The waste ban in China: what happened next? Assessing the impact of new policies on the waste management sector in China

The 2017 ban on the waste import and new policies for the waste management sector in mainland China had wide-spread impact. After decades of poor environmental and public health impacts from the sector, a study is needed which focuses on policies updates and waste management. This provides a direction for the survival of local waste management industries and consider similarities with the ban promulgated in China on the restriction of waste import from other countries. We review the waste management situation in China before national legislation prevented the import of waste, highlight the status of landfill mining in China, and review the dynamics of domestic policies before and after the promulgation of the ban in China. The impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the waste management system is starting to emerge, providing both challenges and opportunities for the sector in China. We see the impact of the ban on the range of imported waste and domestically generated materials. The ban results in price increases for domestic recycling that forces companies to introduce more formal recycling processes and to drive the consumption behaviours to more reasonable and environmentally friendly options. The driver in China is to reduce pollution in the environment and improve health, but a negative impact has been from increased landfill mining which has impeded the original aim of the waste ban and requires further technological development. The dynamic of domestic policies in China shows higher level of activity of updates and revisions or introduction of new policies from 2015 onwards and the concept of ‘zero waste cities’ brings new hope for improvement of the Chinese waste management system. The pandemic also suggests an important step to establish sustainable management systems despite evidence of increased “fly-tipping”. The rebound of the waste ban may have stimulated in the short term negative impacts on local environments both in China and internationally.

DecoMSW: A Methodology to Assess Decomposition of Municipal Solid Waste for Initiation of Landfill Mining Activities

Biochemical decomposition of municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfills leads to the generation of leachate, gases and humus substances. In this context, a methodology to assess D ecomposition of MSW, designated as DecoMSW, has been developed; based on a series of tests conducted on samples of the fresh MSW and those retrieved from the active bioreactor landfill (BLF) cells of age from 13 to 48 months. Furthermore, spatial and temporal variation in the (i) physical (composition) and (ii) chemical (pH, volatile solids, total organic carbon, elemental analysis, ammonium and nitrate-nitrogen, biomethanation potential, lignocellulosic content) characteristics of the MSW samples exhumed from the landfill have been established. Finally, these characteristics were correlated vis-à-vis the respective values of the fresh MSW. From this exercise, it has been observed that except for nitrate-nitrogen, all other chemical parameters of MSW decrease exponentially with time until 20 months, and beyond that, they remain constant, which is an indication of stabilization of MSW. In short, it has been demonstrated that DecoMSW is instrumental in assessing the state of decomposition of MSW with respect to time in the BLF and facilitates initiation of the landfill mining activities.

THE POSSIBILITY OF SECONDARY RESOURCE RECOVERY DURING WASTE DISPOSAL SITE RECLAMATION

Nowadays, Russian waste management policies demand the closure and elimination of dumpsites and landfills historically located in the vicinity of populated areas, with no reference to geological and hydrological conditions. Landfill mining is one of the technical solutions for old dumpsite reclamation. The unique feature of this study is the application of an integrated scenario approach in the evaluation of landfill mining projects. This approach is based on a scenario matrix that compares costs and revenues for each scenario, depending on resource and technological capabilities on the one hand, and prevailing economic conditions on the other. It was revealed that for large dumpsites the cost of landfill mining project with waste excavation and redisposal, using landfill soil material, and the recovery of secondary raw materials is several times higher than the cost of baseline dumpsite reclamation. This study shows that implementation of landfill mining projects is feasible for relatively small dumpsites with a low object base area load. The age of a landfill, among the other parameters, has an impact on the economic efficiency of landfill mining project. According to the study the older the landfill is, the higher the content of landfill soil and the lower the amount of secondary raw materials available. As a result, the efficiency and cost of sorting technologies for soil material and secondary raw materials are key factors that determine the economic feasibility of landfill mining during waste disposal site reclamation. Within each scenario, the factors that most influence the total cost are identified.

The EU Training Network for Resource Recovery through Enhanced Landfill Mining—A Review

The “European Union Training Network for Resource Recovery Through Enhanced Landfill Mining (NEW-MINE)” was a European research project conducted between 2016 and 2020 to investigate the exploration of and resource recovery from landfills as well as the processing of the excavated waste and the valorization of the obtained waste fractions using thermochemical processes. This project yielded more than 40 publications ranging from geophysics via mechanical process engineering to ceramics, which have not yet been discussed coherently in a review publication. This article summarizes and links the NEW-MINE publications and discusses their practical applicability in waste management systems. Within the NEW-MINE project in a first step concentrates of specific materials (e.g., metals, combustibles, inert materials) were produced which might be used as secondary raw materials. In a second step, recycled products (e.g., inorganic polymers, functional glass-ceramics) were produced from these concentrates at the lab scale. However, even if secondary raw materials or recycled products could be produced at a large scale, it remains unclear if they can compete with primary raw materials or products from primary raw materials. Given the ambitions of transition towards a more circular economy, economic incentives are required to make secondary raw materials or recycled products from enhanced landfill mining (ELFM) competitive in the market.

A Review on Solid Waste Management Using the DPSIR Framework in a Southern Africa Case Study

This chapter uses the DPSIR framework to examine logistical, infrastructural, and operational challenges in SA's SWM system using Buffalo City Municipality as case study. Findings suggest that SWM is an endemic problem in the municipality characterised by a preference to landfill disposal, minimal recycling tendencies, poor waste services, non-enforcement of existent waste regulation, inadequate funding, and non-involvement of urbanites and informal sector in the process. To counter these challenges, BCM has enhanced its financial resources to facilitate scientific landfilling and transit to perceptions of solid waste as a useful good. The municipality has collaborated with local industries and international organizations to synergize efforts to implement state and local waste management plans. For an integrated model of SWM, this review suggests SA and BCM's need to plan innovatively, adopt landfill-mining, plan strategically on all waste cycle aspects, and modify existing regulations to accommodate urbanites and informal waste pickers in the process.