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Efficient Waste Management Would Reduce Emissions | 27 Jul 2010

Switching to German standards of managing municipal solid waste (MSW) would achieve greenhouse gas savings equivalent to removing 1.2 million cars from UK roads, according to a new study.

The study compared the carbon footprint of MSW management in Germany and the UK and found that greenhouse gas emissions from MSW in the UK are about five times greater than those in Germany: 165.3kg of CO2 equ emissions compared with 33.5kg of CO2 equ emissions.

This is despite the two countries producing similar quantities and composition of MSW.

The study concluded that the difference in carbon footprints can be explained by the different way in which the two countries manage their waste. In 2007, more than 60% of MSW in Germany was recycled, about 30% was combusted in EfW plants, and only about one per cent was sent to landfill.

This compares with the UK system, where about 30% of MSW was recycled, about 10% was combusted in EfW facilities and approximately 55% was sent to landfill.

Waste is efficiently sorted in Germany, with only 1% of landfilled waste allowed to be organic. This means that less GHGs are produced both overall and per unit mass of landfilled waste.

In the UK, for every tonne of MSW, 656.3 kg is landfilled which produces 272.7 kg of CO2 equ emissions. In contrast, for every tonne of MSW in Germany, 76 kg is sent to landfill which produces just 2.5 kg of CO2 equ.

Although both countries operate under the same EU regulations, Germany also has set stricter targets for waste management than the UK. Germany aims to completely recover MSW by 2020, eliminating all landfill disposal.