Policy Modelling for Sustainable Waste Management

Dullaert, W.E.H. [Promotor]Leeuw, S.L.J.M. de [Promotor

An analysis of household waste management policy using system dynamics modelling

This paper analyses the Flemish household waste management policy. Based on historical data from the period 1991-2006, literature reviews and interviews, both mathematical and descriptive relationships are derived that describe Flemish waste collection, reuse, recycling and disposal behaviour. This provides insights into how gross domestic product (GDP), population and selective collection behaviour have influenced household waste production and collection over time. These relationships are used to model the dynamic relationships underlying household waste management in Flanders by using a system dynamics (SD) modelling approach. Where most SD models in literature are conceptual and descriptive, in the present study a real-life case with both correlational and descriptive relationships was modelled for Flanders, a European region with an outstanding waste management track record. This model was used to evaluate the current Flemish household waste management policy based on the principles of the waste hierarchy, also referred as the Lansink ranking. The results show that Flemish household waste targets up to 2015 can be achieved by the current waste policy measures. It also shows the sensitivity of some key policy parameters such as prevention and reuse. Given the general nature of the model and its limited data requirements, the authors believe that the approach implemented in this model can also assist waste policy makers in other regions or countries to meet their policy targets by simulating the effect of their current and potential household waste policy measures. © The Author(s) 2010

A model for improving sustainable green waste recovery

Green waste, consisting of leaves, wood cuttings from pruning, and grass collected from parks and gardens, is a source of biomass that can be used for material and energy valorization. Until recently, the EU-Waste Directive 2009/28/EC allowed green waste to be used as feedstock only for compost. This paper presents a framework for examining the most sustainable processing options for green waste valorization in terms of the triple bottom line, People-Planet-Profit. A mathematical model is presented that optimizes profit, as well as environmental and social impact. Four processing options are compared and analyzed: composting, partial separation of wood cuttings prior to composting, partial separation of chopped wood cuttings in the sieve overflow after composting, and a combination of the last two options. Computational results for a Belgian case demonstrate that the optimal sustainable recovery solution is to separate a fraction of the wood cuttings in the sieve overflow for use as green energy feedstock. Additionally, if sufficiently large subsidies are available to separate wood cuttings prior to composting, the optimal solution shifts to one of partially separating the cuttings both prior to composting and in the sieve overflow, and then using the combined cuttings for energy valorization. Whenever cuttings are partially separated the remainder of the green waste is composted

A service network design model for multimodal municipal solid waste transport

A modal shift from road transport towards inland water or rail transport could reduce the total Green House Gas emissions and societal impact associated with Municipal Solid Waste management. However, this shift will take place only if demonstrated to be at least cost-neutral for the decision makers. In this paper we examine the feasibility of using multimodal truck and inland water transport, instead of truck transport, for shipping separated household waste in bulk from collection centres to waste treatment facilities. We present a dynamic tactical planning model that minimises the sum of transportation costs, external environmental and societal costs. The Municipal Solid Waste Service Network Design Problem allocates Municipal Solid Waste volumes to transport modes and determines transportation frequencies over a planning horizon. This generic model is applied to a real-life case in Flanders, the northern region of Belgium. Computational results show that multimodal truck and inland water transportation can compete with truck transport by avoiding or reducing transhipments and using barge convoys

Sustainable use of biomass waste flows in Flanders

In the 2008 submission for the Vervoerslogistieke Werkdagen (Inghels & Dullaert, 2008), the waste management policy in Flanders was discussed and a conceptual model was presented to study the dynamic effects of the Flemish waste management policy on prevention, re-use and recycling. The current paper presents an extension of this System Dynamics model of the household waste policy in Flanders. It is extended with the main biomass flows of industrial waste in Flanders. This biomass waste can be used as secondary raw material like e.g. compost or as source for energy valorisation. The System Dynamics approach can assist in understanding the dynamic relationships that are related to the production and use the organic-biological waste in Flanders. This paper presents preliminary results of a SBO pre-trajectory project called BIOMase. BIOMase focuses on optimising the biomass supply and demand for sustainable conversion to energy and secondary raw material from an ecological, economical and social point of view