The potential for Waste

Management in Brazil to
Minimize GHG emissions and
Maximize Re-use of Materials

Final version

Client Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment

Authors Drs. M.A.M. Corsten (Utrecht University)
Prof. Dr. E. Worrell (Utrecht University)
Drs. J.C.M. van Dael (MWH BV)
Project number M12B0068
Document \m12b0068r01 final.doc
Date July 11, 2012

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 Authors MWH B.V. and Utrecht University
2 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Contents

Executive summary 5

1 Introduction 13

2 The current situation of MSW management in Brazil 15

3 Methodology 17
3.1 System boundaries 17
3.2 Energy calculations 18
3.3 Emission calculations 18
3.4 Allocation of energy and emission savings 21

4 Brazilian data - Current and 2030 reference scenario 23

4.1 Waste generation 23
4.2 Composition 23
4.3 Recycling and disposal 24

5 Scenarios 25
5.1 Waste Law 25
5.2 Recycling+ 26

6 Results 27
6.1 Waste hierarchy 27
6.2 Impact on GHG-emissions 28
6.3 Impact on energy savings 30

7 Conclusions and recommendations 33

7.1 Impact of implementing Recycling+ on Brazilian waste management 33
7.2 Recommended further research 34

Appendix 1: References
Appendix 2: Quantitative outcome of scenariosReferences
Appendix 2: Quantitative outcome

Authors MWH B.V. and Utrecht University

3 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
 Authors MWH B.V. and Utrecht University
4 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Executive summary

Introduction
The reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are necessary to avoid negative impacts of climate
change in addition to the future limitations in the availability of selected resources stress the need for
increased energy and material efficiency. Waste management can play a key role in achieving
greenhouse gas emission reductions and increases in material efficiency. Currently in many devel-
oping countries, the focus of waste management is on waste disposal in landfills and dumps, which
creates significant emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Especially in emerging economies like
Brazil, the growing population and economic activity will result in a significant increase in the genera-
tion of waste in the coming decades. The growing impact of the current waste management practic-
es in these countries stresses the need for a change in how waste is handled.

This study assesses the potentials for reducing energy and GHG emissions for Brazil for different
waste management scenarios using the iWaste model. Various state-of-the-art waste treatment
techniques that are currently used in countries like the Netherlands are taken into account in this
study. Brazil is selected as the focus country, being an example of what can be achieved in terms of
waste management in emerging economies. The in this study identified energy and GHG emission
reduction potentials are presented at the RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Devel-
opment in June 2012.

Methodoloy iWaste-model
A schematic representation of the system boundaries used in this study is shown in Figure S1. In
this study the calculation of energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and savings for the processing of
various materials starts at the level of waste generation and ends at the level of secondary material
production. Processes such as collection, transportation, sorting and separation that may occur dur-
ing all phases from the generation of waste until its final processing (e.g. recycling, incineration, use
as refuse derived fuel (RDF)) or disposal (i.e. landfill) are included within the boundaries of this
study. The model also takes into account losses that occur during the various steps of waste pro-
cessing. The avoided energy consumption and CO2 emissions are attributed as energy- and CO2
savings to the specific processing option of the material.

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5 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Figure S1. Schematic representation of the system boundaries used in this study on waste management in Brazil.
Note: between most of the processing steps a transport step is included, which is not depicted.

Data on waste stream volumes and composition are specific for the Brazilian situation. The disposal
of waste in landfills is currently common practice in MSW management in Brazil. The other pro-
cessing options included in the iWaste model are recycling, incineration in a waste-to-energy incin-
erator, and use of waste as refuse derived fuel (e.g. in industrial processes). Waste disposal and
processing is modeled in terms of the volume of materials in the waste stream, energy consumption
and related CO2 emissions. Subsequently, for each of the materials in the waste streams, the contri-
bution to total energy consumption and CO2 emissions of waste management in Brazil is calculated.
The model distinguishes the materials that comprise the majority of waste generated in Brazil as
shown in Table S1.

Table S1: Materials and products included in the iWaste model for Brazil.

Materials and products in MSW

Paper and cardboard Steel PET

Glass Aluminum Cardboard drinking packages
Textiles Polyethylene (PE) Wood
Organic wastes Polypropylene (PP) Mineral materials

Scenarios
To assess the potential for waste management to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in
Brazil two scenarios were evaluated in this study: Waste Law and Recycling+. These scenarios are
derived from the 2030 reference scenario, as the targets in the National Waste Plan that is currently
being developed, are set for 2031.

For the projection of waste generation data to 2030, the MSW treatment Reference Scenario for
Brazil was used as defined by the World Bank (2010). This Reference Scenario uses the waste gen-
eration data from Abrelpe as a starting point and estimates the growth in waste generation based on
forecasts of population growth and future rates of waste generation per capita.

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6 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
It assumes that current conditions will persist, as it will take time before the various initiatives that are
currently developed will be implemented. The amount of waste collected is projected to grow to 85
Mt per year in 2030 (World Bank, 2010). Taking into account a collection efficiency of 89%, waste
generation will grow to 95.5 Mt per year in 2030. This means an increase of about 57% compared to
2010.

The Waste Law scenario is based on the Brazilian Waste Law and the targets set by the National
Waste Plan, which is currently under development in Brazil. Though National Waste Plan targets are
not final yet, the ambitious targets known at the time of this study were used in this scenario. The
targets set by the National Waste Plan include the reduction of dry recyclable waste (36% by 2031)
and organic waste (53% by 2031) disposed at landfills. Other targets include the recovery of landfill
gas. In 2031, about 250 MWh/year of landfill gas should be recovered from landfills. This represents
83% of the total 300 MWh/year of gas production in landfills referred to by the National Waste Plan.

In the Recycling+ scenario, the focus is on recycling materials from MSW and anaerobic digestion of
the organic fraction. According to the waste management hierarchy, the materials that are not recy-
cled will be incinerated to recover energy. In addition, in the Recycling+ scenario no untreated mu-
nicipal solid waste is landfilled as the minimum processing option is incineration. Similar to the
Waste Law scenario, the Recycling+ scenario requires the separate collection of MSW in a wet and
dry fraction. The Recycling+ scenario assumes that 80% of the separately collected wet fraction is
processed in an anaerobic digester. In addition to compost anaerobic digestion also produces biogas
that can be used for electricity generation. The efficiency of electricity generation from biogas is as-
sumed to be 35%. The separately collected dry fraction is processed in a material recovery facility
(MRF) that separates various fractions for recycling.

Results
The results of this exploratory analysis for Brazil offer more insight into the potential reductions in
GHG emissions and energy consumption for different waste management scenarios. It shows what
results might be achieved with sustainable waste management using currently available technology.
However, actual results will depend on investments and implementation of waste collection systems,
waste treatment facilities and the sanitation of inadequate landfill sites.

Waste hierarchy
The share of the various processing options (i.e. recycling, landfill, incineration with energy recovery)
of the various materials in MSW for all three scenarios, i.e. the reference scenario, the Waste Law
scenario and the Recycling+ scenario, is shown in Figure S2. In the Waste Law scenario, there is a
shift towards recycling materials, though more than half of the generated waste is still landfilled. In
the Recycling+ scenario more than 70% of all generated waste is recovered for recycling. Also, land-
filling is replaced by incineration with energy recovery.

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7 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Figure S2: Share of recycling per material, waste-to-energy and landfill for the three scenarios.

Impact on GHG-emissions
Figure S3 shows the impact on GHG emissions for the three different scenarios and shows the con-
tribution of the various materials in MSW.

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Figure S3: GHG-emissions for 2010 situation and the three scenarios for 2030 in Brazil.

In table S2 the GHG-emissions in the two more ambitious scenarios are compared to the Baseline
2030 scenario for the three materials from MSW that have the largest impact on GHG emissions.

Table S2: Changes in GHG-emissions for three waste components compared with Baseline 2030 (in Mt CO2eq/yr).

Differences in GHG-emissions
(Mt CO2eq/yw)
Material Baseline 2030 > Waste Law Baseline 2030 > Recycling+

Organic waste - 29.8 - 36.6

Paper and cardboard - 12.2 - 16.7
PE - 7.6 - 18.6

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Impact on energy savings
Figure S4 shows the energy balances for the different scenarios with the contribution of the various
materials in MSW.

Figure S4: Energy balance for the current situation and the three different scenarios.

Table S3 shows potential reductions in energy consumption in the two more ambitious scenarios in
comparison to the Baseline 2030 scenario for the three major materials that have the largest energy
saving potential.

Table S3: Changes in energy consumption for three waste components compared with Baseline 2030 (in PJ/yr).

Energy savings
(PJ/yr)
Material Baseline 2030 > Waste Law Baseline 2030 > Recycling+

PE - 99.1 - 594.0
Paper and cardboard - 39.3 - 98.8
Organic waste - 19.7 - 69.4

Recommendations
To make major steps in reducing and preventing GHG emissions future waste management choices
should affect the recycling of organic waste (responsible for 76% of GHG-emissions) and paper and
cardboard (responsible for 19%).

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The presented (draft) targets in the Waste Law scenario result in reducing/preventing GHG emis-
sions because of landfill gas recovery and a higher rate of recycling organic waste and dry recycla-
bles. In addition to the giant change in applying landfill gas recovery techniques and other measures
to create sanitary landfill sites, other big transformations required for this scenario include the change
to two bin collection (with all associated logistic issues related to distributing bins and implementing
collection systems) and setting up an infrastructure of recycling facilities.

To realize the maximum on GHG avoidance and on energy savings high-quality recycling and high
efficiency energy recovery should be applied. This means a transition to the Recycling+ scenario.
This transition affects waste collection and waste treatment. Materials like paper and cardboard,
plastics PP, PE and PET have the highest recycling rates if contamination with organic waste is as
low as possible. Separate collection, for example in a two bin system, provides a good quality of the-
se dry recyclables. In a MRF (Material Recovery Facility) the dry recyclable materials are separated
in a mechanical way combined with handpicking. MRF techniques are available in countries like
Germany and UK.

To optimize the treatment of the organic fraction (kitchen and garden waste) digestion with gas and
heat recovery is recommended. The digestate can be composted and the compost can be used as
fertilizer. The qualitative (legislative) demands of fertilizer determine the extends of contamination of
the separate collected organic waste. Digestion and composting techniques are available in the
Netherlands.

In the Recycling+ scenario the infrastructure has to be expanded with high efficiency incineration
plants and the output of the recycling facilities has to increase. The change to another collection sys-
tem and to using recycling facilities creates new employment opportunities. Because of the sanitation
of landfills required by the Waste Law and the choice for no waste to landfill in the Recycling+ sce-
nario, the current wastepick problem will turn to a labor-issue. Both waste collection and waste
treatment can play a role in providing work opportunities to waste pickers.

Three elements of Dutch and/or European knowledge and experience can contribute to the shift from
the current situation to a situation with traits from the Waste Law / Recycling+ scenarios. These ele-
ments are:
Developing and executing waste management policy;
Implementation of waste collection systems (bins, trucks, logistics);
Engineering and planning waste treatment plants:
Landfill gas recovery;
Two bin separate collection;
Digestion of organic waste;
MRF.

Examples of Dutch waste management companies are shown on the websites of two Dutch waste
associations. (www.wastematters.eu and www.nvrd.nl).

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 Authors MWH B.V. and Utrecht University
12 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
1 Introduction

The reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are necessary to avoid negative impacts of climate
change in addition to the future limitations in the availability of selected resources stress the need for
increased energy and material efficiency. Waste management can play a key role in achieving
greenhouse gas emission reductions and increases in material efficiency. Currently in many devel-
oping countries, the focus of waste management is on waste disposal in landfills and dumps, which
creates significant emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Especially in emerging economies like
Brazil, the growing population and economic activity will result in a significant increase in the genera-
tion of waste in the coming decades. The growing impact of the current waste management practic-
es in these countries stresses the need for a change in how waste is handled.

This study assesses the potentials for reducing energy and GHG emissions for Brazil for different
waste management scenarios using the iWaste model. Various state-of-the-art waste treatment
techniques that are currently used in countries like the Netherlands are taken into account in this
study. Brazil is selected as the focus country, being an example of what can be achieved in terms of
waste management in emerging economies. The in this study identified energy and GHG emission
reduction potentials are presented at the RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Devel-
opment in June 2012.

iWaste model
This study builds on the experience of a similar study for the Netherlands: Saving Materials (Corsten
et al., 2010). This study examined to what extent a reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emis-
sions can be achieved through recycling of selected waste streams in the supply chain versus waste
incineration with energy recovery. For this study, the iWaste model was developed that simulates
generated and processed waste streams. This model builds on the life cycle of materials and prod-
ucts in selected waste streams, starting at the level of waste generation and ending with final pro-
cessing in the form of recycling or incineration. The model includes all phases involved in the pro-
cess: generation, collection, transportation, separation, and use as refuse derived fuel (RDF). This
allows evaluating various options in an integrated way, while accounting for the characteristics of
recycling and alternative waste processing options.

The iWaste model is a simulation tool, which means that different parameters can be varied and
different scenarios tested. The results are being compared with the reference situation in 2008. The
current model focuses exclusively on energy consumption (fuel and electricity) and CO 2 emissions.

In the underlying study, the iWaste model has been adapted for Brazil. It includes data to simulate
waste disposal in Brazil in 2010 (current situation) and projections for 2030 (reference scenario).
Two different scenarios are tested and compared with the reference scenario.

Reading guide
Following this introduction, chapter 2 some insight in current waste management practices in Brazil.
Chapter 3 introduces the methodology of the iWaste-model. Chapter 4 describes the model as-
sumptions and projections for 2030.

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The alternative scenarios are described in chapter 5 and the results are shown in chapter 6. Finally,
chapter 7 gives recommendations.

Acknowledgements
This study is financially supported by the Dutch government (Ministry of Infrastructure and the Envi-
ronment) . The authors would like to thank Abrelpe, NVRD and Agentschap NL for their contributions
to this study.

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2 The current situation of MSW management in Brazil

Currently, little data is available on the current generation, composition, and processing of MSW in
Brazil. One of the sources that keeps track and gives insight into the volumes of waste generated in
urban areas and the recycling of materials in Brazil is the annual survey by Abrelpe. The 2010 sur-
vey (Abrelpe, 2010) reports the generation of 61 Mt urban MSW in that year, which is an increase of
6.8% compared to 2009. This includes waste from domestic activities in urban households, from
sweeping and cleaning of public areas and public roads, and from other urban cleaning services.
Another source that reports the generation of urban MSW is the National Survey of Basic Sanitation
(IBGE, 2000). This survey reports that in 2000 about 80 Mt of urban waste was collected, which is
significantly higher than the volumereported by Abrelpe (2010). According to a study of the World
Bank (2010) the data from Abrelpe is more reliable as these are based on surveys and studies un-
dertaken by both the Ministry of Cities and the Ministry of Environment.

The MSW generated in Brazil consists largely of organic material. Other materials that consitute a
significant share in MSW are plastics (mainly PE, PP, PET), and paper and cardboard. Various stud-
ies show figures for the overall composition of MSW in Brazil (Bianchini and Filho, 2006; Monteiro et
al., 2008), but detailed data on the composition of total generated MSW in Brazil is not available.
However, an analysis of about 500 containers of MSW from the city of Rio de Janeiro offers , a more
detailed insight into the composition of urban MSW is (Table 1) (Ribeiro, 2010).

Table 1. MSW composition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Ribeiro, 2010).

Material Share of MSW (%)

Organic material 54.9%

Paper 11.7%
Cardboard 3%
Drinking packages (tetra pak) 1.4%
Hard plastic 3.9%
Plastic film 15%
Glass 2.8%
Ferrous metals 1.3%
Nonferrous metals 0.4%
Stone-like material 0.8%
Textiles 1.8%
Wood 0.3%
Other 1.2%

About 89% of the generated MSW is currently collected, which indicates a slight increase in the cov-
erage of collection services compared to 2009, as the growth in MSW collection is higher than the
growth in the generation of MSW. According to Abrelpe (2010) a small majority of the collected MSW
is disposed in sanitary landfills (57.6%). Sanitary landfills have measures installed to minimize envi-
ronmental impacts (i.e. leakage of leachate, contamination of groundwater and surrounding soil).

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15 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
The remaining 42.4% of MSW is disposed of inadequately, including controlled landfills (24.3%) and
dumps (18.1%). Neither have measures installed that are necessary to protect the environment. A
majority (61%) of Brazilian municipalities still dispose of their waste in an improper manner.

Only 57.6% of the Brazilian municipalities have initiatives for the separate collection of materials.
These initiatives are mainly seen in the larger cities and are concentrated in the south and south-
eastern regions of Brazil (Abrelpe, 2010). The type and volume of separately collected material is not
well recorded in the literature. What is known is that the overall recycling rate of materials from Bra-
zilian MSW is relatively low, estimated at about 4-11% of total MSW (Abrelpe, 2012; Fergutz et al.,
2011). Nevertheless, the recycling rates for specific materials, as shown in various studies, are rela-
tively high. For instance, aluminum can recycling is reported to be about 96%, and recycling rates for
paper, glass and PET plastic are reported to be around 50% (Abrelpe, 2010; Fergutz et al., 2011;
Bianchini and Filho, 2006). These recycling rates do, however, not only include materials from MSW,
but also (mainly) include the recycling of waste from the industrial sector (except for aluminum cans).
Furthermore, recycling rates are not always calculated as the percentage of the material discarded
as waste that is being recycled. For example, the recovery rate of paper in Brazil is obtained by di-
viding the recovery of recyclable paper by the total quantity of recycled paper consumption in the
same period (Abrelpe, 2010).

According to Abrelpe (2010), the waste management sector generated almost 300,000 direct jobs in
2010, 57% of which was created in the private sector and 43% in the public sector. However, a large
informal sector that collects materials from waste for recycling exists in Brazil . The National Move-
ment of Recyclable Materials Waste Pickers (MNCR) estimated that more than 500,000 people in
Brazil collect and market solid waste in large cities for their survival (Fergutz et al., 2011). Only a
small percentage of these waste pickers (5% according to Fergutz et al., 2011) have a contract and
work under relatively good conditions. The activities of the majority of waste pickers in Brazil are
considered illegal. Despite their illegal status, waste pickers in Brazil are said to provide up to 90% of
the materials that supply the recycling industry, though this is estimated to account for less than 10%
of recyclable materials generated in households and for 3% of solid waste deposited in dumps. The
work of these waste pickers helps the environment and contributes to cleaner cities. In addition, es-
timates show that the amount of waste disposed at landfills is reduced by 20% by waste pickers,
thereby extending the lifetime of landfills (Fergutz et al., 2011).

The lack of formal collection programs is currently one of the largest obstacles for the growth of re-
cycling in Brazil. One of the main reasons for not implementing separate collection systems indicated
by municipalities are the costs, as these are generally at least 30% higher than for curbside collec-
tion. Landfill is the cheapest and therefore the preferred disposal option. Furthermore, the absence
of a recycling culture and the presence of the large informal sector inhibit the growth in recycling of
MSW (Bianchini and Filho, 2006).

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3 Methodology

The iWaste model is used to evaluate a number of alternative scenarios for the management of
waste streams and its effect on the energy balance and CO 2 emissions. The iWaste model was de-
veloped in 2009 to analyze the situation in the Netherlands (Corsten et al., 2010), but has been
adapted for Brazil in this study. It includes data to simulate waste disposal in Brazil in 2010 (current
situation) and projections for 2030 (reference scenario). Parameters can be varied to test different
scenarios, which can be compared with the reference scenario. The model focuses exclusively on
energy consumption (fuel and electricity) and CO2 emissions and does not include the financial costs
of various processes and treatment options.

3.1 System boundaries

A schematic representation of the system boundaries used in this study is shown in Figure 1. In this
study the calculation of energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and savings for the processing of vari-
ous materials starts at the level of waste generation and ends at the level of secondary material pro-
duction. Processes such as collection, transportation, sorting and separation that may occur during
the various stages from the generation of waste up to its final processing (e.g. recycling, incinera-
tion, use as refuse derived fuel (RDF)) or disposal (i.e., landfill) are included within the boundaries of
this study. The model also takes into account losses that occur during the various steps of waste
processing. The avoided energy consumption and CO2 emissions are attributed as energy- and CO2
savings to the specific processing option of the material.

Figure 1. Schematic representation of the system boundaries used in this study on waste management in Brazil. Note:
between most of the processing steps a transport step is included, which is not depicted.

Data included on waste stream volumes and composition are specific for the Brazilian situation. The
disposal of waste in landfills is currently common practice in MSW management in Brazil.

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17 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
The other processing options included in the iWaste model are recycling, incineration in a waste-to-
energy incinerator, and use of waste as refuse derived fuel (e.g. in industrial processes). Waste dis-
posal and processing is modeled in terms of the volume of materials in the waste stream, energy
consumption and related CO2 emissions. Subsequently, for each of the materials in the waste
streams, the contribution to total energy consumption and CO 2 emissions of waste management in
Brazil is calculated. The model distinguishes the materials that comprise the majority of waste gen-
erated in Brazil as shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Materials and products included in the iWaste model for Brazil.

Materials and products in MSW

Paper and board Steel PET

Glass Aluminum Cardboard drinking packages
Textiles Polyethylene (PE) Wood
Organic wastes Polypropylene (PP) Mineral materials

3.2 Energy calculations

The energy consumption for the production of a material is included in the Gross Energy Require-
ment (GER). This GER-value indicates the energy content of a product and is linked to the technolo-
gies and specific conditions used to manufacture the product. In this study, the GER is used to cal-
culate the avoided energy consumption and CO2 emissions resulting from replacement of a product
or raw material by recycling and reuse of materials recovered from the waste streams. The second
order GER-value is used, which corrects for the energy needed to produce and transport primary
energy carriers (Worrell et al., 1994). To determine the energy effects of waste processing, the anal-
ysis focuses on raw materials and intermediate goods.

3.3 Emission calculations

In the current situation, almost all MSW generated in Brazil is landfilled and only a small fraction is
recycled or processed in another way. The calculation of emissions from landfilled waste is de-
scribed below. The CO2 emissions resulting from other waste processing options are calculated
based on the energy consumption of the process converted to CO2 emissions using the CO2 emis-
sion factors for different fuels (IEA, 2011). Following IPCC guidelines, the net CO2 emissions from
biomass are considered to be equal to zero.

This study takes into account both direct and indirect CO2 emissions from waste processing. Direct
emissions are produced by using fossil fuels and raw materials within the system boundaries. Emis-
sions from landfilled waste are also considered direct emissions. The indirect emissions include
emissions from electricity generation, where the generation occurs outside the system boundaries,
but the electricity is consumed within the system boundaries. The sum of direct and indirect emis-
sions constitutes the total environmental impact of waste processing.

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The CO2 emissions from electricity consumed for the production of primary and secondary material
are calculated using the average Brazilian efficiency and fuel mix for electricity generation. The effi-
ciency of electricity generation in Brazil is 1.3 kWhp/kWhe (average efficiency 77%) (IEA, 2010) with
a CO2 emission factor of 75 gCO2/kWhe (IEA, 2011). For heat it is assumed that it is produced in a
gas-fired boiler with an efficiency of 90%.

The CO2 emissions from incinerating waste are calculated based on the volume of the various mate-
rials incinerated and their CO2 emission factors. When waste is used as refuse derived fuel, it is as-
sumed to be used in the cement industry. The fossil fuel that is replaced is calculated based on the
caloric value of the waste. The avoided emissions are calculated using the average emission factor
of cement kilns in the Brazil (97 kgCO2/GJ) (CCAP, 2008).

3.3.1 Landfill gas emissions

Landfill can be defined as the managed disposal of waste on land. It can be distinguished from
dumping waste, which is characterized by the absence of control of disposal and a lack of manage-
ment of the dump site (Smith et al., 2001). Landfills differ in their characteristics, including size,
depth, and environmental management (e.g. landfill gas recovery, leachate management).

In landfills and dumps anaerobic conditions are created when the decaying wastes consume all oxy-
gen in the waste mass. Under anaerobic conditions the waste continues to degrade and produces
significant amounts of landfill gas. Landfill gas consists basically for 50 percent of methane (CH4)
and 50 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as small amounts of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
and hydrogen sulphite. The anaerobic decomposition of waste typically takes place over a period of
30 to 50 years during which methane is generated. These methane emissions are the main concern
for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from landfills as methane has 21 times the global warming
potential of CO2. The production of CO2 from burning or aerobic decomposition of biomass is, unlike
methane, considered biogenic, as carbon in CO2 is sequestered when the biomass regenerates
(IPCC, 2006; Thompson and Tanapat, 2005).

The recovery of landfill gas reduces GHG emissions and creates an alternative energy source that
can replace fossil fuels (see below). In industrialized countries, landfill gas recovery is increasingly
implemented as a measure to reduce CH4 emissions from landfills (IPCC, 2006). Although this type
of emission reduction is also increasing in developing countries, for example, through the Clean De-
velopment Mechanism (CDM), CH4 emissions from municipal solid waste disposal still represents a
significant part of emissions in most developing countries where landfilling is common practice.
Since almost all MSW in Brazil is disposed in landfills or dumps, emissions from this practice cannot
be ignored in appraising the impact of Brazils waste management on the environment.

Calculating methane emissions from landfills

In this study the IPCC methodology is used to estimate the CH4 emissions from solid waste dispos-
al. The production of CH4 and CO2 from solid waste takes place during a few decades, as the de-
gradable organic carbon (DOC) in waste decays slowly. If conditions are constant, the rate of CH4
production depends solely on the amount and type of carbon remaining in the waste. As a result, the
CH4 emissions from deposited waste are highest in the first years after deposition and gradually
decline as the degradable carbon is consumed.

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19 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
In this study, the default IPCC methodology (IPCC, 1997) is used, which leaves out the time factor
and assumes that the CH4 emissions from landfills and dumps take place in the same year the
waste is disposed of. The use of this methodology can be validated, as over a time period of 100
years, which is a typical timescale for greenhouse gas studies, most of the methane from landfilled
waste will have been released. The CH4 emissions are estimated on the basis of volumes and com-
position of waste disposed in landfills and dumps and the management practices at these sites. The
calculations use the IPCC 2006 default values for various parameters (e.g., DOC, DOCf, F) (IPCC,
2006).

With regard to the methane correction factor (MCF), which accounts for the fact that unmanaged
waste disposal sites produce less CH4 from a certain amount of waste than anaerobic managed
landfills, and the methane oxidation factor (OX), which reflects the amount of CH4 from disposed
waste that is oxidized in the soil or when material covers the waste, this study assumes that only the
sanitary landfills in Brazil can be considered managed (anaerobic). This means they include at least
some cover material, mechanical compacting, or leveling of waste. At sanitary landfills in Brazil, after
weighing and deposition of the waste, it is compacted and leveled and at the end of the working day
the waste must be covered with a layer of earth which on average should be 0.2 m thick (World
Bank, 2010). According to a study by Abrelpe (2010) 57.6% of Brazilian waste is disposed of in sani-
tary landfills. The controlled landfills (24.3%) and open dumps (18.1%) are considered unmanaged
(25% up to 5 m deep and 75% over 5 m deep (Oliviera et al., 2003)).

Methane recovered at landfills

The methane content of landfill gas can be recovered and flared, or used as energy source for elec-
tricity generation. By flaring or combustion of the methane from landfill gas, the methane is convert-
ed to carbon dioxide, which has a significantly smaller impact on global warming. The calculation of
emissions from landfills should therefore take into account the methane that is recovered by landfill
gas recovery.

In Brazil, the recovery of methane produced by anaerobic decomposing of solid waste at landfills is
not a common practice. This is because until recently (2010) there was no regional or national legis-
lation that required the capture and burning of methane from landfills because of safety or environ-
mental reasons. In addition, the landfills that have a passive or open landfill gas flaring system in
Brazil generally do not control landfill gas collection efficiency, flaring efficiency, or the number of
chimneys actually lit (Magalhaes et al., 2010). Only after the creation of carbon markets (e.g. CDM)
the first landfill gas recovery projects were introduced. Yet, Brazil has 5565 municipalities and the
total number of CDM projects is about 31 (UNFCCC, 2012) and thus represents only a small fraction
of the landfills in Brazil.

Little data is available on current methane recovery from landfills in Brazil. According to a study of
Magalhaes et al. (2010), using the results from the National System of Sanitation Data (SNIS), more
than 50% of landfills in Brazil has no methane collection. The authors of that study emphasize, how-
ever, that this value is conservative and may not reflect the existence of passive landfill gas capture
systems commonly used in landfills around the country. Following the analysis of 226 landfills in
Brazil, Magalhaes et al. (2010) recommend that if no more detailed data is available on methane
recovery, a methane recovery value of 0.4% should be adopted.

Authors MWH B.V. and Utrecht University

20 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Because information on the volume of methane recovered and the electricity produced from landfill
gas is lacking, the value of 0.4% recommended by Magalhaes et al. (2010) is used to calculate net
methane emissions from landfills and dumps in Brazil.

3.4 Allocation of energy and emission savings

Waste processing is energetically a complex process in which choices for allocation of energy- and
environmental benefits have to be determined to assign energy- and CO2 savings from recycling.
The approach taken in this study for recycling and reuse is that the energy consumption and (relat-
ed) CO2 emissions are avoided, which otherwise would have been consumed and generated in the
production of the product from primary materials. However, the calculations take only one lifecycle
into account, though some materials can be recycled multiple times without loss of quality.

For recycling, a distinction is made between high- and low(er)-quality recycling. It is assumed that
high-quality recycling results in replacing (part of) the primary product or material by reused or recy-
cled materials. Alternatively, the recycled material may replace another material, which is considered
low-quality recycling. In the latter case, the GER-values of the replaced materials are assumed. This
type of recycling is generally referred to as downcycling, as the use of the material or product is often
of a lower quality and functionality than when the original primary material is replaced. The defini-
tions used in this study for high- and low-quality recycling and the material it substitutes are present-
ed in Table 3.

The processing of materials in a waste incinerator converts them to energy. In waste incinerators
with energy recovery, waste-to-energy plants, the generation of electricity from waste is assumed to
replace electricity generation by conventional power plants. In addition, the generation of electricity
from landfill gas recovered from landfills and from biogas produced during anaerobic digestion of
organic waste, will also replace conventional power generation. The use of waste for power genera-
tion is assumed to only affect the marginal power plants. In Brazil, this refers to electricity generated
from natural gas-fired power plants with an average efficiency of 42% (ABB, 2011).

Table 3: Definition of high- and low-quality recycling for the materials and products included in iWaste for Brazil.

Material High-quality recycling Substituted material Low(er)-quality recycling Substituted material

Paper and cardboard De-inked paper Paper produced from Not de-inked paper Paper produced form
wood wood
Textiles Reuse of textiles New textiles with substitu- - -
tion factor of 0.5
Steel Recovery before incinera- Primary steel Recovery after incinera- Primary steel
tion and used in the basic tion a and used in basic
oxygen furnace oxygen furnace
Aluminum Production of secondary Primary aluminum - -
aluminum
Plastics: PE, PP, PS, PVC Plastics: PE, PP, PS, PVC Primary plastics Production of roadside Hardwood roadside posts
posts (wood/plastic ratio 0.43)
PET Bottle-to-bottle (1/3) and 1/3 primary PET bottles, Production of roadside Hardwood roadside posts
bottle-to-fiber (2/3) 2/3 PET fibers posts (wood/plastic ratio 0.43)

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21 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Material High-quality recycling Substituted material Low(er)-quality recycling Substituted material

Organic wastes Anaerobic digestion Fertilizer and energy Composting Fertilizer

Cardboard drinking Recycling of paper and Paper produced from - -
packages aluminum/plastic fraction wood
as RDF
Stone-like materials Production of recycled Gravel/sand and cement in Production of recycled Gravel/sand
granules (from only concrete granules
concrete rubble)
a This results in an average increase in oxide formation of 16% (Lopez-Delgado et al. , 2003; Tayibi et al., 2007)

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22 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
4 Brazilian data - Current and 2030 reference scenario

4.1 Waste generation

According to a study by Abrelpe (2010), the urban generation of waste in Brazil totaled 61 Mt in
2010. Although the waste generated in rural areas is not included in this figure, it is assumed that
focusing on urban waste only will cover the majority of MSW generated in the country, since about
83% of the Brazilian population currently lives in urban areas and generally less waste is generated
in rural areas due to different eating and buying habits (World Bank, 2012; Abrelpe, 2010).

For the projection of waste generation data to 2030, the MSW treatment Reference Scenario for
Brazil was used as defined by the World Bank (2010). This Reference Scenario uses the waste gen-
eration data from Abrelpe as a starting point and estimates the growth in waste generation based on
forecasts in population growth and future rates of waste generation per capita. It assumes that cur-
rent conditions will persist as it will take time before the various initiatives, that are currently devel-
oped, will be implemented. The amount of waste collected is projected to grow to 85 Mt per year in
2030 (World Bank, 2010). Taking into account a collection efficiency of 89%, waste generation will
grow to 95.5 Mt per year in 2030. This means an increase of about 57% compared to 2010.

4.2 Composition

Various studies report figures for the overall composition of MSW in Brazil (Bianchini and Filho,
2006; Monteiro et al., 2008), however, detailed information on waste composition is not readily avail-
able. Therefore, the result of an analysis of 500 containers in Rio de Janeiro (see Table 1) was used
to disaggregate the generated urban waste into different materials (Ribeiro, 2010). The composition
of these containers corresponds reasonably well with the overall composition reported by Bianchini
and Filho (2006). The material composition assumed in this study is presented in Table 4.

Table 4: Composition of generated MSW in Brazil assumed in this study.

Material Share of MSW (%) Quantity of generated urban MSW (kt)

2010 2030

Organic material 54.9 33410 52437

Paper and cardboard 14.7 5798 a 9100 a
Polyethylene 16.9 b 10284 16140
Polypropylene 1.9b 1172 1839
PET 1.5 907 1423
Glass 2.8 1729 2713
Textiles 1.8 1065 1672
Steel 1.3 803 1261
Aluminum 0.4 c 256 401
Drinking packages (tetra pak) 1.4 858 1347

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 Material Share of MSW (%) Quantity of generated urban MSW (kt)
2010 2030

Stone-like material 0.8 475 745

Wood 0.3 207 325
Other 1.3 773 1213
a This value corresponds with air dry paper and is corrected for the moisture content of paper and cardboard in integral collected MSH (40%)
(Ribeiro, 2010).
b Assumes the plastic films to consist of polyethylene and the hard plastics to consist of polyethylene (50%) and polypropylene (50%).
c Assumes all non-ferrous metals to consist of aluminum.

4.3 Recycling and disposal

Only a small share of MSW is collected separately or sorted by waste pickers for recycling, and the
overall recycling rate of materials from MSW is currently 4-11% in Brazil (Abrelpe, 2012; Fergutz et
al., 2011). Though overall recycling rates for materials from MSW are low, reported recycling rates
for specific materials are relatively high (e.g. around 50% for paper, glass, PET plastic) (Abrelpe,
2010; Fergutz et al., 2011; Bianchini and Filho, 2006). These values, however, also take into account
the recycling of waste from the industrial sector (except for aluminum cans). Since no data is availa-
ble on the recycling of specific materials from MSW, recycling rates are estimated based on availa-
ble information and shown in Table 5.

Table 5: Estimated recycling of materials from MSW in the reference scenario.

Material Recycling rate Source Quantity recycled from MSW (kt)

(%) 2010 2030

Aluminum 63% Based on the share of aluminum in MSW (0.4%) and the 160 253
recycling of 160 kton aluminum cans in 2007.
Paper and card- 23% Based on Abrelpe (2010), assuming 50% of recycled paper 1134 a 2093
board from MSW and 50% from other sources (e.g. offices)
Glass 23% Based on Abrelpe (2010), assuming 50% of recycled glass from 398 624
MSW and 50% from other sources.
Plastics (excl. PET) 20% Fergutz et al., 2011 2291 3596
PET 56% Abrelpe, 2010 508 797
Textiles 30% 320 502
a This value corresponds with air dry paper and is corrected for the moisture content of paper and cardboard in integral collected MSW (40%)
(Ribeiro, 2010)

The estimated recycling rates for aluminum, paper and cardboard, glass, plastics (incl. PET), and
textiles from MSW totaled around 5 Mt per year in 2010, which represents about 9% of generated
MSW. The rest of the generated waste (about 91%) is landfilled with 57.6% disposed in sanitary
landfills and 42.4% in controlled landfills and dumps.

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24 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
5 Scenarios

To assess the potential energy and CO2 emission reductions from better waste management in Bra-
zil, two scenarios were developed in this study: Waste Law and Recycling+. These scenarios are
based on the 2030 reference scenario as the targets in the National Waste Plan, that is currently
being developed, are set for 2031.

5.1 Waste Law

The Waste Law scenario is based on the Brazilian Waste Law and the targets set by the National
Waste Plan, which is currently under development in Brazil. Though National Waste Plan targets are
not final yet, the ambitious targets known at the time of this study were used in this scenario.

The Brazilian Waste Law introduces the waste management hierarchy, which classifies waste man-
agement strategies according to their desirability. The waste management hierarchy consists of re-
duction, reuse, recycling, energy recovery, and final disposal. This classifies the current landfilling
practice as the last option. In addition, the Law commands the closure of all open dumps by 2014,
which means that waste can only be disposed in sanitary landfills. Regarding separate collection, the
Waste Law states that municipalities must have separate collection in at least two fractions (wet and
dry). Currently, only 57.6% of municipalities have separate collection activities.

The targets set by the National Waste Plan include the reduction of dry recyclable waste (36% by
2031) and organic waste (53% by 2031) disposed at landfills. Other targets include the recovery of
landfill gas. In 2031, about 250 MWh/year of landfill gas should be recovered from landfills. This
represents 83% of the total 300 MWh/year of gas production in landfills referred to by the National
Waste Plan.

In this study, the Waste Law and targets set by the National Waste Plan are interpreted as follows:
Municipal solid waste is collected in a wet (organic) and dry (recyclables and non-recyclables)
fraction;
Of the wet fraction, 53% is composted; the remaining 47% is landfilled in sanitary landfills;
Of the dry fraction, 36% of paper and cardboard, glass, steel, and plastics (except PET) are sort-
ed for recycling. For aluminum and PET plastics the sorting and recycling was already higher
than 36% in the baseline (63% and 56% respectively) and is therefore kept constant for the
Waste Law scenario (63% for aluminum, 56% for PET). Furthermore, the recycling of textiles re-
mains at 30%. The remaining dry waste is assumed to be landfilled in sanitary landfills;
At landfills, 83% of landfill gas is recovered and used to generate electricity. The assumed effi-
ciency of electricity from landfill gas is 30%.

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25 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
5.2 Recycling+

In the Recycling+ scenario, the focus is on recycling materials from MSW and anaerobic digestion of
the organic fraction. According to the waste management hierarchy, the materials that are not recy-
cled will be incinerated to recover energy. In addition, in the Recycling+ scenario no untreated mu-
nicipal solid waste is landfilled asthe minimum processing option is incineration.

Similar to the Waste Law scenario, the Recycling+ scenario requires the separate collection of MSW
in a wet and dry fraction. The Recycling+ scenario assumes that 80% of the separately collected wet
fraction is processed in an anaerobic digester. In addition to compost anaerobic digestion also pro-
duces biogas that can be used for electricity generation. The efficiency of electricity generation from
biogas is assumed at 35%. The separately collected dry fraction is processed in a material recovery
facility (MRF) that separates various fractions for recycling. Table 6 shows the material fractions and
separation efficiencies of the MRF assumed in this study. In addition to the material fractions sepa-
rated by the MRF, glass (23%) and textiles (50%) are collected separately for recycling.

Table 6: Separation efficiency of material fractions separated by MRF.

Process step Efficiency a Material purity from MRF and recycling losses
(%)

Separation of ferrous metal 85 Ferrous material from MRF has 90% purity.
Separation of non-ferrous metal 75
Separation dense plastic 85 Material efficiency for the production of recycled flakes is assumed to be 75% b.
Separation plastic film 75 Material efficiency for the production of recycled flakes is assumed to be 75% b.
Separation of paper and cardboard 40 Rejects from recycling total 11.5% c
Separation of drinking package (tetra 85 Drink cartons from MRF have 90% purity d
pak)
a HTP, 2012
b Based on Shen et al. (2010)
c Based on Laurijssen et al. (2010)
d Only paper fraction (78%) of drinking packages is recycled, aluminum/plastic fraction is used as RDF

The materials that are not recycled are incinerated in a waste-to-energy plant. Also, rejects from the
recycling processes are assumed to be incinerated with energy recovery or used as RDF. In the
Recycling+ scenario the technology assumed for the waste-to-energy plant is the state-of-the-art
technology currently used by the Waste and Energy Company (AEB) in Amsterdam. It operates at a
net electrical efficiency from waste of 28% (AEB, 2006), which is relatively high compared to the
European average of 16-18% (Reimann, 2009). The thermal efficiency is assumed to be 9%, where
the heat is delivered to various companies and homes in the vicinity.

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26 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
6 Results

The results of this exploratory analysis for Brazil lead to insights into the potential reductions in GHG
emissions and energy consumption for different waste management scenarios. It shows what results
might be achieved with sustainable waste management using currently available technology. How-
ever, actual results will depend on investments and implementation of waste collection systems,
waste treatment facilities and the sanitation of inadequate landfill sites.

6.1 Waste hierarchy

The share of the various processing options (i.e. recycling, landfill, incineration with energy recovery)
of the various materials in MSW in the reference scenario, the Waste Law scenario and the Recy-
cling+ scenario is shown in Figure 2. In the Waste Law scenario, there is a shift towards recycling
materials, though more than half of the generated waste is still landfilled. In the Recycling+ scenario
more than 70% of materials in the waste are recovered for recycling. Also, landfilling is replaced by
incineration with energy recovery. This is in agreement with the waste management hierarchy, which
classifies landfill of waste as the last option, after energy recovery.

Figure 2: Share of recycling per material, waste-to-energy and landfill for the three scenarios.

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27 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
6.2 Impact on GHG-emissions

Figure 3 shows the impact on GHG emissions for the three different scenarios and shows the contri-
bution of the various materials in MSW.

Figure 3: GHG-emissions for 2010-situation and the three scenarios in Brazil.

Baseline
If current waste management practices continue, net GHG emissions will grow to 25.6 Mt
CO2eq/year in 2030. This is largely due to the large share of organic waste (55%) and paper and
cardboard (15%) in generated MSW and the significant amounts of methane produced from these
materials when landfilled.

The avoided emissions (shown as negative emissions in the Figure) are mainly the result of plastic
recycling. Currently, only a small share of plastics in waste is recycled in Brazil. Recycling plastics
consumes less energy and has therefore a lower impact on GHG emissions than the production of
virgin plastics. Since recycled plastics are assumed to substitute virgin plastics, GHG emissions are
avoided from plastic recycling. The remaining plastic is landfilled, but does not produce GHG emis-
sions. Other materials in MSW make only a small contribution to the GHG emissions balance, be-
cause they only constitute only a minor share in waste composition or because no methane emis-
sions are produced when landfilled.

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28 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Waste Law
In the Waste Law scenario, the management of waste avoids 54 MT CO 2eq/year compared to the
reference scenario. In this scenario more dry waste is recycled and more than half of all organic
waste is composted instead of landfilled. In addition, at landfills 83% of produced landfill gas is re-
covered and used for electricity production, which is assumed to reduce conventional power genera-
tion. This results in a significant reduction of GHG emissions from landfills and more avoided emis-
sions due to recycling. The impact of the targets set by the Waste Law are biggest for organic waste,
paper and cardboard, and PE plastic, because of their large share in MSW.

Recycling+
The focus on recycling materials results in the avoidance of 82 Mt CO2eq/year in the Recycling+
scenario compared to the reference scenario. The material recovery facility (MRF) sorts a large
share of materials from the waste for recycling. In addition, the minimum processing option in this
scenario is incineration with energy recovery and waste is no longer landfilled directly. Therefore, the
methane emissions from landfill that contribute significantly to the GHG emissions in the reference
scenario are not produced in the Recycling+ scenario. The materials that have the largest contribu-
tion to GHG emission reduction in the Recycling+ scenario compared to the reference scenario are
organic waste (anaerobic digestion), paper and cardboard (recycling and incineration in waste-to-
energy plant), and plastics (recycling). For plastics, PE has the largest impact on emissions, which is
the result of its large share in total waste plastics (83%). The major difference with the Waste Law
scenario lies in the use of high efficiency incineration or RDF for all waste that is not recycled in the
Recycling + scenario compared to landfilling in the Waste Law scenario.

In table 7 the GHG-emissions in the two more ambitious scenarios are compared to the Baseline
2030 scenario for the three materials from MSW that have the largest impact on GHG emissions.
The table shows the savings that can be made.

Table 7: GHG-emission savings compared to Baseline 2030 for organic waste, paper and cardboard, and PE plastics
(in Mt C02eq/yr).

GHG-emissions
(Mt CO2eq/yr)
Material Waste Law versus Baseline 2030 Recycling+ versus Baseline 2030

Organic waste 30 37
Paper and cardboard 12 17
PE 8 19

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29 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
6.3 Impact on energy savings

Figure 4 shows the energy balances for the different scenarios with the contribution of the various
materials in MSW.

Figure 4: Energy balance for the current situation and the three different 2030 scenarios.

Baseline 2030
In the reference scenario for 2030, about 300 PJ per year is saved by current waste management
practices. In terms of energy, landfilled waste does not contribute to any savings, but only consumes
some energy for transport. The amount of energy saved can be completely attributed to the recycling
of materials. This is due to the lower energy consumption in the recycling process of most materials,
compared to the energy consumed in the production of primary material. In Brazil, especially the
recycling of plastics has a large share in the total amount of energy saved of current waste man-
agement practices.

Waste Law
In the Waste Law scenario, about 500 PJ per year is saved by material recycling and electricity pro-
duction from recovered landfill gas. The current targets set for the Waste Law focus on more recy-
cling of both dry materials (36%) and organic waste (53%), which will avoid energy from primary
material production. Additional energy savings result from electricity production from landfill gas that
is recovered from waste that is still being landfilled.

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30 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Recycling+
High recycling rates combined with incineration of residual waste in a waste-to-energy plant will re-
cover a large share of materials and energy from MSW. Energy savings of 1250 PJ per year are
identified for the Recycling+ scenario. The largest potential energy savings are the result of the recy-
cling of plastics, paper and cardboard, and textiles. In addition, the production of electricity from bio-
gas avoids electricity generation from conventional power plants. From the materials that cannot be
recycled, energy is recovered in a high efficiency waste-to-energy plant.

Table 8 shows potential reductions in energy consumption in the two more ambitious scenarios in
comparison to the Baseline 2030 scenario for the three major materials that have the largest energy
saving potential.

Table 8: Energy savings compared to Baseline 2030 for PE, paper and cardboard and organic waste (in PJ/yr).

Energy savings
(PJ/yr)
Material Waste Law versus Baseline 2030 Recycling+ versus Baseline 2030

PE 99 594
Paper and cardboard 39 99
Organic waste 20 69

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31 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
 Authors MWH B.V. and Utrecht University
32 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
7 Conclusions and recommendations

7.1 Impact of implementing Recycling+ on Brazilian waste management

To realize major steps in reducing and preventing GHG emissions future waste management choic-
es should focus on the recycling of organic waste (responsible for 76% of GHG-emissions) and pa-
per and cardboard (responsible for 19%). Besides these two materials textile and the plastics PET,
PP and PE play significant role in achieving energy savings if Recycling+ scenario is implemented.

About 10% of generated waste is not collected currently. Collection efficiency should be improved to
be able to realize the potential savings shown in this study.

The presented (draft) targets of the Waste Law scenario result in reducing/preventing GHG emis-
sions because of landfill gas recovery and a higher rate of recycling organic waste and dry recycla-
bles. In addition to the giant change in applying landfill gas recovery techniques and other measures
to create sanitary landfill sites, other big changes required in this scenario include the change to two
bin collection (with all associated logistic issues related to distributing bins and implement collection
systems) and setting up an infrastructure of recycling facilities.

To realize the maximum on GHG avoidance and on energy savings high-quality recycling and high
efficiency energy recovery should be applied. This means a transition to the Recycling+ scenario.
This transition affects waste collection and waste treatment. Materials like paper and cardboard,
plastics PP, PE and PET have the highest recycling rates if contamination with organic waste is as
low as possible. Separate collection, for example in a two bin system, provides a good quality of the-
se dry recyclables. In a MRF (Material Recovery Facility) the dry recyclable materials are separated
in a mechanical way combined with handpicking. MRF techniques are available in countries like
Germany and UK.

To optimize the treatment of the organic fraction (kitchen and garden waste) digestion with gas and
heat recovery is recommended. The digestate can be composted and the compost can be used as
fertilizer. The qualitative (legislative) demands of fertilizer determine the extends of contamination of
the separate collected organic waste. Digestion and composting techniques are available in the
Netherlands.

To maximize the re-use of textile the separate collection of textile. has to be organized. The separate
collection guarantees the highest re-use rates because of the minor chance of contamination. Collec-
tion and sorting infrastructure has to be set up.

In the Recycling+ scenario the waste infrastructure has to be expanded with high efficiency incinera-
tion plants and the output of the recycling facilities has to increase. The change to another collection
system and to using recycling facilities creates new employment opportunities. Because of the sani-
tation of landfills required by the Waste Law and the choice for no waste to landfill in the Recycling+
scenario, the current wastepick problem will turn into a labor-problem.

Authors MWH B.V. and Utrecht University

33 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Both separate waste collection (textile) and waste treatment (handpicking in MRF) can play a role in
provide work opportunities to waste pickers.

Three elements of Dutch and/or European knowledge and experience can contribute to the shift from
the current situation to a situation with traits from the Waste Law / Recycling+ scenarios. These ele-
ments are:
Developing and executing waste management policy;
Implementation of waste collection systems (bins, trucks, logistics);
Engineering and planning waste treatment plants:
Landfill gas recovery;
Two bin separate collection;
Digestion of organic waste;
MRF.

Examples of Dutch waste management companies are shown on the websites of two Dutch waste
associations. (www.wastematters.eu and www.nvrd.nl)

7.2 Recommended further research

This study was conducted on a macro level (Brazil). For more detailed results that are of direct
use for local waste management decisions the model could be implemented on a more local lev-
el. Of course, the outcome on this level also depends on the availability and quality of the waste
data;
Further research and more detailed analysis of selected waste and material flows are necessary;
When choices on waste management are made (on national, regional and/or local level) the sce-
narios can be defined in more detail. The more detailed the input for the model, the more detailed
the outcome. With specific scenarios the contribution of iWaste to waste management quickly
becomes evident;
There are possibilities of a transition of labor forces from waste picking to jobs in waste collection
and waste treatment. Structural work can be offered in the waste industry. Implications, costs,
and benefits have to be investigated. This potential is of another order than the potential reduc-
tions in GHG-emissions but is nonetheless also very important.

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34 Date July 11, 2012, Final version
Appendixes

Appendix 1: References
Appendix 2: Quantitative outcome of scenarios
Appendix 1: References
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Appendix 2: Quantitative outcome of scenarios
Quantitative outcome of the iWaste model

Results scenarios MSW Brazil

Model output
Quantity MSW Quantity MSW Quantity Quantity Quantity MSW Energy balance
Share generated collected Recycling recycled landfilled to AVI high eff processing GHG emissions
% kton kton % kton kton kton TJ primary kton CO2eq

2010
Paper and board 14,7% 5798 5159 23% 1334 4465 0 -30952 4896
Glass 2,8% 1729 1538 23% 398 1331 0 -213 -80
Organic waste 54,9% 33410 29727 0 33410 0 6126 19774
Textiles 1,8% 1065 948 30% 320 746 0 -23382 -36
Steel 1,3% 803 715 0 803 0 151 11
Aluminum 0,4% 256 227 63% 161 95 0 -27617 -634
PE (hard) 1,9% 1172 1043 20% 234 937 0
PE (film) 15,0% 9112 8107 20% 1822 7290 0 -82381 -6178
PP 1,9% 1172 1043 20% 234 937 0 -9121 -706
PET 1,5% 907 807 56% 508 399 0 -29585 -2115
Tetrapak 1,4% 858 764 0 858 0 153 1044
Wood 0,3% 207 184 0 207 0 36 346
Stone-like material 0,8% 475 422 0 475 0 89 7
Other 1,3% 773 688 0 773 0
Total 60868 54158 -196695 16328
Total per kton of waste generated -3,2 0,268

2030
Paper and board 14,7% 9100 7142 23% 2093 7007 0 -48579 7685
Glass 2,8% 2713 2414 23% 624 2089 0 -334 -125
Organic waste 54,9% 52437 46657 0 52437 0 9615 31035
Textiles 1,8% 1672 1488 30% 502 1170 0 -36698 -56
Steel 1,3% 1261 1122 0 1261 0 237 18
Aluminum 0,4% 401 357 63% 253 148 0 -43345 -1047
PE (hard) 1,9% 1839 1636 20% 368 1471 0
PE (film) 15,0% 14301 12725 20% 2860 11441 0 -129295 -9696
PP 1,9% 1839 1636 20% 368 1471 0 -14315 -1108
PET 1,5% 1423 1267 56% 797 626 0 -46433 -3320
Tetrapak 1,4% 1347 1199 0 1347 0 240 1638
Wood 0,3% 325 289 0 325 0 57 543
Stone-like material 0,8% 745 663 0 745 0 140 10
Other 1,3% 1213 1080 0 1213 0
Total 95532 85000 8,2% 95531 -308710 25576
Total per kton of waste generated -3,2 0,268

Waste Law
Paper and board 14,7% 9100 7142 36% 3276 5824 0 -87835 -4537
Glass 2,8% 2713 2414 36% 977 1736 0 -811 -218
Organic waste 54,9% 52437 46657 53% 27792 24646 0 -10069 1245
Textiles 1,8% 1672 1488 30% 502 1170 0 -37123 -600
Steel 1,3% 1261 1122 36% 454 807 0 -8221 -832
Aluminum 0,4% 401 357 63% 253 148 0 -43107 -1020
PE (hard) 1,9% 1839 1636 36% 662 1177 0
PE (film) 15,0% 14301 12725 36% 5148 9153 0 -228351 -17344
PP 1,9% 1839 1636 36% 662 1177 0 -25268 -1983
PET 1,5% 1423 1267 56% 797 626 0 -45833 -3294
Tetrapak 1,4% 1347 1199 0 1347 0 -1849 87
Wood 0,3% 325 289 0 325 0 -690 25
Stone-like material 0,8% 745 663 0 745 0 454 24
Other 1,3% 1213 1080 0 1213 0
Total 95532 85000 42,4% -488702 -28446
Total per kton of waste generated -5,1 -0,298

Recycling+
Paper and board 14,7% 9100 7142 40% 3640 0 5460 -147381 -9027
Glass 2,8% 2713 2414 23% 624 0 2089 -334 -125
Organic waste 54,9% 52437 46657 80% 41950 0 10487 -59800 -5526
Textiles 1,8% 1672 1488 50% 836 0 836 -81529 -1266
Steel 1,3% 1261 1122 77% 965 0 296 -18334 -1788
Aluminum 0,4% 401 357 75% 301 0 100 -51719 -1356
PE (hard) 1,9% 1839 1636 85% 1563 0 276
PE (film) 15,0% 14301 12725 75% 10726 0 3575 -723273 -28303
PP 1,9% 1839 1636 85% 1563 0 276 -83525 -3889
PET 1,5% 1423 1267 85% 1210 0 214 -80353 -4620
Tetrapak 1,4% 1347 1199 77% 1030 0 317 -6269 -628
Wood 0,3% 325 289 0 0 325 -3705 -209
Stone-like material 0,8% 745 663 0 0 745 454 24
Other 1,3% 1213 1080 0 0 1213
Total 95532 85000 67,4% -1255767 -56713
Total per kton of waste generated -13,1 -0,594

Dutch results (Saving Materials)

Baseline 2008 - Per kton of waste generated 8290 -9,8 -0,280
Dutch Recycling+ scenario - total per kton of waste generated -12,8 -0,6