CERES :: Browsing by Author "Wagland, Stuart Thomas"

Browsing by Author "Wagland, Stuart Thomas"

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Open Access
Assessing the perception and reality of arguments against thermal waste treatment plants in terms of property prices
(Elsevier, 2013-09-21) Philips, K. J. O.; Longhurst, Philip J.; Wagland, Stuart Thomas
The thermal processing of waste materials, although considered to be an essential part of waste management, is often sharply contested in the UK. Arguments such as health, depletion of resources, cost, noise, odours, traffic movement and house prices are often cited as reasons against the development of such facilities. This study aims to review the arguments and identify any effect on property prices due to the public perception of the plant. A selection of existing energy from waste (EfW) facilities in the UK, operational for at least 7 years, was selected and property sales data, within 5 km of the sites, was acquired and analysed in detail. The locations of the properties were calculated in relation to the plant using GIS software (ArcGIS) and the distances split into 5 zones ranging from 0 to 5 km from the site. The local property sale prices, normalised against the local house price index, were compared in two time periods, before and after the facility became operational, across each of the 5 zones. In all cases analysed no significant negative effect was observed on property prices at any distance within 5 km from a modern operational incinerator. This indicated that the perceived negative effect of the thermal processing of waste on local property values is negligible.
Open Access
Comparison of a novel enzymatic biodegradability test method with microbial degradation methods
(2008-01-01T00:00:00Z) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Godley, Andrew R.; Frederickson, Jim; Tyrrel, Sean F.; Smith, Richard
A novel enzymatic hydrolysis test (EHT) has been evaluated as a surrogate for conventional microbial biodegradability methods, using 37 assorted organic waste samples collected from diverse sources. The results of the EHT method are compared with those obtained from two conventional tests; the 4 day aerobic DR4 and 100 day anaerobic BM100 test methods currently applied in England and Wales. The EHT is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic materials and can be completed in less than 24 hours. Linear regression for 37 samples against the BM100 data showed the DR4 provided a correlation coefficient of r = 0.58; the EHT method gave a correlation of r = 0.62 for the total DOC release; and r = 0.77 for the DOC released from enzymatic hydrolysis. The correlations suggest that the EHT method may be better suited to a wider range of waste types when correlating with anaerobic BM100 test results since it more closely mimics the full extent of decomposition rather than that from the readily biodegradable fraction.
Open Access
Comparison of coal/solid recovered fuel (SRF) with coal/refuse derived fuel (RDF) in a fluidised bed reactor.
(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2011-06-01T00:00:00Z) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Kilgallon, P.; Coveney, R.; Garg, A.; Smith, Richard; Longhurst, Philip J.; Pollard, Simon J. T.; Simms, Nigel J.
An experimental study was undertaken to compare the differences between municipal solid waste (MSW) derived solid recovered fuel (SRF) (complying with CEN standards) and refuse derived fuel (RDF). Both fuels were co-combusted with coal in a 50kW fluidised bed combustor and the metal emissions were compared. Synthetic SRF was prepared in the laboratory by grinding major constituents of MSW such as paper, plastic, textile and wood. RDF was obtained from a local mechanical treatment plant. Heavy metal emissions in flue gas and ash samples from the (coal+10% SRF) fuel mixture were found to be within the acceptable range and were generally lower than that obtained for coal+10% RDF fuel mixture. The relative distribution of heavy metals in ash components and the flue gas stream shows the presence of a large fraction (up to 98%) of most of the metals in the ash (except Hg and As). Thermo-gravimetric (TG) analysis of SRF constituents was performed to understand the behaviour of fuel mixtures in the absence and presence of air. The results obtained from the experimental study will enhance the confidence of fuel users towards using MSW-derived SRF as an alternative fuel.
Open Access
Compositional analysis of excavated landfill samples and the determination of residual biogas potential of the organic fraction
(Elsevier, 2016-06-08) Garcia, J.; Davies, S.; Villa, Raffaella; Gomes, D. M.; Coulon, Frederic; Wagland, Stuart Thomas
The objectives of this study were to assess the biogas potential of landfilled materials and to further validate the suitability of the enzymatic hydrolysis test EHT as a valuable alternative to substitute the standardised test currently in use (BMP). Both tests were applied to a range of landfill waste samples. The waste composition and volatile solids content (VS) profile together with the BMP test results showed that the biogas potential of the waste samples was directly related to their VS content, as expected. The positive correlation between the VS and the BMP test (r = 0.67) suggests that the first could be used as a primary indicator of biogas potential of waste samples. Nevertheless, it should be validated against the BMP test because, occasionally, the VS content does not equate to the biogas production. This was mainly due to the paper content of the samples which also correlates positively (r = 0.77) with the BMP biogas production. The EHT results showed a higher correlation with the BMP test (r = 0.91) than in previous studies which used a wider mixture of enzymes containing cellulase, hemicellulase and carbohydrase. This finding positions the EHT as a quick assessing method for the biodegradability of waste samples in future sample regimes.
Open Access
Compositional and physicochemical changes in waste materials and biogas production across 7 landfill sites in UK
(Elsevier, 2016-08-28) Frank, R. R.; Cipullo, Sabrina; Garcia, J.; Davies, S.; Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Villa, Raffaella; Trois, C.; Coulon, Frederic
The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the paper and fines across seven landfill sites (LFS) and assess the relationship between waste physicochemical properties and biogas production. Physicochemical analysis of the waste samples demonstrated that there were no clear trends in the spatial distribution of total solids (TS), moisture content (MC) and waste organic strength (VS) across all LFS. There was however noticeable difference between samples from the same landfill site. The effect of landfill age on waste physicochemical properties showed no clear relationship, thus, providing evidence that waste remains dormant and non-degraded for long periods of time. Landfill age was however directly correlated with the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of waste; with the highest BMP obtained from the most recent LFS. BMP was also correlated with depth as the average methane production decreased linearly with increasing depth. There was also a high degree of correlation between the Enzymatic Hydrolysis Test (EHT) and BMP test results, which motivates its potential use as an alternative to the BMP test method. Further to this, there were also positive correlations between MC and VS, VS and biogas volume and biogas volume and CH4 content. Outcomes of this work can be used to inform waste degradation and methane enhancement strategies for improving recovery of methane from landfills.
Open Access
Conceptual energy and water recovery system for self-sustained nano membrane toilet
(Elsevier, 2016-08-12) Hanak, Dawid P.; Kolios, Athanasios; Onabanjo, Tosin; Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Patchigolla, Kumar; Fidalgo Fernandez, Beatriz; Manovic, Vasilije; McAdam, Ewan J.; Parker, Alison; Williams, Leon; Tyrrell, Sean R.; Cartmell, Elise
With about 2.4 billion people worldwide without access to improved sanitation facilities, there is a strong incentive for development of novel sanitation systems to improve the quality of life and reduce mortality. The Nano Membrane Toilet is expected to provide a unique household-scale system that would produce electricity and recover water from human excrement and urine. This study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of the conceptual energy and water recovery system for the Nano Membrane Toilet designed for a household of ten people and to assess its self-sustainability. A process model of the entire system, including the thermochemical conversion island, a Stirling engine and a water recovery system was developed in Aspen Plus®. The energy and water recovery system for the Nano Membrane Toilet was characterised with the specific net power output of 23.1 Wh/kgsettledsolids and water recovery rate of 13.4 dm3/day in the nominal operating mode. Additionally, if no supernatant was processed, the specific net power output was increased to 69.2 Wh/kgsettledsolids. Such household-scale system would deliver the net power output (1.9–5.8 W). This was found to be enough to charge mobile phones or power clock radios, or provide light for the household using low-voltage LED bulbs.
Open Access
Critical review of real-time methods for solid waste characterisation: Informing material recovery and fuel production
(Elsevier, 2017-01-28) Vrancken, Carlos; Longhurst, Philip J.; Wagland, Stuart Thomas
Waste management processes generally represent a significant loss of material, energy and economic resources, so legislation and financial incentives are being implemented to improve the recovery of these valuable resources whilst reducing contamination levels. Material recovery and waste derived fuels are potentially valuable options being pursued by industry, using mechanical and biological processes incorporating sensor and sorting technologies developed and optimised for recycling plants. In its current state, waste management presents similarities to other industries that could improve their efficiencies using process analytical technology tools. Existing sensor technologies could be used to measure critical waste characteristics, providing data required by existing legislation, potentially aiding waste treatment processes and assisting stakeholders in decision making. Optical technologies offer the most flexible solution to gather real-time information applicable to each of the waste mechanical and biological treatment processes used by industry. In particular, combinations of optical sensors in the visible and the near-infrared range from 800 nm to 2500 nm of the spectrum, and different mathematical techniques, are able to provide material information and fuel properties with typical performance levels between 80% and 90%. These sensors not only could be used to aid waste processes, but to provide most waste quality indicators required by existing legislation, whilst offering better tools to the stakeholders.
Open Access
A decision support tool for landfill methane generation and gas collection
(Elsevier, 2015-07-10) Emkes, Harriet; Coulon, Frederic; Wagland, Stuart Thomas
This study presents a decision support tool (DST) to enhance methane generation at individual landfill sites. To date there is no such tool available to provide landfill decision makers with clear and simplified information to evaluate biochemical processes within a landfill site, to assess performance of gas production and to identify potential remedies to any issues. The current lack in understanding stems from the complexity of the landfill waste degradation process. Two scoring sets for landfill gas production performance are calculated with the tool: (1) methane output score which measures the deviation of the actual methane output rate at each site which the prediction generated by the first order decay model LandGEM; and (2) landfill gas indicators’ score, which measures the deviation of the landfill gas indicators from their ideal ranges for optimal methane generation conditions. Landfill gas indicators include moisture content, temperature, alkalinity, pH, BOD, COD, BOD/COD ratio, ammonia, chloride, iron and zinc. A total landfill gas indicator score is provided using multi-criteria analysis to calculate the sum of weighted scores for each indicator. The weights for each indicator are calculated using an analytical hierarchical process. The tool is tested against five real scenarios for landfill sites in UK with a range of good, average and poor landfill methane generation over a one year period (2012). An interpretation of the results is given for each scenario and recommendations are highlighted for methane output rate enhancement. Results demonstrate how the tool can help landfill managers and operators to enhance their understanding of methane generation at a site-specific level, track landfill methane generation over time, compare and rank sites, and identify problems areas within a landfill site.
Open Access
Determination of renewable energy yield from mixed waste material from the use of novel image analysis methods
(Elsevier, 2013-07-20) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Dudley, R.; Naftaly, M.; Longhurst, Philip J.
Two novel techniques are presented in this study which together aim to provide a system able to determine the renewable energy potential of mixed waste materials. An image analysis tool was applied to two waste samples prepared using known quantities of source-segregated recyclable materials. The technique was used to determine the composition of the wastes, where through the use of waste component properties the biogenic content of the samples was calculated. The percentage renewable energy determined by image analysis for each sample was accurate to within 5% of the actual values calculated. Microwave-based multiple-point imaging (AutoHarvest) was used to demonstrate the ability of such a technique to determine the moisture content of mixed samples. This proof-of-concept experiment was shown to produce moisture measurement accurate to within 10%. Overall, the image analysis tool was able to determine the renewable energy potential of the mixed samples, and the AutoHarvest should enable the net calorific value calculations through the provision of moisture content measurements. The proposed system is suitable for combustion facilities, and enables the operator to understand the renewable energy potential of the waste prior to combustion.
Open Access
Development and application of an Enzymatic Hydrolysis test to assess the biodegradability of organic waste material
(2007-10-01T00:00:00Z) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Smith, Richard; Godley, Andrew R.; Tyrrel, Sean F.; Blakey, N.
A novel and rapid biodegradability test method has been developed based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. The test method consists of three phases, in which the first two phases consist of the pH buffer addition, and then autoclaving of the mixture and the final phase is the addition of the enzyme mixture and incubation. An initial investigation was carried out to determine the optimum conditions for the enzymes using standard commercial cellulose as the substrate. The optimised test was then applied to a wide range of organic waste samples including untreated and treated MSW derived mixed BMW, and specific wastes such as waste wood, packaging waste (cardboard), turkey feathers and green waste. The DOC released by enzymatic hydrolysis indicates that this could give an indication of the sample biodegradability. However the DOC released in phases 1 and 2 may also contain some biodegradable components (depending on the extent of biological treatment applied to the waste sample) and these would need to be differentiated from the non-biodegradable DOC and used together with the DOC from phase 3 to give the best possible biodegradability indication.
Open Access
Development and evaluation of a rapid enzymatic hydrolysis test method to assess the biodegradability of organic waste
(Cranfield University, 2008-11) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Tyrrel, Sean; Godley, Andrew R.
The amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) that can be disposed of in a landfill must be reduced, in accordance with the landfill allowance trading scheme (LATS) in England and Scotland (LAS in Wales). Biodegradability test methods are used to monitor the quantities of BMW diverted by waste treatment processes. This research has outlined the requirements for timescale improvements on the currently used methods. The rapid (<24 h) enzymatic hydrolysis test (EHT) has been developed and the relationship of this with the long-term BM100 test has been compared with that of the established DR4 method. A range of untreated and treated organic waste materials taken from a number of treatment processes, and samples taken over a period of 9 months from a single treatment facility were analysed using each test method. The EHT is completed within 1 day, compared with 4 days for the current DR4 method, and was shown to possess a stronger correlation with the long- term BM100 test. This finding indicated the suitability of the EHT as an alternative short-term test method. A humic substance extraction step was added to the EHT procedure, which was expected to provide a more accurate estimation of sample biodegradability. This technique was, however, found to be unsuitable for use in a short-term test method based on the results presented, although further understanding of the processes involved in the EHT has been discussed. This thesis presents a new biodegradability test method, which has been developed, applied and evaluated. The processes of the EHT have been investigated, understood and discussed. Further developments are suggested based on the findings and observations throughout the thesis.
Open Access
Development of an image-based analysis method to determine the physical composition of a mixed waste material
(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2012-02-01T00:00:00Z) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Veltre, F.; Longhurst, Philip J.
An experimental study was undertaken to assess the suitability of an image-based approach for determining the physical composition of mixed organic wastes. Samples arriving at different waste sorting facilities, each visited twice during the study, were physically sorted to examine the composition these materials. During these surveys the waste was processed in order to obtain digital images covering 30 m 2 , representing approximately 250-500 kg of mixed waste. The images were processed using ERDAS Imagine software in order to assess the area covered by each component within the waste material. The composition determined from the image analysis was compared with the results from the physical hand sorting. The image analysis results indicated a strong correlation between the physical results (mean r = 0.91) however it was evident that components such as film plastics and paper were over-estimated by the image analysis approach. This short communication provides initial results, demonstrating the potential of an image-based method, and discusses further research requirements and future applications of this technique.
Open Access
Energy recovery from human faeces via gasification: A thermodynamic equilibrium modelling approach
(Elsevier, 2016-04-01) Onabanjo, Tosin; Patchigolla, Kumar; Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Fidalgo Fernandez, Beatriz; Kolios, Athanasios; McAdam, Ewan J.; Parker, Alison; Williams, Leon; Tyrrel, Sean; Cartmell, Elise
Non-sewered sanitary systems (NSS) are emerging as one of the solutions to poor sanitation because of the limitations of the conventional flush toilet. These new sanitary systems are expected to safely treat faecal waste and operate without external connections to a sewer, water supply or energy source. The Nano Membrane Toilet (NMT) is a unique domestic-scale sanitary solution currently being developed to treat human waste on-site. This toilet will employ a small-scale gasifier to convert human faeces into products of high energy value. This study investigated the suitability of human faeces as a feedstock for gasification. It quantified the recoverable exergy potential from human faeces and explored the optimal routes for thermal conversion, using a thermodynamic equilibrium model. Fresh human faeces were found to have approximately 70–82 wt.% moisture and 3–6 wt.% ash. Product gas resulting from a typical dry human faeces (0 wt.% moisture) had LHV and exergy values of 17.2 MJ/kg and 24 MJ/kg respectively at optimum equivalence ratio of 0.31, values that are comparable to wood biomass. For suitable conversion of moist faecal samples, near combustion operating conditions are required, if an external energy source is not supplied. This is however at 5% loss in the exergy value of the gas, provided both thermal heat and energy of the gas are recovered. This study shows that the maximum recoverable exergy potential from an average adult moist human faeces can be up to 15 MJ/kg, when the gasifier is operated at optimum equivalence ratio of 0.57, excluding heat losses, distribution or other losses that result from operational activities.
Open Access
Evaluating leachate recirculation with cellulase addition to enhance waste biostabilisation and landfill gas production
(Elsevier, 2016-07-05) Frank, R. R.; Davies, S.; Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Villa, Raffaella; Trois, C.; Coulon, Frederic
The effect of leachate recirculation with cellulase augmentation on municipal solid waste (MSW) biostabilisation and landfill gas production was investigated using batch bioreactors to determine the optimal conditions of moisture content, temperature and nutrients. Experimentation was thereafter scaled-up in 7 L bioreactors. Three conditions were tested including (1) leachate recirculation only, (2) leachate recirculation with enzyme augmentation and (3) no leachate recirculation (control). Cumulative biogas production of the batch tests indicated that there was little difference between the leachate and control test conditions, producing on average 0.043 m3 biogas kg−1 waste. However the addition of cellulase at 15 × 106 U tonne−1 waste doubled the biogas production (0.074 m3 biogas kg−1 waste). Similar trend was observed with the bioreactors. Cellulase addition also resulted in the highest COD reduction in both the waste and the leachate samples (47% and 42% COD reduction, respectively). In both cases, the quantity of biogas produced was closer to the lower value of theoretical and data-based biogas prediction indicators (0.05–0.4 m3 biogas kg−1 waste). This was likely due to a high concentration of heavy metals present in the leachate, in particular Cr and Mn, which are known to be toxic to methanogens. The cost-benefit analysis (CBA) based on the settings of the study (cellulase concentration of 15 × 106 U tonne−1 waste) showed that leachate bioaugmentation using cellulase is economically viable, with a net benefit of approximately €12.1 million on a 5 Mt mixed waste landfill.
Open Access
An experimental investigation of the combustion performance of human faeces
(Elsevier, 2016-07-27) Onabanjo, Tosin; Kolios, Athanasios; Patchigolla, Kumar; Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Fidalgo Fernandez, Beatriz; Jurado Pontes, Nelia; Hanak, Dawid P.; Manovic, Vasilije; Parker, Alison; McAdam, Ewan J.; Williams, Leon; Tyrrel, Sean F.; Cartmell, Elise
Poor sanitation is one of the major hindrances to the global sustainable development goals. The Reinvent the Toilet Challenge of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is set to develop affordable, next-generation sanitary systems that can ensure safe treatment and wide accessibility without compromise on sustainable use of natural resources and the environment. Energy recovery from human excreta is likely to be a cornerstone of future sustainable sanitary systems. Faeces combustion was investigated using a bench-scale downdraft combustor test rig, alongside with wood biomass and simulant faeces. Parameters such as air flow rate, fuel pellet size, bed height, and fuel ignition mode were varied to establish the combustion operating range of the test rig and the optimum conditions for converting the faecal biomass to energy. The experimental results show that the dry human faeces had a higher energy content (∼25 MJ/kg) than wood biomass. At equivalence ratio between 0.86 and 1.12, the combustion temperature and fuel burn rate ranged from 431 to 558 °C and 1.53 to 2.30 g/min respectively. Preliminary results for the simulant faeces show that a minimum combustion bed temperature of 600 ± 10 °C can handle faeces up to 60 wt.% moisture at optimum air-to-fuel ratio. Further investigation is required to establish the appropriate trade-off limits for drying and energy recovery, considering different stool types, moisture content and drying characteristics. This is important for the design and further development of a self-sustained energy conversion and recovery systems for the NMT and similar sanitary solutions.
Open Access
Investigation of the application of an enzyme-based biodegradability test method to a municipal solid waste biodrying process
(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2011-07-01T00:00:00Z) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Godley, Andrew R.; Tyrrel, Sean F.
This paper presents a study to evaluate the recently developed enzymatic hydrolysis test (EHT) through its repeated application to a waste treatment process. A single waste treatment facility, involving a biodrying process, has been monitored using three different methods to assess the biodegradable content of the organic waste fractions. These test methods were the anaerobic BMc, aerobic DR4 and the EHT, which is a method based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulosic content of waste materials. The input municipal solid waste (MSW) and the output solid recovered fuel (SRF) and organic fines streams were sampled over a period of nine months from a single mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility. The EHT was applied to each stream following grinding to <10 mm and <2 mm, in order to investigate the effect of particle size on the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from enzyme hydrolysis. The output organic fines were found to more biodegradable than the MSW input and SRF output samples in each of the test methods, significantly (p<0.05) for the EHT and DR4 methods, on the basis of DOC released and oxygen consumed respectively. The variation between sample replicates for the EHT was higher where sample sizes of <2 mm were analysed compared to sizes of <10 mm, and the DOC release at each phase of the EHT was observed to be higher when using particle sizes of <2 mm. Despite this, additional sample grinding from the <10 mm to a smaller particle size of <2 mm is not sufficiently beneficial to the analysis of organic waste fractions in the EHT method. Finally, it was concluded that as similar trends were observed for each test method, this trial confirms that EHT has the potential to be deployed as a practical operational biodegradability monitoring tool.
Open Access
Monitoring of renewable energy yield of mixed wastes by image analysis of input residual waste materials
(CISA Publisher, 2012-11) Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Longhurst, Philip J.
A novel image analysis method has been developed by Cranfield University. Following on from a recent study, this approach has been applied alongside calorific values and %14C to determine the renewable energy content of mixed wastes. This method determines the composition of the mixed waste material, and then using calorific values and biogenic carbon (14C) content the renewable energy potential of the mixed waste sample can be accurately determined. The correlations between actual (known) weights and composition of the components and the values from the image analysis are compared; these correlations (r ≥0.988) were found to be highly significant (p<0.005). The renewable energy contents (as a % of the total energy) were calculated to be between 0.64 and 3.98 below the actual values. Potential applications for the image analysis tool include a) renewable energy potential of mixed wastes prior to combustion, and b) certification of solid recovered fuels [SRF].
Open Access
Possible interactions and interferences of copper, chromium, and arsenic during the gasification of contaminated waste wood
(MDPI, 2018-07-28) Al-Badri, Shurooq; Jiang, Ying; Wagland, Stuart Thomas
A considerable proportion (about 64%) of biomass energy is produced from woody biomass (wood and its wastes). However, waste wood (WW) is very often contaminated with metal(loid) elements at concentrations leading to toxicity emissions and damages to facilities during thermal conversion. Therefore, procedures for preventing and/or alleviating the negative impacts of these elements require further development, particularly by providing informative and supportive information regarding the phase transformations of the metal(loid)s during thermal conversion processes. Although it is well known that phase transformation depends on different factors such as elements’ vaporization characteristics, operational conditions, and process configuration; however, the influences of reaction atmosphere composition in terms of interactions and interferences are rarely addressed. In response, since Cu, Cr, and As (CCA-elements) are the most regulated elements in woody biomass, this paper aims to explore the possible interactions and interferences among CCA-elements themselves and with Ca, Na, S, Cl, Fe, and Ni from reaction atmosphere composition perspectives during the gasification of contaminated WW. To do so, thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were performed for Boudouard reaction (BR) and partial combustion reaction (PCR) with temperature ranges of 0–1300 °C and 0–1800 °C, respectively, and both reactions were simulated under pressure conditions of 1, 20, and 40 atm. Refinement of the occurred interactions and interferences reveals that Ni-As interactions generate dominant species As2Ni5 and As8Ni11, which increase the solid–gaseous transformation temperature of As. Moreover, the interactions between Ca and Cr predominantly form C3Cr7; whereas the absence of Ca leads to Cr2Na2O4 causing instability in the Cr phase transformation
Open Access
Response to comment on "solid recovered fuel: Materials flow analysis and fuel property development during the mechanical processing of biodried waste"
(American Chemical Society, 2013-12-05) Velis, C. A.; Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Longhurst, Philip J.; Robson, Bryce; Sinfield, Keith; Wise, Stephen; Pollard, Simon J. T.
Laner and Cencic1 comment on Velis et al. (2013)2 clarifying certain points on the use of the material flow analysis (MFA) software STAN3. We welcome the correspondence and the opportunity this exchange provides to discuss optimal approaches to using STAN. In keeping with Velis et al.2 these physically impossible, and otherwise insignificant, negative flows have enabled improvements to STAN. Here, we elaborate on the practicalities of using STAN in our research and on the correctness and validation of our results, notwithstanding the inclusion of negative flows. We explain the contribution of our approach to solid waste management and resource recovery.
Open Access
SMART GROUND Project: SMART data collection and integration platform to enhance availability and accessibility of data and information in the EU territory on secondary raw materials
(Elsevier, 2016-11-29) Dino, Giovanna Antonella; Rossetti, Piergiorgio; Biglia, Giulio; Coulon, Frederic; Gomes, Diogo; Wagland, Stuart Thomas; Luste, Sami; Särkkä, Heikki; Ver, Csaba; Delafeld, Marco; Pizza, Antonietta
The issue of resource security has come to the forefront of the debate as Critical Materials (CRM) and Raw Materials (RM) supply is fundamental to maintain and develop EU economy. Considering the increasing scarcity and raising prices of RM, their recycling and recovery from anthropogenic deposits is essential. To date there is no homogeneous inventory available of SRM and CRM present in EU landfills, and best management practices to recover SRM from landfill activities are inefficient. In this context, the EU SMART GROUND project intends to foster resource recovery in landfills by improving the availability and the accessibility of data and information on SRM in the EU.