MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN CENTRAL EAST EUROPE

Robert L Nemeskeri Head of the REC Business & Environment Programme

Venice International University

May 19, 2005

Content of lecture

• M(S)WM Considerations

• Recent and current studies

• Status and forecast

• Policies

• Resources management

• WM specific risks

• Practical measures towards urban sustainability

Important considerations related to MSWM

• Waste vs. resource (economics, waste hierarchy, IPP)• Communal, industrial and hazardous wastes in M(S)W• Volume and composition (biodegradables, organics, recyclables,

etc.)• Waste generators, WM services and their results• Well-off vs. poor communities• Where we are and where we/to go (MSW scenarios)• MSW Management options (revisiting hierarchy, practicality)• Barriers and drivers to sound MSWM• Environmental health impacts or risks of MSWM• Complex macro- and microeconomics of M(S)WM• Strategic planning for MSW systems development and

management

MSWM relevant studies and waste info management

• ETAP – JRC/IPTS, DG Research, DG Environment – clean(er) technology diffusion, techno-economics

• DG Environment – environmental policies, strategies• EUROSTAT – waste info collection and provision• EEA – ETC RWM – waste management and waste

policy analyses; LCA, MFA, SFA• UN – sustainable consumption (and production),

security, economics• OECD – economic instruments• Local/national studies – risks, economics,

management, financing

TEOWASTE

• Evolution of waste generation and management in EU Accession Countries (2003-2004)

• MSW and selected industrial streams

• Waste indicators: MSW collected, landfilled and/or incinerated

• Environmental and social impacts

• Scenarios on volumes and management

• BUT! no real conclusions (IPTS et al vs. REC)

Current Situation: MSW collection

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Estonia

Hungary

Latvia

Lithuania

Malta

Poland

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Total: 38 MT

Enlargement countries: 360kg/capita

EU: 505kg/capita

MSW: kg/capita

Current waste composition

Organic33% Others

28%

Hazardous1%

Plastics11%

Metals4%

Glass7%

Paper/card board16%

AC-12, 2000100%=360kg/capita

Current waste management practice

Incineration0.3%

Incineration (energy)

4.0%

Composting1.5%

Recycling3.2%

Other2.9%

Landfill88.0%

AC-12, 2000100%=38 MT

Landfill density (installations per 10 000 km2)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

BG CZ EE HU LV LT MT

1995

2003

2009-2014 target

General boundary condition matrix for MSWM

Table - Main changes expected in MSW management

LEGEND: To be reduced To be increased Neutral

Wa

ste

flo

w

Landfill Incineration with energy recovery

Incineration without energy recovery Composting Recycling

To

tal

Growing production and GDP, and new consumption patterns will probably cause

higher waste flows Pre-accession and

community funds available for landfill construction

Stimulated by renewables policy, Waste Incineration directive, landfill directive however

there is competition for material flows with recycling and

composting

Incineration with energy recovery will

be preferred Some of the existing plants are to be shut

down because it's not economically worth

to upgrade for compliance)

Biodegradables banned from the landfills will increase the need for

composting

Packaging Directive will stimulate

recycling. New targets are not yet decided.

Org

anic

Decrease of biodegradables by 75% (2004), 50%

(2007), 35% (2014) of the base year according to the

Landfill Directive, Deadlines are different for

Enlargement Countries

Competition for waste stream with composting

Biodegradables banned from the landfills will increase the need for

composting

Pap

er/c

ard

bo

ard

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste

amounts going to landfill

Competition for waste stream with recycling

Competition for waste stream with

recycling!!!!

Packaging Directive will stimulate

recycling. New targets are not yet decided.

Gla

ss

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste

amounts going to landfill

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste amounts

going to incineration

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste amounts

going to incineration

Packaging Directive will stimulate

recycling. New targets are not yet decided.

Met

als Achieved recycling targets

will decrease the waste amounts going to landfill

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste amounts

going to incineration

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste amounts

going to incineration

Packaging Directive will stimulate

recycling. New targets are not yet decided.

Pla

stic

s Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste

amounts going to landfill

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste amounts

going to incineration

Achieved recycling targets will decrease the waste amounts

going to incineration

Packaging Directive will stimulate

recycling. New targets are not yet decided.

Haz

ard

ou

s

Many of the hazardous wastes are banned by

Landfill Directive

banned in MSW incinerators

banned in MSW incinerators

Oth

er

Ban on tires, etc. Decreasing amount of

household combustion ash due to programmes

switching rural settlements heating to gas

NO

T P

OS

SIB

LE

total

organic

paper/cardboard

glass

metals

plastics

hazardous

other

Drivers of change for MSWM in future

• Various regulations (at both national and EU level) are expected to be the main driving force behind the future improvements

• Standards and technology development will also play an essential role

• So will the cost of each management option

• And, perhaps, the social recognition of close correlation between sound waste/resource management and the quality of life

Scenarios

BAU = business as usual

ET = climate change policies and business

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2010 2020

Other

Recycling

Composting

Incineration

Incineration

Landfill

BAU

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2010 2020

Other

Recycling

Composting

Incineration

Incineration

Landfill

ET

WM legislation and policiesThe Framework Directive on Waste Disposal (75/442/EEC1):• Calls for Member States to take the necessary measures to

ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without risk to the air, water or soil, without creating a nuisance in the form of odours or noise, and without adversely affecting the countryside.

• Requires Member States to establish an integrated waste management strategy based on the principles stipulated in the Directive, including clearly defined time scales and responsibilities.

• Requires Member States to issue permits to companies engaged in waste disposal or recovery. The permits must include requirements regarding such matters as disposal techniques and methods, sites, technical requirements and security precautions.

• Establishes provisions for inspection and monitoring of waste management in the Member States, and lays down requirements for reporting to the European Commission and the public.

Waste Hierarchy

•Prevention and minimization of waste generation•Re-use of products•Recycling of waste and reuse of materials•Recovery of waste and reuse of materials•Use of waste as source of energy – biogas and

incineration•Safe landfilling or utilization of final residues

Key principles

• The principle of best available technology not involving excessive costs (this relates to the establishment of a network of waste disposal and treatment facilities).

• The principle of proximity of treatment and disposal to the source of waste.

• The principle of self-sufficiency in waste disposal (reliance on national waste disposal/treatment facilities to avoid transboundary movement of waste).

• Application of the polluter pays principle to the disposal of waste to ensure that the cost of disposing of waste is borne by the producer or by the holder of waste.

• Duty of care for producers of waste.+ Precautionary principle!

Daughter directives and decisions

• Landfill Dir. 99/31/EC • Packaging and Packaging Waste Dir. 94/62/EC• Incineration Dir. 2000/76/EC• Hazardous Waste Dir. 91/689/EEC• Council Decision 93/98/EEC on the control of trans-boundary

movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal (Basel Convention)• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Dir. 2002/96/EC• Restriction of Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and

Electronic Equipment Dir. 2002/95/EC• End-of-Life Vehicles Dir. 2000/53/EC• Batteries and Accumulators Containing Dangerous Substances Dir.

91/157/EEC• Disposal of PCBs and PCTs Dir. 96/59/EC• Disposal of Waste Oils Dir. 75/439/EEC• Dir. on Waste from the Titanium Dioxide Industry 78/176/EEC• The Sewage Sludge Directive 86/278/EEC• Agricultural use of Sewage Sludge Dir. 91/692/EEC• Decision 2000/532/EC Establishing a List of Waste

Other MSWM relevant policies

On EU, national and local levels:• Waste economic instruments (e.g., waste user

and/or disposal charges - per capita, volume, household or property value based -, package excise tax, non-compliance fines)

• Environmental financing to municipalities/utilities, WM companies, other systems developers

• Environmental control policies, e.g., on noise, smell, pollution of air, water and soil, and public health protection

Resources management

• What are the resources? Classifications (do not forget human capabilities, time, information and land!)

• Why do we need to manage resources? Economics, social development, life support systems

• How to approach this complex field?Learning & doing

• Multidimensionality: policy, methodology, management practices, resources economics, environmental and public health risks, energy and waste management, current works

Main resource policies and actions

• 6th EAP

• IPP and ETAP and performance targets

• IPPC/BAT and other directives

• Lisbon Strategy

• Thematic strategies for RM and Waste

• EEA Topic Centre on Resource and Waste Management

RM assessment methodologies

• Life cycle analysis (LCA) – cradle to grave or cradle to cradle

• Material flow analysis (MFA) - economy/EU-wide MFA, relevance to EU statistics, relevance to policy, challenges/uncertainties

• Substance flow analysis (SFA) – for specific chemicals/agents

• Environmental accounting

Variety of complementary MFA approaches

The challenge of RM, and of WM!

Uncertainties

• Structure and volume of industrial metabolism

• Disparity of resource use

• Implications of physical growth

• Shift to renewables

• Progress on decoupling

Domestic and Import Material Requirement

RM practices

• Resource/economic/environmental/landuse - Planning

• Eco-efficiency

• Factor 4 and 10

• Innovation/R&D

• Zero emission

Waste and resource management impacts and risks

• Environmental impacts of polluting land, groundwater, rivers and lakes and coastal areas, emissions to the air, toxic substances

• Public health and comfort questions (e.g., noise and smell, besides epidemics from septic and toxic releases or contacts) and their consequences, including loss in property values

• Financial and economic risks when investing into development

Critical view on the current state of municipal waste management in CEE, SEE, EECCA

• Zero control of inputs: MSW = hazwaste? – environmental and public health risks

• No capacity/hesitance to systemic and procedural improvements towards meeting new legislation (ignorance, lack of resources and over-politicized issues)

• No suitable concept for land remediation• No effective policy and market pressure to

resources management• Special challenges with incineration

Critical view on the current state of municipal waste management in CEE, SEE, EECCA (2)

Management capabilities in the municipal framework (financial and technical)

Management capabilities in the regional framework

Management capabilities in the national framework

Questions of DEMOCRACY, OWNERSHIP, PLANNING & MANAGEMENT

Current instruments

Taxes paid on every breath we takeZero accountability of the utilization of taxes

No price on waste collection correspond to real costs of handling waste safely

No discipline, no enforcement – some instruments cannot work

No successful waste reuse incentives for the population and for the industry

Current financial instruments

Under-financed and poorly managed municipalities

Government/Ministries tend to provide assistance to “politically correct” electorates via their funds and programs

Pre- and post-accession instruments (+/-)

Private sector and PPPs! (+/-)

Future WM approach – practical steps

HISTORIC WASTE

•Mapping up MSWM correctly, including the illegal dumps

•Assessing the potential risks

•Remediation of sites according to high standards (for low/manageable long term risks)

•Integration on program/project levels with the new WM systems being planned and built

Future WM approach – practical steps (2)

CURRENTLY GENERATED WASTE

•No1 – Minimization (sustainable consumption and production)•No2 – Separate collection, storage, recycling-reuse (real WM including composting at household level whenever possible)•No3 – Thermal treatment while energy recovery•No4 – Safe disposal of residues

+ Much higher utilization of PPPs! and cooperation in small regions and regions!!

Future Financing – practical steps (3)

• Strengthened financial and technical management for regions and municipalities

• Absorption of Cohesion and Structural Funds

• Sound use of earmarked taxes and WM costs, including fines, through environmental fund and other instruments

• Market monitoring and moreover: creation! for material reuse

• WM is good business when MARKET exist – private sector

Conclusions

• Today = Poor state and slow development. Tomorrow = ??? …whatever we are aiming at and building inside the EU?

• New legislation and policies exist, and the suitable economic and financial instruments are known

• Planning and management and society-wide value shift is necessary

Let’s take the Challenge!

Thanks for the attention!

rnemeskeri@rec.org