PMID: 11918001Mar 29, 2002Paper

Quantitative assessment of solid waste treatment systems in the industrial ecology perspective by exergy analysis

Environmental Science & Technology
Jo Dewulf, Herman Van Langenhove

Abstract

Solid waste treatment options (recycling, incineration, and landfilling; the two latter processes both with co-generation of heat and electricity) have been studied for cardboard, newspaper, polyethylene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), polypropylene, polystyrene, and poly(vinyl chloride) waste. The conversion processes have been analyzed in terms of the second law of thermodynamics. The analysis allows calculating the exergy (useful energy) embodied in conversion products that can be obtained from the required inputs for the treatment processes. Taking into account the waste materials and the resources to convert them, it proved that recycling is the most efficient option for polyethylene with an efficiency of 62.5% versus 43.6% for incineration and 0.9% for landfilling. Next, waste treatment has been put into the broader perspective of industrial ecology. Exergetic efficiencies of industrial metabolic options have been calculated. Here resources for manufacturing and converting solid products have been considered. Furthermore, selection of one type of conversion excludes the generation of other potential conversion products. Therefore, it has to be taken into account that these latter products still have to be produced starting...Continue Reading

References

Jun 23, 2001·The Science of the Total Environment·J DewulfJ Dirckx
Jan 1, 2000·Environmental Science & Technology·T E Graedel

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Citations

Sep 1, 2006·Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·Anders KlangHelge Brattebø
Jul 7, 2007·Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·Göran FinnvedenTomas Ekvall
May 6, 2006·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·A P Møller
May 29, 2008·Environmental Science & Technology·Jo DewulfEnrico Sciubba
Jan 1, 2004·Environmental Science & Technology·Joseph Fiksel

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