Abstract
Abstract This paper proposes an overarching review of national municipal waste management systems and waste-to-energy as an important part of it in the context of circular economy in the selected countries in Europe. The growth of population and rising standards of living means that the consumption of goods and energy is increasing. On the one hand, consumption leads to an increase in the generation of waste. On the other hand, the correlation between increased wealth and increased energy consumption is very strong as well. Given that the average heating value of municipal solid waste (MSW) is approximately 10 MJ/kg, it seems logical to use waste as a source of energy. Traditionally, waste-to-energy (WtE) has been associated with incineration. Yet, the term is much broader, embracing various waste treatment processes generating energy (for instance, in the form of electricity and/or heat or producing a waste-derived fuel). Turning waste into energy can be one key to a circular economy enabling the value of products, materials, and resources to be maintained on the market for as long as possible, minimising waste and resource use. As the circular economy is at the top of the EU agenda, all Member States of the EU (including the EEA countries) should move away from the old-fashioned disposal of waste to a more intelligent waste treatment encompassing the circular economy approach in their waste policies. Therefore, the article examines how these EU policies are implemented in practice. Given that WtE traditionally is attached to the MSW management and organisation, the focus of this article is twofold. Firstly, it aims to identify the different practices of municipal waste management employed in selected countries and their approaches in embracing the circular economy and, secondly, the extent to which WtE technologies play any role in this context. The following countries, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK were chosen to depict a broad European context.
Highlights
The European Commission has noted that Latvia, inter alia, must put in place an infrastructure to improve the performance of its waste management system in order to meet current EU waste targets, in particular separate waste collection, administrative and regulatory measures to facilitate recovery, including composting, and the introduction and gradual increase in landfill taxes to phase-out landfilling of recyclable and recoverable waste [70]
This paper has argued that multifunctional technology solutions presented by WtE should be given more attention in the circular economy due to their capacity to bridge and enhance resource and energy efficiency improvements
WtE has a role to play in the circular economy, contributing to synergies in three EU policies e waste management, energy union, and environmental policy enabling the Member States to meet their targets linked to these policies, especially in the context of resources and energy efficiency
Summary
Anaerobic Digestion Biodegradable Municipal Waste European Economic Area European Free Trade Association Extended Producer Responsibility Gross Domestic Product Greenhouse Gas Mechanical Biological Treatment Municipal Solid Waste National Waste Management Plan Refuse Derived Fuel Solid Recovered Fuel Waste Framework Directive Waste-to-Energy have much more choice and products are designed to have shorter lifespans with many single-use and disposable products. The COOLSWEEP project seeks to identify possible synergies and partnerships between public and private stakeholders and knowledge institutions within the field of WtE and to support the development of new businesses based on utilising waste as the feed material for efficient sustainable energy production and more effective use of the by-products from the energy generation. Given that WtE traditionally is attached to the MSW management and organisation, the focus of this article is twofold It aims to identify different practices of municipal waste management employed in selected countries, their approaches in embracing the circular economy, and any challenged faced, and, secondly, the extent to which WtE technologies plays any role in this context.
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