Waste Input-Output Analysis on “Landfill Mining Activity”

Abstract

New environmental assessment model based on the Waste Input-Output analysis has been developed and applied for the “Landfill mining activity” for the recovery of valuable materials and energy resources and the saving of landfill site.
In this study, the landfilled wastes are assumed to be treated by the gasification/melting processes. Two kinds of reactors, the fluidized bed type and the shaft furnace type, have been considered in this work as the typical gasification/melting processes adopted in Japan. Both processes generate electric power by the recovered heat and fly ash as waste to be landfilled. It has been found in this study that the both processes can reduce the total volume of waste and save the available landfill space. The shaft furnace type seems to have higher potential for decreasing volume of wastes because of less emission than the fluidized bed type. The results of scenario analysis have also indicated that the landfill mining activity is effective for sustainable management of landfill sites.