ZWE: Biological treatment of mixed waste cost competitive with incineration
13 Apr 2023 --- Material recovery and biological treatment (MRBT) methods for mixed waste sorting could be a cost-competitive and superior carbon-saving alternative to incineration practices, according to a new report by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE).
The report, based on a study by Equanomitor, shows that capital investments for MRBT could be under half of what is required for traditional incineration facilities, which typically burn waste such as used packaging for energy in cement kilns.
MRBT systems employ aerobic treatment of leftover mixed waste, which biologically stabilizes the output from waste sorting plants so that when landfilled at a suitably operated site, the likelihood of methane being released into the atmosphere is significantly reduced.
Aerobic systems also demonstrate flexibility for “switching” from treating residual waste to treating materials collected via separate collection, according to the report.
Biological treatment could be essential in achieving EU circularity targets, according to ZWE.Janek Vähk, ZWE’s Climate, Energy and Air Pollution programme coordinator, states: “We have a climate crisis and EU funds should be used to implement MRBT across Europe. These systems must be considered by all EU countries to comply with their circular economy commitments.”
“This report shows that MRBT works, it’s cost-effective, and it brings us closer to our zero emissions target – it’s effectively a proof of concept, so let’s make sure we use it everywhere to address the climate emergency,” he says.
Reducing incineration
The study modeled MRBT systems at two scales: 100,000 (100 k) tons and 200,000 (200 k) tons. These were further modeled in two scenarios: lower-cost EU member states and higher-cost EU member states.
The findings show that MRBT costs are lower than costs for incineration, especially once incinerators are included in the EU Emissions Trading System, which is based on the “polluter pays” principle and aims to reduce carbon emissions by 1500 metric tons by 2030.
Prices for MRBT facilities are in the range of €97-123 (US$106-135) per ton for a 100 kt system and €76-96 (US$83-105) per ton for a 200 kt system.
MRBT systems require relatively little capital commitment. These vary between €296-377 (US$326-415) per ton per year for a 100 kt facility and €242-304 (US$266-334) for a 200 kt facility. These figures are “well under half” of what would be expected for an incineration facility, according to the report.
“The relevance of MRBT systems at a global level is potentially enormous both in terms of energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) saving associated with materials recycling but also because of its potential of zero methane landfilling. We really should be doing it everywhere,” says Dominic Hogg, director at Equanimator.
MRBT for plastic waste extraction
When comparing the costs of extracting plastics from mixed waste with those paid under extended producer responsibility schemes (EPR), MRBT is also “very competitive” compared to traditional anaerobic methods, according to the report.
The 100 kt scale would cost (€226- 550 per ton) and would become one of the lower-cost means of accessing plastics for recycling at a 200 kt scale (€32-210 per ton).
Plastic waste incineration is a controversial topic, with some waste management associations claiming last year that incineration could replace fossil fuel reliance and help end dependency on Russian gas amid the war in Ukraine.
ZWE dismissed these claims, showing in a report, also commissioned by Equamonitor, that energy generated by waste incineration would only displace around 1.1% of gas used by the EU.
By Louis Gore-Langton
