Dec 3 2009
SAGE has published a report ‘Waste Management and Research’ which highlights the usage of water management strategies in many cities. This has indeed created a huge impact on the emissions of greenhouse gases in few regions of Europe. These strategies state that energy can be produced when the emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced.
Scientists have analyzed the impact of changes brought about by waste treatment systems with the intention of globally establishing the importance of greenhouse gas emissions. Poulsen and Jens Aage Hansen from Aalborg University in Denmark came up with an analysis on the impact created by waste management systems on greenhouse gas emissions. This long term overview was obtained from the historical data of the municipality of Aalborg. The entire study was based on the assessment carried out on organic waste that includes plastic and paper along with food waste, sewage sludge and yard waste.
Waste management measures that benefit the environment have already been implemented by the citizens of Aalborg. The municipal organic waste management system used in 1970 resulted in almost 100% of complete greenhouse gas emissions with methane. Aalborg changed its waste treatment strategy between 1970 and 2005 by including yard waste composting along with the burning of the remaining organic waste for the production of combine heat and power. This strategy resulted in 10% of contribution from wastewater treatment, 80% from waste incineration and received minor impacts from other waste treatment strategies used in transport, composting and land application.
Researchers predict that in the year 2020 improvements will be brought about by increasing the efficiency of the incineration process and anaerobic digestion. Reduction in the usage of energy in wastewater treatment and separating food waste for anaerobic digestion are other factors that are expected to bring about improvements in the year 2020.
Greenhouse gas emissions have already been reduced by the municipal waste management within the European Union. These emissions have been reduced from 64 to 28 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year between 1910 and 2007. The Kyoto agreement states that before the year 2012 the municipal waste sector of the European Union will avail a reduction of 18 percent in the target set for Europe. Thus the European Union municipal sector will emerge into a net saver of greenhouse gas emissions between 2012 to 2020 with Aalborg and other European countries making attempts to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions through appropriate waste management techniques.
Source: http://www.iswa.org/