6/2/2015R. Ferrigno EU Policy Director1 Energy recovery European Environmental Bureau.

04/18/23 R. Ferrigno EU Policy Director 1

Energy recovery

European Environmental Bureau


The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is a federation of 134

European Environmental Citizens Organizations in 25 Countries

European Environmental Bureau


Waste Facts

• Each year in the European Union 1.3 billion tons of waste are generated–

some 40 million tons of it hazardous.

• This amounts to about 3.5 tons of solid waste for every man, woman and child,

according to European Environment Agency statistics.


Waste Facts

Between 1990 and 1995, the amount of waste generated in Europe increased by 10%, according to the OECD. Most of what we throw away (67%) is either burnt in incinerators, or dumped into

landfill sites


Waste Facts

• Most waste streams (paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, PVC) will probably increase over the next decade.

• Implemented EU legislation failed to achieve reduction of waste generation


Waste Facts

In 1998 for every ton of useful products made in UK, about 10 tons of other

resources were consumed or wasted. Waste represents an enormous loss of resources both in the form of material

and energy.


Lessons on Waste

• In total, between 60% and 70% of MSW (200 million tons generated) can be considered as biodegradable waste

(EEA).

• Legislation on mandatory separate collection of biodegradable waste for high quality composting still missing.


Lessons on Waste

• Waste remain extremely sensitive political issue (transport, disposal)

• Poor public information & participation

• Waste hierarchy not implemented yet

• Poor implementation record

• Poor Data & Reporting


Need to focus on prevention

• To unveil real costs of waste management and fully implement producer responsibility• To phase-out hazardous substances

• To eliminate implicit and explicit subsidies to waste as “renewable”

• Targets and incentives for expanding the use of recyclable and recycled materials in

products


From process-oriented approach to material-oriented

approach

• Develop IPP framework

• Increase resource efficiency

• Promote shift from products to services

• Targets and incentives for the use of renewable resources


Energy recoveryDue to the environmentally different hierarchies of

waste management, the EU waste strategy distinguishes between:

• reuse meant as a material reuse without any structural changes in materials

• recycling meant as a material recycling, only, and with a reference to structural changes in products• recovery meant as an energy recovery only


Energy recovery:seeking for definition

The main inconsistencies in the overall concept of reuse/recycling/recovery

apply to energy recovery.

It is not clearly defined in waste statistics as a net calorific gain of energy of each

combusted waste, but may refer to:



• Incineration of waste materials of high calorific values

or

• Total waste quantity incinerated in facilities with energy recovery.



Due to the crucial role of targets for reuse/recycling/recovery ratios,

clarification in definition of energy recovery is necessary


EU legal definition of energy recovery

‘energy recovery’ shall mean the use of combustible packaging waste as a means to generate energy through

direct incineration with or without other waste but with recovery of the heat

Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste, art.3(8)


ECJ ruling on energy recovery

The recent ruling of the European Court of Justice delivered on 13th of February 2003 - Case C-458/00 Commission of the European Communities v Grand

Duchy of Luxembourg - points at incineration with energy recovery in

MSWI’s as a disposal operation


ECJ ruling on energy recovery

According to the ECJ ruling on Case

C-228/00, Commission of the European Communities v Federal Republic of

Germany, co-incineration with energy recovery in cement kilns is a recovery

operation.


ECJ rulings on energy recovery

In order to be considered use principally as a fuel or other means to generate

energy, within the meaning of point R1 of Annex IIB to the WFD, it is both necessary and sufficient that the

combustion of waste meet the following three conditions:



• The main purpose of the operation concerned must be to enable the waste to be used as a means of generating energy.

• The conditions in which that operation is to take place must give reason to believe that it is indeed a 'means to generate energy'.

• The waste must be used principally as a fuel or other means of generating energy.



Commission should clarify the consequences of the ECJ ruling on:

• The use of MSWIs to meet recovery targets set by the Packaging Directive;

• Incineration as recovery or disposal operations;


Energy recovery and climate change

Climate change impacts are only one of a number of environmental impacts that derive from solid waste management

options.



Other impacts include health effects from air pollutants such as NOx, SO2,

dioxins and fine particles, emissions of ozone-depleting substances,

contamination of water bodies, depletion of non-renewable resources,

disamenity effects, noise, accidents etc.



These environmental impacts are in addition to the socio-economic aspects of alternative ways of managing waste. All of these factors need to be properly

considered in the determination of a balanced policy for sustainable waste

management, of which the climate change elements are but one aspect.



“source segregation of MSW followed by recycling (for paper, metals, textiles and

plastics) and composting/anaerobic digestion (for putrescible wastes) gives the lowest net flux of greenhouse gases, compared to other

options for the treatment of bulk Municipal Waste. The largest contribution to this effect

is the avoidance of emissions from landfills as a result of recycling these materials”

Waste management options and climate change, AEA Technology 2001



When it comes to municipal or regional waste planning, local factors exert the dominant

influence.• availability of existing waste management

facilities and duration of waste management contracts, necessity to build new facilities

• markets for recyclables, • geographic and socio-economic factors


Lessons on Waste

Local factors exert the dominant influence:

• Waste remain extremely sensitive political issue

• Poor public information & participation

• Lack of consensus is the rule

• Information + Participation = Prevention


Waste: the way forward

• You cannot solve the problem by renaming it!!!

• Italy has changed the waste definition by restricting the scope of the WFD

• Is the Commission following down this road?

6/2/2015R. Ferrigno EU Policy Director1 Energy recovery European Environmental Bureau.

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Transcript of 6/2/2015R. Ferrigno EU Policy Director1 Energy recovery European Environmental Bureau.