Abstract
Integrated waste management and sustainable use of natural resources are the basis of the Green Economy. In this context, the management of the Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ashes (MSWI BA) is one of the current issues worldwide. This paper presents an application of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) procedure to the industrial production of ceramic tiles using bottom ashes in the mixture together with feldspathic sands and clays. The comparison between ashes and traditional mixture showed a similar mineralogical and rheological composition. In the reported procedure the MSWI BA, after storage, were treated to separate and recover metals. The residual ashes were added to the mixture and then they followed the traditional industrial production cycle. Samples of the different materials were taken during the experimental industrial activity and leaching tests were carried out to verify the environmental compatibility of MSWI BA use to produce ceramic tiles. The results of the LCA show large environmental and energy benefits related to the proposed reuse of BA. Metal recovery and lower use of clay in traditional mixture avoids emission of substances with a negative potential impact for environment. This study provides a sustainable alternative to the MSWI BA final disposal in landfill as MSWI BA are hazardous wastes that present complicated management and high disposal costs.
Highlights
In waste management, the measures used for waste recovery must be adopted with priority
The Bottom Ashes (BA) quantity utilized by the industrial plant to produce ceramic tiles can be estimated in around 32,000 tons per year
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology together with the current industrial experimentation, confirms in order to avoid their disposal in landfill
Summary
The measures used for waste recovery must be adopted with priority. In this context, the authors drew up a procedural Protocol to achieve the technical compliance of floor tiles. The reuse of waste is important for the economy because it is a way to relieve companies from difficulties by economic savings In this context, incineration represents a valid solution to avoid landfilling for different materials considered as solid wastes (i.e., Automotive Shredder Residual, ASR) [1,2,3,4,5] and, at the same time, it can be a source of energy. The recovery of aluminum permits 95% of energy to be saved [19] compared to primary production and it avoids extraction of primary non-renewable materials
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