OTS - Tomra: Waste management contributes to climate protection (part 1)
2021. July 06. 09:02
Oslo/Mülheim-Kärlich, 6 July, 2021 (APA/OTS) - Live webcast on July
7th, 2021: TOMRA study - Holistic resource systems could save 2.76
billion tonnes of CO(2) - The United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) of 2016 have been concretised by the
European Commission: The new EU climate law increases the emission
reduction target from 40% to at least 55% by 2030 to meet the
expectations of the November World Climate Summit in Glasgow. As an
innovation leader, TOMRA aims to help achieve the goals and take
waste management to another level. A new study commissioned by
TOMRA and conducted by EUNOMIA demonstrates the potential for an
optimized waste management system as regards to climate change.
Overall, a reduction of 2.76 billion tonnes of CO2/year is possible.
This reduction can be achieved using Holistic Resource Systems
- the optimized combination of key waste management practices for
collection, sorting and recycling to facilitate the transition
toward a circular economy, which is preventing resource depletion,
reducing littering and contributing to a carbon neutral world.
Holistic resource systems are an ideal combination of political
framework regulations, such as extended producer responsibility,
deposit return schemes, and technical processes for waste handling.
London-based consultancy for sustainability Eunomia, has examined
various models to identify the most efficient, cost-effective
scenario for a holistic system.
The outcome is clear:
- Deposit return systems for PET bottles and metal beverage
containers, which deliver a return rate of over 90%, should play a
central role in such a system.
- As regard to remaining household waste, only biowaste,
paper, textiles, and electrical and electronic equipment should be
collected separately.
- The rest should remain in a mixed waste stream which can
be most efficiently separated into reusable materials for further
recycling.
This will enable regionally customized holistic models to cut
global CO2 emissions by up to 5% - the equivalent of grounding all
commercial flights globally and taking 65% of cars off the road.
"Now is the time for real action to ensure societies stop
wasting resources with all the related negative consequences. In
many places, the pandemic helped to meet Paris Climate Agreement
goals," underlines Volker Rehrmann, Executive Vice President and
Head of TOMRA Recycling/Mining & Circular Economy Division. "But
even maintaining this level will require determined and consistent
implementation, including holistic systems, to close the loops."
The three elements of holistic waste management are:
o Deposit return schemes (DRS) for PET and metal beverage
containers deliver a return rate of more than 90%. They maximize
captures of high quality, high carbon-intensity material while
reducing litter (->see graphic).
o Separate collections of biowaste, paper, textiles and
electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) enable these materials
to be recycled for the greatest carbon benefit. Although separate
collections are an intrinsic part of holistic resources, the
capture rates in even best practices are not good enough. Further
sorting of the residual waste fraction will always be necessary.
o Mixed waste sorting (MWS) generates additional collection and
recycling rates above and beyond what the other elements can
deliver. The incineration or landfilling of plastics and other high
carbon materials generate unnecessary greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions. MWS reduces those emissions and returns more materials
to the system for incorporation into new products. MWS needs to be
considered an investment priority now, as it is a required backstop
to ensure waste management systems capture as many resources as
possible for recycling (->see image).
To further discuss these concepts and the recently released
white paper (https://solutions.tomra.com/hrs-whitepaper-download )
, TOMRA will host a live webcast "Holistic Resource Systems" with
Dr. Volker Rehrmann, EVP, TOMRA and guest Joe Papineschi,
Chairperson, Eunomia on July 7, 2021 10:30 - 11:30 CET:
https://solutions.tomra.com/ce-webcast-registration.
- Picture are available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -
Media Contacts Circular Economy:
Mithu Mohren
Phone: +49 2630 9150 450
Email: Mithu.Mohren@tomra.com
Media contacts TOMRA Recycling
Michele Wiemer, Communications Coordinator
T: +49 2630 9150 453
E: Michele.Wiemer@tomra.com
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