου απορριμμάτων είναι οι Χώροι Υγειονομικής Ταφής Απορριμμάτων (ΧΥΤΑ). Εδώ πρέπει να σημειώσουμε ότι από το 2008, η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση έχει απαγορεύσει την κατασκευή νέων ΧΥΤΑ και έχει επιβάλλει τη μετατροπή των υφιστάμενων ΧΥΤΑ ως ΧΥΤΥ (Χώροι Υγειονομικής Ταφής Υπολειμμάτων). Η δημιουργία ΧΥΤΥ προϋποθέτει χημική επεξεργασία υπολειμμάτων πριν ταφούν και έχει κύκλο ζωής από είκοσι έως τριάντα χρόνια. Στους ΧΥΤΑ σήμερα θάβεται περίπου το 90% του συνολικού όγκου των απορριμμάτων, γεγονός που έχει σημαντικές συνέπειες για το περιβάλλον και τον άνθρωπο, είτε λόγω της εκροής μεθανίου στον αέρα είτε λόγω της μόλυνσης των λεκανών απορροής και των υπογείων υδάτων. Οι ΧΥΤΑ διακρίνονται σε νόμιμους και παράνομους. Νόμιμοι είναι αυτοί που έχουν χωροθετηθεί και διαθέτουν στοιχειώδεις, έστω, μελέτες και μια υποτυπώδη διαχείριση. Δίνουν όμως και τη δυνατότητα ελέγχου και συγκέντρωσης στοιχείων για τα απορρίμματα και επομένως για τους πιθανούς τρόπους επίλυσης του προβλήματος αυτού. Παράλληλα μεγαλύτερο πρόβλημα αποτελούν οι παράνομες χωματερές που λειτουργούν ως τέτοιες αλλά και οι κάθε είδους τυχαίοι χώροι όπως ποτάμια, ρέματα, παραλίες, θάλασσες, λίμνες και κάθε είδους χώροι στην ύπαιθρο που μπορεί να φτάσει κάποιος. Τα προβλήματα που δημιουργούνται από την ανεξέλεγκτη απόθεση των απορριμμάτων ή από την ξεπερασμένη μέθοδο των ΧΥΤΑ δεν είναι στενά περιβαλλοντικά. Οι επιπτώσεις αυτών των πρακτικών είναι επίσης κοινωνικές και οικονομικές και σε πολλά επίπεδα. Από τα προφανή που αφορούν τη μείωση της αξίας της γης κοντά στους χώρους αυτούς, τη μείωση της αξίας των προϊόντων που παράγονται πλησίον των χώρων αυτών, τους αντίστοιχους περιορισμούς στην οικιστική ανάπτυξη αλλά και σε επιχειρηματικά σχέδια. Κεντρικό ζήτημα αυτού του είδους αποτελεί και το πλήγμα στον τουρισμό, ειδικά σε περιοχές που αυτή η οικονομική δραστηριότητα αποτελεί βασική πηγή εισοδημάτων. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, όμως, δεν πρέπει να μας διαφεύγει το γεγονός ότι είναι λάθος μια θεώρηση που αντιμετωπίζει τα απορρίμματα ως «πράγματα για πέταγμα, σκουπίδια». Αυτή η θεώρηση είναι η κεντρική φιλοσοφία της συνέχισης της λειτουργίας πάσης φύσης χωματερών, νόμιμων και μη. Η σύγχρονη αντίληψη σχετικά με τα απορρίμματα αφορά μαζί με την περιβαλλοντική προστασία και τη δημιουργία νέας αξίας. Αφορά, δηλαδή, την ανάπτυξη μεθόδων για την αξιοποίηση των απορριμμάτων με διάφορους στόχους. Ανακύκλωση, παραγωγή νέων προϊόντων, παραγωγή παραπροϊόντων, ενεργειακή αξιοποίηση, κλπ. Στην εργασία αυτή γίνεται αναφορά σε όλες τις μεθόδους αξιοποίησης των απορριμμάτων ενώ επικεντρωνόμαστε στη θερμική επεξεργασία ως κύρια μέθοδο ενεργειακής αξιοποίησης. Η θερμική επεξεργασία και κυρίως η καύση των απορριμμάτων είναι μια πρακτική ευρέως διαδεδομένη στην Ευρώπη για την οποία υπάρχουν επισήμως προδιαγραφές από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση από το 1999, μέσω της οδηγίας 2000/76/EC. Στις περισσότερες χώρες της Ευρώπης λειτουργούν εργοστάσια καύσης των απορριμμάτων με σκοπό την παραγωγή ηλεκτρικής ενέργειας παράλληλα με τη μείωση του συνολικού όγκου τους αλλά και την αδρανοποίηση – εξουδετέρωση τοξικών – μολυσματικών παραγόντων. Η διαδικασία της καύσης δε γίνεται χωρίς προεπεξεργασία. Απαιτεί προηγούμενες διεργασίες που αφορούν τη διαλογή, τη μηχανική επεξεργασία, πριν καταλήξουν τα απορρίμματα στη διαδικασία της καύσης. Επομένως, ως μέθοδος η καύση συμβάλλει στη γενικότερη αξιοποίηση των απορριμμάτων και ενισχύει και άλλες μεθόδους και δεν τις καταργεί. Χαρακτηριστικά παραδείγματα τέτοιων πρακτικών είναι διαδεδομένα σε χώρες της Ευρώπης που θεωρούνται πρωτοποριακές στις οικολογικές πρακτικές, όπως η Δανία και η Σουηδία. Βεβαίως υπάρχουν και τα μειονεκτήματα της μεθόδου. Αυτά αφορούν την εκπομπή αερίων και βαρέων μετάλλων από τις μονάδες καύσης τα οποία είναι επιβλαβή για το περιβάλλον και τους ανθρώπους. Όμως η πρόοδος στον τομέα αυτό είναι ραγδαία, οι κανονισμοί αυστηροί, οι πρακτικές βελτιούμενες και, σε τελευταία ανάλυση, το ερώτημα που πρέπει να απαντηθεί δεν είναι αν υπάρχει μια μέθοδος που έχει μόνο πλεονεκτήματα και καθόλου μειονεκτήματα αλλά από τις διαθέσιμες μεθόδους ποια είναι η βέλτιστη. / The central issue that this thesis negotiates is the issue of waste management in modern societies oriented exploitation and production of electricity. In Greece approximately 15,000 tonnes of waste are produced per day, approximately 5.5 million tons annually, half of them in Athens. Only the volume of such waste is an issue to be resolved. Until now the predominant way to manage this volume of waste is the Waste Landfills (landfills). Here we must note that since 2008, the European Union has banned the construction of new landfills and has required the conversion of existing landfills as landfills (landfill debris). The creation of landfills requires chemical treatment before waste is buried, and provides a life cycle of twenty to thirty years. Today about 90% of the total volume of waste is buried in landfills, which has important consequences for the environment and humans, either because of the outflow of methane in air or due to contamination of watersheds and groundwater. Landfills are divided into legal and illegal. Legitimate are those who have sited and elementary, at least, a rudimentary studies and management. They, however, have to control and collect data on waste and therefore allow to search for the possible ways to solve this problem. At the same time the biggest problem is illegal landfills operated as such and all kinds of random places such as rivers, streams, beaches, seas, lakes and all kinds of outdoor spaces that can be reached. The problems created by uncontrolled dumping of waste or the outdated method of landfills are not closely environmentally. The effects of these practices are also social and economic and on many levels. From the obvious results to the reduction in value of land near these areas, reducing the value of products produced near these sites, the corresponding restrictions on residential development and business plans. The central question of this kind is the blow to tourism, especially in areas that economic activity is a major source of income. In each case, however, we must not overlook the fact that it is a wrong approach that addresses the waste as "throwing things, garbage." This approach is the central concept of its continuation in landfills of every kind, legal or not. The modern concept of waste is one with regard to environmental protection and new value creation. This means, the development of methods for the utilization of waste with different objectives. Recycling, manufacturing new products, meat production, energy use, etc. In this paper we refer to all methods of waste utilization and we focus on the thermal treatment as the primary method of energy recovery. The heat treatment and especially the burning of waste is a widespread practice in Europe for which there is a formally issued guideline from the European Union from 1999 through (Directive 2000/76/EC). In most European countries plants for burning waste operate to generate electricity while reducing the total volume and the inactivation - neutralizing toxic – infectious agents. The burning process is done without pretreatment. It requires previous processes for the sorting, mechanical processing, before ending up in waste combustion process. Therefore, as a method of burning contributes to the overall utilization of waste and strengthens and other methods and do not confront with them. Examples of such practices are widespread in European countries that are considered innovative in ecological practices, such as Denmark and Sweden. Certainly there are disadvantages of the method. These relate to the emission of gases and heavy metals from combustion plants which are harmful to the environment and people. But progress in this area is rapid, strict regulations, practices improved and, ultimately, the question to be answered is not whether there is a method that has only advantages and no disadvantages, but from the methods available, which one is the optimum.

The subject of this essay is waste and waste management in Sweden during the years1975-2005. The purpose of this investigation is to identify which factors that have affectedthe development of waste management from a political angle in order to identifycharacteristic features of the period in terms of waste management regime. The investigationorigins from Ylva Sjöstrand’s thesis about resource recovery, incineration and tippingof waste in Stockholm 1900-1975 and the theoretical framework in this essay is based onher thesis.By analysing three propositions from the years 1975, 1993 and 2003 concerning wasteand waste management I will argue that the new waste management regime that dominatedSweden during 1975-2005 is called sustainability regime. The name sustainabilityregime is therefore the result which this essay leads to.

In today’s society we buy, use and throw things away which has made waste an environmental problem which affects our planet negatively. To prevent further development of consumerism, sustainable movements must be made where society must climb up the ladder of waste hierarchy and start to integrate in preventing the production of waste. One way to manage and prevent waste is through changed consumer practices that encourage repair. As it seems the discussion about repair is a missing part in the Swedish structure about waste management. It is not a part of what children are being taugt and it is not a part of the ongoing discussion about environmental issues. The purpose with this thesis is to plant a seed of change among children and bring back the mindset where humanity integrate with the planet. The research question for this thesis is: “how can the value of repair be increased through resilience among children who are the future influencers?”. Through my research and methodology I decided to design a prototype of a pedagogical toolkit for kindergarten consisting of storytelling through a book and an interactive product. As a part of the design process, a workshop was performed where the core concept of my toolkit was tried out at a kindergarten. The workshop resulted in good management from the children of the content of the story and the interactive product. A pluralistic discussion about how they could help the main character Julia with the broken chair in relation to waste management occurred. The children were “nudged” through the story in the decisision making towards repair, which was the option they choosed. The prototype of my toolkit might not at this stage have resulted in actual increased knowledge about waste hierarchy and prevention of waste. However, according to my opinionen it has contribuited to an increased discussion about repair at the local place where I had my workshop. Hopefully the toolkit has started a thinking process in those children’s mindset and something new within the pedagogical aspects as regards sustainability and waste management. The value of repair can be increased through a pedagogical toolkit consisting of storytelling and an interactive part. Through my prototype of the toolkit a discussion about repair at local level has started. How this project will be developed will be left to the unknown and future explorations of the matter.