Waste Management in
Germany
(short version)
Dr.-Ing. Helmut Schnurer
Deputy Director General
from 1985 until 2006
Head of Waste Management Directorate
at the Federal Ministry for the Environment
Bonn, Germany
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
1
Some Facts and Figures (1)
• Until 1972: 50.000 uncontrolled landfills in FRG
Most have been closed within few years and replaced by central
waste management facilities (engineered landfills, MSWI)
• Today: High Tech Industry transfers waste to
secondary raw materials and energy:
– turnover of 50 billion EURO/y
– 250 000 jobs
• Invested money 1993-2005:
– 9 billion EURO for remediation and closure of > 500
landfills
– 3 billion EURO for new facilities to recycle and recover
12.5 million tons of waste per year (bio waste, RDF)
– 7.5 billion EURO for new facilities to pretreate 14 million
tons of MSW per year
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
2
Steps of Development (1)
• First: reduce waste for disposal
–
–
–
–
Inform / motivate citizens and industry
Start of separate collection of recycable waste
Promote reuse (packaging)
Increase gate fee for landfills
• Second: priority for recycling/(recovery)
– Reduce waste going to landfill (no capacities)
– Save resources (secondary raw materials/RDF)
– Introduce extended producer responsibility (packaging,
batteries, waste oil, scrap cars, WEEE)
– Promote composting, paper recycling and others
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Problems with Landfilling
Wastes
Landfill gas
Landfill
Water
=
CPBReactor
Surface water
Barriers
Leachate
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Steps of Development (2)
• Third: stop landfilling of untreated
MSW, because of
–
–
–
–
–
Opposition from citizens against new sites
High costs for new landfills and aftercare
Old landfills became contaminated sites
Landfilling is the contrary of sustainability
Landfilling adds significantly to the emissions of
climate damaging gases (methane)
New regulations limit the contents of
biodegradable material (TOC) and of
soluble hazardous substances
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Scientific R&D in Germany
• At Germany‘s largest research center:
Forschungszentum Karlsruhe (FZK)
• Research on incineration of different wastes
at test facility TAMARA (grate)
• Results on knowhow and technology
• Improving incineration geometry to reduce generation of
toxic substances
• Improve off gas treatment (dioxins, NOX, HM‘s)
• Develop online control systems (e.g.: mercury)
• Feedback to German technology providers
[Director: Prof. H. Seifert, ITC-TAB
<[email protected]>
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Steps of Development (3)
• Fourth: Consequences of restrictions
for landfilling: All MSW has to
be pre-treated since 2005
Regulations do not define the way –
but the results:
specifications of pre-treated waste + stringent
requirements to protect emissions into air and
water
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Integrated Waste Management System
waste
yes
secondary
raw material
can be
avoided
no
can be
recovered
yes
recycling or
energy recovery
yes
landfill
no
can be
landfilled
no
February 2008
thermal
treatment
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
energy
9
Emissions from waste incineration in
Germany (per 100 000 t of MSW)
Before
1990
210.000 t
410.000 t
180 kg
130 kg
6g
February 2008
Today
NOX
SO2
Cd
Hg
Dioxin
36.000
t
0,9 t
1,2 kg
1,2 kg
0,003 g
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
NOX
SO2
Cd
Hg
Dioxin
Steps of Development (4)
• Fifth: Solutions in Germany (public
and private operators)
• Rely on proven technology: Municipal Solid
Waste Incineration (MSWI, mainly grate)
– 73 MSWI facilities are operating presently
– Total capacity of 17.9 million tons per year (65%)
• Mechanical-biological-treatment (MBT)
– 66 facilities with 7.2 mill t/y (26%)
• Co-incineration in coal fired power plants
and cement kilns
– presently only 2.3 mill t/y, 8%
[Praxis is similar in some other European
countries like A, CH, DK, NL, S]
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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A new Experience: Waste Management
contributes to Climate Protection (1)
(Research Report 205 33 314 BMU/UBA/Oeko-Institut/ifeu, 8/2005)
• Methane-emissions from dumps are 21-times more
effective than CO2
• Out phasing landfills for solid waste in Germany has
reduced such gas emissions significantly
• Incineration of organic waste has no impact on
climate change
• Outphasing landfill and other modern waste
management activities contribute to a total reduction
of 46 mill t CO2 equivalents from 1990 until 2005
(which is the highest individual contribution to climate
protection in Germany)
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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A new Experience: Waste Management
contributes to Climate Protection (2)
(Research Report 205 33 314 BMU/UBA/Oeko-Institut/ifeu, 8/2005)
• Mayor contributions for reductions aside out phasing
of landfills are
–
–
–
–
MSWI and Co-incineration (substitution of fossil fuel)
Metal recycling
Paper recycling
More energy efficient
Glass recycling
• Total reductions from 1990 until 2020 are assumed to
be 50 mill t in Germany, mainly by no landfilling (76%),
MSWI (9%), co-incineration (7%) and material
recycling (5%)
• The reduction potential for the old EU (15 MS) could
be 134 mill t CO2 equivalents, almost 100 mill t from
terminating landfilling! (USA?)
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Alternatives to landfilling ?
• Avoid waste generation: zero waste is unrealistic
• Recycle all wastes: good for certain wastes,
unrealistic for all wastes (no technology available, no
market, high costs)
• Recycling and energy recovery: Germany’s goal for
2020 for MSW (with few exemptions), unrealistic for all
wastes
• Energy recovery is necessary for all organic waste,
plastic waste; thermal treatment is necessary for
contaminated waste
• Which Waste-to-Energy system should be chosen???
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Some results from Germany:
„alternative“ Technologies failed (1)
• Thermoselect
– One facility built at Karlsruhe
– Never reached specifications/continuous operation 
shut down  loss of 400 mill €
• Schwel-Brenn-Verfahren
– Developed by experienced company (Siemens)
– Pilot plant al Ulm worked well
– First full scale facility started construction but was not
finished due to technical problems and increasing
costs
• Gasification at Schwarze Pumpe
– Facility worked well with specific wastes
– Operation terminated due to not competitive high
operating costs
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Some more results from Germany:
„alternative“ Technologies failed (2)
• Pyrolysis
– Several small sized plants have been built
– Only one is still operating (why:  technical problems
and how to dispose off hazardous tar)
• Plasma Technology
– Only experiments and test rigs; no large facility for
waste has been realized
• Katalytic Depolimerisation
– Small test rig promises to transfer waste into diesel
– No large facility has proven to be available for mixed
waste
• Deep well injection
– In theory an ideal solution for organic sludge
– Technical realisation failed
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Lessons to be learned
• Established technologies for defined and clean
substancies don‘t work autimaticly for
heterogeneous wastes  MSW = chameleon
• Alternative technologies have to cope with:
–
–
–
–
Existing stringent emission standards
Warrant reliable continous operation
Verify a complete analysis of inputs/outputs
Proof of reliable costs (invest, operation, maintenance)
• If a solution for managing the arising wastes is
needed urgently – proven technology is
recommended
• Decisions to rely on „alternative technologies“
can only be recommended, if disposal of arising
wastes will be secured – in case of the new
technology system fails
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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Report from EEA from January 08
(conclusions) Source: ISSN 1830-2246
“Better management of municipal waste will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions”
(EEA: European Environmental Agency)
• The amount of municipal waste is expected to grow by 25 % from
2005 to 2020
• Increased recovery of waste, and diverting waste away from
landfill play a key role in tackling the environmental impacts of
increasing waste volumes.
• As recycling and incineration with energy recovery are
increasingly used, net greenhouse gas emissions from
municipal waste management are expected to drop
considerably by 2020.
• Limiting or avoiding growth in waste volumes would further
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the waste sector and
deliver other benefits to society and the environment.”
February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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February 2008
Dr. Helmut Schnurer
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