Weekly Brief

How To Strengthen The Circular Economy With Waste Management In Europe?

Utilities Tech Outlook | Tuesday, March 01, 2022

Major fractions of valuable resources are lost during waste management due to inefficient waste collection, consumer behavior and a lack of awareness, market-related aspects, technological barriers, design complexities, and embedded materials' hazardous nature.

FREMONT, CA: Europe depends heavily on material resources for all society's activities. Its extraction &production of material resources have considerable impacts on the environment, human health, and the economy. Therefore, it is essential to reuse such resources in European economies, keeping their value high, delivering value for extended periods, and decreasing the need to use virgin materials.

Major fractions of valuable resources are lost during waste management due to inefficient waste collection, consumer behavior and a lack of awareness, market-related aspects, technological barriers, design complexities, and embedded materials' hazardous nature.

Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.

Rising resource extraction poses considerable environmental and human health risks, e.g., resource depletion, air pollution, water and soil pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

Loss of resources is also associated with the loss of critical raw materials that are fundamental to the functioning of central industrial sectors and applications.

Reducing resource losses is essential to guarantee our well-being and strengthen the circular economy in Europe.

Present frameworks that assess material circularity are inexact, which makes it difficult to monitor progress in the circular economy.

Waste from electrical and electronic equipment

The amount of waste (WEEE, or e-waste) is steadily increasing and is one of Europe's fastest-growing waste streams. The amount of WEEE caused in Europe is over 10 million tonnes per year, hardly 40 % of which is currently collected for recycling. However, the generation of WEEE is expected to increase in the future, and improvements in collection systems and awareness among consumers are needed to ensure increased recycling, causing reduced losses.

WEEE comprises precious metals and several critical raw materials fundamental to the functioning of key industrial sectors and applications. Although base metals such as ferrous metals, aluminum, and copper from WEEE are already largely recycled, numerous critical raw materials or rare Earth elements cannot be effectively recovered because of low market prices that do not cover recycling costs, deficiency of recycling technologies on a commercial scale or metallurgical limits to recovery processes.

As WEEE also incorporates hazardous materials and chemicals that pose environmental and health hazards, Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament & of the Council of 8 June 2011 controls the application of certain dangerous imports in electrical & electronic equipment. Although EU legislation forbids cross-boundary transport of WEEE is known to occur between Europe and developing countries, where the environmental rules are not as strict, and labor costs are lower, creating extra environmental and health risks in these locations.

Numerous electrical and electronics products are not properly designed for recycling. Design choices that raise the marketability and durability of high-tech products create recycling disputes for separating components and material recovery. For example, miniaturization and structurally integrated materials make disassembly and recovery harder. Although waste collection and management are key to decreasing the loss of WEEE, more circular and recycling-friendly designs, supplies, and manufacturing phases would outcome in longer product lifespans, modularity, standardization of parts, easier remanufacturing, etc.

End-of-life batteries

About 1.9 million tonnes of waste batteries are generated annually in Europe, and the amount is expected to increase. However, huge variations exist between different battery types regarding their chemical composition and construction. In addition, batteries contain various materials, such as base metals, critical raw materials, and hazardous substances. Thus, collection and recycling rates, the profitability of recycling, and impacts on the environment and health depend on the battery type. Therefore, the recovery of materials from waste batteries is activated by both waste policies and the economic value of the materials.

Check Out This : Chemical Industry Review

Lead-acid batteries account for a significant share of all batteries in the market and are collected as waste. The recycling of lead-acid batteries is well established, and it is estimated that 99 % of lead-acid batteries are collected for recycling. Since the process is relatively simple, it is also profitable. The effectiveness of recycling the lead content of lead-acid batteries is over 95 % in most EU countries. Furthermore, secondary lead can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds compared with the primary production of lead.

Antimony is a critical raw material used as an additive in lead-acid batteries. Almost all of it is recovered and is the main source of secondary antimony.

In lithium-ion batteries, different active materials are used in thin coatings, which makes the recycling process more complicated and not very profitable. Still, the lithium-ion battery sector is expected to grow shortly, especially for industrial batteries and batteries used in electric vehicles.

Textile waste

In Europe, exceeding 9.5 million tonnes of textiles are consumed annually, and the yearly disposal of textiles is estimated to be 5.6 million. Exceeding 4 million tonnes of textile waste is not collected separately and usually ends up in miscellaneous municipal solid waste, and 1.5 million tonnes of worn textiles are exported outward to the EU.

Reliable and up-to-date data are restricted for textile waste, and informal reuse (donation between family and friends) or reuse through second-hand shops are not included in waste statistics. Although there are some recent studies in many countries, there is no overall data for the EU on separate collection rates of textile waste. Based on a study of seven countries utilizing data for 2014 or earlier, it was estimated that just 20 % of textiles are separately collected for reuse and recycling, and thus 80 % are lost. Of the individually collected textiles, the reusable fraction is exported and sold in foreign markets, while the non-reusable fraction is downcycled.

Mixed fibers and embedded hazardous substances make recycling difficult. Therefore, policymakers' responses should incorporate designing for circularity, easy material identification, and improved collection systems.

The possible environmental gains achieved through extensive reuse or recycling are high: producing textiles is connected with significant environmental impacts, like CO2 emissions, high water, land use, and chemical pollution, mainly caused by cotton production. As Europe is a net distributor of textiles, the impacts avoided will mostly occur outside Europe.

Plastic waste

Around 30 million tonnes of plastic waste in the EU. Of this, merely 5 million tonnes are recycled in Europe, and 25 million tonnes are lost, comprising misplaced waste and process losses in recycling. Almost half of the plastic packaging waste was exported outside Europe in 2015, mainly to China; lately, this has also incorporated other countries in Asia. Only part of the plastics gathered can be reprocessed because of mixed streams, contamination, and additive contents, which hamper recycling. Design aspects and embedded hazardous and toxic substances make recycling technically and economically difficult. Moreover, plastic waste is typically only recycled a few times because of material degradation, making downcycling (i.e., non-functional recycling) very common. Only 6 % of new plastic materials are based on recycled plastics, as plastic recyclables do not generally meet the material requirements for use in the same application.

Packaging is the biggest contributor to plastic waste, generating around 16 million tonnes. This is succeeded by plastic waste from WEEE, the construction and demolition sector, and end-of-life vehicles. Packaging products — especially single-use plastics — are generally used for a short time and quickly end up as waste.

About 43 % of the plastic waste generated by the packaging sector in the EU-28 in 2016 was gathered, and the rest was disposed of in landfills or incinerated with energy recovery. However, inadequate collection systems, together with the relatively low prices of virgin materials and high costs of sorting and processing (comprising investment costs), are the main disputes associated with the losses of plastic packaging waste.

In 2018, a European tactic for plastics in a circular economy was accepted. The strategy targets to transform how plastics and plastic products are designed, produced, utilized, and recycled. By 2030, every plastic packaging should be recyclable. Moreover, the Single Use Plastics Directive requires measures to be taken to raise the gathering of plastic bottles, recycle plastic packaging and decrease the consumption of plastic food containers.

Plastic products usually also appear in paints, glues, and binding agents in the construction sector, making the recovery of plastic materials challenging and costly. The incorporation of plastic-containing components in building stock is considerable. Yearly, about 1 million tonnes of plastic waste from construction is caused in Europe: among this plastic waste, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) has the greatest recycling rate (32 %). Technical disputes in recovering recyclable plastics from end-of-life vehicles and WEEE exist, and efforts devoted to these waste streams primarily focus on metal recovery.

Final Thought

Poor or insufficient collection is a serious challenge linked to almost all the waste streams analyzed. Consumer knowledge is another important factor in increasing the collection rates of diverse waste fractions. In addition, various challenges are related to the quality of waste materials, such as material heterogeneity and the presence of dangerous substances that hamper recycling.

For some materials, technological disputes are also important reasons for losses and the lack of a market or demand for recyclables. Material losses are usually cross-linked, e.g., waste quality (heterogeneity) and a lack of cost-efficient technology. Therefore, more efforts are necessary to introduce efficient systems for collecting and sorting waste. Also, it is important to raise consumer awareness to achieve higher collection rates.

More in News

For most businesses, the final measure of success is profitability. Companies need to carefully manage their expenses while keeping their prices attractive to their customers to achieve optimal profit goals. It's a cautious balancing act that requires a high degree of business expertise. One of the crucial factors that impact the profitability of a business is operational expenses — expenses in carrying out an organisation’s day-to-day activities. The most considerable overhead expense for many companies is their electric utility bill. This isn't going to change. Energy is getting more expensive every year! Offset your uprising operational expenses with commercial solar battery storage Energy costs will not lower; they have already started going up. On top of that, businesses face higher payroll costs and extra expenses. It's time to seek ways to offset and take control of these uprising operation costs. Does your business face the following issues? • Rising electricity bills: The utility companies have modified their most expensive hours from day to evening. This means that electricity costs more between 4 pm and 9 pm, which can also be the engaged time for many businesses. The electric solutions utility cost can increase as much as 10% yearly. ‍ • Rising payroll expenses: For many businesses that hire minimum wage employees, staffing costs will nearly double, and for few, it already has had an adverse effect. Profit margins will keep on eroding. ‍ To be cost-efficient, businesses need to look for a solution that helps them lower their operational costs to maintain level prices for their customers. Battery energy storage system to save money. If your business embeds commercial solar without solar battery storage, the extra energy you produce is gone to the grid. Solar modules generate the most energy during sunny daylight hours, usually between 11 am and 3 pm. The problem is that many businesses consume more energy during evening hours. Using solar battery storage, you can store the excess energy you produce during the day and employ it in the evening when energy expenses are higher. It can also be stored, credited, and utilized during the summer months when air conditioning usage and the summer cost are highest. Here's precisely how solar energy storage works: 1. Energy production: Your commercial solar produces energy during the day, sometimes as much as 12 hours, with peak production between 11 am and 3 pm. 2. Battery charging: Extra energy generation that's not used by the business during the day is used to charge the solar batteries. 3. Bank extra power on the grid: After the batteries have been fully charged, excess energy is diverted, recorded, and stored in the utility grid for later utilization by your business. 4. Battery use: In the evenings, after the solar generation subsides, and when energy consumption and utility costs are high, you will exploit the energy you stored before in your batteries. 5. Take from the grid: Since the batteries are timely used, you can begin to use any extra power you banked before from the utility grid. 6. Energy cost savings: By using solar and battery storage, you can save more money on your electric bill each month and have more control over current and future cost increases. Check Out This:  Data Integration Solution   ...Read more
By adding value to the non-renewable energy paradigm, solar technology powers industries with carbon-free heat. Not limiting its offerings to the field of electricity, solar energy is now making strides in the industrial area. Serving various industries such as fuel, chemical, manufacturing, mining, power plants, and the like, innovative solar energy optimization technique has tremendously transformed the legacy use cases of this form of energy. Heat being the primary input for the industries, the global economic situation finds steam and thermal resource generation challenging. This is where solar energy comes into the frame. Solar energy  has seen the latest photovoltaic (PV) innovation explosion. Industries are highly relying on photovoltaic energy panels for thermal resources. Meeting the ever-growing industry demand this advanced thermal solution has considered being cost-effective and efficient. By capturing sunlight, the panels intensify the energy of the sun to generate heat and further, with the help of a condenser, they produce massive volumes of steam. In this way, PV-based solutions overtake traditional fossil fuel resources. GlassPoint Solar’s potential application is another significant development in the arena of solar technology. This application model works by allowing the sunlight to boil the water resources and generate heat and steam.   Energy Tech Solution Companies:  Advantech ,  Centric Energy Systems ,  Contemporary Energy Solutions Emerging solar technologies are capable of readily producing steam and heat at huge rates to help the industrial processes. Reducing harmful gas and chemical emissions, cutting time and costs, and scaling up production, high-tech industrial solar utility opportunities contribute to industrial process optimization. Analysts and technologists recommend increased usage of non-renewable energy sources, and in this context, solar energy seems to be the perfect solution. Many surveys state that due to many deployments and installations of renewable energy-based production units, multiple global coal and other plants are shut down. Hence, there is a drastic move toward adopting trending solar energy technologies.   Check this out:  Top Energy Tech Solution Companies ...Read more
Utility waste management helps reduce the risk of disease outbreaks and keeps communities cleaner and healthier. Utility waste management is essential for ensuring cleanliness, sustainability, and health in communities around the world. As civilizations grow and urbanize, waste generation increases, making efficient waste management and disposal more important than ever. Waste management entails collecting and disposing of trash while also combining recycling, composting, and treatment methods that reduce environmental effects. Effective utility waste management is crucial in modern civilization because it protects the environment, improves public health, conserves resources, and provides economic benefits. Utility waste management is essential for its role in protecting the environment. Improper waste disposal can devastate ecosystems, land, air, and water. During that time, they break down into microplastics that can enter food chains and water supplies, posing significant ecological risks. The improper disposal of hazardous materials—such as chemicals, batteries, and electronics—can lead to soil and water contamination. Toxins from the materials can leach into the ground and waterways, disrupting ecosystems and potentially entering drinking water supplies. Improper waste disposal can result in harmful air pollution. Burning waste in open areas or incineration facilities without adequate controls can release toxic substances, such as dioxins and particulate matter, into the atmosphere, affecting air quality and respiratory health. Waste management is crucial in resource conservation through recycling and composting programs. Many commonly thrown-away materials—such as plastics, metals, glass, and paper—can be recycled and reintroduced into the production cycle. Recycling metals reduces the need for mining, an energy-intensive and polluting process. The practices contribute to a more sustainable use of resources and minimize waste's environmental footprint. Effective utility waste management can offer significant economic benefits. The recycling industry creates jobs in sorting, processing, and selling recyclable materials. Sometimes, selling recycled materials can generate revenue for local governments and waste management companies. Investing in waste management infrastructure, such as modern landfills, recycling facilities, and waste-to-energy plants, can create long-term economic benefits. Utilities waste management plays an essential role in climate change mitigation. Waste management systems help reduce methane emissions by diverting organic waste to composting facilities and reducing reliance on landfills. Waste-to-energy technologies capture the energy stored in waste and convert it into electricity or heat, providing a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. They also reduce carbon emissions and support the global transition to renewable energy sources. Utility waste management is critical beyond simply collecting and disposing of trash. It is vital for protecting the environment, safeguarding public health, conserving resources, and promoting economic sustainability. ...Read more
Water is one of the vital element for sustaining life on the planet. Despite the abundant presence, fresh water is available in minimal quantity. Due to the growing population in environmentally sensitive areas the world’s new water supply is critically stressed. Water management acts as a solution, but it requires diverse, accurate data promptly. Collection of data by conventional means may prove unfruitful, costly and resource intensive. But today firms are leveraging earth observation technologies such as satellite-based monitoring. This method is proven to be very useful covering large and remote areas with systematic, repetitive data captures. Achieving water security and increased resilience to hydrological extremes needs a sound understanding of water resources dynamics. This knowledge can only be based on data and observations, and it is the foundation for managing water optimally and efficiently in economic and social terms, as well as with regard for environmental impacts and downstream users. Satellite remote sensing is increasingly being used as a complementary source of information. Satellite‐based sensors are now capable of making direct and indirect measurements of nearly all components of the hydrological cycle including precipitation, evaporation, lake and river levels, surface water, soil moisture, snow, and total water storage. Satellite remote sensing also represents a critical source of information in regions with limited networks and where information on hydrologic conditions is not accessible. Landsat satellites and SPOT satellites are used for water-related applications, but the introduction of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based satellites have revolutionized the work in water mapping and management. Accurate Digital Elevation Models (DEM) are being developed to assist in determining water flows and flooding potential. NASA is conducting an exciting water management experiment named GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment), a pair of satellites which collects data to determine the surface mass, total water storage and derived variables. Satellite remote sensing plays a crucial role in water resources management with current and future advances promising to transform the field and support sustainable development even more in years to come. Few Water Management Companies:  Clean Water Technology , SAYA Life , Wiseconn ...Read more