Waste recovery guide

In recent years the generation of waste has grown considerably. So much so that, currently, a total of 2.000 tons of waste is produced annually in the world. If we continue at the same rate, in 30 years we could generate more than 3.400 tons of waste per year in the world.

Due to this important problem, concern for the environment grows, which is why the waste recovery becomes more important year after year. This activity is framed within the strategy established by the circular economy.
In today’s blog we tell you what the recovery of waste consists of, how it should be carried out and some examples of projects we have carried out to reincorporate waste or by-products to the industrial fabric.

What is the recovery of waste or by-products?

The recovery of waste, as its name indicates, is the process by which a waste is transformed in order to be used for a new purpose or to substitute materials within other industrial processes or products.
This tool, increasingly important at a social and industrial level, allows many waste or by-products to be used instead of ending up in a landfill, thus reducing the impact they would have on the environment.

The commitment of companies with the environment is increasing and for this reason, today, the recovery of waste has gone from being a recommended activity to a crucial and totally necessary instrument within any industrial sector.

Types of valuations

Depending on the characteristics of each waste, it will be possible to value it in a different way, always seeking to maximize its profitability and reduce the impact of the process. Next, we indicate the types of valuation that exist:

• Material valuation. This type of recovery consists of obtaining new materials from recycling the waste. It is very interesting to obtain an economic profitability of the waste and reduce the use of raw materials in other processes. This recovery is usually carried out with materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, light packaging or organic matter.

• Energy recovery. In this case, the main objective of the recovery is to obtain energy from the incineration of waste. It is an interesting option, however, this type of valuation is outside the strategic plan of the European Commission. The main objective is the mitigation of climate change, since the production of energy from waste exceeds the established CO2 emission limits (<100g CO2 eq / kWh).

To sum up, if possible, the most interesting strategy will be to obtain valuable materials from a waste or by-product. This material appreciation is better framed within the circular economic model that is currently being imposed.

Benefits of recovering a waste

There are numerous benefits related to the recovery of waste. Here are the most important ones:

• Reduction of the amount of waste generated. Obviously, obtaining new materials from waste has the main benefit of reducing the amount of garbage that finally reaches landfills.

• Reduction of environmental impact. The waste generates leachate and gases with harmful effects on the soil, air and water. This has very serious consequences for fauna and can even pose a risk to society. Therefore, reducing the amount of waste helps to mitigate this increasingly severe environmental impact.

• Improvement of the economic profitability of processes. The recovery of waste and by-products is increasingly important at an economic level. The main reason is that the use of recovered materials, from the process itself or from other processes, represents a very important cost reduction compared to the purchase of new raw materials. In addition, reducing waste management can have a very positive impact on the economic profitability of any process.

• Creation of new businesses and jobs. Due to the need to implement the recovery of waste in industries and society, more and more companies need new jobs related to this activity. In addition, there are new business models that focus their activity on the recovery of waste.

What types of waste exist?

Waste can be classified according to numerous criteria (origin, composition, dangerousness, etc.). For us, it is very interesting to classify them into the following two groups:

• Agri-food waste. As its name suggests, they are waste generated within the agri-food sector. It is interesting to separate them from the rest of the waste because they contain compounds with a high added value. A clear example of this type of waste is the fruit waste generated during the manufacture of juices. They are generally very low value waste and need a lot of space to be dried. However, it is possible to obtain high added value compounds for use in cosmetics or cleaning.

• Industrial waste. They are all those wastes that come from a non-agri-food industrial activity. Some examples of the most typical waste are metal paper, polymers or textile scraps. A clear example of circular economy application to this type of waste is the reuse of electronic waste, as they contain precious metals of high market value.

• Products at the end of their life cycle. Finally, the waste generated at the end of the life cycle of the products stands out. These wastes, which do not come from an industrial process, must also be managed. A good tool to reduce the amount of this type of waste is ecodesign.

How to value a waste?

At ATRIA we study each case individually in order to find the best possible solution for each waste. To do this, we follow the following steps:

1. Characterization of the waste or by-product. To determine the possibilities of a waste or by-product, it is essential to know its composition.
2. Selection of the most suitable opportunity for each case. We will seek the best ways of reuse and recovery in order to reintroduce the waste or product in the value chain.
3. Necessary treatments. If the waste must be conditioned to incorporate it into another process, the necessary techniques will be studied.
4. Testing and prototypes. In the event that it is necessary to validate an idea, in our laboratory we manufacture prototypes and carry out concept tests, validations and demonstrations, both of the treatment and of the final application.
5. Industrialization. All the projects we carry out have to have an industrial sense, so this stage is present throughout all phases. Once the validation is finished, our team of engineers will be in charge of industrializing the idea.

Some success stories

Below, we tell you 2 success stories where we have managed to value a waste and make the most of its possibilities:
Obtaining limonene and pectin from orange peel : orange peel is a waste or by-product that is generated in a very abundant way during the production of juices at an industrial level. The value of this peel in the market is low, in addition, it requires a lot of surface and time to dry.In order to increase the added value of this product in the market, we carried out a characterization of the waste to identify which compounds it had. In the characterization we observed that it contained limonene and pectin, products whose value is very high compared to the pulp or skin.
Next, we proposed an extraction method for both compounds, using only water as the extraction agent. To validate the idea, laboratory tests were carried out that demonstrated the efficiency of the process and the quality of the products obtained.
Obtaining bio-sulfur from hazardous waste: in this case, the starting product was a dangerous and difficult to handle sludge. This meant high management costs for our client. After carrying out a complete characterization of the residue, it was observed that it had elemental sulfur in its composition. For this reason, a process was proposed to separate said sulfur from the rest of the sludge. This separation process was validated in the laboratory.Below, several ways of recovery were proposed, among which the manufacture of rubber or fertilizer products stands out. Companies interested in sulfur were contacted to close the waste recovery cycle.
Do you want to apply the waste recovery in any of your Projects? Contact us!