Achieving waste recovery goals in the medium/long term: Eco-efficiency analysis in a Brazilian city by using the LCA approach.

The aim of this study was to analyse how to ensure that medium- and long-term waste recovery goals can be achieved in Brazilian cities, based on the incorporation of viable and accessible technology. The identification of the strengths of the Brazilian cities with better (dry and wet) waste recovery rates allowed different strategies to be proposed for João Pessoa (the city selected as a case study). Those strategies were based on the improvement of (1) the selective collection of the recyclable dry waste fraction, (2) the material recovery facility to increase the recovery of recyclable dry waste fraction to be recycled and/or wet waste fraction to be composted, and finally (3) the working conditions of waste workers. A combination of these improvement strategies at two different levels of implementation (partial and total) allowed the definition of 14 alternative scenarios, which were analysed from an eco-efficiency perspective (environmental vs. economic). After analysing the evolution over time of the alternative scenarios proposed, the proposal that was finally selected was based on the initial implementation of a mechanical biological and composting facility capable of handling up to 50% of the mixed municipal solid waste collected by 2023 with a material recovery efficiency of 30%. From there, the efficiency of the mechanical biological and composting facility should increase up to 60% to achieve the waste recovery goals by 2034 (management of 60% of the mixed waste collected). This rate has not yet been reached in any of the Brazilian mechanical biological and composting facilities analysed, so the reduction in the amount of waste generated and the increase in the selective separation of waste at source are identified as key elements to be able to fulfil the long-term goals. The approach used in the case study provides guidelines for application in other geographical contexts.

An in-depth literature review of the waste electrical and electronic equipment context: trends and evolution.

The consumption of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is continuously increasing worldwide and, consequently, so is the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) it generates at its end-of-life. In parallel to this growth, legislation related to this issue has been passed in different countries with the aim of improving the management of WEEE. In order to raise awareness about the situation in which the generation, composition, management or final treatment of this kind of waste currently finds itself, an extensive number of articles have been published around the world. The aim of this paper is to define and analyse the main areas of research on WEEE by offering a broader analysis of the relevant literature in this field published between 1992 and August 2014. The literature researched comprises 307 articles, which are analysed according to the topic they focus on (WEEE management, WEEE generation, WEEE characterisation, social aspects of WEEE, re-use of EEE or economic aspects of WEEE). In addition, a deeper analysis is also presented, which takes into account the temporal evolution (globally and by topic), location of the study, categories and subcategories analysed, etc.

Environmental assessment of alternative municipal solid waste management strategies. A Spanish case study.

The aim of this study is to compare, from an environmental point of view, different alternatives for the management of municipal solid waste generated in the town of Castellón de la Plana (Spain). This town currently produces 207 ton of waste per day and the waste management system employed today involves the collection of paper/cardboard, glass and light packaging from materials banks and of rest waste at street-side containers. The proposed alternative scenarios were based on a combination of the following elements: selective collection targets to be accomplished by the year 2015 as specified in the Spanish National Waste Plan (assuming they are reached to an extent of 50% and 100%), different collection models implemented nationally, and diverse treatments of both the separated biodegradable fraction and the rest waste to be disposed of on landfills. This resulted in 24 scenarios, whose environmental behaviour was studied by applying the life cycle assessment methodology. In accordance with the ISO 14040-44 (2006) standard, an inventory model was developed for the following stages of the waste management life cycle: pre-collection (bags and containers), collection, transport, pre-treatment (waste separation) and treatment/disposal (recycling, composting, biogasification+composting, landfill with/without energy recovery). Environmental indicators were obtained for different impact categories, which made it possible to identify the key variables in the waste management system and the scenario that offers the best environmental behaviour. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was used to test some of the assumptions made in the initial life cycle inventory model.