Abstract
The constant increase of municipal solid wastes (MSW) as well as their daily management pose a major challenge to European countries. A significant percentage of MSW originates from household activities. In this study we calculate the costs of setting up and running a zero-waste mortar-producing (ZWMP) process utilizing MSW in Northern Greece. The process is based on a thermal co-processing of properly dried and processed MSW with raw materials (limestone, clay materials, silicates and iron oxides) needed for the production of clinker and consequently of mortar in accordance with the Greek Patent 1003333, which has been proven to be an environmentally friendly process. According to our estimations, the amount of MSW generated in Central Macedonia, Western Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace regions, which is conservatively estimated at 1,270,000 t/y for the year 2020 if recycling schemes in Greece are not greatly ameliorated, may sustain six ZWMP plants while offering considerable environmental benefits. This work can be applied to many cities and areas, especially when their population generates MSW at the level of 200,000 t/y, hence requiring one ZWMP plant for processing.
Highlights
Improved waste management is a key element in efforts towards achieving a resource-efficientEurope
The ash produced from zero-waste mortar production (ZWMP) and the quantities of mortar that can be achieved in each region are provided in
In Central Macedonia, four plants are envisaged based on the following criteria: One in the proximity of the sanitary landfills (SL) of Mavrorachi, the largest SL in Central Macedonia with a total capacity of 14,900,000 m3 [29]
Summary
Improved waste management is a key element in efforts towards achieving a resource-efficientEurope. As laid out in Article 4 of the revised Waste Framework Directive [2], dictates a legally binding prioritization of waste management alternatives with prevention of MSW generation being prioritized and promoted, and disposal (mainly as landfilling) being least prioritized. Prevention (of waste generation) is considered the top priority, followed in descending order by (processes of) re-use, recycling, energy and raw materials recovery and disposal (in the form of landfilling) [4]. Out of these processes, waste disposal is recognized as the most harmful one from an environmental viewpoint, and as such it should be
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