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Applying industrial ecosystem indicators: case of Pielinen Karelia, Finland

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Abstract

This paper presents an industrial ecological insight into local waste management in Pielinen Karelia, Finland. There local system is experiencing major changes because of tightening EC waste legislation including the directives on waste incineration (2000/76/EC) and landfilling of wastes (1999/31/EC). Small local landfills are closing and most of municipal wastes will be transported 120–180 km to large-scale waste management centre in Kuopio. The paper applies three industrial ecosystem indicators, based on environmental, economic and employment impacts of different waste management technologies. Environmental indicator is CO2 equivalent emission, economic indicator is based on costs and revenues of waste management, and social (i.e. employment) indicator includes new jobs generated. The results indicate that waste incineration option in forthcoming regional cooperation could create emission savings up to 117–394 kg CO2 eqv./ton of municipal waste when compared to local landfilling. As economic impacts, new regional cooperation and long-distance transportations will increase the costs from previous 45.6–55.2 €/ton in local landfilling to 97.4 €/ton in regional landfilling and 120.8–126.9 €/ton in regional REF-III incineration. In terms of employment, the new cooperation could create 2–6.5 new jobs. The regional cooperation results to rising operational costs but avoids investments to new local infrastructure. It also creates significant emission savings, maintains current employment in waste handling and creates new jobs in long-distance transportation.

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Notes

  1. The LIPASTO transportation model is a calculation system for traffic exhaust emissions and energy consumption (Technical Research Centre of Finland, http://www.lipasto.vtt.fi). In waste transportation an average of emission parameters of 40 t and 15 t trucks is applied (according the VTT instructions)

  2. In poorly managed landfills anaerobic digestion and methane generation rate is greater than in well managed landfills. Correction factor in landfills without any treatment functions is 0.4–0.6 and well-managed landfills receive parameter value 1 (Tuhkanen 2001)

  3. An average rate of 20% DOC in MSW is applied (Pipatti et al. 1996; Tuhkanen 2001)

  4. DOCF in Finland is 50%, rest will either sequestrate or leak with the filtration waters.

  5. Share of methane in landfill gas can vary typically between 40% and 60%, here the rates of 55% methane and 45% carbon dioxide are applied (AEA 2001).

  6. In Finnish emission modelling an estimate rate of 10% is applied (Tuhkanen 2001).

  7. Estimated collection efficiency is 45% and heating value 15 MJ/Nm3 (CH4 density 0.72 kg/Nm3) (Pipatti et al. 1996; AEA 2001; Tuhkanen 2001).

  8. Caloric heating values applied are 8.5 GJ/ton for bulk MSW, 18.5 GJ/ton for REF-I produced of wood wastes, 21.5 GJ/ton for REF-I produced of source separated energy wastes from households, 23.1 GJ/ton for REF-I produced from packaging materials from commerce and industries, and 15.9 GJ/ton for REF-III that includes also plastics and textiles (Heikkinen et al. 2002; AEA 2001).

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Acknowledgments

This study has been supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and North Karelia University of Applied Sciences. Author also highly appreciates research collaboration of Pielinen Karelia Waste Management project.

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  1. University of Joensuu and North Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Yliopistonkatu 6, 80100, Joensuu, Finland

    Lasse Okkonen

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  1. Lasse Okkonen
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Correspondence to Lasse Okkonen.

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Okkonen, L. Applying industrial ecosystem indicators: case of Pielinen Karelia, Finland. Clean Techn Environ Policy 10, 327–339 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-007-0122-7

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