Waste Management Flashcards
Waste processing companies given the financial incentive to look for other methods of waste management, such as recycling and incineration. When, which country, what type of tax?
1995, Netherlands (specifically Amsterdam), landfill tax
Landfill tax in Netherlands started in 1995. What year did it finish and why?
Tax increased year-on-year until 2012. It was revoked as it was unnecessary, as the tax had reduced amount of waste sent to landfill.
How much heat does the AEB incineration plant in Amsterdam create annually?
300,000 GJ of heat
Name of project which encourages use of incineration as opposed to landfill?
W2E: Waste-to-Energy
Amount of CO2 release avoided per year due to the AEB incineration plant in Amsterdam?
438 kTonnes of CO2 per year
2014: Dutch govt target set to reduce incineration by…
50%. Alternatively, choosing to improve rates of reduction and recycling to improve sustainability.
Name the largest waste-to-energy plant in Northern Europe?
Amager-Bakke in Denmark
Features of Amager-Bakke:
W2E plant
Environmental education centre (eg visits to learn about project and sustainability)
Dry ski slope
Hike, climb, zip-wire
Amager-Bakke receives waste from how many inhabitants?
700,000 in Copenhagen
How long did Amager-Bakke take to build?
4 years
Capacity of Amager-Bakke?
Capacity to produce electricity and heat for 150,000 homes in Copenhagen
What does Amager-Bakke release?
Steam
How many trucks of waste does Amager-Bakke receive per day?
350
How much did Amager-Bakke cost to build?
$600 million
How much does Redditch crematorium reduce the local swimming pool’s heating bill by?
40%
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: how many tonnes of buoyant plastic is in one patch of the Pacific Ocean.
80,000 tonnes of plastic
When was Semakau landfill in Singapore opened?
1999
Length of journey on barge to Semakau from Singapore mainland?
3 hours
Singapore has seen a 7-fold increase in the amount of solids waste disposed between which years?
1970-2016
Name the world’s first offshore landfill?
The Semakau Landfill
Semakau is currently predicted to fill up in which year?
2035
Features of Semakau:
Ecosystem and habitat: 66 species of birds, mangroves, seagrass, crabs, shrimps
Visitors can take educational visits and learn about sustainability
Once full, cells and covered with soil and eventually become green spaces
Advantage of Semakau landfill
Ash largely eliminates the methane gas emission associated with decay of organic matter
A challenge involved with Semakau landfill
High rainfall experienced in Singapore means that leachate could overflow. As a result, there is a leachate treatment plant to avoid contamination of local waterways
To mitigate this, the landfill pits are all lined with tough plastic, and a layer of marine clay. Helps to contain ash – but could have a limited life span and eventually allow leaching into surrounding areas- long-term consequences
Potential opportunities of Semakau landfill site after cells filled
Possibility of turning around 90 hectares of the island into a self-sustaining eco-park. Eg renewable and clean technologies (wind, solar, tidal power, fuel cells, desalination, renewable clean fuel and more). As a first step, in 2017, Singapore’s largest wind turbine was set up on the island, along with a linked solar generation plant to provide much of the island’s power needs
