Waste is a resource

in Ecocity
Ulla-Maija Mroueh, Customer Manager, VTT Technical Research
Centre of Finland
Waste management in EcoCity
Outline of the presentation
• Basic principles of waste management in
EcoCity
• Waste collection and source separation
• Waste treatment methods
• Future opportunities
• Optimised waste treatment system
Basic principles of waste management in EcoCity
• EcoCity uses resources sparingly
• Waste management and recycling is an integral part
of the resource management of the city
• MateriaI efficiency is considered in town planning and
in all the activities of the city
• Life Cycle impacts of the resource management chain are
understood and controlled
• Used resources are returned to natural or anthropogenic cycles
• Keep soil healthy by returning nutrients and organic carbon
• Maximum reuse of raw materials
Basic principles of waste management in EcoCity
• EcoCity does not pollute the environment
• No emissions to soil, water or air from waste disposal,
treatment and transport
• Responsibility and control
• Waste is collected, recycled and treated
by responsible parties
• The target is to produce high-quality sorted waste fractions,
which are easy to sell to re-users

• The life in the city is enjoyable

• Technology makes waste collection and recycling easy
for residents and workers
What kind of waste is produced
• Municipal waste
• Waste from food production (fish, vegetables,
meat production?), mainly biodegradable
• Hazardous waste
• Bioenergy ashes
• Construction waste
• Sludge from wastewater treatment
• Waste from enterprises - offices, small
companies, trade
• And...
Easy to-use source-separation systems
• Each type of waste is collected separately
• Better quality and recovery rate by
easy-to-use systems
• Well-planned waste sorting facilities
in homes
• Separate waste bins for recyclable wastes
• Waste sorting instructions in all residences
EkoLine waste sorting system by Stala Oy
• Hazardous waste separated from
other wastes
Easy to-use source-separation systems
• In apartment buildings and offices
automatic waste transportation may be
arranged by conveyor systems
• Conveyors may also be used for transport
of sorted wastes from waste collection
points
• Conveyor system will be built, e.g. in Central
Congress Hall of Beijing Olympics
• In Finland systems used in large
shopping centres

Waste conveyor system by Puzair Oy

Collection of waste
• For single-family homes and hazardous waste
collection points

• Example: deep collection containers may be used

• Space saving, most of the container
underground
Waste deep collection containers, Molok Oy

• Optimisation of waste collection system

done in town planning stage
• Proper location of buildings helps
to find best possible collection points
and optimal transport routes
Mechanical sorting plants
• Treatment in mechanical sorting
plants
• May help to optimise transport
• Utilisation of mixed waste
treatment residue problematic
• The waste amount produced in
small cities may not be sufficient
for mechanical treatment plant
Waste transport
• In conveyor systems waste is transported by
pipeline to deep waste container/pressing
containers
• Transportation from waste collection points
by small trucks
• ICT-based system used for
optimisation of waste logistics System for optimisation of waste logistics,
Ecomond Oy

• New technologies for automatic identification

of waste types, waste container filling rates, etc.
will be introduced
Composting
• For biodegrable waste: from kitchen, garden,
farming and food production, waste water
treatment, anaerobic treatment of waste
• Organic, biodegradable waste is recycled and
utilised for soil enrichment
• Reduces emissions of waste treatment
• Reduces soil degradation by returning the
organic matter and nutrients to soil
• Soil is kept fertile without synthetic fertilisers
• Helps to remeadiate contaminated soil by
binding metals and absorbing organic pollutants
One-family composters
• Small composters for one family or a few families
• Closed, rodent isolated, heat isolated in cold
conditions, leachate collection
• Open composting only for garden waste
• Several types and models produced in Finland
• Finnish small composters adapted to demanding
weather conditions
• Maintenance is needed to produce good quality compost

• Requirements
• Separate collection of compostable waste
• A person responsible for maintaining
Composting plants
• Composting in closed tunnel or drum plant
• Final refinement of the compost in piles (closed plant)
• No odours, emissions are treated, e.g. by biofiltration
• Leachate is collected and treated for recycling
• Utilisation of the heat produced if possible

Vapo tunnel composting plant

How to ensure good quality of the compost
• Planning and delivery by
experienced parties
• Capacity of the plant sufficient
• Control of incoming material
• Pretreatment of the material
(shredding and mixing)
• Process control (temperature,
oxygen, pressure)
• Control of the product, product
quality criteria
Anaerobic digestion and composting of residue
• Anaerobic digestion an alternative
for compostion
• Produced gas may be used as
biofuel
• In stoves, for heating,
electricity production, as
transport fuel
• Substitutes for other fuels
• Residue may be composted and
used as soil amendment
• Potentially reduced greenhouse gas
emissions compared with
composting
Management of inorganic waste
• Presorting inside the city
• Most of the sorted waste transported to treatment plants
• Producer responsibility basic principle
• Promotion of responsible consumption is important
• In the absence of producer responsibility systems
the city must take responsibility for sustainable treatment
• Ecological and social sustainability
Waste from "business life"
• Ashes from bioenergy production
• Utilisation as fertiliser or in earth construction possible
• Requires environmental characterisation
• Pretreatment (washing, granulation) may be needed
• for reduction of metal leaching
• for improvement of technical properties

• Construction and demolition waste

• Presorting at construction sites
• Reuse or utilisation in energy production, earthworks
• Other materials sent to recycling plants
Optimised waste treatment system
• Material-efficiency is considered in town-planning
and all the activities of the city
• Opportunities to reduce waste production
• Packaging of self-produced goods optimised
• Preference to recyclable and reusable products
e.g. reusable transport packing
• Preference to services
• Joint use of appliances/equipment, etc.
• Utilisation of ICT technology instead of paper
• Good maintenance services
• Flexible buildings
Optimised waste treatment system
• High recycling targets compared to best existing systems
• New operational models and ways of thinking needed

100 %

90 %

80 %

70 %

60 %

50 %
Recycling rates of household waste in the
40 %
Helsinki Metropolitan Area for 2004 (YTV, 2005)
30 %

20 %

10 %

0%
Biowaste Paper and Glass Metal Electronic Wood
cardboard waste
Optimised waste treatment system
• Organic biodegradable waste is collected and treated separately
inside the city
• Usable, high-quality products
• Optimised plants with minimal emissions and energy use
• Inorganic waste is source-separated and transported to pretreatment
centres or to treatment plants
• Easy-to-use source separation systems
• Ensure that waste is transported and treated by
responsible parties