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Materials Management: State of the Practice 2012
Citation:
Tolaymat, T. AND B. Dyson. Materials Management: State of the Practice 2012. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-13/304, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
The objectives of this report are to (1) describe the current state of the practice and science of MSW management; (2) identify factors that can be used to assess the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the various solid waste management operations; and (3) identify opportunities and information gaps.
Description:
The report presents an evaluation of six materials management technologies that were assessed with respect to each technology's process, material and energy pathways, commercialization status, and associated economics. The inclusion and implementation of a materials recycling program was treated as an common component of any integrated MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) Management system, regardless of the particular technology employed. Some of the technologies evaluated-landfilling and combustion-represent standard practice today in the U.S., and information regarding these technologies is readily abundant. Other technologies-composting and anaerobic digestion-may be common for specific material streams (e.g., biosolids, yard trash, food scrap), but for mixed MSW treatment, experience in the U.S. is limited (though internationally these processes are more widely utilized). A last group of technologies-gasification and pyrolysis-are the subject of growing interest because of their potential for materials and energy recovery, but experience with full-scale implementaion on mixed municipal remains very limited, even internationally. All technologies offer some opportunities for energy and materials recovery.