Diseño de una metodología para el control de calidad de los rechazos producidos en las plantas de tratamiento mecánico-biológico de residuos sólidos urbanos

El tratamiento mecánico-biológico (TMB) de residuos sólidos urbanos genera una gran cantidad de rechazos que pueden ser aprovechados mediante su transformación en un combustible sólido recuperado (CSR). No obstante, para su clasificación y comercialización como CSR deben cumplir unos estándares de calidad. En este estudio se presenta una metodología para el control de calidad de los rechazos generados en las plantas de TMB. Esta incluye un plan de muestreo para el cálculo del tamaño y número de muestras que se deben tomar anualmente de cada tipo de rechazo generado en la planta; dicho plan se ha implementado y validado en dos plantas de TMB diferentes. Además, también contempla un procedimiento de preparación de muestra en el laboratorio para el análisis de los parámetros de calidad. La metodología diseñada es una herramienta muy útil para poder producir un CSR a partir de los rechazos con unas propiedades definidas, favoreciendo su valorización.Mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) of municipal solid waste generates a large amount of reject that can be used by transforming it into a solid recovered fuel (SRF). Nevertheless, in order for reject to be classified and traded as SRF, they must meet European quality standards. This study presents a methodology for the quality control of the rejects generated in the MBT plants. This methodology includes a sampling plan that allows calculating the size and number of samples to be taken annually from each type of reject generated at the plant; this plan has been implemented and validated in two different MBT plants. In addition, it also considers a sample preparation procedure in the laboratory for the analysis of quality parameters. The designed methodology is a very useful tool for producing a SRF from rejects with defined properties, favouring its valorisation.Programa de Doctorat en Tecnologies Industrials i Material

Posibles alternativas de tratamiento para la valorización y aprovechamiento energético del rechazo de las Plantas de Selección de Envases Ligeros

La gran cantidad de residuos sólidos generados en los países desarrollados y el problema que esto supone desde los puntos de vista económico, de salud publica y medioambiente, han hecho que en los últimos años se intensifique la investigación encaminada a la reducción, reutilización y reciclaje de los residuos generados en la industria, agricultura, ganadería o núcleos urbanos. El objetivo es llegar a cuantificar la cantidad de envases que entran en las instalaciones de recuperación de materiales o plantas de clasificación de envases ligeros en el ámbito nacional. Además se pretende determinar, que porcentaje de estos envases no son recuperados, y por lo tanto son susceptibles de valorizar de alguna forma, ya que principalmente su destino es el vertedero.Edo Alcón, N. (2012). Posibles alternativas de tratamiento para la valorización y aprovechamiento energético del rechazo de las Plantas de Selección de Envases Ligeros. Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/18405Archivo delegad

El combustible sólido recuperado: Producción y marco regulador

En los diferentes modelos de plantas de tratamiento de residuos domiciliarios, además de recuperar materiales destinados al reciclaje, se generan unos rechazos que no tiene utilidad y que generalmente se destina a vertedero. Sin embargo, poseen un contenido energético elevado debido a que están formados por una mezcla de materiales combustibles. La principal alternativa para la valorización de los rechazos es su conversión en un combustible sólido recuperado (CSR), con ello se lograría reducir el volumen de residuos enviados a vertedero y proporcionar combustibles alternativos para las industrias que hacen un uso intensivo de energía no renovable. En este artículo se presenta el marco normativo y legal de los CSR en España y se compara con el de otros países europeos. En este sentido, se analizarán los parámetros de calidad exigidos hoy en día a nivel europeo. Además, también se analizan los posibles usos del CSR y su posibilidad de considerarlos como un subproducto en lugar de residuoIn the different models of domestic waste treatment plants two materials are recovered: materials to be recycled, and useless materials that are transferred to dumping sites. However, the latter possess high energetic levels since they are formed by a mixture of combustible materials. The main alternative regarding those products is their conversion to refuse-derived fuel (RDF), since the volume of waste sent to dumping sites would decrease and alternative fuels would be provided to factories making intensive use of non-renewable energies. This paper presents the legal and normative framework concerning RDF in Spain, comparing it to other European countries. The quality parameters demanded in the European context are analysed, together with the possible uses of RDF and the possibility to consider RDF a sub-product rather than waste

Analysis of the waste selective collection at drop-off systems: Case study including the income level and the seasonal variation

There are several factors which have an influence in the selective collection of the municipal waste. To define a selective collection system, the waste generation pattern should be firstly determined and these factors should be analyzed in depth. This paper tries to analyze the economic income level and the seasonal variation on the collection and the purity of light-packaging waste to determine actions to improve the waste management plan of a town. In the first stage of the work, waste samples of the light-packaging containers were collected in two zones of the town with different economic characteristics in different seasons during one year. In the second stage, the samples were characterized to analyze the composition and purity of the waste. They were firstly separated into four fractions: metals; plastic; beverage cartons; and misplaced materials. The misplaced fraction was in its turn separated into cardboard, rubber and leather, inert waste, organic matter, paper, hazardous waste, clothes and shoes, glass and others. The plastic fraction was separated into five types of plastics and the metal fraction into three. In the third stage, the data have been analyzed and conclusions have been extracted. The main result is that the quality of the light-packaging fraction collected in these zones during both seasons were similar. This methodology can be extrapolated to towns with similar characteristics. It will be useful when implementing a system to collect the waste selectively and to develop actions to achieve a good participation in the selective collection of the waste

Estudio de las soluciones a la problemática de los microvertederos incontrolados: aplicación al caso de Castellón

Although the law has forbidden uncontrolled dumping of waste in Spain since 1998 (Law 10/1998), nowadays they still appear on the peripheries of cities. The main problems of these uncontrolled micro-landfills, in addition to the visual impact, are: soil, air and water pollution; odour production; flight and dispersion of the lighter fractions, and proliferation of vectors. As a result, local government must hire cleaning teams for the continuous removal of these waste, with the consequent economic cost that this entails. The aim of this work is to propose a set of measures for eliminating uncontrolled microlandfills in Castellón. For this, it is necessary to know the causes of this phenomenon and the nature of the waste. First, the evolution and current state of uncontrolled landfills have been studied. On the one hand, the waste dump points have been located. On the other hand, the quantities discharged annually have been estimated and the composition have been determined in every micro-landfill. A clear and simple sampling methodology has been designed given that the different types of the deposited materials make difficult their count. Finally, a set of measures and action plan have been established.A pesar de que la normativa prohíbe el vertido incontrolado de los residuos en España desde hace tiempo, todavía siguen apareciendo en las periferias de las ciudades. Las principales problemáticas de estos microvertederos incontrolados, además del impacto visual, son: la contaminación de los suelos, del aire y de las aguas; la producción de olores; el vuelo y dispersión de las fracciones más ligeras, y la proliferación de vectores. Como consecuencia, los ayuntamientos deben habilitar brigadas de limpieza para la retirada continua de estos residuos, con el consiguiente coste económico que ello supone. El objetivo del trabajo es la propuesta de un conjunto de medias para la eliminación de los microvertederos incontrolados en Castellón. Para ello, es necesario conocer las causas que provocan este fenómeno y la naturaleza de los residuos. En primer lugar se ha estudiado la evolución y estado actual de los vertederos incontrolados, que ha consistido en localizar los puntos de vertido, estimar las cantidades aportadas anualmente y determinar su composición. Se ha diseñado una metodología clara y sencilla de muestreo, puesto que la diferente tipología de los materiales depositados dificulta su cómputo. Finalmente se ha establecido un conjunto de medidas y un plan de actuación

The determination of waste generation and composition as an essential tool to improve the waste management plan of a university

When many people work in organized institutions or enterprises, those institutions or enterprises become big meeting places that also have energy, water and resources necessities. One of these necessities is the correct management of the waste that is daily produced by these communities. Universities are a good example of institution where every day a great amount of people go to work or to study. But independently of their task, they use the different services at the University such as cafeterias, canteens, and photocopy and as a result of their activity a cleaning service is also needed. All these activities generate an environmental impact. Nowadays, many Universities have accepted the challenge to minimize this impact applying several measures. One of the impacts to be reduced is the waste generation. The first step to implement measures to implement a waste management plan at a University is to know the composition, the amount and the distribution of the waste generated in its facilities. As the waste composition and generation depend among other things on the climate, these variables should be analysed over one year. This research work estimates the waste generation and composition of a Spanish University, the Universitat Jaume I, during a school year. To achieve this challenge, all the waste streams generated at the University have been identified and quantified emphasizing on those which are not controlled. Furthermore, several statistical analyses have been carried out to know if the season of the year or the day of the week affect waste generation and composition. All this information will allow the University authorities to propose a set of minimization measures to enhance the current management

Testing the degree of biostabilization in the refuse from composting plants

In composting plants, aerobic fermentation could not to be complete and therefore, the fate of unstabilyzed wastes from the compost refining, uses to be landfill. This fact provokes an extra biogas generation in landfills, which contributes to greenhouse effect. In this work, the refuse of compost refining process has been subjected to an anaerobic fermentation. For that, in order to analyze their biogas generation, three samples of different composting plants have been selected. In one of these plants, the amount of biogas generation has been considerable, which involves a not complete stabilization of biowaste in the composting process

Influence of the Municipal Solid Waste Collection System on the Time Spent at a Collection Point: A Case Study

Waste management plans pay attention to municipal solid waste (MSW) collection systems. It represents a significant portion of waste management as it involves a great economic cost and environmental impact. For these reasons, many researchers have studied the optimization of collection routes, analyzing factors that make them more efficient and sustainable, for example, the overall distance traveled and the time spent on the route. Collection times depend on factors such as the speed of the truck, time at traffic lights or time spent on loading and unloading the waste. The loading and unloading times play an important role in the measurement of the total time of the route. Moreover, there is scarce information in the literature about measuring the real-time spent on the trip. All those times are necessary to optimize the total route time. However, it is difficult to obtain this information directly as it depends on parameters such as the type of truck. The aim of this work is to propose a methodology to define all the times involved in the waste collection process. Once they are well defined, they have to be measured in some cases or calculated in others. This works also presents a case study to validate the proposed methodology with an extensive fieldwork to measure those times that can’t be calculated in the waste collection process. The work presents the results of a study of the time spent at a collection point in six MSW collection systems using different types of collection trucks and bin designs. We have determined how the characteristics of the system affect the time spent at a collection point. Additionally, the times for the six models have been established. Finally, we have determined the influence of the collection model in the duration of the activity. Under certain conditions, times can coincide even though the models are different

Análisis del rendimiento de las plantas de clasificación de residuos de envases en España: Valorización de sus rechazos

Las plantas de selección de envases son instalaciones destinadas a la separación y clasificación de los materiales que componen los residuos de envases, procedentes del contenedor de recogida selectiva de envases. A finales del año 2010, en España existían 94 plantas de selección de este tipo, de las cuales, 43 disponían de sistemas de detección automática de materiales. Una parte de todo el material que entra en las plantas se convierte en rechazo, formado por impropios, material que no debería depositarse en el contenedor, y por otros materiales que siendo envases, por cualquier motivo no se han podido seleccionar. En este trabajo se ha realizado una búsqueda bibliográfica intensa y se han estimado los porcentajes, cantidades y composición de los materiales que entran y salen de estas plantas, haciendo especial énfasis en la corriente de rechazos. Se ha realizado un análisis físico-químico de varias muestras de rechazos y se ha determinado cuál es su potencial de valorización desde el punto de vista energético.Gallardo Izquierdo, A.; Edo Alcón, N.; Mengual Cuquerella, J.; Pascual Vinuesa, P. (2012). Análisis del rendimiento de las plantas de clasificación de residuos de envases en España: Valorización de sus rechazos. RETEMA, Revista Técnica de Medio Ambiente. (163):44-54. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/48084S445416