‘Towards a new European mindset on waste incineration?’

Webinar -Is your community about to get burned?��11 April 2024

Janek Vahk, Zero Pollution Policy Manager, email: janek@zerowasteeurope.eu

#zerowaste

zerowasteeurope.eu

AGENDA��

• INTRODUCTION
• EU FUNDS
• CLIMATE POLICY
• WASTE & INDUSTRIAL POLICY
• WHAT DOES RECENT SCIENCE SAY ABOUT INCINERATION?
• CONCLUSIONS

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Towards a new European mindset on waste incineration?

Insights and Implications: EU Waste-to-Energy Communication (2017).

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Calls upon Member States to:

• Introduce or increase incineration taxes
• phase out support schemes for waste incineration
• introduce a moratorium on new facilities.

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Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52017DC0034

EU FUNDS – ‘de jure’ financial MORATORIUM

• The EU funds have stopped funding waste incineration (D10 & R1):
• Regional Development Fund & Cohesion Fund (€392 billion)
• The Just Transition Fund (€ 17.5 billion)
• Recovery and Resilience Facility (€672.5 billion)

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information-sources/legislation-and-guidance/regulations_en

Waste incineration as an example of non-compliance

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/information-sources/legislation-and-guidance/regulations_en

Rising Tide: Europe's Shift Towards Incinerator Moratoriums

EU FUNDS – ‘de jure’ MORATORIUM

Taxonomy Regulation & Delegated Acts:

a classification system that defines criteria for economic activities that are aligned with a net zero trajectory by 2050 and the broader environmental goals other than climate.

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Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32020R0852

Other impacts of waste incineration

• Residues from incineration:
• Municipal waste incineration generates over 12 million tonnes of bottom ash and around 2 million tons of air pollution control residues
• 6.4 million tonnes of municipal waste incineration residues are landfilled annually.
• A recent independent empirical research found that incinerator bottom ash is insidiously hazardous and insufficiently regulated.
• Energy efficiencies:
• Typical efficiencies of generation of energy are around the mid-20’s % in the best cases.

Source: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ZWE_2022_ExecSummary_Incineration_residues_EU_quantities_fates-1-1.pdf/

EU CLIMATE POLICY

EU ETS & CO2 fees:

• Denmark, Sweden, and Germany have proactively incorporated incinerators into the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) scheme.
• Furthermore, the European Commission is currently exploring ways to include municipal incinerators in the EU ETS by 2028.
• Additionally, some countries, such as the Netherlands, have implemented CO2 taxes.

Source: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ZWE_Delft_Oct21_Waste_Incineration_EUETS_Study.pdf

WASTE POLICY

Incineration harms recycling:

Studies indicate that most of what is currently in the ‘residual’ waste stream is readily recyclable, meaning a significant proportion of what is currently incinerated could have been recycled or composted.

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907029/resources-and-waste-strategy-monitoring-progress.pdf

WASTE POLICY: recycling targets

Targets Unlikely to be Met

• Recent research indicates that achieving current and forthcoming recycling objectives necessitates the meticulous sorting of mixed (residual) waste.
• The introduction of mandatory sorting would result in the reduction of between 10.2 and 28.0 MtCO₂e/annum.

Source: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/library/mixed-waste-sorting-to-meet-the-eus-circular-economy-objectives/

Industrial Emissions Directive – pollution monitoring rules revamped

• Revised IED improves dioxin monitoring in incinerators:

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• The directive now mandates that emissions to air from waste incineration and co-incineration plants shall also be monitored during other than normal operating conditions (OTNOC).

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• Emissions of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCBs, shall as far as possible be prevented or minimized

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Source: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/press-release/long-awaited-revamp-of-industrial-emissions-directive-improves-dioxin-monitoring-in-incinerators/

WHAT DOES RECENT RESEARCH SAY ABOUT INCINERATION?

• Biomonitoring research in 7 countries (FR, ES, NL, LT, BE, CZ and SK):
• The study analyzed the presence of POPs in the surrounding environment of incinerators focusing on food i.e. eggs, fruit, vegetables, roof dust, water, and sediment..

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• The research reveals high levels of dioxins, (PCCD/F/dl-PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food and vegetation near waste incinerators.

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Source: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/our-work/eu-policy/waste-management/sustainable-mgmt-residuals/the-true-toxic-toll-biomonitoring-incineration/

CONCLUSIONS

EU FUNDS:

• Since 2020, there has been a moratorium on EU financing for incinerators.

CLIMATE POLICY:

• Incineration will be more expensive in the future due to the CO2 fees

WASTE POLICY:

• Waste incinerated is largely recyclable & recycling this is a must to meet the targets

RECENT RESEARCH:

• Recent studies show that European incinerators are not as safe as once believed.
• Incineration produces significant amounts of toxic residues, which are often landfilled.

Thank you!

‘The Predicaments of Waste-To-Energy Incineration in Europe’

Janek Vahk- janek@zerowasteeurope.eu

#zerowaste

zerowasteeurope.eu

WHAT DO INSTEAD OF INCINERATION – MRBT

• Material Recovery & Biological Treatment (MRBT)
• This approach combines mixed waste sorting with biological treatment.

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• Benefits of MRBT:
• scalable and modular
• cost-competitive
• quicker to implement,
• climate-friendly

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Source: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/library/building-a-bridge-strategy-for-residual-waste/

MRBT = MWS + BT + Landfill (for stabilized biowaste)