bifa-Text Nr. 69: Mixed commercial waste in Bavaria: Looking for incineration capacities: bifa Umweltinstitut

Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, many disposal companies had problems finding facilities to accept mixed commercial waste for use in energy recovery plants. Their capacities were frequently already fully utilised. After the pandemic has ended, the situation will quickly return to being as it was before. Working on behalf of the Association of Bavarian Disposal Companies (Verband der Bayerischen Entsorgungsunternehmen e. V. - VBS), bifa examined the situation in Bavaria and options for relieving it. The study has been published in the bifa-Texte series.

Based on data in the relevant literature, bifa estimates the quantity of mixed household-type commercial waste in Bavaria to be 925,000 Mg/a. Of this, around 370,000 Mg passes through sorting plants, 425,000 Mg is disposed of directly in thermal recovery and 130,000 Mg in other systems. An operator survey undertaken together with the VBS indicated the capacity of Bavarian sorting plants for such waste is approx. 800,000 Mg/a, around one half of which is currently utilised.

Among other things, scarce incineration capacities are caused by population and economic growth, the loss of incineration capacities due to the phasing out of coal-fired power plants, the reduction in EU-wide waste quantities placed in landfill and import restrictions of Asian countries.

The 14 domestic waste incineration plants (DWIP) in Bavaria account for more than three quarters of the energy recovery capacity. Easing the load on these plants could help to relieve the situation significantly.

Among other things, bifa analysed the theoretical potential DWIP relief for important waste streams through complete separation and recycling of the recoverable materials in the waste. Only part of this potential can actually be mobilised. Nonetheless, the results allow the greatest levers to be identified.

These lie, above all, in the separation of commercial waste at source and the collection of biowaste. Further significant potential can exist, among other things, in the sorting of mixed commercial waste and in the collection of lightweight packaging.

DWIP capacities can also be extended by building new plants. However, this is a long-term solution due to the delay caused by the approval process. The extent to which the capacities of existing DWIP can be extended must be evaluated specifically for each plant.

The results of the study are published as bifa Text No. 69 and are available from www.bifa.de.

You want more information?
You are welcome to contact me
Dr. Siegfried Kreibe
skreibe@bifa.de

Illustration: bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH

Photo: bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH