Material Recovery Facility Research Articles

An Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management Strategies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Comparative Life Cycle Analysis

The environmental implications of various municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were analysed considering the Riyadh Green Initiative through a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This study evaluates five distinct scenarios: unsanitary landfilling (Sc0), incineration (Sc1), and a combination of technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD) and a material recovery facility (MRF) in scenarios Sc2–Sc4. These scenarios were assessed using GaBi 9.2.1 software, employing the impact methodology outlined by CML (2001) to evaluate eight impact categories, including Global Warming and Acidification Potentials, among others. The findings indicate that scenarios incorporating the treatment of 100% of recyclable and organic waste through AD exhibited substantial environmental benefits. Additionally, Sc2 demonstrated the lowest environmental burdens across all impact categories. In contrast, Sc0 ranked the worst in all categories due to the absence of gas and leachate treatment. The results were shown to be reliable when compared qualitatively to previous studies. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess this study’s system boundaries and the impact of the MRF rate. Overall, this research provides valuable insights for optimising MSW management practices in Riyadh, aiming to reduce their environmental impacts and align with the goals of the Riyadh Green Initiative.

Assessment of Different Application Grades of Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Polyolefins from Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in the United States

Assessment of Different Application Grades of Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Polyolefins from Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in the United States

Potential of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in a circular economy from a life cycle assessment perspective - a case study for anaesthesia and surgical instrument packaging waste in Australia

Plastics are a versatile material group with many applications in the healthcare sector. Clinicians, particularly in the operating rooms, have become increasingly dependent on single-use instruments and consumables typically packaged in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) resulting in significant amounts of PET waste. In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology based on ISO 14040/44 is conducted to assess the environmental impacts of existing and potential future end-of-life options for PET anaesthesia and surgical instrument packaging waste in an Australian hospital context. The results show the reduction potential of environmental impacts by recycling of PET waste via direct collection or in Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand. When replacing end-of-life options such as landfill or incineration with recycling, a reduction of 88% of total Climate Change (CC) impact can be seen. Furthermore, there is a reduction in environmental impacts across other impact categories through this change. Even if the recyclate quality (up to 30%) was reduced, there is a significant reduction in the environmental impacts. The transition of end-of-life options to recycling offers the potential for reduction of emissions and enables a circular economy for plastics. Furthermore, based on the results of LCA, opportunities and challenges of circular economy pathways in health industry are identified and discussed in this study.

Effectiveness of NGOs in mountainous solid waste management: A case study from Healing Himalayas in Rakchham, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in addressing solid waste management (SWM) challenges in remote mountain communities, including the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. This study evaluates the impact of Healing Himalayas, an NGO, in Rakchham village, Himachal Pradesh, India. The objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness of Healing Himalayas' decentralized SWM model in promoting stakeholder engagement and resource recovery, assess the role of collaborations between local authorities and the NGO in financing waste management practices, investigate the influence of tourism and seasonal variations on solid waste generation patterns and waste management practices in Rakchham, and material recovery facilities, followed by glass (36.7%), paper/cardboard (18.4%) and metal (4.1%). A fee-based system involving the local village council funded waste operations. Waste generation exhibited significant seasonal fluctuations, with tourism influxes driving increased volumes. Healing Himalayas' initiatives promoted community participation, with over 15 awareness workshops conducted. Key challenges included limited financial resources, inadequate infrastructure, lack of advanced treatment facilities and need for context-specific solutions like efficient wet waste management in cold climates. The study highlights Healing Himalayas' decentralized model's success in fostering stakeholder engagement, behavioural change and resource recovery. The findings inform effective strategies for NGO-led waste management initiatives tailored to remote Himalayan communities.

Optimizing waste handling with interactive AI: Prompt-guided segmentation of construction and demolition waste using computer vision

Optimized and automated methods for handling construction and demolition waste (CDW) are crucial for improving the resource recovery process in waste management. Automated waste recognition is a critical step in this process, and it relies on robust image segmentation techniques. Prompt-guided segmentation methods provide promising results for specific user needs in image recognition. However, the current state-of-the-art segmentation methods trained for generic images perform unsatisfactorily on CDW recognition tasks, indicating a domain gap. To address this gap, a user-guided segmentation pipeline is developed in this study that leverages prompts such as bounding boxes, points, and text to segment CDW in cluttered environments. The adopted approach achieves a class-wise performance of around 70 % in several waste categories, surpassing the state-of-the-art algorithms by 9 % on average. This method allows users to create accurate segmentations by drawing a bounding box, clicking, or providing a text prompt, minimizing the time spent on detailed annotations. Integrating this human–machine system as a user-friendly interface into material recovery facilities enhances the monitoring and processing of waste, leading to better resource recovery outcomes in waste management.

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) as an Alternative for Specific Waste Management for Hazardous Materials: Evidence from Semarang City, Indonesia

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) as an Alternative for Specific Waste Management for Hazardous Materials: Evidence from Semarang City, Indonesia

Sustainable management of family life and finance in the context of digital capabilities - data flow dynamics

In recent years, biorefining Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has gained attention as a promising solution to the challenges of waste management and resource shortages, while also advancing sustainability goals. This research focuses on the European Union, analyzing the material flow and sustainability of biorefining systems and evaluating their impact on society, the economy, and the natural environment. The final products of the integrated material recovery processes, including recycling (18.3 %), heavy metals (3.6 %), fiber (1.4 %), hydrogen sulfate (7.4 %), recoverable water (14.8 %), fertilizer (8.4 %), and electric power (0.126 MWH/t MSW), are derived from the combined operations of material recovery facilities, pulverization, chemical conversion, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The CHP system recovers energy from sources such as refuse-derived fuel (RDF), other disposable waste, charcoal, and natural gas produced by material recovery facilities, chemical conversion, and anaerobic digestion (AD) systems. Levulinic acid (LA), priced at 52 Euro/t, generates a profit of 220 Euro/t, excluding any subsidies. Potential reductions in carbon dioxide emissions are estimated at 2.5 and 1.4 kg CO2 equivalents per kilogram of levulinic acid (LA) and fertilizer, respectively, and 0.18 kg CO2 equivalents per megajoule of electrical power. This study underscores the importance of sustainable management practices in the context of digital capabilities, emphasizing the data flow dynamics essential for optimizing family life and finance in achieving sustainability.

Outlook on the future role of robots and AI in material recovery facilities: Implications for U.S. recycling and the workforce

This study offers a comprehensive discussion of the future role of robots and artificial intelligence (AI) in U.S. recycling under different policy environments and its impact on the workforce. The state of recycling in the U.S. is changing rapidly, with techno-economic developments transforming the efficacy and sustainability of recycling and the workforce it employs. This study describes the technical, social, and policy drivers that influence U.S. municipal solid waste (MSW) management and explores pathways for more sustainable outcomes by focusing on different technology options for the sorting of recyclables in material recovery facilities (MRFs). This study presents four distinct scenario storylines for U.S. recycling by 2050 that contrast recycling and robotic futures, particularly with MRFs that maximize material recovery, worker experience, and economic competitiveness, respectively. This study finds that a recycling scenario defined by strong policy support for recycling and the addition of increasingly flexible, collaborative technology in the form of robotics coupled with AI-driven vision systems, offers the greatest potential for better results. Less certain is the role of MRFs by 2050 based on the full cost for public actors and substantial changes in private industry. Insights from this study can directly inform future techno-economic analyses, technology decisions, and policy recommendations.

Multi-criteria sustainability assessment of solid waste management in Jordan

This study comprehensively evaluates Jordan's municipal solid waste (MSW) management sector from 2022 to 2030, in alignment with Jordan Vision 2030. This study introduces new sustainability indicators and innovative waste management alternatives to address the challenges of rapid industrialization and population growth. Four strategic scenarios—1) recycling, composting, and sanitary landfilling; 2) recycling, anaerobic digestion, and sanitary landfilling; 3) incineration and sanitary landfilling; and 4) sanitary landfilling alone—were assessed against the business-as-usual scenario. Using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and sensitivity analysis, this study evaluates net greenhouse gas emissions, annual operating expenses, revenue streams, and employment rates to measure environmental, economic, and social sustainability. The results indicate that Scenario 1 is the optimal scenario for integrating a material recovery facility (MRF) with a composting plant and sanitary landfill, achieving the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, annual costs, and employment opportunities. This study offers practical and sustainable solutions to Jordan's waste management challenges, provides novel insights through the developed MCDA and sensitivity analysis, and significantly contributes to sustainability research.

Recent Developments in Technology for Sorting Plastic for Recycling: The Emergence of Artificial Intelligence and the Rise of the Robots

Plastics recycling is an important component of the circular economy. In mechanical recycling, the recovery of high-quality plastics for subsequent reprocessing requires plastic waste to be first sorted by type, color, and size. In chemical recycling, certain types of plastics should be removed first as they negatively affect the process. Such sortation of plastic objects at Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) relies increasingly on automated technology. Critical for any sorting is the proper identification of the plastic type. Spectroscopy is used to this end, increasingly augmented by machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Recent developments in the application of ML/AI in plastics recycling are highlighted here, and the state of the art in the identification and sortation of plastic is presented. Commercial equipment for sorting plastic recyclables is identified from a survey of publicly available information. Automated sorting equipment, ML/AI-based sorters, and robotic sorters currently available on the market are evaluated regarding their sensors, capability to sort certain types of plastics, primary application, throughput, and accuracy. This information reflects the rapid progress achieved in sorting plastics. However, the sortation of film, dark plastics, and plastics comprising multiple types of polymers remains challenging. Improvements and/or new solutions in the automated sorting of plastics are forthcoming.

Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management using Life Cycle Analysis

In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool was employed to assess the environmental impact of Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) in Pune, India, under four different scenarios. These scenarios included composting combined with landfilling (S1), a material recovery facility (MRF) and composting combined with landfilling (S2), MRF and anaerobic digestion (AD) combined with landfilling (S3), and MRF, AD, and composting combined with landfilling (S4). The environmental assessments have been performed by means of the LCA- based tool EASEWASTE, aimed to compare these scenarios based on their effects on global warming, human toxicity, eutrophication, and photochemical ozone creation potential categories. The results of the study showed that Scenario S2 had the least environmental impact across these categories. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess how changes in the recycling rate of valuable resources influenced the environmental burdens in all scenarios. The findings from this analysis revealed an inversely proportional relationship between changes in the recycling rate and the overall environmental impact. This research utilized LCA to evaluate the environmental implications of MSWM scenarios in Pune, India, and found that Scenario S2 was the most environmentally favourable. The sensitivity analysis highlighted the significance of recycling rates in mitigating environmental burdens in the different waste management scenarios.

Waste Material Recovery Process in Indore – A Field Study

Waste generation in today’s life is increasing day by day in various forms, may it be biodegradable or non-biodegradable. Biodegradable waste like paper, wood, cardboard, and others like metals is not creating trouble as they can easily be recycled or decomposed without harming the environment. On the other hand, plastic and other non-biodegradable waste is becoming a matter of concern for so many reasons to be listed. To overcome such issues, many initiatives have been taken by various groups along with many government programs. This field study deals with one of the material recovery facilities at Indore. This facility was visited and checked for its working procedure. The facility was working on dry plastic waste of different forms, which was being collected from residential, public, and commercial areas in this location. With the help of collecting vehicles and manpower, the waste was collected and segregated in different forms to be sent for further processing to form Gatta pipes, and for other purposes like recycling, waste to recovery plants, and the landfills.

Quantifying the environmental impact of transportation for plastic film packaging end-of-life: Landfill, incineration, physical recycling, or chemical recycling

This study assesses the often-overlooked environmental impact of waste transportation in the life cycle of polymer-based multilayer packaging (PMP) in New York State (NYS). Analyzing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and energy consumption, the research includes various waste management scenarios, including landfilling, incineration, material recovery facilities (MRF) with chemical recycling (CR), and retail return with CR. The study maps existing waste management facilities, calculates travel distances, and introduces a proposed central CR facility. Findings reveal that compared to landfilling, transportation GHG emissions are higher for incineration (64 %), MRF with CR (264 %), and retail return with CR (158 %). The research highlights the importance of well-distributed landfill locations over sparse CR and incineration sites, hindering plastic film recycling advancement in the US. The model introduces three new incinerators, reducing transport energy (28 %) and GHG emissions (31 %). This study stands as the most comprehensive assessment of transportation impacts on plastic film waste, offering a versatile model for research, policy, and facility siting.

Assessing of Manual Sorting in Municipal Solid Waste: A Study Case in São Paulo City

The dependence of political factors and the lack of integrated municipal waste (MSW) management in metropolitan regions of developing countries turn selective collection and circular economy great challenges to be implemented. This paper presents the characterization of the selective household MSW sent to a manual sorting plant located in the central area of the São Paulo City, aiming to assess the real rejects that are going to sanitary landfill after sorting process. Six sampling campaigns were carried out at the input and output of the sorting process during a year (2016 to 2017). The results show that the materials from the selective collection destined to the plant already arrive with 13.8 % of rejects. In addition, there are about 49.8 % of dry and recycled materials after the sorting process, half of them without commercial value, technical recycling solution available or non-identified. This study shown that, independent of the efficiency and social problems in the totally manual sorting process, which was higher than the local Materials Recovery Facilities, the lack of recycling industries and the presence of dry, but not recyclable materials, as composite packaging, non-identified plastics, Styrofoam and electronics difficult the profitability of this kind of plant.

Sustainable waste management and waste-to-energy in the context of a circular economy through various waste management technologies.

Inappropriate waste management is a considerable ecological risk, leading to detrimental effects on the soil, air, and water quality. It is imperative to address these concerns promptly to minimize the repercussions of solid waste on public health and the ecosystem. It is evident that the level of economic growth directly impacts waste generation. This study intends to use the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique to evaluate the environmental impacts of four alternative municipal solid waste (MSW) management scenarios in Peshawar City, Pakistan. The goal is to discover an option that is both sustainable and minimizes environmental damage. The study examined the system boundaries encompassing the collection and transportation of MSW, along with its processing and final disposal, employing composting, anaerobic digestion (AD), material recovery facilities (MRF), and landfill methods. Comprehensive field studies and an in-depth literature review provided the data regarding Peshawar's existing MSW management system and the proposed scenarios, all of which was inventoried in the OpenLCA 1.10.3 database. Following data collection, the CML-IA technique was employed to analyze the data, measuring the environmental footprint in terms of climate change potential, human toxicity, acidification potential, photochemical oxidation, and eutrophication. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to identify the influence of varying recycling rates on the environmental strain correlated with the proposed scenarios. The analysis results indicated that scenario S2, which combined composting, landfilling, and MRF, exhibited the least environmental impact compared to the other considered scenarios. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis reflected an inverse correlation between alterations in the recycling rate and the total environmental impact. To counter the environmental problems arising from waste generation, it is essential to incorporate principles of the circular economy into the MSW management approach.

Magnetic resonance insights into the heterogeneous, fractal-like kinetics of chemically recyclable polymers.

Moving toward a circular plastics economy is a vital aspect of global resource management. Chemical recycling of plastics ensures that high-value monomers can be recovered from depolymerized plastic waste, thus enabling circular manufacturing. However, to increase chemical recycling throughput in materials recovery facilities, the present understanding of polymer transport, diffusion, swelling, and heterogeneous deconstruction kinetics must be systematized to allow industrial-scale process design, spanning molecular to macroscopic regimes. To develop a framework for designing depolymerization processes, we examined acidolysis of circular polydiketoenamine elastomers. We used magnetic resonance to monitor spatially resolved observables in situ and then evaluated these data with a fractal method that treats nonlinear depolymerization kinetics. This approach delineated the roles played by network architecture and reaction medium on depolymerization outcomes, yielding parameters that facilitate comparisons between bulk processes. These streamlined methods to investigate polymer hydrolysis kinetics portend a general strategy for implementing chemical recycling on an industrial scale.

Students Perspectives on Environmental Waste Problems in Schools of Iligan City, Philippines

Level of environmental awareness among secondary students was assessed through their own perception on waste problems in schools. Interviews using survey questionnaires were employed to selected schools in Iligan City. Results revealed that the student participants perceived the school as actively prioritizing environmental protection across its policies, operations, and academic dimensions. Particularly, the implementation of solid waste management practices is emphasized and taken seriously. Various initiatives are in place to address waste disposal effectively, including the installation of waste bins throughout the campus, the establishment of a Material Recovery Facility, and ongoing information campaigns and activities to remind both students and teachers of their responsibilities. Generally, the schools’ efforts in promoting environmental awareness and protection are highly commendable, reflecting an exemplary level of commitment across its policies, operations, and academic activities. This proactive approach aimed to enhance environmental efforts and better serve all stakeholders by fostering a clean and safe learning environment.

Assessment of waste management scenarios toward marine plastic debris mitigation and cost reduction

The increase in solid waste volume and change in composition due to urban development cause negative effects on the marine ecological environment. The aim of this study was to assess the amount of plastic waste leaking into the environment from the municipal solid waste (MSW) management system and propose mitigation measures towards sustainable development in Hue city, Viet Nam. The method of modelling MSW management system applying Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and simulating models through scenarios were used to propose strategic solutions to improve and develop the system. As a result, the implementation of segregation at source and improvement of the current collection system are urgently needed. Integrated treatment system including material recovery facility combined with transfer station, incineration, centralized and decentralized composting treatment can reduce the landfilled amount to 5% and the quantity of mismanaged plastic waste infiltrating the ocean has undergone a substantial reduction of several hundred-fold.

Minimizing the environmental impacts of waste valorization systems using multi-criteria life cycle optimization

Unsustainable waste management practices impose severe environmental hazards, health risks, and financial burdens. Waste valorization systems have emerged to mitigate the negative impacts of landfilling while recovering finite materials and renewable energy. This study aims to develop a life cycle assessment (LCA)-based multi-criteria framework using linear programming to optimize municipal waste allocation to multiple valorization facilities. The developed optimization model minimizes the life cycle impacts of integrated waste management on several life cycle impact categories. A multi-criteria decision-making analysis is implemented to account for the relative importance of the examined environmental categories, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted to study the effect of varying the importance weights. The variation between different LCA methods, IMPACT, CML, and ReCiPe, is also investigated. The proposed framework is applied to Egypt based on local conditions and strategic priorities. The LCA findings reveal that processing recyclables in material recovery facilities enhances the environmental performance in all impact categories except ozone layer depletion. To achieve minimum environmental effects on the assessed impact categories, single objective models suggest the diversion of recyclables to material recovery facilities and non-recyclables to gasifiers. The Pareto front of IMPACT involves anaerobic digesters and incinerators, CML comprises composting facilities, and ReCiPe includes incinerators. Overall, this study provides a lifecycle-based decision-making guide for the planning and optimization of sustainable waste management systems, and highlights the potential variations in the outcomes of different LCA methods adopted.

Smart-sight: Video-based waste characterization for RDF-3 production

A material recovery facility (MRF) can transform municipal solid waste (MSW) into a valued commodity called refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as a promising solution to waste-to-energy conversion. The quality of the produced RDF significantly relies on the composition of in-feed waste and waste characterization method applied for auditing purposes, a process that is both time-consuming and fraught with potential hazards. This study focuses to enhance the workflow of the waste characterization process at an MRF. A solution named Smart Sight is proposed to detect and classify waste based on videos recorded after processing MSW through a mechanical sorting line consisting of bag breakers and trommel screens. A comprehensive dataset is created encompassing thirteen mixed waste classes from single and multi-family streams. The dataset is preprocessed with motion compensation techniques and frame differencing methods to extract and refine valuable frames. A one-stage YOLO detector model is then trained over the dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed method works efficiently at detecting and classifying waste objects in indoor MRF environments. Accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score related to the proposed solution are found to be 0.70, 0.762, 0.69 and 0.72, respectively, with a mAP@0.5 of 0.716. The proposed approach is validated using data collected from local MRF by comparing the estimated waste composition values of the proposed solution with laboratory results obtained through current standardized industrial practices. Comparison reveals that waste characterization estimation obtained is consistent with the laboratory results, inferring that Smart-Sight is a viable tool for estimating waste composition.