Societies generally produce large amounts of municipal solid waste (food wastes, packaged goods, disposable goods, used electronics). They also generate commercial and industrial wastes (demolition debris, incineration residues, refinery sludges). Only in the EU, 2.5 billion tonnes of waste (or about 5 tonnes per capita) were generated in 2016.
In addition, landfill disposal is the preferred method to manage most municipal solid wastes and hazardous wastes. However, climate change has pushed societies to find better ways to manage their waste in order to reduce their impact on the environment.
What is the effect of municipal solid waste on the environment?
- Most municipal solid waste (MSW) content is organic matter: food scraps, yard trimmings, junk wood, wastepaper. Their decomposition produces gas, a roughly equal blend of carbon dioxide and methane accompanied by a smattering of other gases. To get an idea of how municipal waste contributes to GHG emissions, in 2016 municipal solid waste landfills were the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the EEUU. They accounted for approximately 16% of the emissions.
- Municipal waste produces leachate. Leachate is the liquid formed when waste breaks down in the landfill and water filters through it. This liquid is highly toxic and can pollute the land, groundwater, and waterways. We use electronic devices and electrical equipment, perfumes, cleaning agents, lacquers, and varnishes, and pharmaceuticals every day. As a consequence, these products can release harmful substances to the environment during their degradation that include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals, radioactive materials.
This is our reality, solutions?? There are many, and most of them highly polluting, be wary of those who do not explain their emissions clearly.
REVALUO is our low-carbon WTE system and non-burn technology. It can treat municipal solid waste and leachate for value and energy recovery producing fuel, electric power, biochar, and soil improvers among other products from it.
Our system produces fewer carbon emissions than an incineration plant and even a hybrid car. *Less than 4g/h per tonne of waste versus 18,52 kg/h of a WTE incinerator.
Learn more about our system and the results.
