Waste Management Company Research Articles

Towards a Sustainable Future: Advancing an Integrated Approach for the Recycling and Valorization of Agricultural Plastics.

Plastic pollution has become a pressing environmental issue. The agricultural sector, in particular, is a significant contributor to this problem, given the widespread use of plastics in farming practices and a lack of and/or use of inefficient approaches for the recycling and valorization of agricultural plastic waste. This has resulted in the accumulation of these residues in landfills and/or their improper disposal, which has exacerbated their environmental impact, leading to negative consequences on soil, water, and ecosystems. This work provides an overview on the current methodologies available to address the challenges associated with inadequate management of agricultural plastics and highlights the need for a comprehensive and systematic methodology, involving material development, polymer processing, waste collection, sorting, and valorization. It emphasizes the importance of collaboration between polymer producers, polymer manufacturers, farmers, policymakers, waste management companies, and recyclers to develop effective, technical, and economically viable recycling and valorization schemes. This paper addresses gaps and provides guidance on possible solutions, specifically polymer development, policy instruments, regulatory frameworks, collection schemes, and the technical approaches required for the adequate valorization of agricultural plastic waste. Furthermore, it highlights the associated barriers and benefits of the different presented approaches. It also aims to promote awareness on agricultural plastic waste and provide guidance on the best approaches to reduce its environmental impact.

Achieving a Sustainable Transportation System via Economic, Environmental, and Social Optimization: A Comprehensive AHP-DEA Approach from the Waste Transportation Sector

Given the growing global emphasis on sustainable transportation systems, this research presents a comprehensive approach to achieving economic, social, and environmental efficiency in transport within the waste management sector. To address the different challenges of sustainable transportation issues, this paper presents a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach that incorporates the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) along with data envelopment analysis (DEA) for sustainable route selection. By leveraging the strengths of both methods, this approach reconciles conflicting requirements and diverse perspectives, facilitating effective decision making. This paper involves identifying relevant criteria for route evaluation, engaging waste management company experts and stakeholders in pairwise comparisons using AHP. Furthermore, DEA is used to calculate route efficiency based on the inputs and outputs of the system. These evaluations enable the identification of the most effective and sustainable routes. This proposed methodology empowers decision makers and transportation policymakers to develop an effective decision-making tool for addressing waste transportation challenges in developing countries. The study contributes to the growing body of research on sustainable waste management practices and provides insights for waste management companies and decision makers on how to optimize waste transportation routes while reducing economic, social, and environmental impacts.

A participatory waste policy reform for the hotel sector: evidence of a progressive Pay-As-You-Throw tariff

The hotel industry is increasingly developing voluntary measures to tackle waste generation, but they fall short of the problems faced by municipal waste services in many tourist destinations. This paper exemplifies how a collaboratively designed waste tariff reform for hotels in a tourism-intensive municipality can achieve a sustainable waste management system through stronger collective action, involving not only the hotel sector but also the city council and waste management companies. The co-created Pay-As-You-Throw tariff meets the demands of the stakeholders by establishing a progressive waste charge that penalizes hotels based on their waste generation intensity, defined as the ratio between waste flows and size. In addition, a competition system is introduced by imposing penalties (or rewards) according to whether the waste generation intensity is above (or below) the sector average during the settlement period, incentivizing waste prevention, recycling and encouraging long-term investment in sustainable waste management. The tariff is consistent with the principles of the EU’s Circular Economy Package and offers hotels a competitive advantage, while ensuring a progressive waste charging system and waste management cost recovery. Empirical results of the co-created tariff show a reduction in waste generation intensity and signs of increased recycling rates.

Techno-economic assessment of energy and environmental impact of waste-to-energy electricity generation

This study explored cumulative 127.5MW waste to energy (WtE) potential in five populous cities of Pakistan based on local waste characterization profiles and global standards. The 50MW WtE plant in Lahore using National electricity regulator codes and practices resulted in an attractive Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of US¢ 7.86/kWh over 25 years with a $151.5 million investment cost. The net savings to Lahore Waste Management Company can be $103.4 and $137.7 million respectively with and without tipping fees on account of waste disposal cost, bricks revenue using bottom ash, and waste fee. The project developers can get net savings of $16.9 and $51.5 million respectively with and without tipping fees other than LCOE. Furthermore, the greenhouse gas emissions of 216.6 million tons of CO2eq can be saved throughout plant life against 279 GWh/year energy generation, in terms of grid emission factor and current methane release into the atmosphere from the dumping site.

Selective Collection and Management of Biowaste from the Municipal Sector in Poland: A Review

Municipal waste management is an important aspect in the context of the environmental protection of any country. Biowaste is the dominant stream among all municipal waste in Poland (32.4% in 2020). It can be processed through recycling and recovery processes. It is also possible to dispose of it, although according to the waste hierarchy, such action should be the last option. For biowaste to be recycled, e.g., through anaerobic digestion or composting, it must have suitable properties to be processed through the processes mentioned above. This study aims to discuss the selective collection and management of biowaste from Poland’s municipal sector and identify limiting factors. The paper also indicates selected aspects of possible changes in the waste management sector, considering the role of society and waste management companies. The factors limiting the collection and further use of biowaste from the municipal sector in Poland can be divided into economic, social, technical, and technological. This article refers to the situation in Poland, but some problems occur analogously in other countries. This is because the barriers limiting the selective collection and management of biowaste in many countries are similar and differ mainly in the degree of intensity and the scope they cover. Given the increasingly stringent requirements for waste management, measures must be taken to achieve the legally required levels of recycling of biowaste and to recycle it as well as possible. The development of installations for biological waste management will be crucial.

Foresight Study on Artificial Intelligence in Smart Dustbin

As a developing country, Malaysia is still struggling with the waste management. It is impossible to maintain the same amount of waste that need to be disposed every day. Thus, smart dustbin with Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the solutions to ensure waste management able to be disposed effectively. By considering the importance of waste management, this study aims to identify issues and drivers related to AI in smart dustbin among service providers in Malaysia and examine future trends of AI in smart dustbin among service providers in Malaysia. Respondents are among top management of waste management company in Selangor. Qualitative and quantitative method were used by analysing data using descriptive analysis, scenario building and impact-uncertainty. Two drivers selected from impact-uncertainty analysis are outstanding performance of AI and problems on managing waste. In examining future trends, there are four scenarios were projected, which are expertise on AI application, prioritize current waste management practices, effective use of smart dustbin, and Research and Development financial constraint. The findings of this study benefits to the stakeholders as they able to plan and prepare with effective planning in managing the waste in future.

A study on restructuring plastic waste management post COVID in the wake of industry 4

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the confusions of waste management. Our fear towards the disease has forced us to shift to the usage of personal protective equipment and the usage of disposable equipment. The issue connected with the existing system has compelled us to change to a new process. Change in implementing environment oriented substances like bio plastics and coming with sustainable technologies are very much needed to fight future pandemics. The idea to promote a sustainable plastic waste management technology as well as to decrease plastic pollution can be achieved by giving priority to our systems to bring changes in personal and institutional policies. Coming up with measures that are encouraging circularity and sustainable practices and private-public investments in infrastructure, researches are helping in bringing the upcoming changes. To address the difficulties posed by the current methodologies, it is imperative to build efficient waste management systems using cutting-edge technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as an important technology with lot of functions. Studies have also documented the use of AI methods for solid waste management. The most current developments in the use of AI approaches for solid waste management are reviewed critically in this article. The important barriers that are avoiding AI from its usage in waste management are highlighted. These include the lack of reproducibility, the choice and accessibility of pertinent data, and the paucity of applications in actual solid waste. Suggestions for work in the future are done on the basis of the loopholes already studied. All parties involved in the solid waste management industry, such as policymakers, governments, waste management companies, municipalities, and researchers can gain from this review.

Municipal Solid Waste Management in Skardu: Current Status, and Corrective Measures

Solid waste management (SWM) is a marginalized sector in Gilgit Baltistan, causing a frightening situation, especially in the municipal area of district Skardu. The total municipal area of Skardu is about 4260 sq. km with a population of approximately 112996. In line with other government departments, the Gilgit Baltistan waste management company (GBWMC) is responsible for collecting and dumping solid waste. The current study was devised to calculate, characterize, and analyze the past status, and current position of municipal solid waste (MSW) production, so that necessary management practices and corrective measures can be carried out more efficiently in the study area. A series of interviews of concerned persons as well as extensive field surveys were conducted. The method used by GBWMC to collect waste was: door-to-door collection, placement of waste bins, and collection from the arterial roads. Waste was collected manually in polythene bags, handcarts, and baskets. The findings revealed that approximately 45-50 tonnes of waste was generated per day in the winter and in the summer it increases to 50-55 tonnes. The average waste generation was 0.43 kg per capita per day and is increasing at a rate of 2.28% annually. The main sources of waste were commercial and household waste contributing approximately 60 % and 40% of the total waste production respectively. There was no scientific disposal system for the collected waste which is dumped on the dumping sites by utilizing available resources considering Environmental protection agency (EPA) regulations along the Indus River bank. Thus specific steps should be taken to develop a proper scientific disposal system of collected wastes by incorporating the experts' expertise and modern technologies.

Circular economy is key! Designing a digital artifact to foster smarter household biowaste sorting

Waste volumes are rising. This is a problem, as they worsen environmental challenges such as climate change. At the same time, however, waste bears valuable resources – yet untapped. The concept of a circular economy bears the potential to unleash these resources. In the short run, only changing the waste sorting behavior of citizens can effectively contribute to circular resource flows, as waste management companies cannot ensure the purity of waste by purely technical means. Aligned with the digital realm, this work focuses on designing a digital artifact that contributes to improved household waste sorting. Using a design science research approach, we develop the artifact's design with input from theory, 23 interviews with potential users and practitioners, and evaluate a prototypical instantiation in a large German city. We contribute to literature and theory by generating design knowledge on information systems for improved biowaste and residual waste sorting by individuals. We derive as key design principles the importance of awareness and transparency, social influence, education and confirmation, and incentives. Our solution embracing those principles enhances the awareness of circular economy processes and the relevance of correct waste sorting. At the same time, our solution is relevant to solving waste management companies' current challenges such as the incineration of valuable biowaste as part of residual waste.

What a waste – A norm-critical design study on how waste is understood and managed

This article seeks to contribute new insights into inclusive recycling environments through universal design. The aim is to develop knowledge on how waste is understood and managed by exploring the practice and design of a recycling environment. Applying a norm-critical view, this is explored in a study with participants from a municipal housing company and waste management company in northern Sweden. Methods used are go-along interviews together with professionals and observations of a recycling environment. The results are discussed as: 1) the “(un)social norm;” where our results show that the waste system is perceived as a social system, contradicting previous approaches where waste systems are treated as technical environments. 2) the “(un)design factor;” where we identify how design in a recycling context that doesn´t emphasise diversity may affect activities of sorting.

Circular Bioeconomy Practices in the Greek Pig Sector: The Environmental Performance of Bakery Meal as Pig Feed Ingredient

Food systems and, to an extent, the pig sector are major contributors of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. At the same time, significant amounts of waste are produced from the food sector. The aim of this study is to examine the implementation of circular bio-economy practices in the Greek pig sector to improve its environmental performance. More specifically, in collaboration with a pig farm in Northern Greece and a waste management company, the collection and processing of bakery by-products was organized to produce bakery meal (BM) to integrate it in the diets of fattening and growing pigs. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the environmental performance of 20% BM inclusion in pig diets was examined in comparison with the conventional feedstock. BM experimentally replaced corn, wheat, barley, and soya bean from conventional feedstock. The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) was based on the yearly average values of feed and energy consumption to produce 1 kg of living weight of pig on the pig farm. Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) was conducted with SimaPro v3.5, using Recipe Midpoint Hierarchical v1.6. The LCIA calculations exhibited that BM inclusion in pig diets can lead to significant land occupation decrease, approximately 30%, which is mostly related to reduced wheat and soya beans. The reduction of cultivated croplands also led to reduced fertilizer and pesticide application, which improved marine eutrophication and freshwater ecotoxicity impact by 20% while it significantly reduced risks of human carcinogenic toxicity by 25%. Moreover, the Greek pig sector exhibited a 5% capacity for overall improvement of its environmental performance, which relies on minimizing logistics when the pig farm conducted collection and processing of by-products. A basic assumption of this study is the assessment of bakery by-product quantities in the wider region of the pig farm. The availability of by-products, based on the reported experience, was limited, and the reliability of the supply was frequently disrupted. As such, the supply chain model of the central hub for the collection and processing of bakery by-products is proposed as more efficient for regulating logistic challenges and availability.

Sustainability assessment of new technologies using multi criteria decision making: A framework and application in sectioning end-of-life wind turbine blades

Decommissioned wind turbine blades are becoming a significant problem as they are made from composite material that is difficult to recycle. To solve this problem, sustainable end-of-life value chains are needed. Several significant processes of such value chains consist of the sectioning and pre-processing operations of the blades. Thus, the technologies for these operations must be identified and assessed using sustainable selection criteria. The aim of this study is to investigate how a multi criteria decision making analysis approach can assist and improve the process of assessing technologies through the lens of sustainability. For this purpose, this study proposes a three-step framework for sustainable decision making – 3-SuDeM, which presents a structured approach for how to manage the entire process of applying a multi criteria decision making analysis to an industrial case. The developed framework has been applied and validated in cooperation with a Danish waste management company who have years of experience in handling end-of-life waste. Four different technologies for cutting and sectioning end-of-life wind turbine blades are evaluated using the 3-SuDeM framework applying the method of technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, and an excavator with a large diamond saw blade is identified as the preferred technology in the given case. The results conclude that the developed framework is both value adding to the practical selection of sectioning technology for blades and also adds to the literature on sustainable value chains, multi criteria decision making methodology and end-of-life wind turbine blades.

Assessing the efficiency of solid waste collection services in urban Ghana

Whether private solid waste management companies are efficient in solid waste collection (SWC) has long dominated public discourse in Ghana. In many instances, such discourses are based on an empirical vacuum. This article seeks to provide the empirical basis on which discussions on SWC efficiency can be grounded. It examined the efficiency of resource inputs into SWC using the Data Envelopment Analysis. With cost and allocative efficiencies as model output, the value of total assets, number of trucks, number of collection containers, number of clients, and number of personnel deployed were set as input data, while the quantity of waste hauled and the amount of revenue generated was the output factors. The companies constituted the decision-making units (DMUs). The results showed that the average efficiency score for all DMUs was less than the 1.0 threshold for efficiency score. The results imply that the DMUs consistently operated inefficiently. We argue that the extent of inefficiencies provides the basis for stakeholders to re-examine the existing waste management architecture.

Hydrogeochemical characterisation of the groundwater in the crystalline basement of Forsmark, the selected area for the geological nuclear repositories in Sweden

Numerous groundwater analyses from the crystalline bedrock in the Forsmark area have been performed between 2002 and 2019, together with thorough geological, geophysical, and hydrogeological studies, within the site investigations carried out by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company. The groundwater samples have been taken from boreholes down to ≈ 1000 m and the analysis include major- and trace-elements, stable and radiogenic isotopes, gases and microbes. The chemical and isotopic composition of these groundwaters evidences the presence of non-marine brackish to saline groundwaters with very long residence times (many hundreds of thousands of years) and a series of complex mixing events resulting from the recharge of different waters over time: glacial meltwaters, probably from different glaciations of which the latest culminated some 20,000 years ago, and marine waters from the Baltic starting some 7000 years ago. Later, meteoric water and present Baltic Sea water have recharged in different parts of the upper 100 m. These mixing events have also triggered chemical and microbial reactions that have conditioned some of the important groundwater parameters and, together with the structural complexity of the area, they have promoted a heterogeneous distribution of groundwater compositions in the bedrock. Due to these evident differences in chemistry, residence time and origin of the groundwater, several groundwater types were defined in order to facilitate the visualisation and communication. The differentiation (linked to the paleohydrological history of the area) was based on Cl concentration, Cl/Mg ratio (marine component), and δ18O value (glacial component).The work presented in this paper increases the understanding of the groundwater evolution in fractured and compartmentalised aquifers where mixing processes are the most important mechanisms. The model proposed to characterise the present groundwater system of the Forsmark area will also help to predict the future hydrogeochemical behaviour of the groundwater system after the construction of the repositories for the nuclear wastes.

Assessing the environmental impact of waste management: A comparative study of CO2 emissions with a focus on recycling and incineration

In waste management, the assessment of CO2 emissions offers the possibility to evaluate and compare the environmental impact of different waste treatment processes. Here, we compare the performance of waste incineration with alternative thermal treatment scenarios and recycling scenarios to the primary production of materials to analyze the respective CO2 emissions. The aim is to determine whether thermal and material recycling of waste results in (net) CO2 surpluses or reductions, thus, showing whether it makes sense for climate ambitions to recover waste, thermally or materially. A case study of an internationally active waste management company in Austria is analyzed, conducting a life cycle assessment of its thermal and material waste recycling. On thermal waste treatment the core of the analysis is the comparison with primary energy sources. Using waste as an energy source, especially in cement plants and the paper industry, has proven to be an effective technology for reducing CO2 emissions. We also find current practices in material recycling to be of lower CO2 emissions than alternative primary material supply. Scaling results to the national level we find that for the case of Austria current waste management practices have the potential to save an equivalent of 2.6% of Austria's total CO2 emissions (all sectors) for thermal fractions and an equivalent of 1% for material recycling.

Recycling the ‘unrecyclable’

This article seeks to provide practical advice and solutions for common types of non‐clinical waste from veterinary practice that are usually not accepted in the standard recycling services offered by local councils and waste management companies. Paper, cardboard, aluminium and glass are widely recycled and easy to identify as recyclable, as are clear plastic bottles (though the range of different types of plastics and their recyclability – or otherwise – present their own problems). However, veterinary practice also generates large quantities of other non‐clinical waste, some of which seems as if it should be recyclable (eg, uniforms, furniture and printers), and some of which may not initially seem recyclable but may actually be if the right solution can be found. This article discusses some of these waste streams and offer potential recycling solutions.

Integrated Solid Waste Management for the Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Nepal

The article emphasizes the importance of implementing Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) and circular economy principles for effective solid waste management, which prioritizes waste prevention, recycling, and environmentally sound disposal practices. The article provides an overview of how ISWM and circular economy principles have been successfully implemented in several countries worldwide and emphasizes the need for their adoption in Nepal, where proper solid waste management systems are often inadequate or non-existent. The article provides insights into the challenges and opportunities for Nepal in adopting such practices and recommends practical methods for improving waste management in the country. The researchers conducted a comprehensive search of the available literature on the topic of ISWM and circular economy in Nepal to draw conclusions and recommendations for the future direction of solid waste management in Nepal. Although, there is the formulation of new laws and policies related to solid waste management in Nepal, the country lacks active implementation of the laws by both governments and waste management companies.

Transport External Costs Evaluation Case Study

With the European Union’s goal of becoming a carbon-neutral region by 2050, its member states must follow suit. Businesses are among the actors that have a role to play in implementing this policy. Many companies have set such targets and often commit to becoming carbon neutral even earlier. However, businesses need an economic justification. Financial calculations are usually limited to analysing direct costs, equipment purchases, and maintenance costs, without considering other aspects. This case study examines the external costs of the transportation sector in a waste management company. Transport is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU after the energy sector and is characterized by increasing CO2 emissions. Based on the company’s case study, the external costs of the vehicles are calculated, which depend on the type of engine and energy used in the vehicles, as well as the travel patterns. In the scenario modelling, these external costs are compared with scenarios with a 100 % battery electric fleet. The results show that the total external costs decrease as the BEV share in the vehicle fleet increases. When analysing transport externalities of the substation project, air pollution, climate change, and noise costs decrease, while WTT emission costs increase.

Comparison of different waste bin monitoring approaches: An exploratory study.

Waste bin monitoring solutions are an essential step towards smart cities. This study presents an exploratory analysis of two waste bin monitoring approaches: (1) ultrasonic sensors installed in the bins and (2) visual observations (VO) of the waste collection truck drivers. Bin fill level data was collected from a Portuguese waste management company. A comparative statistical analysis of the two datasets (VO and sensor observations) was performed and a predictive model based on Gaussian processes was applied to enable a trade-off analysis of the number of collections versus the number of overflows for each monitoring approach. The results demonstrate that the VO are valuable and reveal that significant improvements can be achieved for either of the monitoring approaches in relation to the current situation. A monitoring approach based on VO combined with a predictive model is shown to be viable and leads to a considerable reduction in the number of collections and overflows. This approach can enable waste collection companies to improve their collection operations with minimal investment costs during their transition to fully sensorized bins.

European Green Deal: The Transformation of Consumer Behaviour and Business Marketing Communication as Opportunities to Increase Consumer Involvement in the Sorting of Waste in Latvia

The European Green Deal is the European Union’s latest expression of its ambition to become a world leader in addressing climate change (Kleinberga, 2020). Adaptation to climate change (CCh) is a key priority of the European Union (EU), exemplifi ed by the EU’s efforts to become “the first climate-neutral continent” (European Union, 2019) in the world by 2050. This article aims to analyse opportunities to increase consumer involvement in the context of waste sorting and climate change in Latvia, based on theoretical knowledge about consumer behaviour and empirical data analysis, to develop recommendations for marketing communication and consumer behaviour in the context of climate change content for waste management companies. There is a necessity to understand how to increase consumer involvement in waste-sorting due to the increasing amount of waste both in Latvia and the rest of the world. The following research methods have been used: the monographic method, secondary data analysis, the discourse analysis/coding method, the graphical method, and the qualitative method – a focus group interview. The most significant barriers that discourage consumers from sorting waste are the lack of infrastructure, the lack of information on how to sort waste properly and waste’s environmental impact, as well as the complex system that allows for differences in waste-sorting between municipalities and even neighbourhoods in the same city. Recommendations were developed as a result of the research for waste management companies in terms of communication, NGOs on education, and information for consumers, businesses, and waste management companies.