2007 02 12 GTZ - Sector Project Mechanical Biological Waste Treatment

Division 44
Environment & Infrastructure
Sector Project
Mechanical-biological Waste Treatment
Final Report
Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ ) GmbH
Published by

Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1-5
65760 Eschborn / Germany
Desk Officer
Elke Hüttner (GTZ, Division 44 - Environment & Infrastructure)
Editing
Gernod Dilewski (INFRASTRUKTUR & UMWELT, Darmstadt),
Joachim Stretz (Berlin)
in cooperation with
Gabriele Janikowski (IKW Beratungsinstitut für
Kommunalwirtschaft GmbH, Cologne),
Dr. Dirk Maak (Wilhelm Faber GmbH, Alzey),
Dr. Aber Mohamad (University of Kassel),
Dr. Dieter Mutz (Basel University of Applied Sciences - FHBB),
Bernhard Schenk (Berlin)
Design
Christopher Heck•eyes-luna Multimedia-Design •,
D- 64291 Darmstadt
Printed by
Digitaldruck Darmstadt GmbH & Co. KG
Eschborn 2003
CONTENT
This report presents the main activities and results of the sector project "Promotion of Mechanical-
biological Waste Treatment", which was conducted by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation
and Development (BMZ) between 1998 and 2003. The focal areas of the sector project were a trio of
pilot projects in São Sebastião (Brazil), Phitsanulok (Thailand), and Al-Salamieh (Syria), in which
mechanical-biological waste treatment (MBWT) options were field-tested under the relevant local
boundary conditions. All three pilot projects yielded satisfactory results following appropriate adapta-
tion of the decomposition process. The specific costs of MBWT ranged between 11 and 15 Euro/Mg
in all three cases. However, these expenditures are at least partially compensated by the resultant
savings in landfilling.
1
Sector Project MBWT - Final Report
Table of contents
1 Introduction and Rationale 8
2 Introduction to MBWT 10
2.1 Characterization of MBWT 10
2.2 Waste Treatment Processes 11
2.3 Integration of MBWT into Municipal Waste Management Schemes 12
2.4 Climatic Factors 13
3 MBWT Reference Material and Events 15

3.1 MBWT Decision-maker's Guide 15
3.2 Videos 15
3.3 Costing Model 16
3.4 Conferences and Seminars 16
4 MBWT Pilot Projects 18

4.1 Short Descriptions of the Projects 18
4.1.1 Pilot project in São Sebastião, Brazil 18
4.1.2 Pilot project in Phitsanulok, Thailand 19
4.1.3 Scale-model MBWT trial in Al-Salamieh, Syria 19
4.1.4 Other projects 21
4.2 Results and Experience Gathered from Pilot Projects 22

4.2.1 Project preparation 23
4.2.2 Monitoring programs 23
4.2.2.1 Basic principles 23
4.2.2.2 Implementation via pilot projects 24
4.2.3 IMBWT processes employed in the pilot projects 25
4.2.3.1 Technology selection criteria 26
4.2.3.2 The Al-Salamieh scale-model trial 27
4.2.3.3 The FABER-AMBRA® process in
São Sebastião and Phitsanulok 28
4.2.3.4 Evaluation of the technologies employed 30
4.2.4 Operation of an MBWT facility 31
4.2.4.1 MBWT personnel requirements 32
4.2.4.2 Training 32
4.2.4.3 Integration into the organizational structures 33
4.2.5 Chronology and results of aerobic decomposition 34
4.2.5.1 Time history of in-heap temperatures 34
4.2.5.2 Effects of rainy season on the temperature curve 36
4.2.5.3 Gas composition 37
4.2.5.4 Water content 40
4.2.5.5 Solids and eluate analyses 40
4.2.5.6 Results of composting trials in
Al-Salamieh, Syria 41
2
4.2.6 Emissions from MBWT 43
4.2.6.1 Basic principles 43
4.2.6.2 Odors 44
4.2.6.3 Hygiene 44
4.2.6.4 Process water 44
4.2.6.5 Methane emissions 48
4.2.7 Disposal of pretreated waste to the landfill 48
4.2.7.1 Fundamental considerations 48
4.2.7.2 Mass reduction determined in the pilot projects 51
4.2.7.3 Emplacement trials in the pilot projects 52
4.2.7.4 Landfill leachate in São Sebastião 54
4.2.8 Costs 54
4.2.8.1 Costing principles 54
4.2.8.2 Examples of costs incurred in the pilot projects 55
4.2.8.3 Effects of MBWT on the cost of waste dis-posal 60
4.2.9 Informal sector 61
5 Future Prospects of MBWT in Developing and Threshold Countries 64

5.1 Conclusions Drawn from the Pilot Projects 64
5.2 Comparison of Alternative Waste Disposal Concepts 66
5.3 Need for Further Study 67
6 Summary 69
3
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Characterization of the Pilot Projects
Appendix 2 List of Important Contacts
Appendix 3 Bibliography
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Differences between composting and MBWT 10
Table 2: Anthropogenic emissions of CO 2, CH4, and N2O within the EU in 1994 [1] 14
Table 3: Proposed monitoring program for the pilot-scale field trial in Phitsanulok 24
Table 4: Personnel requirements for MBWT operations in São Sebastião

(throughput: 30,000 Mg/a) 32
Table 5: Backstopping work scope for Faber during the one-year imple-
mentation phase in São Sebastião 32
Table 6: Water content of waste inputs in the pilot projects 40
Table 7: Results of treated -waste analysis in São Sebastião 41
Table 8: Heavy-metal contents as a function of input material 42
Table 9: Quantity and quality of process water from biotreatment wind-

rows in the Al-Salamieh scale-model trial 45
Table 10: Mass reduction through biotreatment in the Al-Salamieh,

Syria, scale-model trials 51
Table 11: Comparison of specific costs in the pilot projects 58
4
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: The "Alvarenga" garbage dump in Sao Paulo, and the "Billings"
drinking water impounding reservoir Source: GTZ Photo Archive 8
Figure 2: The operational sequence of mechanical-biological waste treatment 10
Figure 3: A natural-draft (convecting) biotreatment windrow as an exam-

ple of extensive aerobic decomposition 11
Figure 4: Schematic rendition of an intensive aerobic decomposition process 12
Figure 5: Residual-waste treatment options 13
Figure 6: At the entrepreneurs' forum on "Public Private Partnerships

(PPP) in the International Waste Sector", in Eschborn, Germany 17
Figure 7: Mechanical-biological waste treatment using the FABER-AMBRA®

process in São Sebastião 18
Figure 8: Mechanical-biological waste treatment using the FABER-AMBRA®

‘process in Phitsanulok 19
Figure 9: Composting windrow in Al-Salamieh, with cover and forced ventilation 20
Figure 10: Training for Recicladores at the scale-model MBWT facility in

Armenia, Colombia 22
Figure 11: A typical decomposition temperature curve 23
Figure 12: Temperature monitoring with a sampling gauge in Phitsanulok 25
Figure 13: Waste pickers at the Phitsanulok landfill 26
Figure 14: Compost heaps during the model experiment in Al-Salamieh 27
Figure 15: Homogenizing drum at work in Phitsanulok 28
Figure 16: Waste from Phitsanulok before and after homogenization 29
Figure 17: Piling the waste for biological treatment in Atlacomulco, Mexico 29
Figure 18: Training for technical personnel at the Phitsanulok landfill 32
Figure 19: Theoretically achievable and actual throughput at the MBWT

facility of the Phitsanulok pilot project 33
5
Figure 20: Time history of in-heap temperatures in the Al-Salamieh scale-model trial 35
Figure 21: Time history of in-heap temperatures in São Sebastião 35
Figure 22: Time history of temperatures in a FABER-AMBRA® heap

Exposed to heavy precipitation 36
Figure 23: Relationship between oxygen content and carbon dioxide concentration 37
Figure 24: Waterlogged base of a heap showing evidence of anaerobic decomposition 38
Figure 25: Results of gas monitoring at heaps C and D on

February 13, 2003, in Phitsanulok 39
Figure 26: Coconut-shell biofilter at the Phitsanulok MBWT facility 44
Figure 27: Test heap in São Sebastião 45
Figure 28: Cumulative curves showing the precipitation onto and the pro-
cess water volume emerging from the test heap in São Sebastião 46
Figure 29: Quality of process water from test heaps in Rio de Janeiro
and São Sebastião 47
Figure 30: Process water seeping out from the base of a heap in São Sebastião 47
Figure 31: Densities of compaction with and without pretreatment [6] 49
Figure 32: Emplacement of pretreated waste in São Sebastião 51
Figure 33: Mass reduction in the pilot phase of MBWT in Phitsanulok 51
Figure 34: Test-field dimensions for the commercial-scale compaction trial 52
Figure 35: Dry-season emplacement trial for pretreated waste at the

Phitsanulok landfill in Thailand 52
Figure 36: Comparison of in-heap densities and achieved landfill

compaction densities 53
Figure 37: Leachate burden at the MBWT landfill in São Sebastião 54
6
Figure 38: Comparison of pilot-project cost calculations (specific costs in EUR/Mg) 59
Figure 39: Comparison of specific landfilling costs in Phitsanulok with and

without MBWT (specific costs in EUR/Mg) 61
Figure 40: Informal-sector intervention in the flow of household waste 61
Figure 41: Members of the Ilhabela Cooperative at work sorting recyclables 62
Figure 42: Avenues of waste disposal in the member countries of the EU in 1999 [7] 66
7
1 Introduction and Rationale
I n many developing countries, shifting living

habits in conjunction with increasing urbaniza-
tion and industrialization are strongly influencing
Consequently, people have in recent years
begun to speak out against this kind of waste
disposal. Particularly in large cities, it is beco-
the volumes and composition of waste inci- ming increasingly difficult to find and provide the
dence. As waste volumes expand and contain necessary deposition capacities. Even if more
ever larger quantities of packaging material and waste can be avoided and recycled in the future,
hazardous substances, traditional forms of landfills will still be needed in the years to come
waste disposal reach their limits, and in many to accommodate the remaining unrecyclable
places new waste-disposal strategies have to be waste.
devised to protect human health and avert en-
vironmental pollution. The environmental burdens resulting from the
disposal of residual waste can be reduced most
Recent years have seen much progress made in effectively by intelligent selection of landfill loca-
the area of waste collection. In contrast, there tions, structural measures (e.g. liners) and opti-
has been little good news about waste disposal mized modes of landfill operation. In addition,
in developing and threshold countries. Most waste can be pretreated to modify its properties
waste is still being disposed of at uncontrolled so that less pollution will result when it is dum-
dumps (fly tips) where no special measures are ped. One means of pretreatment is to incinerate
taken to prevent pollution. Emissions from such the waste, although the resultant slag and the
dumps jeopardize the health of nearby resi- residue from the off-gas scrubbing system still
dents, contaminate the surrounding soil, and have to be disposed of afterwards. In Europe,
threaten groundwater resources. recent years have seen the emergence of
mechanical-biological waste treatment (MBWT)
as an alternative, or complement, to waste inci-
neration. Germany is a global leader in the
design and use of MBWT technology.
Especially the organic fraction of municipal solid

waste (MSW) constitutes a serious environmen-
tal risk when dumped at landfills, because it will
subsequently undergo uncontrolled biological
decomposition. The basic idea of MBWT, there-
fore, is to pretreat such waste under controlled
conditions prior to its ultimate disposal in order
to optimize decomposition of the organic frac-
tion, hence reducing its pollution potential.
Mechanical-biological waste treatment can, sub-
ject to certain conditions, be significantly more
cost-effective than waste incineration and is
therefore viewed as an attractive alternative
Figure 1: The "Alvarenga" garbage dump in Sao Paulo, and
the "Billings" drinking water impounding reservoir technology. However, little experience has been
Source: GTZ Photo Archive
gained to date in the use of this technology in
developing and threshold countries.
8
Past attempts to transfer waste technologies Numerous German and foreign partners were
from industrialized countries of the West to attracted to the project to help implement its
developing countries have led to numerous activities:
disappointments. Hence it was not the sole
objective of the GTZ sector project "Promotion Federal German Ministry of Education and
of Mechanical-biological Waste Treatment" to Research (BMBF)
simply disseminate the technology, but also and Knoten Weimar
in particular to carry out a critical analysis of the the Faber Group
risks and potentials of MBWT. The pilot-scale the University of Kassel
MBWT field tests conducted in various countries Prefeitura São Sebastião
provide the main basis for this analysis. Prefeitura Municipal Ilhabela
Municipality of Phitsanulok
The sector project focused on both the technical
components and some key areas of develop-
ment policy, including in particular the living The individual project partners' names, addres-
conditions of waste pickers and how they would ses and contact persons are listed in the
be affected by the introduction of mechanical- Appendix.
biological waste treatment.
The sector project "Promotion of Mechanical-

biological Waste Treatment" was designed for a
term of six years (1998 - 2003) and was finan-
ced by the Federal German Ministry for Econo-
mic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Its
focal areas were:
generating and providing reference material

on MBWT,
conducting seminars and training events,
elaborating feasibility studies for MBWT
developing countries, including the explora-
tion of socioeconomic aspects,
planning and implementing exemplary pilot-
scale applications with scientific back-
stopping.
9
2 Introduction to MBWT
T he primary goal of MBWT is to minimize

the environmental burdens of waste dis-
Waste input and control
Sewage sludge
posal by way of extensive stabilization. MBWT
Mechanical conditioning
can also help to recover valuable materials (cf.
Nonbiodegradables Coarse sorting Screening
Chapter 2.3). The terms composting and MBWT Recyclables Sorting Combinution
High-Energy Magnetic Separation Homogenization
are often used together, because both approa- Fraction
ches rely on quite similar techniques. However,
Inert fractions
Biological treatment
the two processes do pursue different objectives Aerobic Anaerobic/Aerobic
Decomposition Ferm. + post-decomp.
(cf. Table 1).
Cover
Screening
Optional
Disposal to landfill
Process Main objective Input Figure 2: The operational sequence of mechanical-biological waste treatment
Composting To obtain a high-quality, Defined inputs with decisive

marketable soil conditio- influence on the quality of In the mechanical stage, the first step is to sort
ner (compost) the product (e.g. separately
out the disturbants (e.g. large pieces of metal),
collected biowaste)
unwanted materials and - optionally - recycla-
bles. Next, the residual waste is prepared for
MBWT To minimize, by means of Mixed municipal solid biological treatment by comminution, mixing
extensive stabilization, the waste (MSW)
environmental pollution re- and, if necessary, moistening. Then comes the
sulting from waste dispo- biological stage, the purpose of which is to
sal
effect extensive biological stabilization of the
waste. There are two basic methods of biologi-
Tabelle 1: Differences between composting and MBWT cal decomposition:
aerobic decomposition, i.e. decomposition

2.1 Characterization of MBWT in the presence of atmospheric oxygen, and
anaerobic digestion, i.e. decomposition
As shown in Figure 2, MBWT generally compri- the absence of atmospheric oxygen, also
ses the following steps: referred to as fermenting.
waste input and control, The biological decomposition and conversion of

mechanical conditioning, organic matter by microorganisms (bacterial,
biological treatment and protozoa, fungi) is a natural form of recycling
emplacement of treated waste at a landfill. that takes place in landfilled waste. As biological
decomposition progresses in a landfill, anaer-
obic digestion generates a combustible, explosi-
ve gas referred to as sanitary landfill gas. This
gas escapes from the landfill and contributes to
global warming and hence to climate degra-
dation. Water seeping into the landfill, together
with water contained in the waste, becomes
contaminated by the products of decomposition
and by the leaching out of pollutants.
10
To keep the leachate and the landfill gas from 2.2 Waste Treatment Processes
escaping to the environment, the landfill needs
to be sealed so that they can be collected and There is a broad spectrum of equipment and
treated systematically. biological treatment methods that can be com-
Through the controlled decomposition of organic bined for the purposes of mechanical-biological
substances, mechanical-biological waste treat- waste treatment, depending on the local situa-
ment substantially reduces both the gas and tion and the waste-management targets. For
water emissions which would otherwise be sub- example, some facilities are modestly equipped
sequently generated at the landfill and the volu- and are operated using extensive-type proces-
me of the residual waste requiring emplacement. ses, i.e. processes involving little automation
Waste containing a large share of biodegradable and low outlays for construction and process
organic material is most suitable for such treat- control.
ment. This is generally the case for household
and commercial waste. However, contaminated
waste, e.g. hazardous industrial waste; infec-
tious waste, e.g. waste from hospitals and
slaughterhouses; and constructionsite waste are
inherently unsuitable. The suitability of industrial
waste needs to be determined in advance, e.g.
by analyzing, on a case-by-case basis, its pollu-
tant concentrations and biomass fractions.
Fresh air
Exhaust air
Atmospheric
Biofilter pressure
~20 cm
~2,5 m
Homogenized waste
Ventilating pipes Wind
Rows of pallets ~60 m
Slope approx.
Base ~25 m
ca. 3%
Figure 3: A natural-draft (convecting) biotreatment windrow as an example of extensive aerobic decomposition
11
Conversely, depending on the set objectives of

treatment, the financial leeway, and various
other boundary conditions, biological treatment
can also be pursued using semiautomatic, tech-
nically optimized, indoor, emission-controlled
systems (intensive approach).
Closed Hall
Exhaust-air
Moisturization with scrubbing

process water
Automatic turning and moisturi-

zing of decomposting material
Mechanical
conditioned Post-treatment,
waste landfill
Vacuum ventilation
Exhaust-air
scrubbing
Figure 4: Schematic rendition of an intensive aerobic decomposition process
Intensive approaches help reduce the decompo- 2.3 Integration of MBWT into Municipal
sing time and the specific space requirements. Waste Management Schemes
Closed systems (hall, container) allow emissions
(gas, odor, dust, ...) to be controlled. Also, the The first step toward determining the extent to
decomposition process can be controlled and which MBWT may or may not constitute a good
optimized by way of active ventilation, moisturi- approach to waste management for a given city
zing and blending. This significantly accelerates or region is to survey and analyze the existing
the main decomposition process and increases waste-management situation.
the share of organic matter that actually decom-
poses. However, the structure and the requisite Prior to deciding in favor of mechanical-biologi-
equipment make this approach too expensive cal waste treatment, other waste-treatment
for anything but large amounts of waste, and the alternatives should also be considered. In indu-
high degree of automation makes the system strialized countries, for example, waste incinera-
more susceptible to disturbances and therefore tion is a fairly popular form of residual-waste
necessitates higher expenditures for maintenan- treatment. The flue-gas emissions are of primary
ce and repair. interest when evaluating environmental pollution
from waste incineration plants (WIPs).
12
In recent years many countries have adopted In many different countries, recent years have
emission standards for the control of flue-gas seen the installation of organic waste compo-
emissions from waste incinerating plants. Com- sting facilities (primarily for prunings and kitchen
plying with such standards necessitates very slops). As a rule of thumb, the composting of
high process-technological and financial invest- separately collected kitchen slops and garden
ments. Such plants are designed for high waste can always be regarded as useful, whet-
throughputs with a view to minimizing the speci- her or not mechanical-biological waste treat-
fic costs. ment is introduced.
Mechanical-biological waste treatment facilities,

though, can operate economically for smaller 2.4 Climatic Factors
quantities, as well. MBWT facilities can be
expected to cost a fraction of the outlay for Human activities have caused a considerable
waste incinerating plants. Moreover, the pro- increase in the greenhouse-gas contents of the
cess-technological requirements - in other earth's atmosphere. As a consequence, the
words the initial cost of the plant - can, within earth's surface is expected to become gradually
certain limits, be defined by the owners / buil- warmer over the coming decades (global wam-
ders themselves without necessarily having to ing), in turn giving rise to attendant climatic
fear that the quality of treatment will deteriorate changes. Knowing this, the industrialized coun-
as a result. tries have adopted the United Nations Frame-
work Convention on Climate Change (Kyoto
In professional circles MBWT is therefore Protocol), in which they agree to reduce their
discussed as a more economical and less com- greenhouse gas emissions.
plicated alternative to waste incineration. On the The greenhouse gases that are contributing
other hand, especially for large volumes of most to the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxi-
waste material, MBWT and waste incineration de (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide or
can make a good combination. In a basic model laughing gas (N2O). All three of them occur inter
of such an approach, high-energy waste materi- alia in connection with waste disposal. Table 2,
als such as plastics and composites are separa- below, reflects the estimated total emissions of
ted from the biodegradable waste. While the these gases within the EU, including the respec-
energy content of the former is exploited, the tive fractions attributable to waste disposal.
organic fraction undergoes biological treatment
and subsequent disposal to a landfill.
Untreated waste input
Mechanical-biological
MBWT MBWT
treatment
high - energy
fraction
Thermal treatment WIP or

WIP
energy rec.
Conventional Slag-
Disposal to landfill MBWT-landfill
landfill dump
Figure 5: Residual-waste treatment options
13
Greenhouse gas Emissions Greenhouse Total greenhouse potential Greenhouse potential of

potential of all emissions emissions from waste
disposal
Units [Gg] (over 100 years) [Gg] in CO2- equiv. em. [Gg] in CO2- equiv. em.
(with waste-disposal fraction, in (with waste-disposal distribution
wt.%, parenthesized) parenthesized))
CO2 fossil 3.215 1 3.215 (< 0,5%) 15 (9%)

CH4 22 21 460 (33%) 152 (89%)
N2O 1,05 310 325 (1%) 3 (2%)
Total 3.237 4.000 (4,25%) 170
Table 2: Anthropogenic emissions of CO2, CH 4, and N2 O within the EU in 1994 [1]
Most of the greenhouse effect attributable to Another way to reduce methane emissions from
waste management can be ascribed to metha- landfills is to cover the older parts of the dump
ne, which is produced by the anaerobic diges- with a biofilter cap consisting of pretreated,
tion of biodegradable waste in landfills. Approxi- screened waste. The filter layer helps diminish
mately one-third of all anthropogenic CH4 emis- the amount of methane that can escape from
sions within the EU derive from that source. By the landfill.
contrast, only 1 % of the N 2O emissions and
less than 0.5 % of the CO 2 emissions can be
traced to landfilled waste. Hence, reducing CH4
emissions from landfills holds the greatest
potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
in the waste-management context.
MBWT allows methane generation to be greatly

reduced. Well-ventilated, long-term aerobic
decomposition emits only about 1 % of the
methane generated by a comparably sized land -
fill full of untreated waste. Anaerobic processes
offer certain advantages over aerobic processes
with regard to climatic effects because the bio-
gas they produce contains a large proportion of
methane and is therefore a useful energy vehi-
cle, and they produce only small amounts of
exhaust air, i.e. off-gas, that can scrubbed befo-
re it is released to the atmosphere.
14
3 MBWT Reference Material and Events
3.1 MBWT Decision-maker's Guide 3.2 Videos
W ithin the scope of the sector project, a

compact decision-maker's guide 1 on
mechanical-biological waste treatment in deve-
Serving as an initial introduction to the subject
of MBWT, a presentation in the form of a video
film entitled "Mechanical-biological Waste Treat-
loping countries offers a wealth of relevant infor- ment in Germany" has been produced by the
mation. It contains concrete decision-making sector project. Available in English, Spanish,
aids to help decide whether or not this treatment Portuguese and Thai, the film illustrates the
method would help improve the waste-disposal basic procedures and the span of MBWT's tech-
situation under a given set of circumstances. nical implementation at various sites in Germa-
The main contents of the guide are: ny.
a brief explanation and presentation of the Following an introductory awareness-raising

various stages and processes of MBWT and section on waste disposal in a general context,
of its impacts MBWT is presented as a potential alternative
a basic approach to the estimation of costs with the capacity to ameliorate the relevant envi-
an explanation of how mechanical-biological ronmental impacts. The presentation has four
waste treatment fits into municipal waste main sections, each dealing with a different sta-
management, including a survey of alternati- ge of the process:
ve methods of waste treatment
tools for arriving at an initial decision on waste input and control
whether or not, and how, MBWT can be mechanical conditioning
sensibly employed under the prevailing set biological treatment
of boundary conditions disposal of residual waste to landfill
helpful hints on further lines of action, and
information on pertinent and supplementary Various processes are dealt with, e.g. natural-
sources of information. draft decomposition, the dome-aeration method,
and some technically more complicated, dyna-
The guide addresses all interested in waste mic, intensive-decomposition approaches.
management in developing countries. This inclu-
des municipal decision-makers as well as diver- Another film, produced by Faber, explains the
se experts and consultants in the field of waste FABER-AMBRA® process as employed in Ger-
management. many and Brazil. This film is also included in the
sector project's documentation.
1 A PDF version of the guide is available in German, English and Spanish at www.gtz.de/MBA.
15
3.3 Costing Model 3.4 Conferences and Seminars
To help estimate the initial investment costs and Numerous events dedicated to MBWT were held
the cost of operating an MBWT facility, a costing in Germany and in the partner countries in the
module based on a question-and-answer appro- course of the sector project. They included:
ach has been developed. It allows the user to
arrive at a cost estimate by entering the relevant 1. a workshop entitled Mechanisch-biologische
data appropriate to the local situation. The user Abfallbehandlung in Entwicklungsländern
should, of course, have some idea of how (mechanical-biological waste treatment in deve-
MBWT works, because the program includes loping countries) serving to help establish co-
multiple-choice questions about such matters as operative relationships with German facility ope-
procedural alternatives.2 rators, engineering companies, technology-
transfer organizations and academic institutions.
The costs to be taken into account are based on March 18, 1999, in Eschborn, Germany
empirical data gleaned from the German / Euro-
pean market. To find out what those costs 2. a sectoral forum entitled Mechanisch-biologi-
would amount to in one's own country, the user sche Abfallbehandlung in Entwicklungsländern
has to estimate and enter a correction factor to (mechanical-biological waste treatment in deve-
account for, say, the cost of importing the requi- loping countries) held in cooperation with Kno-
site mechanical equipment (customs, cost of ten Weimar, dealing with methods of mechani-
transportation, ...). Naturally, the cost of con- cal-biological waste treatment, as employed
struction must be based on local wage levels. under circumstances specific to developing
The program was designed for application to countries. July 22/23, 1999, in Eschborn, Ger-
facilities with throughputs of 20,000 Mg/a and many
higher. Sizing of the biological treatment stage
assumes as its treatment target that the biologi- 3. a training course in mechanical-biological
cal activity of the treated material will amount to waste treatment for Thai specialists representing
approximately one quarter of that of fresh mate- municipal authorities, held in cooperation with
rial. While this does not correspond to Ger- the Technical Cooperation Project "Solid Waste
many's stringent requirements for the disposal Management Programme for Phitsanulok". Sep-
of biologically pretreated waste, it does hold the tember 1/8, 1999, in Germany
promise of substantial improvements with regard
to emissions and landfilling space require- 4. a workshop on mechanical-biological waste
ments. treatment for Brazilian communities and univer-
sities, held in cooperation with "Wilhelm Faber
The program provides an initial overview of the GmbH" and Prefeitura Municipal de São Se-
costs to be expected for various alternative vari- bastião. December 6/7, 1999, in São Sebastião,
ants. However, detailed planning with due allow- Brazil
ance for the local framework conditions is
necessary for reliable costing.
2 This information can be found, inter alia, in the aforementioned decision-maker's guide.
16
5. a workshop for recycling and waste-sorting The partners participating in the pilot projects
cooperatives, held in cooperation with Prefeitura held additional training / information events and
Municipal de São Sebastião. September 23/26, seminars for their local specialists. Documenta-
2000, in São Sebastião, Brazil. tion of the aforementioned events is available via
the sector project's own documentation and the
6. a workshop and training event entitled "Pilot website www.gtz.de/MBA.
Project on Waste Management in Atlacomulco",
sponsored by Wilhelm Faber GmbH for the City
of Atlacomulco and other Mexican communities.
September 2002, in Atlacomulco, Mexico.
7. an entrepreneurs' forum entitled "Public Pri-

vate Partnerships (PPP) in the International
Waste Sector", held in cooperation with Knoten
Weimar. The purpose of this forum was to join
with representatives of the industrial sector,
government ministries, promotion institutions,
consultants and experts in evaluating PPP as a
still-young instrument and developing future
strategies. Concrete steps toward improving
PPP as a tool were agreed and implemented.
August 2/3, 2001, in Eschborn, Germany, plus
two "follow-up meetings" by the members of the
initiative on December 6, 2001, in Braun-
schweig, Germany, and on May 15, 2002 at
IFAT.
Figure 6: At the entrepreneurs' forum on

"Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in the
International Waste Sector", in Eschborn,
Germany
17
4 MBWT Pilot Projects
4.1 Short Descriptions of the Projects
W ithin the scope of the sector project,

various pilot projects were implemented
in cooperation between partners in the project
and disposal of the process water. Once the
process was seen to have demonstrated its fun-
damental suitability in the course of trial opera-
countries, German enterprises and GTZ. The tion, MBWT was successively expanded and
main objective of the projects was to appraise integrated into São Sebastião's waste manage-
the appropriateness of known German approa- ment system.
ches for application in the various countries and
to evaluate the prospects and risks of the tech- Now, since April 2002, all domestic waste arri-
nology in the relevant country. The projects ving at the landfill undergoes mechanical-biolo-
enjoyed scientific backstopping, and their gical pretreatment, and no more waste is depo-
results were evaluated by independent experts. sited at the old dump. The old dump has since
The individual projects are outlined below, and been profiled and covered with cohesive soil.
condensed descriptions of the projects are pro- After that, additional biotreatment windrows
vided in the project characterizations attached were established on the covered area, and all
to this report. pretreated waste is now being emplaced in
separate sections of the landfill. Operation of
both the landfill and the MBWT facility has been
4.1.1 Pilot project in São Sebastião, Brazil privatized. The City of São Sebastião has char-
ged Faber with providing technical support for
In cooperation with Prefeitura Municipal de São the MBWT.
Sebastião, the project implemented a mechani-
cal-biological waste treatment (MBWT) plant in
São Sebastião, in the Brazilian State of São
Paulo. São Sebastião, a town of scarcely 50,000
inhabitants, is such a popular tourist destination
that its population swells to over 250,000 during
the main tourist season. With a view to impro-
ving the town's previously inadequate waste dis-
posal capabilities, the German company Wilhelm
Faber GmbH installed an MBWT facility that
works on the basis of the FABER-AMBRA® pro-
cess (cf. Chapter 4.2.3.3).
Firstly, a trial decomposing heap based on the Figure 7: Mechanical-biological waste treatment using the
FABER-AMBRA® process in São Sebastião
FABER-AMBRA® process was established and
studied in Rio de Janeiro. Then, in May 2000, a
six-month trial commenced in São Sebastião.
The trial was attended and evaluated both by
Wilhelm Faber GmbH and by independent
experts from GTZ. Some minor adjustments
were made in the process to accommodate
local factors, with a bearing on, for example,
homogenization and moisturizing of the waste
18
4.1.2 Pilot project in Phitsanulok, Thailand
In November 2001 a pilot project at the Phit- ted optimizing measures during the rainy season
sanulok municipal landfill was commenced on too. Completion of the trial-operation phase will
the basis of a GTZ-commissioned feasibility stu- be followed by negotiations regarding continua-
dy produced in 1999 on the suitability of mecha- tion of the process and its implementation into
nical-biological waste treatment for the city. The the local waste management system.
purpose of this experiment was to demonstrate
that the FABER-AMBRA® process can also be
successfully applied in cases involving very
moist, weakly structured waste materials contai-
ning large amounts of plastics. Another goal was
to clarify the extent to which high rates of preci-
pitation during the rainy season would cause
problems with the open-air decomposing heaps.
The project was conducted in cooperation with
the City of Phitsanulok and with the support of
the Technical Cooperation project "Thai-German
Solid Waste Management Programme for Phit-
sanulok."
The MBWT process employed is basically the

same as in São Sebastião. The waste is homo-
genized at a rate of 50 Mg/d in a mobile drum
Figure 8: Mechanical-biological waste treatment using
provided by Faber. Since the project is still in its the FABER-AMBRA® process in Phitsanulok
pilot phase, no ultimate throughput targets are

being achieved yet. The pilot project is being
backstopped by Faber and independent experts
from GTZ. The first few windrows were found to 4.1.3 Scale-model MBWT trial in
be suffering a lack of oxygen supply. This was Al-Salamieh, Syria
attributed to inadequate reinforcement and profi-
ling of the biotreatment areas, coupled with The organic fraction of waste collected in Al-
insufficient load-carrying capacity of the base- Salamieh amounts to approximately 70 %. Al-
course pallets. This gave rise to numerous opti- Salamieh has an urgent demand for soil amelio-
mizing measures designed to improve the sup- ration, so people there are very interested in
ply of oxygen to the heaps. Now the results of turning at least part of that fraction into com-
subsequent tests confirm that the decomposi- post. The Al-Salamieh model experiment there-
tion process is proceeding satisfactorily. The fore included an appraisal of various options for
process adaptation is being monitored by way generating useful compost fractions via mecha-
of extensive temperature profiling and gas-com- nical-biological treatment of household and
position measurements. commercial waste inputs.
Initially, the pilot project was supposed to last

one year, but its duration has since been exten-
ded to mid-2003 to allow unequivocal demon-
stration of the effectiveness of the now comple-
19
Considering the composition of the waste, the The properties of compost are heavily depen-
pedological situation and the economic context, dent on both the nature of the inputs and the
together with the country's dependence on composting process. Pretreatment (separate
imported fertilizers, the generation of compost collection and/or removal of disturbants, un-
from waste makes economic sense in Syria, and wanted materials and - optionally - recyclables,
is not unknown there. However, since the con- comminution, etc.) and the composting condi-
ventional method of composting the aggregate tions therefore had to be selected to produce
waste input had proved unable to yield compost composts of defined quality for defined purpo-
of the required quality and environmental safety, ses, and to enable sustained achievement of the
a mechanical-biological waste treatment con- requisite quality parameters. For example, diffe-
cept was applied in an attempt to stabilize the rent windrows were built up of summer waste
residual waste while obtaining a high-quality and winter waste, the compositions of which dif-
compost fraction, and hence reducing the ulti- fer considerably. All in all, approximately 220 Mg
mate amounts of waste destined for the landfill. of waste from garbage collection in Al-Salamieh
Unlike other pilot-scale field trials, in which pre - was employed in the experiment. In addition to
treatment is intended to improve the disposal the common-landfill variant as the reference
situation, the Al-Salamieh experiment focused embodiment, three windrows composed of
on obtaining a good soil conditioner. The main mixed, coarsely presorted household waste and
objectives of the experiment were: separately collected biowaste were investigated.
1. to demonstrate and explain different process- The waste was piled up in pressure-ventilated
technological variants for MBWT and compost windrows of trapezoidal cross section. To keep
production by comparison with currently the windrows from drying out, and in order to
employed concepts, minimize the odor nuisance, the heaps were
covered with a semi-permeable tarpaulin.
2. to portray the general legal situation regarding
the operation of an MBWT facility and the use of
the subfractions obtained,
3. to analyze and characterize the obtainable

compost fraction,
4. to appraise the market for subfractions ob-

tained,
5. to estimate the anticipated costs of MBWT

enlisting local technologies,
6. to prepare an ecobalance of various disposal

options.
Figure 9: Composting windrow in Al-Salamieh,

with cover and forced ventilation
20
The experiments demonstrated the suitability of 4.1.4 Other projects
the procedural approach employed for MBWT
and hence for the production of high-quality In addition to the aforementioned projects,
compost. With regard to the quality of the matu- which focus on the field-testing of MBWT, the
re compost, the study also illuminated the sector project also provided support to various
importance of either collecting biowaste separa- other projects of similar thrust.
tely or subjecting it to a similarly oriented form
of pretreatment.
Pilot project in Atlacomulco, Mexico
A large-scale pilot project based on the results
of this model experiment is presently in prepara- The purpose of this project is to introduce an
tion for validating and adjusting the process. integrated, sustainably safe and reliable form of
The goal is to build and operate an MBWT facili- waste management with integration of the infor-
ty in Al-Salamieh with a capacity of 15,000 - mal sector. To this end a waste-sector training
20,000 Mg/a. Appropriate technical and politi- and upgrading program is being implemented in
cal-institutional embodiment measures are being the City of Atlacomulco and its surrounding
provided to ensure the long-term efficiency of communities. The training and upgrading pro-
the MBWT facility. GTZ will help finance and gram consists of three components:
implement the training and upgrading measures
for the various target groups, the production of composting,
training and reference materials, the promotion sorting of recyclables and management of a
of public awareness, and the provision of con- microenterprise (Microempresa),
tacts in Syria. The firm W. L. Gore will be treatment of waste inputs according to the
responsible for building and operating the waste MBWT process.
treatment plant, for coordinating the various
parts of the system, and for adapting them opti- The overall concept envisages the coupling of
mally to the local situation. The entire measure composting, recovery of recyclables, and MBWT
will enjoy the scientific backstopping of the Uni- (using the FABER-AMBRA® process). The inten-
versity of Kassel, Waste Technology Faculty. tion is to implement an ecologically optimized
scheme that will simultaneously make an impor-
tant contribution to poverty reduction. Until now,
most salvaging has been done by the informal
sector (waste pickers = Pepenadores). The com-
posting, recycling and sale of compost and
secondary raw materials will substantially impro-
ve the latter's income situation.
21
Promotion of ecologically sound waste manage- 4.2 Results and Experience Gathered
ment in Colombia from Pilot Projects
The waste management engineering consultants The essential results of the pilot projects are
Ingenieurbüro für innovative Abfallwirtschaft (ia) discussed below, with special attention given to
GmbH, in cooperation with B.A.U.M. TRACOM the projects in São Sebastião, Brazil; Al-Sala-
Ltda, in Bogotá, and with GTZ, have implemen- mieh, Syria; and Phitsanulok, Thailand. These
ted a pilot project in Armenia (capital of Quindío pilot projects have either already been comple-
Department, Colombia) for introducing an inte- ted, or soon will be, and they have yielded volu-
grated approach to sustainable development via minous data. The pilot projects in Phitsanulok
theory and practical training in the areas of and São Sebastião come close to normal opera-
"integrated waste management" and "sustain- tion in terms of their quantitative throughput3
able waste management". The project objectives and equipment endowment, so the results are
were to establish a technical college and to reliable with regard to costs and the use of
plan, build and operate a model MBWT facility machinery. The model experiment in Al-Sala-
with a practical training mandate. mieh involved relatively small amounts of waste,
so its results do not necessarily apply uncondi-
After sorting and screening, the material is tionally to normal operation as far as costs and
homogenized in a mixing drum and then com - the use of machinery are concerned. On the
posted in bamboo composting bins. The project other hand, the model project in Al-Salamieh
also qualified trainers for turning out future spe- enjoyed very intensive scientific backstopping,
cialists. A further focal point of the project was and the data yield is accordingly voluminous.
to compile the experience gained and make it
available to interested parties across South
America via the internet portal "Foro-Z", the
waste-management knowledge portal for Latin
America" (www.foro-z.com). The project has
been completed, and further cooperation and
the development of additional projects within the
region are planned.
Figure 10: Training for Recicladores

at the scale-model MBWT facility in
Armenia, Colombia
3 In Sao Sebastiao, all waste arriving at the landfill is now pretreated. In Phitsanulok, approximately 30 % of the waste arriving at the landfill undergoes
pretreatment in connection with the pilot project.
22
4.2.1 Project preparation
The pilot projects were based on feasibility stu- Temperature

dies in which the local boundary conditions (e.g. The decomposition process liberates energy in
the fundamental waste-management and econo- the form of heat, and the temperature increases
mic data) were collected and a project concept in tandem with the activity of the microorga-
developed. The main objectives of the pilot pro- nisms. This produces a typical time history of
jects, which were implemented on the basis of temperature over the duration of the decompo-
the aforementioned feasibility studies, were sition process. At the same time, the biological
efficiency of the microorganisms is also a func-
to verify the assumptions of the feasibility tion of temperature, reaching its peak at appro-
study and clarify open questions, ximately 70°C during the intensive-decomposi-
to test the process and adapt it to the local tion phase.
situation as necessary,
to train local personnel and demonstrate the
Time history of decomposition temparature
process and its results in the partner coun-
try, and
Temperature (°C)
70
to assess the chances and risks of the pro-
cess employed in the project area. 60
Terminal decomposition phase

50
Intensive decomposition phase
40
The experience gained in the pilot projects
Post-decomposition phase
Pre-decomposition-phase
shows that it can take several years to progress 30

from the initial study to normal operation. In
addition to financing matters, there were nume- 20
rous other causes of delay, e.g. clarification of

10
customs issues for the importing of equipment,
adaptation of the process technology to local 0
Time
conditions, clarification of site availability, and
lengthy licensing and decision-making proces-
Figure 11: A typical decomposition
ses. temperature curve
Continuous monitoring of the temperature

4.2.2 Monitoring programs makes it possible to detect deviations from the
optimal decomposition process and to take
4.2.2.1 Basic principles appropriate countermeasures to improve the
conditions of decomposition (e.g. ventilation,
The time history of the biological process taking moisturizing, turning). The temperatures were
place within the biotreatment heap can be des- monitored by means of probes (or sampling
cribed by means of various parameters: gauges) penetrating some 1.5 m into the heap.
The temperatures were measured once a week.
23
Gas evolution
Aerobic decomposition is a process in which Frequency Meas. point
Input Dayly Weekly Monthly Quar- Output On Site Lab
oxygen-dependent microorganisms break down terly
Visual inspection
organic substance. The process liberates carbon -
Temperature in the heap -

dioxide, water and heat, leaving behind a resi- Moisture in the heap -
dual organic mass. If the supply of oxygen is Height
interrupted, the process turns anaerobic, and -
Ambient temperature
the resultant fermentation becomes recognizable -
Precipitation -
by the generation of methane. Consequently, by
-
monitoring the oxygen, carbon dioxide and Gaseous emissions -
methane levels in the heap, the operator can tell Carbon dioxide -
Oxygen
whether or not it is getting enough oxygen, how -
Nitrogen -
well the gases resulting from the biological pro- Methane -
cesses are escaping, and whether or not the -
aerobic decomposition process is encountering Water content (solids)

Ignition loss (solids)
any problems.
TOC (solids) ( ) ( )
TOC (eluate)
Solids analysis Respiration activity (AT 4)
The processes of organic decomposition taking Gas format. rate (GB 21 )
place in the biotreatment heaps can be monito- pH

COD (eluate)
red by various analytical methods of determining
BOD5
such factors as the total organic carbon content AbfAblV criteria*
of the waste (TOC) , its gas formation rate Density/water content
(GB21) and its dynamic respiration activity level -
Process water
(AT 4). -
Quantity
Conductivity -
pH -
NH4 , NO3 , TKN -
BOD5 -
COD -
4.2.2.2 Implementation via pilot projects * German directive governing the ecologically viable disposal of municipal solid waste
Table 3: Proposed monitoring program for the

pilot-scale field trial in Phitsanulok
Prior to starting the pilot projects, a monitoring
program was elaborated in collaboration with
the various actors. In São Sebastião and Phits-
anulok, monitoring and evaluation were carried
out by both Faber and independent experts
acting on behalf of GTZ. In Syria, the University
of Kassel, Waste Technology Faculty, provided
scientific back-stopping for the project.
24
In addition, numerous other data of importance The results of the pilot projects show that the
for evaluating the process and for further plan- locally available resources do not suffice for
ning purposes were collected, e.g.: conducting the tests that are necessary for
assessing the progress and results of the
mass/bulk and volume analyses decomposition process. The specific standards
process water quantification and facilities required for the performance of
equipment operation and downtime waste analyses are largely lacking in the coun-
personnel working hours tries in question. The analysis of solid waste, for
operational resource requirements example, is very complicated and can only be
performed by specialized laboratories. Conse-
quently, most of the pretreated waste from the
The most important data were published in the pilot projects was analyzed in Germany.
experts' reports and can be accessed, inter
alia, via the GTZ MBWT website
www.gtz.de/MBA/English/index.html.
4.2.3 MBWT processes employed in the

pilot projects
Many different MBWT processes have been

developed in Germany in recent years. However,
most of them are oriented to the requirements of
German and European markets and standards,
while some additional criteria have to be consi-
dered for applications in developing countries.
Figure 12: Temperature monitoring

with a sampling gauge in Phitsanulok
4 An overview of processes and providers can be found in [2] and [3].
25
4.2.3.1 Technology selection criteria Hence as far as possible, MBWT projects should
be implemented in a manner to promote better
Experience shows that caution is of the essence working conditions for these people, and not to
for transferring waste treatment technologies rob them of their basis of subsistence. Another
from Germany to developing and threshold essential criterion is that the technology employ-
countries. In the past, imported technologies ed must be affordable. This requirement sub-
have often worked well only as long as they had stantially diminishes the range of potential pro-
the benefit of external technical support. There cesses. In Phitsanulok, for example, the charac-
are various reasons for this, and they apply not teristics of the waste (high water content, little
only to financial aspects, but to legal, organiza- structural material, large share of waste in pla-
tional and cultural factors as well. First of all, the stic bags) made it appear expedient to employ a
basic tenets of development cooperation in the rather complex process technology (e.g. inclu-
area of waste management - such as those des- ding fermentation of residual waste). On the
cribed in the BMZ sector concept for waste other hand, the boundary conditions still prevai-
management [4] - must be adhered to. For ling in Phitsanulok made it unlikely that such a
example, technologies must be selected in con- costly approach would be successful with
sideration of the fact that, for many people in regard to the financial and technological sustai-
many countries, waste-picking is the sole avai- nability of waste management. Consequently,
lable means of making a livelihood. the only technologies with a potential for suc-
cess were those that would allow the targeted
waste treatment objectives to be achieved with
the lowest possible initial investment and

operating costs,
the lowest possible, locally feasible mainte-
nance and repair expenditures,
the most lenient possible operating require-
ments.
The processes employed in the pilot projects

largely satisfy the aforementioned criteria. It was
also possible to enlist the assistance of German
enterprises and institutions for implementing the
pilot projects. This is not to say, of course, that
none of the other MBWT technologies that were
not field-tested within the scope of the sector
project would be suitable for application in
Figure 13: Waste pickers at the Phitsanulok landfill developing countries.
26
4.2.3.2 The Al-Salamieh scale-model trial
The following approach to mechanical-biological and to drain off the resultant press water and
treatment and composting of inputs amounting leachate) are needed to set up the heaps. The
to 15,000 Mg/a was developed on the basis of finished heaps are then covered with a semi-
the scale-model trial: permeable tarpaulin and pressure-ventilated.
Input
At first, the waste is collected in the normal
manner (mixed collection) and delivered to the
waste treatment site. Eventually the biowaste is
to be collected separately.
Waste comminution
For successful biological treatment, the collec-
ted waste first has to be removed from the pla-
stic bags. To this end a special comminutor
(homogenizing drum), which is to be built in
Syria, is needed to rip open the bags in such a
manner that the recyclables are not rendered
useless or irretrievable by excessively destructi-
ve handling.
Sorting Figure 14: Compost heaps during the model experiment in Al-Salamieh
After the bags are ripped open, the recyclables Compost recovery
and the disruptive materials (disturbants and At the end of a 14-week composting process
unwanted materials) have to be sorted out by the material is comminuted once again and
hand. Judging by the waste composition already screened to a size of 20 mm. Here, too, a wheel
ascertained, it should be possible to recover loader (or a grab excavator) is needed for fee-
approximately 150 Mg of scrap metal and 100 ding the compost into the appropriate comminu-
Mg of used glass per year as secondary raw tors.
materials. That corresponds to roughly 1 % of
the total input. Theoretically, this would yield Landfilling
revenues amounting to some PS 1 million The oversized material is dumped at the landfill.
(approx. EUR 20,000) per annum. Removal of the recyclables, in combination with
the decomposition of organic substance, redu-
Piling and operation of the compost heaps ces the volume and weight of the original waste.
Following mechanical conditioning, the material This saves space at the landfill and is therefore
to be composted is piled into heaps with the aid highly desirable.
of a wheel loader. Suitably reinforced (concreted)
composting areas with integrated ventilating
ducts (possibly in the form of channels in the
concrete to accommodate flexible vent pipes
27
4.2.3.3 The FABER-AMBRA® process in Moisturizing the waste:

São Sebastião and Phitsanulok Water can be added to the waste during the
homogenization process to give it the right
The individual steps of the patent-protected moisture content for the biological proces-
FABER-AMBRA® process, which is essentially ses. The required amount of water depends
based on the natural-draft, chimney-effect pro- on the nature of the waste inputs. In Phit-
cess developed in Germany, are explained sanulok, it was not necessary to add any
below. water at all.
Coarse sorting Transfer of the waste to the composting

The first step is to remove from the incoming area: After homogenization, the waste is
waste any bulky objects that could cause dama- transferred to the biotreatment area while
ge to the homogenizing drum. Recyclables can still in the drum.
also be sorted out at the same time.
Homogenizing
Further mechanical conditioning of the waste
takes place in a mobile homogenizing drum that
Faber built especially for this purpose.
This step is a crucial element of the process, as

it fulfills the following functions:
Homogenization of the waste introduced

by the wheel loader:
The agitation caused by the turning of the
drum mixes, i.e. homogenizes, the waste.
Figure 15: Homogenizing drum at work in Phitsanulok
Good mixing requires some 30 to 45 minu-
tes.
Tearing open of the garbage bags:

As the drum turns, teeth on the inside tear Building the heaps
open the bags of garbage, some of which is The truck carrying the homogenizing drum
wrapped in two or more bags. A comparison dumps the homogenized and, as necessary,
of freshly arrived waste with the results of moistened waste in front of the pallet-covered
homogenization shows that this approach heap-building area by turning the drum back-
worked well in the pilot projects, with only a wards. A backhoe-equipped hydraulic excavator
small number of garbage bags either not picks up the waste and forms it into biotreat-
torn open or only insufficiently so. ment heaps on top of the pallets.
28
The vent pipes are laid out approximately 4 m uniform heat-soaking of the heaps thanks to
apart. The heaps are piled between 1.80 and the insulating effect of the cover,
2.50 m high 5, depending on the nature and reduction of odors escaping from the heaps
structure of the waste. Regarding the space with the vented air,
requirement for the heaps, roughly 1 m² per ton achievement of a more uniform distribution
of waste input can be taken as a rule of thumb of moisture,
for calculation purposes. If the heaps are torn partial decomposition of organic carbon
down before the scheduled end of biological tre- compounds in the biofilter,
atment, the organic fraction will not have time to better optical appearance of the compost
undergo full biological decomposition. heaps,
provision of a vermin barrier.
The hydraulic excavator is used to cover the

heap with a 20 - 40 cm-thick layer of biofiltering
material.
Figure 16: Waste from Phitsanulok

before and after homogenization
Covering the heaps

The completed heaps are covered with a layer
Figure 17: Piling the waste for biologi-
of biofiltering material. In Germany, the biofilter cal treatment in Atlacomulco, Mexico
is obtained by screening the pretreated waste.

That, however, necessitates the use of a corre-
spondingly powerful screening unit, but no such
unit was available for the pilot projects. Alterna-
tively, wood scraps (eucalyptus bark) are used
in São Sebastião and coconut shells in Phit-
sanulok. Covering the heaps serves the
following purposes:
5 Both in Phitsanulok and in Sao Sebastiao, the heap heights were reduced to improve the supply of oxygen.
29
Tearing down the heaps Pallets

At the end of the biological treatment phase, a In Phitsanulok, the quality and physical cha-
mobile excavator is used to tear down, i.e. to racteristics of the pallets proved to have a
disassemble, the heaps. In removing the materi- decisive impact on the decomposition pro-
al, care is taken to preserve as many of the pal- cess. In Thailand, suitable pallets are com-
lets and vent pipes as possible for reuse. paratively expensive and often serve as
secondary raw material for other purposes.
Emplacement of pretreated waste Consequently, various alternatives to the use
The residual waste is loaded onto a truck and of such wooden pallets should be investiga-
dumped at the landfill. If available, a compactor ted.
is used to place the material. If not, a traxcava-
tor or bulldozer will do the job. Optimal landfil-
ling requires that the waste be placed in very Biofilter
compact thin layers (= onion skin tipping). Various materials were used for making bio-
filters in the pilot projects. The coconut
shells used in Phitsanulok are waste pro-
ducts and available free of cost. Conversely,
4.2.3.4 Evaluation of the technologies the eucalyptus bark used in São Sebastião
employed is comparatively expensive and could be put
to other uses. It would therefore be advisa-
FABER-AMBRA® process ble to investigate some alternative biofilter
Both in São Sebastião and in Phitsanulok, the materials.
pilot projects confirmed that extensive stabiliza-
tion of pretreated waste can be achieved with Homogenizing drum
simple equipment and comparatively low initial The rotary drum vehicles used by Faber
investment and operating costs by adopting the were imported from Germany. The homoge-
FABER-AMBRA® process. Not only did the nizing drum is the most technically elaborate
FABER-AMBRA® process work well in the pilot part of the FABER-AMBRA® process and
projects, it was also retained for normal opera- not yet available in the project countries.
tion in São Sebastião, where MBWT has since However, the drum is needed to make the
radically improved the situation at the landfill. input material suitable for biological treat-
Nevertheless, some aspects still require further ment. Its operation requires qualified per-
clarification and development: sonnel and regular maintenance, because
replacement vehicles are very expensive and
Sensitivity to high rates of precipitation difficult to obtain. Hence efforts should be
The uncovered heaps were found to react made to develop locally available, more
more or less sensitively to high rates of pre- inexpensive alternatives.
cipitation, depending on the nature of the
waste. This could even progress to the point Gas monitoring
that anaerobic processes begin to take pla- Monitoring the generation of gas with a
ce within the heaps (cf. Chapter 4.2.5.2). handheld measuring instrument has proved
Faber is presently investigating various ways rather unreliable. Some simple but reliable,
to minimize the effects of weather conditions locally appropriate method of gas measure-
by way of reasonable technical and financial ment needs to be developed.
inputs.
30
Al-Salamieh extent to which the finished items of equipment
The process concept also worked well in Al- actually meet the set requirements, remains to
Salamieh. The decomposition process and its be seen. In Brazil, options for local manufacture
results are in line with expectations. Covering of a homogenizing drum are being explored.
the heaps with an air-permeable membrane
made it possible to dispense with supplemen-
tary moisturizing of the heaps. While this does 4.2.4 Operation of an MBWT facility
make the process somewhat more complex
than the FABER-AMBRA® process, it also offers Extensive MBWT processes are characterized
advantages for applications in arid climates as by the use of "simple" technology. However, that
well as in areas with abundant precipitation. In does not mean that such processes are "simple"
Al-Salamieh it is planned to integrate the field- to control. On the contrary. It is probably more
tested process into normal operation. However, difficult to create optimal conditions for the bio-
the requisite equipment will have to be locally logical degradation of organic material in an
redesigned. uncomplicated, extensive process than it would
be in a more intricate, intensive one. For exam-
ple, in any country where composting and other
Provision of special-purpose equipment for comparable techniques are not widely dissemi-
waste treatment nated, it takes time to build up the requisite
No special waste-treatment equipment - waste know-how. Hence one major constituent of all
comminutors, homogenizing drums, screeners, pilot projects was to provide training for the
etc. - is to be found in any of the project coun- local personnel.
tries. That, of course, means that such equip-
ment either has to be imported or fabricated
locally as one-off items. For imported equip-
ment, proper maintenance and spare-parts pro-
curement must be assured for the long term,
and any locally fabricated equipment has to
meet certain quality standards with regard to
corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, etc.
Within the scope of the pilot projects it was not
possible to determine the extent to which local
fabrication of low-cost equipment meeting these
quality standards could actually be realized.
In Syria, the comminutors and screeners have

also been earmarked for local fabrication and
integration into normal operations. Inquiries
among local contractors indicate that fabrication
of the equipment in Syria would cost some
90 % less than it would to import the items from
Germany. Whether or not these price estimates
would hold true in actual practice, and the
31
4.2.4.1 MBWT personnel requirements 4.2.4.2 Training
For an MBWT process to achieve good results, Both in São Sebastião and in Phitsanulok, Faber
it must be managed with due competence and not only provided technical support for the
commitment. In addition to normal managerial MBWT facility, but also trained the local workfor-
and leadership skills, the operator must also ce. During the first months of the project, Faber
have the experience needed to optimally control personnel were in constant attendance. That
a biological decomposition process. The per- was also the time frame of the intensive training
sonnel needed for the other work must have phase for the workers. In both pilot projects, the
qualifications comparable to those of civil- per-sonnel were hired by the municipal authori-
engineering workers (e.g. shovel men, truck dri- ties. Their theory-based training encompassed
vers, mechanics). explanations of the mechanical and biological
steps of the process and of the various machi-
nes, but their actual practical training took place
directly at the landfill with the MBWT in opera-
Job scope Personnel requirement
tion. The engineers and political decisionmakers
Main season Off season involved were invited to attend information
(4 months) (8 months)
Technical management 2 1 workshops and seminars covering both the

theoretical and practical fundamentals and
Machine operators (excavator, 10 5
wheel loader, drum, truck) objectives of the MBWT process.
Laborers 6 4
Total 18 10
Table 4: Personnel requirements for MBWT opera -
tions in São Sebastião (throughput: 30,000 Mg/a)
Project phase Duration Work inputs by Faber Recycling

Introduction and training 1 month uninterruptedly from May 8 - June 2, 2000
1st backstopping phase 2 months twice weekly, June 5 - Aug. 4
2nd backstopping phase 3 months once weekly, Aug. 7 - Nov. 3
3rd backstopping phase 6 months twice monthly, Nov. 6 - Apr. 30, 2001
Table 5: Backstopping work scope for Faber

during the one-year implementation phase in
São Sebastião
Thereafter, Faber's backstopping inputs were

gradually reduced from month to month, while
the local employees just as gradually assumed
responsibility for operating the MBWT facility. All
the while, Faber operatives remained on call to
help the local personnel and ensure that opera-
tional safety and reliability was maintained.
Figure 18: Training for
technical personnel at the
Phitsanulok landfill
32
4.2.4.3 Integration into the organizational
structures
In developing and threshold countries, it is rat- The findings show that the existing structures
her an exception to the rule to encounter well- and the available personnel suffice only for low-
qualified, well-motivated personnel working at quality operation of MBWT facilities. Numerous
landfills. Consequently, it is not only necessary problems were encountered, including frequent
to teach the local staff how to operate the cases of people not showing up for work, orga-
MBWT facility, it is also necessary to establish nizational deficits (lack of pallets or other resour-
better-paying job slots for better-qualified per- ces), defective vehicles, and the pulling of per-
sonnel. sonnel for other assignments. Both in São Seba-
On the administrative side, the prerequisites for stião and in Phitsanulok, the early phase of ope-
effective, controlled operation of the landfills and ration therefore achieved only 30 - 40 % of the
MBWT facilities must be established. This inclu- theoretically possible throughput.
des on the one hand proper organization of the
operation (responsibilities, assignments, material
procurement, budgeting), and on the other hand
performance control.
MBWT capacity utilization rates and causes of outage in Phitsanulok, Thailand

Treated waste [Mg/d]
60
planned target throughput

50
40
30
20
10
0
September October
Date 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Day of week W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F
Wheel loader*
Excavator*
Rotary drum*
Veh. operator**
Laborer**
*defective Machine ** absent personnel half day full day
Figure 19: Theoretically achievable and actu-
al throughput at the MBWT facility of the
Phitsanulok pilot project
33
Considering the given structures and the organi- 4.2.5 Chronology and results of aerobic
zational problems encountered in São Sebastião decomposition
and Phitsanulok, further operation of the MBWT
facility by the local staff with no outside help fol- Biological decomposition of the organic con-
lowing completion of the pilot phase would have tents of the waste input is the central step of the
been inconceivable. MBWT process. Since there is no way to control
the processes of decomposition directly in the
In the meantime, operation of the MBWT facility course of aerobic waste treatment, various para-
and landfill in São Sebastião has been priva- meters are used to describe its progress (cf.
tized. Faber has contracted to provide all the Chapter 4.2.2). The results of aerobic decompo-
requisite special-purpose operating equipment sition in the pilot projects are discussed below
and to remain available for providing follow-up on the basis of these parameters.
assistance and controlling functions. Privatiza-
tion has had positive effects on the MBWT facili-
ty's operation, because the economic incentive 4.2.5.1 Time history of in-heap
gives the operator more reason to be interested temperatures
in efficiency than the previous municipal
employees were. The workers are at home in In all pilot projects, the temperature inside the
their jobs now and appear to be very well moti- heap was continuously monitored at various
vated. Indeed, the clear-cut allocation of respon- points. During the most intensive phase of orga-
sibilities and the designation of supervisory per- nic decomposition, the in-heap temperature
sonnel have significantly improved the operatio- should be situated between 55°C and 70°C. If
nal organization. Impediments such as a lack of the temperature drops below 50°C for any con-
operational resources or having the city's landfill siderable length of time during the first phase of
personnel fail to show up for work due to orga- decomposition, something is probably slowing
nizational or motivational problems no longer down or disrupting the processes of decay. Low
occur. Moreover, the manager of the operating temperatures during the initial phase may also
company has professed an interest in introdu- indicate excessive moisture (and the possible
cing MBWT for other waste projects as well. resultant occurrence of anaerobic processes).
This concept appears to be ensuring the suc- As time passes, the in-heap temperature gradu-
cess of MBWT's sustainable implementation in ally declines, as shown in the following diagram,
São Sebastião. which exemplifies the time history of temperatu-
re in all decomposing heaps of the Al-Salamieh
field test in Syria.
34
Time history of temperatures in all heaps as a function of decomposing time, in Al-Salamieh, Syria
1st turning 2nd turning 3rd turning

Temperature (°C)
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Time (days)
Figure 20: Time history of in-heap temperatures in the Al-Salamieh scale-model trial
The temperature curves obtained for FABER-

Most of the temperatures measured are situated AMBRA® heaps differ from those tested in Syria
within the indicated spectra, which neatly match by reason of their longer decomposing times
the ideal temperature curve shown in Chapter and passive aeration. In a FABER-AMBRA®
4.2.2.1 for the biological decomposition proces- heap the temperature rises quickly at the begin-
ses. The rapid increase in temperature during ning of the process and then remains between
the first two weeks is quite conspicuous. This 55°C and 70°C for approximately five months,
most intensive phase of the process lasts as after which it slowly declines.
long as approx. 40 days, while the subsequent
post-decomposition phase lasts considerably
longer. Remarkably, the first and second turn-
ings of the heaps produce no distinct rise in
temperature.
Time history of in-heap temperatures

in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil
Temperature (°C)
90
T1 T2 T3 Umgebung
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Jan Feb Mar April May Juni Juli Aug Sep Oct Nov
2001
Figure 21: Time history of in-heap temperatures in São Sebastião
35
4.2.5.2 Effects of rainy season on

the temperature curve
The temperature readings taken in Phitsanulok

show that heavy precipitation of the kind that
often occurs during the rainy season there has
definite impacts on the heat balance of the
heaps.
Time history of temperatures in heap C, measuring point 2

Beginning of decomposition process: May 17, 2002
incl. weekly precipitation yields and ambient temperature
Temperature (°C)
80
Precipitation (mm/week)
300
Precipitation Temp. 2s, 0,8m
Temp. 2l, 1,2m Temp. Air
70 250
60 200
50 150
JUNI JULI AUG OCT NOV DEC JAN

40 100
30 50
20 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 4 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 21 22 23 2 4 25 26 27 28 2 9 30 31 32 33
Process duration [weeks]
Figure 22: Time history of temperatures in a FABER-AMBRA® heap exposed to heavy precipitation
The in-heap temperature is seen to drop precipi- put less water in the homogenizing drum
tously with the onset of heavy rains in early Sep- ensure good off-flow of process water from
tember, while the light rains before that time had the heaps by paving the biotreatment area
no detectable effect on the temperature. Begin- and providing adequate slope (at least 3 %)
ning around mid-September, the temperature choose the pallets for the ventilating course
rises slowly but surely until more heavy rains in with care as regards quality and durability
late October again quench the heap. After that, reduce the height of the heaps
the temperature recovers again, rising to bet- apply a thicker layer of biofilter material
ween 55°C and 60°C, which corresponds well to
the age of the heap. During the month of Oct-
ober, samples were taken from the heaps for The use of different geotextiles for covering the
use as specimens in determining the heaps' bio- heaps during the rainy season is presently being
logical efficiency. The samples display high moi- investigated.
sture contents ranging between 55 % by weight
and 62 % by weight. Various ways and means
of keeping the heaps from becoming waterlog-
ged were considered and developed:
36
4.2.5.3 Gas composition
The composition of the biogas that is being If the oxygen concentration drops below the
generated within the heap can provide informa- aforementioned 10 % by volume, and if the CO2
tion on the quality of the composting process concentration rises significantly above 10 % by
and on any disturbances which may be affecting volume at the same time, either the heap is not
it. First of all, aerobic decomposition is highly getting enough fresh air, or the off-gas is not
dependent on an adequate supply of atmos- escaping as well as it should. If the methane
pheric oxygen. In an ideal case, the oxygen con- concentration is also higher than normal for any
centration within the heap should amount to at considerable length of time, the aerobic decom-
least 10 % by volume. As the microorganisms position processes are apparently disturbed.
digest the organic matter, they respire oxygen The following illustration visualizes the relation-
into carbon dioxide. Accordingly, the CO2 con- ship between oxygen content and CO 2 concen-
centration within the heap increases markedly tration in the light of selected readings from
and may even reach levels of the order of 10 % Phitsanulok.
by volume. Methane is an indicator of anaerobic
decomposition processes and has been identi-
fied as a climaterelevant gas. In a well-functio-
ning windrow, the methane concentration should
remain at roughly 1 % by volume most of the
time, though short-lived higher concentrations
may occasionally occur.
Relationship between oxygen content and carbon dioxide concentration

Case in point: Phitsanulok, Thailand
Gas concentration [vol.%]
25
O2, MP 1 CO 2 , MP 1
O2, MP 2 CO 2 , MP 2
20
15
10
0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Biological treatment time [weeks]
Figure 23: Relationship between oxygen content and carbon dioxide concentration
37
The diagram clearly shows how any increase in Visual inspection of the heaps revealed that the
the CO2 concentration is accompanied by a points in question were very wet and fairly
corresponding decrease in the oxygen concen- blackened. These were points at which the pal-
tration. Whenever the O2 concentration drops lets had broken, and the bottoms of the heaps
below 5 % by volume, the CO2 level increases were standing in water.
markedly. Conversely, the CO 2 level drops
below 5 % by volume as soon as the oxygen
content rises above 15 % by volume.
In the Phitsanulok pilot project, the gas compo-

sition within the heaps was monitored via an
extensive series of measurements. The parame-
ters of interest were oxygen, carbon dioxide and
methane. The readings were obtained via sam-
pling gauges installed at various points in the
heaps. The samples were drawn with the aid of
a vacuum tube and analyzed at the Asian Insti-
tute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok. The fin-
dings were disparate. The first heaps showed
Figure 24: Waterlogged base of a heap showing
high methane concentrations (> 20 % by volu- evidence of anaerobic decomposition
me) in combination with low oxygen levels
(< 5 % by volume) and relatively high carbon Data for the first five months of biological treat-
dioxide levels. This was taken as an indication ment are available for the first of the heaps to be
of an-aerobic activity within the heap promoted set up in the designated waste treatment area
by a lack of oxygen. Most of the methane con- (heap D). Since less data were collected from
centration readings correlated well with high heap D than from heap C, no definite conclu-
CO2 levels. The methane concentration hardly sions can be drawn. However, it was noted that
ever rose above 10 % by volume if the oxygen the methane concentration increased during the
concentration was 10 % by volume or higher. 12th through 14th weeks of treatment and then
returned to levels below 10 % by volume by the
The third heap (heap C), which was situated on time of the last reading. An inspection of those
an adequately sloped part of the old landfill, points once again disclosed that the pallets for-
displayed fewer high methane concentrations, ming the ventilating course had broken. Conse-
al-though some of the individual readings were quently, pallets of higher quality are now being
higher than 25 % by volume. There was a used, and the new heaps are producing much
remarkable, continuous increase in methane less methane. The lesson to be learned here is
concentration over time, and this was under- that a well-prepared biotreatment area and care -
stood as an indication of insufficient oxygen. fully placed ventilating courses are two crucial
While the methane concentration never ex- factors for the stability of the decomposition
ceeded 10 % by volume during the first three process, and the results of their optimization will
months, some monitoring points documented a be the subject of continued monitoring to valida-
distinct rise in methane levels after about the te the observed developments.
16th week of the composting process.
38
Composition of gas in heaps C and D in Phitsanulok, Thailand
Samples drawn Feb. 13, 2003
Gas concentration [vol.%]
20
O2 CO 2 CH 4
18
16
14
12
10
0
C2 C3 C4 C5 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5
Heap on old landfill Reinforced composting area with adequate
slope and pallet checks
Figure 25: Results of gas monitoring at heaps C and D

on February 13, 2003, in Phitsanulok
The relevant evolution of methane may be attri- In Brazil, too, elevated methane concentrations
butable to any of the following factors: were noted at the beginning of the decomposi-
tion process. However, this was attributed to
During the rainy season, the high initial methane emissions from the old landfill, on top
moisture level coupled with heavy precipi- of which the heaps were standing. In the further
tation causes partial waterlogging of the course of process implementation, there were
heap and, hence, formation of anaerobic no more indications of elevated methane con-
zones. centrations (odor, visual inspection, ...).
Sloppily installed, perhaps already broken, In Syria, oxygen concentration readings indica-
pallets of poor quality allow waste to block ted that the inferior structural properties of the
off the ventilating course and interrupt the waste might cause a shortage of oxygen. To
supply of air. verify this, the plastic bags were removed from
some of the waste, and the heaps' oxygen-sup-
If the ground is not adequately reinforced ply situation was seen to improve substantially.
and becomes muddied by process water It was also recommended that extra structural
and rainwater, the pallets will sink in and cut material be mixed into the waste in order to
off the supply of air. promote better aeration.
If the waste contains a large share of plastic

bags and not much structural material, both
the air supply and the drainage of water can
be impeded at various points.
39
4.2.5.4 Water content 4.2.5.5 Solids and eluate analyses
The water balance of the heaps is also an Evaluating the biological efficiency of the
important criterion for optimal decomposition. decomposition process necessitates an analysis
On the one hand, the microorganisms need of the residual solids and eluate in the digested
water for their metabolic processes, but on the material. This includes determining its total orga-
other hand high water contents promote the for- nic content (TOC) and its biological activity
mation of anaerobic cells as soon as the excess (dynamic respiration activity level, AT 4, and gas
water cannot be drained out of the heap. Hence formation rate, GB21) in order to characterize
for the duration of the decomposition process, the remaining active organic substance. Analysis
the water content must be maintained within a of the pollutants, e.g. of heavy metals and or-
range that is amenable to aerobic decomposi- ganochlorine compounds in the eluate from the
tion. Consequently outdoor heaps have to be solids, can provide information on the remaining
watered during dry periods, but process water pollutant inventory, and hence on how much
can dribble out of the heaps during periods of pollution could result from emplacement of the
heavy rainfall. (The reader is referred to Chapter decomposed material.
4.2.6.4 with regard to the incidence and compo-
sition of process water.) The pilot project included various analyses of
solids and eluates. The following table compares
In Germany, initial water contents of 40 - 55 the results of the FABER-AMBRA® process in
wt.% are regarded as favorable for extensive Brazil after six months and after nine months of
decomposition processes. The water-retaining biotreatment with the correlative values stated in
capacity of the waste material is a relevant para- Germany's waste disposal directive on mechani-
meter. Since the starting material normally con- cal-biological waste treatment facilities (AbfAblV,
tains relatively little water, an appropriate App. 2), which must be adhered to in Germany
amount is added at the beginning of biological for proper landfilling of such material.
treatment. In the pilot project, however, the star-
ting material contained more water, because it
consisted largely of organic substances.
Pilot project Water content [wt.%]

São Sebastião, Brazil > 60%
Phitsanulok, Thailand approx. 65%
Al-Salamieh, Syria 54% - 59%

Table 6: Water content of waste inputs in the pilot projects
In Al-Salamieh, some 70 % to 80 % of the water

content of the input material is eventually lost to
evaporation and other factors. The Phitsanulok
trial showed water losses totaling approximately
50 %. (The reader is referred to Chapter 4.2.7.2
with regard to the mass balance.)
40
Solids analysis Sample of Sample of Correlation value
6-month-old comp. 9-month-old comp. (AbfAblV*, App. 2)
Ignition loss [wt. % TS] 23,8 27,7 -
TOC [wt. % TS] 9,6 12,2 < 18

Respiration activity (AT4 ) [mg/kg TS] 5,4 2,6 <5
Gas formation potential (GB21) [Nl/kgTS] 28,5 12 < 20
Eluate analysis
pH [-] 7,3 7,1 5,5 - 13

Electr. conductivity [µS/cm] 732 785 < 50.000
TOC [mg/l] 158 92 <250

Ammonium-N [mg/l] < 1,0 < 1,0 < 200
COD [mg/l] 270 300 -
BOD5 [mg/l] 5 6 -
Table 7: Results of treated-waste analysis in São Sebastião 6
The results show that six months suffice for 4.2.5.6 Results of composting trials in
most of the organic substance to decompose, Al-Salamieh, Syria
and that after nine months, the requirements of
Germany's waste disposal directive are reliably The Al-Salamieh field trials included broad-scale
satisfied. While some initial data on the results tests and investigations on the treatment of
of decomposition have been gathered in Phit- various input materials. In addition to the
sanulok, the findings indicate that the biological mechanical-biological treatment of waste inputs,
activity can be expected to decline significantly the trials were also intended to investigate the
in the course of the process. Biotreatment-out- suitability of the process for producing market-
put analyses are under way. able compost. Both pure household waste and
separately collected and sorted biowaste were
test-composted.
The course of the various composting trials and

The findings in São Sebastião lead to the con- the quality of their outputs were characterized
clusion that a nine-month period of biological on the basis of numerous tests and analyses,
treatment stabilizes the input material to such the results of which show that a composting
an extent, that subsequent landfilling of the time of 14 weeks is sufficient to obtain adequa-
residual waste would produce low emissions. tely mature finished compost. Even after a mere
6 to 8 weeks, the process reaches the maturity
of fresh compost.
6 The laboratory analyses were conducted by the Leichtweiss Institute for Hydraulic Engineering at the Technical University of Braunschweig.
41
The compost substrates obtained via the In addition to documenting the suitability of the
various forms of treatment all display good qua- process approach applied for mechanical-biolo-
lity in terms of such value-defining physical and gical waste treatment and obtaining high-quality
chemical parameters as their nutrient contents, compost, the results also illuminate the benefits,
salinity, pH and total organic content. However, with respect to the quality of the finished com -
the benefits of collecting biowaste separately post, of either collecting biowaste separately or
are reflected by the significantly lower heavy pretreating the waste in a manner to achieve
metal contents of the output. similar results. Accordingly, the separate collec-
tion of biowaste would provide much-improved
conditions for an effective, more inexpensive
form of waste aftercare. However, the separate
collection of good-quality biowaste would most
likely have to be implemented on a step-by-step
basis and be correspondingly expensive.
Compost samples Bundesgü- Syrian

Uncomminuted hou- Sorted-out biowaste Comminu- Separate tegemein-
sehold waste ted house- biowaste schaft*
hold waste collection Q. cat. 1 Q. cat. 2
Lead mg/kg 117 105 114 122 118 117 150 120 150
Cadmium mg/kg 0,1 0,1 0,1 0,2 0,1 0,1 1,5 3 5
Chromium mg/kg - - - - - - 100 100 150
Copper mg/kg 96 82 90 87 72 65 100 150 250
Nickel mg/kg 56 53 32 34 49 26 50 50 70
Mercury mg/kg 2,3 2,1 1,90 1,90 2,10 0,89 1,00 1,50 3,00
Zinc mg/kg 456 446 201 214 324 159 400 350 500
in transgression of German targets

Table 8: Heavy-metal contents as a function of input material
* Targets of the German quality-compost association Bundesgütegemeinschaft Kompost e.V.
42
4.2.6 Emissions from MBWT
In Germany, very ambitious emission standards Odors, germs

have already been established for MBWT. In The odor and gas emissions from simple
most developing countries, though, it would not biotreatment heaps can be controlled by
be possible to meet similar targets quickly. The covering the heaps with a course of screen-
waste disposal situation there can only be ed, treated waste. Handling of the waste
improved gradually and in due time. Thus the releases germs into the environment, and
benchmark criterion for evaluating the emission this can pose a health risk for the people
situation in the pilot projects is how much working at the landfill, though it has no
improvement can be or has been achieved by effect on areas situated further away.
comparison with the initial waste-disposal situa-
tion. Vermin
Table scraps and the like contained in hou-
sehold waste attract many different kinds of
4.2.6.1 Basic principles animals that can contribute to the spread of
diseases and constitute a nuisance to local
The very nature and composition of waste per residents. For simple processes, covering
se means that all forms of waste treatment will the heaps is an effective means of keeping
inherently involve some sort of emissions, the animals away.
nature and extent of which will depend very
strongly on the chosen approach and the local Noise
boundary conditions. The most important Comminutors, screeners, conveying and
MBWT emissions are listed below together with ventilating equipment, etc. can be very noi-
various means of controlling them: sy, and both the operating personnel and
nearby residents are most strongly affected.
Leachate At a distance of 500 m or more, the noise
Waste treatment produces process water, so generated by MBWT equipment is not loud
the biotreatment areas should be reinforced, enough to cause annoyance.
and the process water from biological treat-
ment needs to be collected and used for Another way to limit emissions is to take the
watering the heaps, appropriately treated, or waste treatment operations indoors, where the
disposed of. To the extent that an existing leachate and waste inputs can be collected and
landfill is equipped for leachate collection, it treated in a manner to preclude most emissions.
may be expedient to put up the heaps for However, this makes the facility correspondingly
simple biological treatment directly on top of more complicated and expensive in terms of
the landfill. structures and machinery.
43
4.2.6.2 Odors
None of the pilot projects included any olfacto- Assuming that the decomposition process is
metric investigations as a basis for assessing functioning properly, no annoying odor emis-
the odor situation. Nevertheless, both for the sions need be feared in connection with turning
waste treatment process itself and for subse- or tearing down the heaps, or from emplacing
quent landfilling of the residual waste, there can the pretreated waste at the landfill. The hoped-
be no doubt that the odor emissions are much for improvement in the odor situation at the
lower than if the untreated waste had simply landfill thanks to waste pretreatment can gene-
been dumped. rally be considered to have been fully achieved.
Most emissions in connection with MBWT occur

when the waste arrives, during its pretreatment, 4.2.6.3 Hygiene
and while the composting heaps are being put
up. In all pilot projects, the decomposition pro- MBWT has the effect of extensively inactivating
cess was seen to cause no odor-related pro- or killing pathogenic microorganisms. Since it
blems. The coconut shells used as biofiltering was not possible to conduct any special hygiene
material in Phitsanulok served their purpose very studies in connection with the pilot projects, the
well. Such material itself occurs as a waste pro- hygienizing of the decomposing materials was
duct and is in abundant supply, free of charge. evaluated on the basis of the registered tempe-
Of course, to the extent that other kinds of rature profiles. In all field trials, the in-heap tem-
material are available (e.g. chopped garden trim- peratures remained above 55°C for several
mings), they can also be used. weeks running (cf. Chapter 4.2.5.1). Accordingly,
an analysis of the time-history-of-temperature-
curves obtained in all pilot projects leads to the
conclusion that the waste material was hygieni-
zed by the decomposition process.
4.2.6.4 Process water
The quality and quantity of the emerging pro-

cess water depend on numerous different para-
meters, e.g. the composition and structure of
the waste, the height of the heaps, the tempera-
ture, the rates of evaporation and precipitation,
and the form of treatment employed. All three
pilot projects included examination of the pro-
cess water. Hence the results shown below can-
not be generalized, but apply only under the
given set of pilot-project boundary conditions.
Figure 26: Coconut-shell biofilter at the Phitsanulok MBWT facility
44
For the first few days after the heaps are put up,
they may release what is referred to as water of
consolidation. In Al-Salamieh, the water regi-
mens of the various heaps were monitored and
analyzed in the course of the composting pro-
cess. Thanks to the cover, the only process
water to appear was this water of consolidation,
i.e. some 4 - 6 l of process water per Mg waste
emerged from the covered heaps during the first
few days of the process. Table 9, below, shows
the composition of the process water.
Unit Heap of manually Heap of mixed and commi-

sorted biowaste nuted household waste
Water content of input % 58,5 57,1
Process water fraction l/Mg Solids 4,2 3,8
pH - 7,4 6,8
COD mg/l 36.780 24.750
BOD 5 mg/l 12.230 6.580
Conductivity mS/cm 15,2 14,9

Ammonium mg/l 145,0 144,0
Nitrate mg/l 0,7 0,8
Table 9: Quantity and quality of process water from biotreatment windrows in the Al-Salamieh scale-model trial
This process water is so polluted, that the base In São Sebastião, the process water emerging
of the biotreatment area will need a liner. Co- from a commercial-scale test heap (230 m²) was
vered and indoor heaps produce so little pro- monitored with regard to quality and quantity.
cess water during the decomposition process The heap was put up on a specially sealed field.
that there is no problem in collecting and retur-
ning.
For uncovered, outdoor heaps, however, the

amount of process water produced during the
first few days of decomposition depends on the
duration and intensity of precipitation. Biotreat-
ment heaps can absorb small amounts of rain,
but the more rain falls, the less the heap can
store.
45
Figure 27: Test heap in São Sebastião
Sediment washout had very detrimental effects Process water began to emerge from the heap
on the operability of the analytical setup, so the about 2 days after the first rain. In the case
results of quantitative monitoring are only relia- under review, some 30 % of the overall precipi-
ble for the very brief period between May 15 tation eventually reappeared in the form of pro-
and June 3, 2001. Some 98 l/m² of rain fell cess water.
during that period. Projected over the full area,
that results in 22,540 l of rainfall, while 7,245 l of The quality of the process water from the test
process water emerged from the test heap. heaps in Rio de Janeiro and São Sebastião was
Figure 28 illustrates the course of the cumulative monitored over a prolonged period of time. Figu-
curves over the period in question. re 29 reflects the results of analysis.
Sao Sebastiao project

Test heap
25.000
Volume (l)
20.000
Precipitation Process water
15.000
10.000
5.000
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Time (d)
Figure 28: Cumulative curves showing the precipitation onto and the process
water volume emerging from the test heap in São Sebastião
46
Rio de Janeiro and Sao Sebastiao pilot projects
Process water burden
65.000
mg/l
COD Rio
60.000
BOD 5 Rio
55.000
COD Sao Sebastiao
50.000
BOD 5 Sao Sebastiao
45.000
40.000
35.000
30.000
25.000
20.000
15.000
10.000
5.000
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Treatment time (d)
Figure 29: Quality of process water from test heaps in Rio de Janeiro and São Sebastião
These results show that, during the first four Both in São Sebastião and in Phitsanulok, the
months of biological treatment, the process accumulated process water is used for watering
water burden remains at levels that do not per- the heaps during dry spells. It is assumed in São
mit its infiltration into the ground or its discharge Sebastião that approximately one-half of the
into an effluent stream. After that, the process incidental process water can be reused. The
water burden gradually decreases, but never to remainder requires wastewater treatment.
the point of negligibility any time before the end
of biological treatment. Consequently, the
decomposition process should always take pla-
ce on sealed surfaces.
Figure 30: Process water seeping out from the base of a heap in São Sebastião
47
4.2.6.5 Methane emissions 4.2.7 Disposal of pretreated waste

to the landfill
When untreated waste is landfilled, it generates
landfill gas. In its stable methane phase, landfill The subject waste-treatment concept does not
gas consists of approximately 60 % methane inertize the material to the point of making it
and 40 % carbon dioxide. The decomposition absolutely unalterable in the biological, chemical
processes employed in the pilot projects are and physical sense. Instead, the process only
aerobic processes that release only minimal stabilizes the waste input, and there will always
amounts of methane, as long as the process be some amount of residual waste that has to
proceeds in its proper fashion. However, aerobic be dumped. On the other hand, a landfill full of
decomposition can only be assured if the heap MBWT-output material has little similarity with a
receives a constant and adequate supply of conventional landfill for untreated waste. Both
oxygen. In cases of insufficient aeration/ventila- the technology involved and the environmental
tion, anaerobic conditions will arise at various impacts differ widely.
points within the heap. This is evidenced by the
appearance of methane in the specimens when
the gas is analyzed. If the aerating effect is ade-
quate, the methane content of the analyzed spe-
cimens must consistently remain below 1 % by For the evaluation of an MBWT facility, the way
volume. Methane contents between 1 % and it affects the present and future landfill situation
5 % indicate minor, insignificant disturbances is of major importance. Within the scope of the
affecting the decomposition process. Methane pilot projects it was not possible to evaluate
contents in excess of 5 % by volume, however, any longterm changes, because many such
indicate a seriously defective process, if they effects take a number of years to become
last for any substantial length of time. apparent. However, some initial findings regar-
ding the ultimate disposal of pretreated waste
Thus with regard to the emission of climate-rele- were secured both in São Sebastião and in
vant off-gases, MBWT represents a considerable Phitsanulok.
improvement over conventional landfilling practi-
ces. Overall, mechanical-biological waste treat- 4.2.7.1 Fundamental considerations
ment reduces the amount of gas that would be
produced under normal-landfill conditions by When evaluating the performance of a mechani-
more than 90 % [5]. cal-biological waste treatment facility, one must
bear in mind that the properties of the treated
The methane emission levels measured during waste will depend on the process employed, the
the pilot projects were discussed in Chapter length of treatment, the varieties of material
4.2.5.3. Aerobic decomposition can only be extracted, and the local boundary conditions. In
expected to make a positive contribution toward any case, the amount of biodegradable substan-
climate protection if the heaps are always ade- ce remaining behind in the residual waste will
quately aerated, and regular gas monitoring is have been substantially reduced. That, in turn,
necessary in order to detect anaerobic activity at means a decisive decrease in biological decom-
an early stage. Olfactory sampling and visual position processes within the landfill. The water
inspections can only reveal deficits if the metha- content will be lower, the mean particle size
ne concentration is already quite high. smaller, and the pretreated material significantly
more homogeneous.
48
Consequently, the situation in and around the Firstly, the readily degradable components
landfill can be expected to improve in the follo- decompose within a relatively short time,
wing ways: while the substances that are more difficult
to break down become more concentrated
Less waste for ultimate disposal as the process progresses and the degrada-
The combination of biological degradation of tion rate slows down. Once biodegradation
organic substance and possible extraction of of the easily degradable substances is com -
certain material varieties at the mechanical plete, the total organic content will remain
conditioning stage markedly reduces the essentially unchanged up to the end of the
residual quantity of waste to be disposed of. process. Within certain limits, the loss of
The extent of the mass (or bulk) reduction mass can be manipulated by the process
taking place in the course of biological treat- engineering invested. The extent of mass
ment results from the decrease in water con- reduction is, as a rule, largely dependent on
tent and total solids. The weight reduction the length of the decomposition process and
resulting from the loss of water is the diffe- on the amount of work and material that was
rence between the water content of the invested in the waste treatment.
input material and that of the end product.
The decrease in total solids, in turn, Compaction
depends on how much organic substance Thanks to pretreatment, residual waste
(total organic solids) is degraded, and on its emplaced in thin layers can be compacted
percentage share in the total solids content. to a much higher in situ density than can
Biodegradation proceeds at different intensi- waste in conventional landfills, and the land-
ty levels, depending on which natural sub- fill body sustaining much less settling after-
stances predominate. ward. Figure 31 compares various densities
of compaction, as ascertained for different
forms of waste pretreatment in Germany.
Compact. density ρdry [t MS/m3] ρdry ρdry* [t TS/m3]
1,8
Absolute density of compaction (dry)
1,6 Relative density of compaction (dry) based on
1,56
1,4 waste bulk prior to treatment
Density of compaction (moist)
1,2 1,25
1,11 1,14
1,0 1,02
0,97
0,8 0,87
0,82
0,76 0,76
0,6 0,68 0,67 0,67
0,56 0,56
0,4
0,2
0
BS I BS II BS III BS IV WH V*
(Standard landfill) (Comminuted + (Comminuted, (Comminuted, (Comminuted,
thin layer) homogenized homogenized, homogenized,
* other landfill site + thin layer) decomposed decomposed
MS = moist substance + thin layer) + thin layer)
TS = total solids
Figure 31: Densities of compaction with and without pretreatment [6]
49
Less use of topsoil as daily cover Landfill fires

Many landfill areas are covered with topsoil Mechanical-biological waste treatment mar-
at the end of each day as a means of avoi- kedly reduces the danger of landfill fires.
ding waste exposure and in order to make Indeed, if the high-energy fraction is separa-
the surface traversable. However, the topsoil ted out, there will be no danger at all of
ends up occupying a substantial share of landfill fires.
the landfill volume. Landfills reserved for
waste that has undergone mechanical-biolo- MBWT improves the waste's placement and in-
gical pretreatment require no daily covers of dump behavior, while reducing its ultimate-
topsoil. disposal volume. Nevertheless, no amount of
pretreatment can suffice to rule out the possibili-
Longer useful life of landfill ty of the landfill causing some environmental
The aforementioned factors help prolong a pollution. For example, MBWT can do little to
landfill's useful life by a large measure. break down any inorganic pollutants which may
Depending on the initial situation and the be contained in the waste inputs, so such sub-
MBWT process employed, the landfill's stances can continue to pollute the groundwater
useful life can be at least doubled. after emplacement. Hence in professional cir-
cles, pretreatment is regarded as a supplemen-
Landfill leachate tary measure, by means of which the environ-
In the medium term, the quality of leachate mental health hazards emanating from landfills
can be expected to improve markedly, one can be mitigated. It has no effect on the stan-
reason being that the phases of biological dards to be met by landfills in any given country,
degradation causing the most relevant orga- i.e. no such standards can be relaxed in advan-
nic pollution of the leachate take place prior ce because of MBWT.
to deposition of the residual waste. Hence
the leachate burden, in terms of TOC and On a case-by-case basis, though, the achieva-
COD, gradually decreases by as much as ble results of waste treatment may be examined
90 %. On the other hand, the leachate also with regard to the possibility or necessity of
picks up pollutants via extraction processes.
In the course of time, though, the compac-
ted waste becomes gradually less perme- gas collection or passive venting through a
able, so less and less water can penetrate surface filter,
into the landfill body, and accordingly less
leachate is produced. dispensing with a surface cap for high den-
sities of compaction and low permeability,
Gas
MBWT reduces landfill gas production very and adapting the treatment of leachate to
considerably. The actual extent of this allow for lower pollution levels and smaller
reduction depends on how much time the quantities.
material had to decompose. Decomposing
times of 20 weeks and longer can cut as
much as 95 % off of the residual gas
potential.
50
In Phitsanulok, the loss of mass was determined
by weighing the waste input prior to mechanical
conditioning and after biological treatment. The
findings show that mechanical-biological waste
treatment reduced the moist mass by 53 %,
mainly in the form of lost water. At 19.2 %, the
organic decomposition rate is comparable to
data found in pertinent literature. The results
could probably be improved somewhat by opti-
mizing the MBWT processes beyond what was
achievable during the early phase of the Phit-
sanulok project. Figure 33 summarizes the
Figure 32: Emplacement of pretreated waste in São Sebastião
results.
4.2.7.2 Mass reduction determined in

the pilot projects
The loss of mass (or bulk) due to Hand-sorted bio- Mixed, commin-
waste uted waste
aerobic decomposition and the
Duration of biotreatm. d 100 110
remaining mass of organic material
in the product of biotreatment were Input treatment % 100 100
water content of input % 58,5 57,1
investigated as part of the Al-Sala- TOC of input % 41,5 42,9
mieh field trials. The moist mass Output treatment % 38,9 34,5
was weighed at the beginning and water content of output % 10,5 10,0
TOC of output % 28,4 24,5
end of the composting process,
Loss of mass % 61,1 65,5
and the water content of lots weig-
Table 10: Mass reduction through biotreatment in the Al-Salamieh, Syria, scale-model trials
hing roughly 20 kg each was deter-
mined. The total organic content
was ascertained via the ignition loss.
Phitsanulok project
Mass reduction
1.600
Mass (Mg)
H 2O TS
1.400
53 % reduction MS
1.200
938
1.000
800
19 % reduction TS
600 211
400
577 465
200
0
Input to heaps A + B Output to heaps A + B
MS = moist substance Figure 33: Mass reduction in the pilot phase of MBWT in Phitsanulok
TS = total solids
51
4.2.7.3 Emplacement trials in

the pilot projects
The main objective of landfilling is to make opti- waste treatment facility by means of the pre-exi-
mal use of the - expensive - available emplace- sting landfill compactor were run at the Phit-
ment volume. Consequently, commercial-scale sanulok landfill. The compactor in question
compaction tests designed to ascertain the weighs 20 tons and is 3 m wide. A test field
maximum achievable density of compaction for measuring 15 x 15 m was staked out on undis-
residual waste from a mechanical-biological turbed soil at the Phitsanulok landfill site.
15 m
Top of emplaced waste
Waste
Test- Formation level
15 m
field Formation
3,0 m > 7,95 m 3,0 m
Turning area
Figure 34: Test-field dimensions for the commercial-scale compaction trial (Deutsche Gesell -
schaft für Geotechnik e.V., Recommendation E 24, as modified)
Figure 35: Dry-season emplacement trial for pretreated

waste at the Phitsanulok landfill in Thailand
52
The waste to be emplaced was weighed, spread
out across the test field by an excavator in lay-
ers approximately 30 cm thick, with each layer
being compacted in five passes. A tachymeter
was used to determine the volume of the empla-
ced waste.
Phitsanulok project
1,2
(Mg/m3)
Dry density
Moist density
1,0
0,8
0,6
1,1
0,4 0,76
0,53
0,2
0,17
0
Heaps A + B Density of compaction
Figure 36: Comparison of in-heap densities and achieved landfill compaction densities
The Phitsanulok landfill's 20-ton compactor However, past experience in Germany and São
compressed the unscreened waste to an abso- Sebastião shows that the incorporation of pre-
lute density of 1.10 Mg MS/m³ or 0.76 Mg treated waste becomes increasingly difficult with
TS/m³. In Brazil, where a 30-ton compactor was increasing precipitation. As it absorbs water, the
used, compaction densities of 1.1 - 1.4 Mg/m³ waste becomes pasty and eventually impossible
were measured in application of the volume- to drive over or compact. If possible, then, no
replacement method. waste should be emplaced during rainy periods.
Of course, that would be very difficult to put into
The densities determined during the emplace- practice in regions with high precipitation rates.
ment trials were arrived at under dry weather There are various technical options for improving
conditions. The emplacement of pretreated the emplacement situation during rainy seasons,
waste is also unproblematic with regard to the but the scope of the pilot project did not allow
ground's load-carrying capacity and traver- their testing.
sability, as long as the weather stays dry.
53
4.2.7.4 Landfill leachate in São Sebastião
A landfill reserved for pretreated waste has been These investigations confirm expectations to the
in operation in São Sebastião since the fall of effect that pretreatment definitely improves the
2002. The leachate is collected and routinely quality of landfill leachate. However, long-term
sampled to keep tabs on the typical parameters studies would be necessary to arrive at any reli-
shown in Figure 37. able information on leachate incidence and
emburdenment.
MBWT landfill in Sao Sebastiao

Leachate burden
2.200
mg/l
COD BOD 5 NH4 -N

2.000
1.800
1st emplacement in July 2002 2nd emplacement in December 2002
1.600
1.400
1.200
1.000
800
600
400
200
0
07/23/02 08/22/02 09/21/02 10/21/02 11/20/02 12/20/02 01/19/03 02/18/03
Time
Figure 37: Leachate burden at the MBWT landfill in

São Sebastião
4.2.8 Costs
4.2.8.1 Costing principles
To assess the cost of waste treatment, one must

customarily weigh out the capital investment,
the cost of operation, and the revenues. Having
obtained that information, one can calculate the
annual costs and the specific cost per ton of
handled waste. The annual costs, i.e. those that
recur each year, comprise the following items:
annual capital (servicing) costs (e.g. initial

cost of equipment and construction, real
estate, etc.)
throughput, independent (nonvariable) ope-
rating costs (e.g. insurance premiums, lease
payments, etc.)
54
throughput-dependent operating costs re disposal system must be accounted for in any
(e.g. electricity, fuel, residual-waste dis- proper cost assessment. Only then can the
posal, etc.) additional costs of mechanical-biological waste
returns (e.g. proceeds from the sale of treatment be properly compared with and
recyclables) weighed against corresponding cost reductions,
particularly with regard to final disposal
Since there are so many variants to choose (cf. Chapter 4.2.8.3).
from, the cost of mechanical-biological waste
treatment can vary widely. Other specific-cost 4.2.8.2 Examples of costs incurred in
factors include the plant throughput rate (mean- the pilot projects
ing that the specific costs decline with increa-
sing throughput rate) and the capacity utilization The cost calculations for the pilot projects in
rate (meaning that the specific costs rise with Brazil and Thailand, as well as for the scale-
decreasing capacity utilization rate). However, model trial in Syria, are presented and discussed
these costs do not transfer readily from one below. The cost of waste treatment in Brazil can
country to the next, because: be determined fairly accurately, because the
project was of long duration, and normal opera-
the expenditures for personnel, construction tion has already commenced. The project in
and energy, in addition to the customs and Thailand is still in its pilot phase, so no complete
tax laws, vary widely from country to country sets of data are available, especially not for the
and from region to region, variable costs of operation. However, the same
country-specific standards for emission con- process with the same procedures and the
trol, wastewater purification, monitoring, same equipment can be employed for normal
etc., exert a major influence on costs, operations here, too. Moreover, the availability of
fluctuating exchange rates can alter the cost extensive pertinent analyses and calculating
of capital goods and operating supplies. models makes it possible to at least determine
the general orientation.
Hence the cost of personnel accounts for a lar-
ge percentage of the overall cost at extensive By reason of the differences in process techno-
facilities in countries with high wages. Conver- logy, the project in Syria is interesting for com-
sely, in countries with low labor costs, the per- parison purposes. However, the cost estimates
sonnel costs account for a much lower percen- for Syria are not unconditionally comparable
tage of the overall cost. At intensive facilities, with those of the other two projects because
the cost of labor accounts for a lower percenta- they are based on the experience drawn from
ge of the overall cost, while customs regulations and the assumptions made in the (220-ton) field
and conditions of supply and warranty are much trial. These same assumptions have not yet
more important. been verified in any large-scale field trial.
If the results of cost determination are to be reli- The basic prerequisites for calculating project
able, the boundary conditions of each concrete costs differ from case to case, sometimes sub-
case must also be taken into consideration. One stantially. For example, no interest rates were
should also keep in mind that considering the included in the calculations for Phitsanulok,
cost of waste treatment only could lead to erro- because that would have run counter to the nor-
neous conclusions. After all, mechanical-biologi- mal investment financing practices of Thai com -
cal waste treatment influences all the other munities.
aspects of waste management, too, so the enti-
55
With a view to rendering the cost calculations Brazil

mutually comparable as regards process-speci- Ample spare waste-treatment capacity is
fic and conceptual differences, the pure cost of needed here, because the area hosts nume-
treatment (MBWT) was figured on the basis of rous tourists during the main traveling sea-
available data, while the cost of waste collec- son. For four months each year nearly twice
tion, delivery and subsequent disposal were left as much landfill labor and operating supplies
out of the sample calculations, even though they are needed as during the rest of the year.
would have been applicable. Hence the costs
considered covered the preparation of MBWT The landfill serves a very large area, and
areas, the technical equipment, maintenance some of the waste has to be hauled in from
and repair costs, and the collection and treat- as far away as 100 km. Consequently, the
ment of any incidental leachate. cost of waste transport is accordingly high
and must be allowed for in the waste
The computations are also based on numerous management concept.
assumptions designed to allow the estimation of
unknown costs and to make project-specific Decomposing heaps that cannot be put up
calculatory approaches mutually comparable. on the old landfill require some form of rein-
Hence the stated figures are suitable for use in forced profiling. These areas are presently
documenting the various (project- and country- being prepared by means of a bulldozer /
specific) factors of influence and for illuminating grader and an HDPE tarpaulin (geomembra-
the scale of the anticipated costs. ne lining). A lump sum per square meter was
taken into consideration as the cost of treat-
Costs resulting from the company's cooperative ment-area preparation.
efforts in the respective countries (e.g. license
fees, training, etc.) have been omitted, as have Due to the large distance between the land
the outlays for land acquisition and planning. fill and the wastewater treatment plant, the
cost of leachate disposal is relatively high.
The specifics of the individual projects with On the other hand, no other special equip-
regard to cost determination are listed below: ment is needed directly at the landfill.
The planned use of green waste and pru-

nings as structural material or as a biofilter
was not allowed for in the calculations.
The heaps are watered by means of gasoli-

ne-engine-driven pumps feeding into a sim-
ple system of hoses and sprinklers. These
costs are also figured into the variable ope-
rating costs as a lump-sum item.
56
Thailand Syria
By reason of Thailand's public-sector invest- The postulated costs are in line with the
ment policy, no interest rates have to be data gathered in the course of the field trial.
accounted for, because all investments are They are not based on empirical data or on
directly financed. However, in the interest of figures deriving from actual operation of a
comparability, a 6 % capital interest rate plant. Consequently, these costs must be
was figured into the calculations. regarded as the minimal process costs wit-
hin the local context. Hence this project
The biotreatment area was prepared accor- does not lend itself well to comparison with
ding to a relatively elaborate technique cor- others. Especially with regard to operating
responding to the base of the landfill body. costs, no reliable information is available.
The cost of consumables, maintenance and Since the design of the plant is not yet com-
repairs can only be estimated, because the plete, the technical equipment has not yet
plant has not yet entered its regular opera- been outlined or sized. For purposes of
tion phase at nominal throughput. The esti- comparison, an equipment fleet consisting
mates were made on the basis of facts alre - of a homogenizing drum, a screener, a wheel
ady established. loader and a truck was postulated.
The treatment of process water has been Prices cited by local manufacturers were
integrated into the treatment of leachate, so assumed here as the cost of procurement
the cost of leachate treatment is accounted for a homogenizing drum and screener nee-
for here as a proportion of the overall invest- ded for conditioning the waste input. Consi-
ment costs. No operating cost data are avai- dering the empirical data collected in other
lable. projects, the suitability of the equipment,
and hence of its durability and depreciation
Watering is effected via a pump and sprink- expenses, are somewhat questionable.
ler system. Again, no operating cost data are
available. Thanks to the fact that the composting time
is shorter than for passively aerated heaps,
Under the present circumstances, the mate- the treatment area is correspondingly smal-
rial used for the biofilter is obtained free of ler.
cost, i.e. producers deliver it to the landfill
free of charge. The heaps require no watering.
The postulated investment costs plus main-

tenance and repair expenditures also cover
the cost of the biofilter / seal / cover.
All costs are stated as specific costs in relation

to the plant's projected annual throughput.
57
Pos. Project Sao Sebastiao, Brazil Phitsanulok, Thailand Al- Salamieh, Syria
Data basis Normal operation Pilot-scale field trial Scale-model trial
Faber-Ambra, normal ope- Faber-Ambra, postulated Gore laminate process, sta-

Characterization ration for all waste inputs, for target throughput, tic, actively aerated heaps,
9 months of decomposition 9 months of decomposi- 3 to 4 months of decompo-
tion sition
Annual throughput 30.000 Mg 32.850* Mg 20.000* Mg
Notes No plans for screening Operating costs indetermi- Costs roughly calculated
drum or comminution of nate for watering and lea- and only conditionally com-
green waste; no landfilling chate disposal parable; suitability of local
equipment requires further
study
Specific costs Specific costs Specific costs
Designation [€/Mg Input] [€/Mg Input] [€/Mg Input]
1. Investment costs 3,8 € 5,0 € 6,8 €
1.1 Buildings + infrastructure 0,4 € 2,4 € 0,1 €
1.2. Technical equipment 3,4 € 2,6 € 6,7 €
1.2.1. Comminution homogenization 1,9 € 1,4 € 0,2 €
1.2.2. Excav., wheel loader transport 1,5 € 0,9 € 2,1 €
1.2.3. Ventilation / cover / watering -- € 0,3 € 4,2 €
1.2.4. Leachate collection and treatment -- € ** 0,1 € 0,2 €
2. Wages and salaries 1,7 € 0,8 € 1,1 €
3. Maintenance and repair 2,2 € 1,6 € 2,8 €
4. Var. operating costs 7,1 € 3,3 € 1,1 €
4.1 Fuel/lubricants 2,4 € 0,7 € 1,0 €
4.2 Ventilation 1,0 € 2,6 € < 0,1 €
4.3 Watering 0,3 € -- € -- €
4.4 Biofilter/cover/seal 2,5 € -- € -- €
4.5 Leachate disposal 0,9 € -- € < 0,1 €
Total 15 € 11 € 12 €
Allowance for cost risks -- € + 2,1 € + 3,5 €
* Planned/projected plant throughput

** The costs of leachate collection and of the leachate pond are included in the construction costs (Item 1.1)
Table 11: Comparison of specific costs in the pilot projects
58
The following assumptions were made in esti-
mating the existing uncertainties (margin of safe-
ty):
Phitsanulok
Since the MBWT facility is still in its pilot-scale
field trial phase (30 Mg/d), and since some of
the costs can only be estimated, a 20 % safety
allowance was added to the overall costs to
account for unforeseen items.
Al-Salamieh
Cost basis: comminution / homogenization
at German rates (EUR 175,000 instead of
EUR 25,000 for the homogenizing drum and
rotary screener)
Additional personnel required (+25%)
Higher fuel / energy consumption (+25%)
The following diagram illustrates the cost com -

position.
Pilot-project cost calculations vs. cost estimate for Al-Salamieh, Syria

Specific cost of MBWT [EUR/Mg]
Investment costs Maintenance & repair Wages & salaries

18
Variable operation costs Safety allowance for cost estimate
16
14 4€
12 2€
7€ 1€
10
3€ 3€
8
1€
2€ 2€
6
1€
2€
4 7€
5€
2 4€
0
São Sebastião , Brazil Phitsanulok, Thailand Al-Salamieh, Syria
Figure 38: Comparison of pilot-project cost calculations

(specific costs in EUR/Mg)
59
When interpreting the above figures it is impor- 4.2.8.3 Effects of MBWT on the cost of
tant to keep in mind that the Al-Salamieh project waste disposal
is not directly comparable with the other pro-
jects, because the plant is still at the planning The MBWT costs described above in Chapter
phase and no practical experience has been 4.2.8.2 at least partially offset the net cost of
gained to date. waste disposal. The cost-related effects of
MBWT were explained in Chapter 4.2.7. The
The various calculations yield overall costs of costs of the various residual-waste treatment
mutually similar proportions. The specific invest- alternatives were estimated within the scope of
ment costs of the process employed in Syria are a comprehensive cost investigation for the pro-
approximately 30 % higher than those of the ject in Phitsanulok, Thailand. The effects of
FABER-AMBRA® process, because the techni- MBWT on the cost of waste disposal were des-
cal equipment fleet is more expensive. Conspi- cribed for the following set of boundary condi-
cuously, the operating costs are roughly twice tions:
as high in Brazil as they are in Thailand and
Syria. This is partially attributable to differences Pure landfilling: continuation of landfill ope-
in the local situation (e.g. higher waste incidence rations (approx. 90 Mg/d) in the present
during the tourist season, high personnel costs form; optimization of placement practice.
and expensive biofilter material), but probably
also to the greater reliability of the Brazilian MBWT / landfill: combination of MBWT (with
data. all incoming waste, i.e. approx. 90 Mg/d,
being given the full treatment) and subse-
The variable operating costs of the FABER- quent landfilling (thin-layer emplacement),
AMBRA® process were essentially defined by which prolongs the useful life of the landfill,
the cost of the aerating course and the biofilter. causes less leachate to be produced, and
The costs of fuel and lubricants for the projects means that the landfill requires less
in Thailand and Syria were extrapolated from the aftercare.
current consumption rates and, respectively,
estimated on the basis of the mechanical equip -
ment used. Likewise, presently available infor-
mation does not allow quantification of the
watering and leachate-treatment costs in Thai-
land. The energy consumption rates assumed
for ventilation in the Syrian project are very low.
60
Comparison of specific landfilling costs with and without MBWT
Spezific costs [€/Mg]
16
Cost of landfill aftercare
14 Cost of landfill operation
landfill investment costs
12
10
8
Approx. 50% lower
6 landfilling costs
0
Landfill MBWT/landfill
Figure 39: Comparison of specific landfilling costs in Phitsanulok with and without MBWT (specific costs in EUR/Mg)
As the two columns in Figure 39 plainly show, 4.2.9 Informal sector

pretreatment reduces the specific landfilling
costs by some 50 %. This extensively offsets In many countries, all or most waste is proces-
the cost of MBWT. Most of the gain is attributa- sed by the informal sector. The levels of inter-
ble to prolongation of the landfill's useful life. vention of the informal sector are illustrated in
Figure 40.
Waste collection
Reloading Hauling Industry
incidence (mixed)
Putting out
for collection
Separation collection
Sorting Agriculture
by producer (seperate)
Disposal
Composting
Recycling material
Incineration
Organic material
Resid waste
Total waste
Intervention MBWT
by informal sector
(c) Wehenpohl / A.L.F. dos Santos; 01/2000
Figure 40: Informal-sector intervention in the flow of household waste
61
The informal sector in waste management does Results:

not consist solely of people with low incomes, The group was officially registered as a co-
but also includes, in various numbers, all clas- operative (in North-Center and Ilhabela).
ses: for instance intermediate dealers (brokers), The monthly income of the members increa-
owners / proprietors of (further-processing) recy- sed more than twofold.
cling businesses, etc. The introduction of MBWT The amount of recycled waste was increa-
in combination with controlled landfilling sed substantially as the members became
amounts to a partial reorganization of the waste- familiar with methods that increased the effi-
management sector, and any changes effected ciency of their work and improved the
can alter the boundary conditions for the infor- results of dedicated sorting.
mal sector. Some of the recyclables were sold directly
to the processing industry without the need
With a view to preventing negative impacts, and for brokers, so the revenues were much hig-
perhaps even to offering the sector some work- her.
able alternatives, submeasures designed to pro-
mote integration of the informal sector were built
into the sector project. In Brazil, for example,
where the informal sector is traditionally very
prominent, the sector project provided support
to another project being implemented in parallel
with the MBWT pilot project. This project was
called "Formalization of the Informal Waste-
management Sector in São Sebastião and Ilha-
bela". The project, termed Cooperativa de Tria-
dores (cooperative for the recovery of recycla-
bles), sponsored by the São Sebastião munici-
pal administration, is geared to reducing the
inflow of waste to the local landfill and to the
pursuit of additional objectives in the areas of
social and environmental policy. For example, a
program of separate collection and subsequent
sorting of waste and recyclables is intended to
create income opportunities for the poor and
needy. The program, it is hoped, will offer that
group some future-oriented, economically feasi-
ble perspectives. Simultaneously, by esta-
Figure 41: Members of the Ilhabela Cooperative
blishing the cooperative for the utilization and at work sorting recyclables
sale of recyclables, the authorities hoped to
involve people more in waste management. The
relevant skills of the individuals concerned were
systematically improved via training and motiva-
tion measures. One of the criteria for participa-
ting in the program was that adults take part in
the training.
62
The success of these measures greatly increa- Two to three years of support will probably
sed the members' motivation and improved their be necessary.
standing with the municipal authorities.
Granting small-scale loans to such groups
The following recommendations and conclu- can have a supportive effect but needs to be
sions can be drawn from the results of support considered on a case-by-case basis and
given in São Sebastião and Ilhabela: should not be allowed to become too much
of a burden on the group. Experience in
other areas shows that small, short-term
Some of the people populating the various loans are often more appropriate than large,
parts of the informal waste-management sec- long-term loans, because it is easier to learn
tor cannot be successfully integrated into more how to deal with them. Credit organizations
formal structures, because, among other fac- should be advised of this.
tors, some are alcoholics and/or drug addicts,
and some are unable to subordinate themsel-
ves to regular work regimens.
In São Sebastião, some people who had

never before worked in the waste-management
sector were successfully integrated into waste-
sorting processes, despite the fact that this is
generally viewed as a repulsive field of work.
Experience shows that the chance to earn

one to three times the minimum wage working
in this sector can attract people from low-inco-
me brackets who have not previously worked
in the sector.
Municipal waste management is a communi-

ty task. As such, the community's consent is
required for integrating these people without
adopting a paternalistic stance.
The development of formal structures requi-

res the support and backstopping of external
specialists (social workers, accountants,
lawyers, waste-management technicians, etc.).
63
5 Future Prospects of MBWT in Developing and
Threshold Countries
5.1 Conclusions Drawn from the Pilot
Projects
A s the pilot-project examples show, mecha-

nical-biological waste treatment can be
successfully implemented in developing and
sense, the "simple processes" used in the pilot
projects make it possible to introduce MBWT on
an initially small scale, and then to gradually
threshold countries. In the pilot projects featured expand the throughput if the results are suc-
here, the biological decomposition processes cessful.
employed yielded good results and hence achie-
ved the primary goal of improving the in-dump One of the main criteria for the successful intro-
behavior of the residual waste. In São Se- duction of MBWT is that the future operator
bastião, MBWT has already radically improved must be willing and able to indefinitely ensure
the landfill situation and become a fixed compo- adherence to the operational requirements. Both
nent of the city's waste-disposal concept. the operation of the MBWT facility and the
emplacement of residual, pretreated waste at
The MBWT version tested in Syria, i.e. with the landfill call for a large measure of expertise.
cover and forced ventilation, is a more elaborate Despite the long duration of the pilot projects
technology, but it amounts to a very promising and the training given to municipal workers,
approach for areas with little water as well as for sustainable operation of the MBWT facilities by
areas with high rates of precipitation. The next the communities themselves with no external
step will be to engage in commercial-scale assistance could not have been assumed reali-
application of the results of the field trial. If the stically for either São Sebastião or Phitsanulok.
production of high-quality, marketable compost Communities that have nothing other than nor-
in Al-Salamieh is to be assured in the long term, mal garbage dumps could not be expected to
the separate collection of organic waste will meet the prerequisites for competent operation
have to be expanded step by step. of MBWT facilities without first having radically
altered their boundary conditions. In addition to
The specific costs of pretreatment determined in having qualified staff, successful implementation
the pilot projects range between 11 and 15 of this new technology often requires internal
EUR/Mg input. However, if the economizing structural and organizational reform measures.
effect that MBWT has on landfilling operations is For any existing municipal administration, insti-
subtracted from the costs of MBWT, the remai- tuting such reforms must amount to a weariso-
ning specific costs drop to just a few Euros by me, time-consuming process. With a view to
comparison with those of landfilling waste accelerating the process, much can be said in
without pretreatment. Indeed, in Phitsanulok, the favor of establishing private-sector structures for
cost of waste disposal with and without MBWT operation of an MBWT facility. However, even if
is practically identical. Moreover, the combina- the facility is privatized, integration of the requi-
tion of mass reduction and improved compressi- site expertise must be assured. As a rule, local
bility achieved via MBWT can lengthen a landfil- contractors lack such expertise, so partnerships
l's useful life several times over. On the other with competent external enterprises are recom -
hand, even Germany's time-tested "simple pro- mended. Such an approach has already been
cesses" have to be accommodated to the local implemented in São Sebastião, and similar
boundary conditions prevailing in other countries arrangements appear to be emerging in the
in order to achieve the desired results. In that other pilot projects as well.
64
The close cooperation between GTZ, the partner
communities and private enterprises practiced in
the sector project has proved fruitful and contri-
buted decisively to the success of the pilot pro-
jects. Hence cooperation between communities
and private enterprises - public-private partners-
hips (PPP) - would appear to be sensible and
advisable for future implementation of MBWT in
developing and threshold countries. German
companies can assume an important role here.
Any disposal tasks to be contracted out to pri-

vate enterprises must be unequivocally descri-
bed in terms of the services to be rendered, and
all such services must be readily and unequivo-
cally verifiable for the communities. The results
of the sector project show that the attendant
quality control programs are not yet amenable to
local implementation. Consequently, programs
and methods of performance monitoring that are
commensurate with the communities' own
capabilities have to be developed.
All in all, the pilot projects generated lots of

public attention. Numerous native and foreign
visitors have toured the pilot projects in São
Sebastião and Phitsanulok, and the first pilot
projects dealt with in this report have since
given rise to numerous MBWT projects. In Bra-
zil, for example, other communities are also gea-
ring up to use MBWT as a component of their
municipal waste disposal systems. Hence the
São Sebastião pilot project has fully fulfilled its
function as a model project.
65
5.2 Comparison of Alternative Waste

Disposal Concepts
The pilot projects proved that MBWT can, under

certain sets of boundary conditions, serve as an
effective component of municipal solid waste
disposal in developing and threshold countries.
However, that does not answer the question as
to whether MBWT also constitutes the most
cost-effective solution. An objectively sound
decision can only be arrived at on a case-by-
case basis and in due consideration of all rele-
vant aspects. The various member countries of
the European Union give preference to different
avenues of disposal. According to the results of
the survey illustrated in Figure 42 below, some
70 % of all waste produced in the EU is dispo-
sed of in landfills, and approximately 20 % is
incinerated.
Avenues of waste disposal in the EU member countries
Landfilling Incineration with energy recovery Incineration without energy recovery
Composting MBWT / landfill Fermentation

Avenues of disporal [wt.%]
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
AU BE DK FI FR GE GR IR IT LU NL PO SP SW UK EU
Figure 42: Avenues of waste disposal in EU member countries in 1999 [7]
66
Except in a few urban agglomerations, the inci- 5.3 Need for Further Study
neration of municipal solid waste in developing
and threshold countries is not a viable avenue of This sector project provided a crucial point of
disposal, if only for economic reasons. However, departure for assessing the perspectives of
the objective of reducing the emission potentials MBWT in developing and threshold countries,
of MSW could also be achieved by means of but the duration of the project did not suffice to
separate collection and recycling of the organic find conclusive answers to all questions, and
components. Another conceivable solution is to there was little empirical background to draw on
combine composting with MBWT. regarding the construction and operation of
lined and sealed landfills in tropical and subtro-
In any case, the benefits of the various alternati- pical areas. Indeed, the since acquired know-
ves can only be secured if certain assumptions how shows that waste-disposal standards deve-
are fulfilled. For example, the anticipated results loped in Central Europe cannot be applied to
of MBWT decomposition processes can only be such areas without further ado. Hence there is a
achieved if the facility is actually being operated continuing need for further investigation into
with due competence. Likewise, the hoped-for various aspects of MBWT, including and in parti-
income from composting can only be realized if cular the following:
the compost is of good quality and can be suc-
cessfully marketed. Landfilling concept as a function of climate and
waste composition
The comparison of alternatives as a basis for Observations made at landfills in tropical and
deciding on a waste disposal concept will subtropical areas show that organic decomposi-
always include some unavoidable uncertainties. tion proceeds much more rapidly there than it
The degree of uncertainty will depend on how does in more temperate climates. A systematic
much experience has been gained through analysis of relevant empirical data could have a
application of the various alternatives. In order fundamental impact on the operation of such
to minimize the risks resulting from uncertain landfills. For example, the prevailing routine
assumptions, new processes should always first practice of immediately compacting the empla-
be field-tested and then implemented in stages. ced waste and covering it with a layer of topsoil
Extensive MBWT processes, for example, can at the end of each day requires systematic
be tested by way of scale-model trials followed management of the incidental leachate and
by large-scale pilot schemes to establish the landfill gas. That, however, is still unrealizable in
process suitability while adapting it to fit the many countries. Consequently, different ways of
local boundary conditions. The treatment pro- modifying landfill concepts to achieve extensive
cesses dealt with in this report allow such a aerobic decomposition of the organic fraction
step-by-step form of introductory implementa- directly at the landfill need to be investigated
tion. (including "shredded refuse landfills" as the
Also, MBWT enables the separation of high- most elementary form of MBWT).
energy fractions at the mechanical conditioning
stage. That, in turn, makes it possible to integra-
te additional paths of recovery and disposal into
the waste management system, extending
beyond mere improvements in the waste dispo-
sal situation.
67
Development of appropriate leachate-treatment Landfilling of pretreated waste

strategies With regard to in-dump behavior, MBWT waste
It makes no sense to line a landfill unless the differs greatly from untreated waste. Its main
leachate can be reliably disposed of. However, advantages include better compressibility and
German leachate-treatment standards cannot be less emission potential. However, the studies
realized in most developing and threshold coun- conducted within the scope of the pilot projects
tries. What are therefore needed are leachate- have shown that the disposal of pretreated
treatment concepts that are feasible in both the waste in landfills in areas with high rates of pre-
technical and the financial sense. On the other cipitation is inherently problematic. Ways and
hand, the importance of MBWT increases in tan- means of optimizing the emplacement of pretre-
dem with the risks and costs of leachate treat- ated waste in areas with high rates of precipita-
ment. tion need to be developed.
Climate relevance of waste pretreatment Long-term in-dump behavior

The anaerobic decomposition of organic waste One of the main advantages of MBWT is that it
in landfills generates large amounts of climate- promises to radically improve the landfill situa-
destabilizing methane. Even quite elaborate gas- tion. Precisely for that reason, however, there is
management systems are only able to trap part need for further investigation of the long-term
of the generated methane, and in many coun- behavior and leachate emissions of pretreated
tries any efficient form of gas collection and waste.
recycling would simply be too expensive. Thus
waste pretreatment constitutes a comparatively Monitoring
simple and efficient way of reducing methane Germany has extensive codes and standards
emissions. The effects of various waste disposal and the appropriate technical equipment for
concepts that could be implemented in develo- securing and monitoring waste treatment and
ping countries need to be investigated in terms disposal targets. Many developing and threshold
of their climatic impacts. Then the findings countries, however, still lack all or some of the
should be used to develop standards for ensu- corresponding codes, standards and equipment.
ring that decisions on waste-disposal concepts It is therefore necessary to develop and imple-
are made in due consideration of climatic fac- ment appropriate standards and monitoring
tors. methods.
Material-flow steering and waste recycling

The mechanical conditioning stage of MBWT
allows the separation of waste fractions for pur-
poses of recycling and energy recovery. In many
developing and threshold countries the informal
sector has traditionally been largely responsible
for the recovery of resources. Consequently,
concepts geared to increasing the recycling
quotas should allow for the needs and capabili-
ties of the informal sector. Projects in Ilhabela,
Brazil, and in Atlacomulco, Mexico, have yielded
experience in informal-sector involvement, and
the lessons learned there need to be broadened
and disseminated.
68
6 Summary
T his report presents the main activities and

results of the sector project "Promotion of
Mechanical-biological Waste Treatment", which
The experience gained in the pilot projects
shows that mechanical-biological waste treat-
ment can be successfully implemented in deve-
was carried out by Deutsche Gesellschaft für loping and threshold countries. The biological
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH from decomposition processes employed in the sub-
1998 to 2003 on behalf of the Federal German ject pilot projects achieved satisfactory results.
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Deve- The São Sebastião MBWT facility has since
lopment (BMZ). The purpose of the project was commenced normal operation and yielded a
to investigate potential applications for mechani- radically improved landfill situation.
cal-biological waste treatment in developing
countries by way of know-how interchange, pilot The specific pretreatment costs determined in
projects, etc. and to describe the prospects and the course of the pilot projects range between
risks of application. 11 and 15 Euro/Mg, but MBWT does not only
generate costs, it also generates savings in
In addition to drawing up reference material and waste disposal. The economizing effect at the
decision-making aids for MBWT applications, landfill end stems mainly from a reduction in
the sector project also focused on practical field mass and the enhanced compressibility of the
testing of mechanical-biological waste treatment pretreated waste. MBWT also reduces leachate
in various countries under various sets of boun- incidence and pollution, as well as the formation
dary conditions (e.g. climate and waste compo- of landfill gas. MBWT can reduce the cost of
sition). Several specialized German enterprises landfill aftercare and increase several times over
served as partners in cooperation for preparing the useful life of landfills.
and implementing the "pilot projects". This co-
operation with the private sector made it possi-
ble for the pilot projects to employ processing
techniques and throughput rates that closely
resembled those encountered in normal opera-
tion, hence yielding reliable results. The pilot
projects also included as important components
training programs designed to gradually put the
partners from developing and threshold coun-
tries in a position to handle the field-tested tech-
nologies on their own.
The results are essentially outlined in this report
on the basis of the commercial-scale pilot pro-
jects in São Sebastião, Brazil, and Phitsanulok,
Thailand, and the scale-model trial in Al-Sala-
mieh, Syria. Both in São Sebastião and in Phit-
sanulok, a non-mobile biotreatment-windrow
approach (FABER-AMBRA® process) was adop-
ted, while force-ventilated heaps with an inert,
semi-permeable laminated-tarpaulin cover (W.L.
Gore) were used in Al-Salamieh.
69
On the other hand, the project also revealed that

in order to achieve the targeted results, even
"simple techniques" that have already been
well-proven in Germany require appropriate
adjustment to the respective local situation in
other countries (especially with regard to climate
and waste composition). One of the main criteria
for the successful introduction of MBWT is that
the future operator be willing and able to inde-
finitely ensure adherence to the operational
requirements. Both the operation of the MBWT
facility and the employment of residual, pretrea-
ted waste at the landfill call for a large measure
of expertise. Despite the long duration of the
pilot projects and the training given to municipal
workers, sustainable operation of the MBWT
facility by the communities themselves, i.e. with
no external assistance, could not have been as-
sumed realistically. In São Sebastião, the crea-
tion of private-sector structures, including the
participation of a German enterprise, made it
possible to ensure the long-term operation of
the MBWT facility.
The results of this sector project provide a good

basis for evaluating the perspectives of MBWT
in developing and threshold countries. Under
favorable boundary conditions MBWT can also
constitute an effective element for the disposal
of municipal solid waste. Whether or not MBWT
would actually be the most favorable solution in
any given case can only be decided in due con-
sideration of all relevant aspects. Since the
duration of the project did not suffice to find
conclusive answers to all questions, this report
calls attention to some remaining uncertainties
and to the need for further studies and
investigations.
70
APPENDICES
71
Appendix 1 Characterization of the Pilot Projects
Project characterization - São Sebastião, Brazil

Project designation Partners in cooperation
Pilot Project, São Sebastião, Brazil
GTZ sector project "Promotion of Mechanical-biological Waste Treatment"
Country, community Official contact Elke Hüttner, Division OE44; Phone: ++49 6196 79 0
Brazil, São Sebastião e-mail: [email protected];
Internet: www.gtz.de/mba/
Beginning, end
May 2000 - end of 2002 Wilhelm Faber GmbH
Wolfgang Tönges; Phone: ++49 6731 492 - 117
Character
e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.faber-ambra.de
Public-private partnership
Prefeitura Municipal de São Sebastião
Miscellaneous
Secretaria de Meio Ambiente e Urbanismo; Secretário Sr. José Teixeira Filho
The local government has adopted the process on the basis of a Rua Amazonas 13
license model. MBWT and landfill privatized in March 2002 Centro - São Sebastião - SP - 11600/000
Tel. +55-12-38926000; Fax. +55-12-38922819
Internet: www.saosebastiao.sp.gov.br
Description
Short description of the project
Pilot project for appraising the suitability of, and appropriately adapting, the FABER-AMBRA® process of Wilhelm Faber GmbH
(non-mobile, passive ventilation, with mechanical pretreatment) for application in Brazil; transfer of process know-how via training
and local backstopping
Local integration
Integration into the landfill environment, treatment of all waste inputs since March 2002, disposal to mono-landfill since June 2002
Technical description Photos

Basic waste-management data
Population served: approx. 65,000 year round, and up to
300,000 during the summer tourist season
Rainy season: Nov.-Mar., approx. 2,400 mm annual precipitation
Annual waste input: 30,000 Mg (in 2001)
Waste composition: 50 - 60 wt.% organics
Water content: > 60 wt.%
Plant capacity: up to 250 Mg/d, 30,000 Mg/a
Employed technology
Delivery by collecting vehicle or container truck
Registration of weight and origin via truck weigher
Conditioning/preparation
Manual presorting by employees
Homogenizing drum, i.e. modified rotary drum vehicle from Ger-
many, capacity: 7 Mg
Total of 3 vehicles
The completed test heap
Homogenization and comminution of waste input
Each batch takes 70 minutes, incl. 45 min for homogenization
Decomposition
Preparation of heap base with pallets and drain pipes
Building of heaps with excavator (30-39 m wide, 2.5 m high)
Covering with biofilter, installation of watering system and sam-
pling gauges
Decomposing time: 9 months; temperature-controlled process
Teardown of heaps with excavator
Disposal of output
Mechanical conditioning (e.g. screening) planned, but no experi-
ence gathered, emplacement in sealed-base landfill via compac-
tor
Local peculiarities
Popular tourist area with pronounced differences in waste inci-
dence between tourist season and off-season; community stret-
ched out over more than 100 km; high transportation costs Landfill following conversion to MBWT (Bird's eye view)
Project status
Present state and activities to date Planned activities
Waste treatment commenced in 05/00; Completion of leachate pond; investigation of leachate disposal
All waste input treated since 03/02; privately operated, leachate at nearby sewage treatment plant
quality and heap-teardown techniques tested on trial heap
Technoscientific investigations and findings

Extensive test program to determine in-heap gas composition, temperature profiles, sampling of inputs and other material, analysis
of leachate from treated, landfilled waste and from heaps
Particularities, remarks
72
Project characterization - Phitsanulok, Thailand
Pilot project Phitsanulok Thailand
Country, community Official contact Elke Hüttner; Division OE44; Phone: ++49 6196 79 0
Thailand, Phitsanulok e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.gtz.de/mba/
Beginning, end Wilhelm Faber GmbH

November 2001 - middle to end of 2003 Wolfgang Tönges, Phone: ++49 6731 492 - 117
Character e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.faber-ambra.de
Public-private partnership Municipality of Phitsanulok, Thailand in cooperation with:
Thai-German Solid Waste Management Programme for Phitsanulok
Miscellaneous Phitsanulok Municipal Office
Local government intends to adopt the process on the basis of Baromtrilokanat Road, Muang District,
privatized waste treatment in the future Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
Phone ++66-55-232300, 232301 Fax ++66-55-232300
e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.gtzth.org
Description
Pilot project for appraising the suitability of, and appropriately adapting, the FABER-AMBRA® process of Wilhelm Faber GmbH
(non-mobile, passive ventilation, with mechanical pretreatment) for application in Thailand; transfer of process know-how via trai-
ning and local backstopping
Local integration
Integration into the landfill environment
Cooperation with the local GTZ project: "Solid Waste Management Programme for Phitsanulok"
Population served: approx. 130,000
Rainy season: May - Oct., annual precipitation approx. 1,350 mm
Waste composition: 50- 60 wt.% organics
25 wt. % plastics
Plant capacity (of pilot project): 40 Mg/d, 14,600 Mg/a
Employed technology
Delivery by collecting vehicle or container truck
Manual presorting by waste pickers and possibly employees
Homogenizing drum, i.e. modified rotary drum vehicle from Ger -
many, capacity: 7 Mg
Homogenization and comminution of waste input Landfill entry point
Decomposition
Preparation of heap base with pallets and drain pipes
Building of heaps with excavator
Covering with biofilter, installation of watering system and sam-
pling gauges
Decomposing time: 9 months; temperature-controlled process
Disposal of output
Thin-layer emplacement by compactor (initial trials)
Local peculiarities
Well-developed private recycling sector, large water and plastics
fractions, little structural material in residual waste
Decomposing heap with coconut-shell biofilter

Project status
Waste pretreatment commenced in 01/02 Determination of packed density, mass and volume analyses (in
Three trial heaps on the old landfill, paved/reinforced waste- process) with decomposition losses
treatment area since 08/02; two test heaps Hydrological balance
Extensive test program to determine in-heap gas composition, temperature profiles, sampling of inputs and other material, analysis
of leachate from treated, landfilled waste and from heaps; analysis of decomposed material
Sometime in 2003 the local government is expected to reach a decision on adoption of the process and to privatize operation of
the landfill or pretreatment of the waste (MBWT) by way of competitive tendering.
73
Project characterization - Al-Salamieh, Syrien

Appropriate waste disposal for threshold and developing coun-
tries Official contact Elke Hüttner; Division OE44; Phone: +49 6196 79 0
Country, community e-mail: [email protected];
Syria. Al-Salamieh
University of Kassel, Civil Engineering Department, Waste Technology
Beginning, end Faculty / Dr.-Ing. Aber Mohamad
Jan. 99 - end of 2002, early 2003 Phone: +49 561 804 3954, e-mail: [email protected]
Character Solid Waste Treatment W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH
Research project Lothar Deyerling Phone: +49 89 12 27 26
e-mail: [email protected]
Miscellaneous
The Syrian Arab Republic
Establishment of the process in Al-Salamieh within the scope of
Ministry of Local Administration
the PPP measure to follow this research project.
Governorate of Hama, Salamieh Municipal Council
Description
Research project for investigating the suitability of, and for appropriately adapting, the Gore laminate process (force-ventilated,
controlled-heap decomposition with inert semi-permeable laminate cover) as a technically uncomplicated, relatively inexpensive,
easy to operate, quickly implementable waste treatment facility for the production and quality control of soil conditioners (com-
post).
Local integration
Integration into the waste sector and landfill environment, composting of biowaste,
cooperation with local specialists and training of sector employees
Rainy season: Oct. - April, precipitation approx. 300 mm
Waste composition: 70 wt.% organics
10 wt.% plastics
Planned plant capacity: 40-50 Mg/d, 15,000 Mg/a
(treatment of approx. 220 Mg in scale-model trial)
Employed technology
Delivery: by collecting vehicle
Conditioning/preparation: Manual presorting by waste pickers
and possibly employees Cover and forced ventilation of heaps
Homogenization and comminution of the waste in a mobile com-
minutor; planned: 10 Mg/h homogenizing drum made in Syria
Decomposition: Construction of channels for ventilation and
drainage / collection of leachate; manual setting up and tearing
down of heaps; inert, semi-permeable laminate cover; three-
month composting process, controlled via temperature and oxy-
gen level; use of excavator and wheel loader planned
Disposal of output: Mechanical conditioning (screening) and
separation of fine material as compost in the handling of bio-
waste; otherwise disposal to landfill.
Local peculiarities
Well-developed private recycling sector (waste pickers), large
water and plastics fractions; plastic bags, little structural materi-
al in household waste; dryness; high organic fraction Heap with ventilating elements (aerators)
Project status
The research project "Appropriate waste disposal for TC and Construction and commissioning of waste-treatment facility, trai-
DC" has been completed. Preparations for a PPP program for ning program, public awareness-raising, use of compost output
implementation of residual-waste treatment incl. separation of in agriculture, scientific backstopping program
useful compost fraction, is under way. Plant scheduled for com-
missioning May 2003.
Extensive test program to determine waste composition, temperature profiles, water content, ignition loss, nutrients and heavy
metals, sampling of inputs and other material
Thanks to forced ventilation and covering of the heaps, no watering was necessary for the duration of mechanical-biological treat-
ment, because the evaporated water condensed on the inside of the laminate cover and dripped back onto the decaying material.
74
Project characterization - Atlacomulco, Mexico
Pilot project, Atlacomulco Mexico
Country, community Official contact Elke Hüttner; Division OE44; Phone: ++49 6196 79 0
Mexico, Atlacomulco e-mail: [email protected];
Beginning, end Faber Recycling GmbH

September 2002 - August 2003 Wolfgang Tönges Tel.: +49 6731 492 - 117
e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: www.faber-ambra.de
Character
Public-private Partnership Honorable Ayuntamiento de Atlacomulco
Miscellaneous State of Mexico, Mexico
Adoption of the process for the landfill by the local administra-
Secretaría de Ecología del Estado de México
tion envisaged within the framework of a commercial contract (State Ministry of the Environment) State of Mexico, Mexico
Description
Pilot project for introducing integrated waste management (recycling, composting, residual-waste treatment, landfill-ing) in applica-
tion of the FABER-AMBRA® process of Wilhelm Faber GmbH (non-mobile, passively ventilated heaps, with mechanical conditio -
ning) for waste treatment and compost production, transfer of know-how by training and local project backstopping, integration of
the informal sector ("Pepenadores")
Local integration
Integration of "Pepenadores" upon introduction of integrated waste management
Cooperation with the local GTZ project "Decentralization of Waste Management in the State of Mexico"

Rainy season: May - Oct., precipitation approx. 1,000 mm
Annual waste input: 20,000 Mg (estimated)
Waste composition: 50- 60 wt.% organics
Planned plant capacity: 40 Mg/d, 12,000 Mg/a
Employed technology
Delivery by collecting vehicle and container truck;
No registration of weight or origin of waste
Manual sorting by "Pepenadores" and possibly employees
Homogenizing drum as an individually modified rotary drum
machine from Germany; capacity: 7 Mg
Homogenization and comminution of waste material First group of trainees
Decomposition
Preparation of biological treatment with pallets and drain pipes
Building of heaps with excavator
Cover with geofilter, manual irrigation, monitoring of gas, tem-
perature and process water
Planned decomposing time: 9 months, process control via tem-
perature measurements
Disposal of output
First, mechanical conditioning (e.g. screening): planned, but no
experience gained to date
Local peculiarities
No organic biofilter material available; use of slightly geogenous
material as cover for the heaps
Building of the first heap
Project status
Waste treatment commenced in 11/ 02, Introduction of separate waste collection in certain parts of town
three test heaps on an old leachate pond; new heaps put up in to obtain mono-batches of biowaste for compost production
new grounds since 01/03.

Extensive test program to determine in-heap gas composition, temperature profiles, sampling of inputs and other material as of
03/03 by CENICA (Mexico)
75
Project characterization - Colombia

Promotion of ecologically sound waste management in
GTZ Centre for Cooperation with the Private Sector
Colombia
Official contact: Helma Zeh-Gasser; Phone ++49 6196 79 0
Country, community e-mail: [email protected]
Colombia, Greater Armenia Area, Quindío
Ingenieurbüro für innovative Abfallwirtschaft (ia) GmbH,
Beginning, end Werner Bauer ++49 89 18935-0
1 Aug. 2001 - 31 Dec. 2002 e-mail: [email protected]
B.A.U.M. TRACOM Ltda, Bogotá

Character Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
Public-private partnership, technical school, social project, URL: www.baumgroup.com; E-Mail: [email protected]
Recicladores, Internet portal
Description
Pilot project for implementing an integrated approach to sustainable development via theoretical and practical training in "integra-
ted waste management" and "sustainable waste management". Establishment of a technical school. Planning/construction/opera-
tion of a model MBWT facility, incl. practical training. Training of specialists to serve as trainers. Integration of the Recicladores
cooperatives. Summarization and publication of experience gained via the Internet portal "ForumZ for Latin America" (www.foro-
z.com).
Local integration
Elaboration and provision of training; planning and implementation of a social project; goals include strengthening and stabilization
of democratic structures and of municipal self-administration.
Permanent local project partners: Cámara de Comercio de Armenia, Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje SENA Quindío, Universidad
Empresarial Armenia
TMB demonstration facility
No separate collection of waste
No waste treatment and landfilling to technical standards
High organic fraction ( ~ 70 wt.%)
Temporary TMB demonstration facility with separation and com-
post-ing of a) household waste, b) central market waste, and c)
waste from gardens and parks
Employed technology
Delivery
by container truck, with registration of waste origin (hauling and
collecting routes) and weight (truck weigher)
Receiving point Waste receiving, input check, registration
Mechanical conditioning Coarse and fine sorting, screening
(manual)Separation of interfering objects,
pollutants and recyclables (manual)
Comminution, homogenization (mixing drum) Indoor part of model facility
Weighing of all material fractions
Biological (aerobic) treatment
Indoor composting in bamboo composting bins;
No active ventilation
Collection of leachate and process water
Mechanical post-treatmentScreening and, as necessary, post-
composting
Local peculiarities
Disposal of residual waste: ~15-20 % of material input
Integration of Recicladores cooperatives, incl. training
Lack of overall waste-management strategy
Municipal dump (Armenia) soon to close (Dec. 2002), but no
concrete alternative plans to date.
Bamboo composting bins

Project status
The project is completed. Planned continuation of operation of the MBWT facility up to
Design/implementation of Internet portals complete: www.foro- early 2003 by students from SENA Armenia; attendant scientific
z.com (knowledge portal) and www.coltec.info (training portal) investigations and training; planned continuation of coop. and
Planning/construction/commissioning of MBWT facility development of new projects upon completion of GTZ project.

Ecological evaluation of the process (stocktaking); comprehensive analysis of temperature, leachate and compost;
material-flow documentation for the generation of mass balances
Due to acute political tensions in Colombia the project has suffered substantial delays since the beginning of the year. Knowledge
networking interconnection with the GTZ project REPAMAR (Latin American Network for Waste Management, based in Lima). As
the project progressed, cooperation with Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje SENA in Quindío, and with its professors and students,
has deepened.
76
Appendix 2 List of Important Contacts
Team of experts
1. Gernod Dilewski 6. Dr. Dieter Mutz
Infrastruktur & Umwelt, Professor Böhm und Partner Basel University of Applied Sciences (FHBB)
Julius-Reiber-Straße 17 Institute for Environmental Technology (IfU)
D- 64293 Darmstadt Fichtenhagstr. 4

Phone: +49 (0)6151 / 81 30 0 CH- 4132 Muttenz
Fax: +49 (0)6151 / 81 30 20 Switzerland
URL: www.iu-info.de Phone: +41 (0)61 / 4674 568
E-Mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
2. Abir Ismail 7. Dr. Anna Lúcia Florisbela dos Santos

P.O. Box 34 880 Segunda Privada de Támesis 36
Damascus Condado de Sayavedra
Syria 52938 Atizapan de Z.
E-Mail: [email protected] Edomex / México
E-Mail: [email protected]
3. Gabriele Janikowski
IKW Beratungsinstitut für Kommunalwirtschaft GmbH 8. Bernhard Schenk
Bayenthalgürtel 4 Independent Engineer & Consultant
D- 50968 Cologne Planckstrasse 20 a

Phone: +49 (0)221 / 93 70 91 0 D-10117 Berlin
Fax: +49 (0)221 / 93 70 91 11 Phone: +49 (0)177 / 36 00 299
URL: www.ikw.de; E-Mail: [email protected] Fax +49 (0)30 / 208 16 37
[email protected]
4. Dr. Dirk Maak
Wilhelm Faber GmbH 9. Gregório Alziro da Silva
Galgenwiesenweg 23-29 Rua Noronha Torrezão, n.742, ap. .602
D - 55 232 Alzey Cubango, Niterói - RJ.
Phone: +49 (0)6731 / 492 114 Brazil
Fax: +49 (0)6731 / 492 115 Phone: +55 (0)21 / 710 2362
URL: www.faber-ambra.de
E-Mail: [email protected] 10. Joachim Stretz
Technischer Umweltschutz - Environmental Engineering
5. Dr. Aber Mohamad Graefestr. 4

University of Kassel - Waste Technology Faculty D- 10967 Berlin
Mönchebergstraße 7 Phone +49 (0)30 / 814 923 95
D- 34125 Kassel Fax. +49 (0)30 / 814 923 96
Phone: +49 (0)561 / 95 29 095 URL: www.j-stretz.de; E-Mail: [email protected]
Fax: +49 (0) 561 / 95 29 098
URL: www.uni-kassel.de/fb14/abfalltechnik/
E- Mail: [email protected]
Postfach 34 880
Damascus Syria
77
List of Important Contacts
1. Federal German Ministry for Economic 5.Prefeitura Municipal de Ilhabela

Cooperation and Development - BMZ Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente
Dr. Annette van Edig Rua Pref. Mariano Procopio de
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 40 Araujo Carvalho no. 86
D- 53113 Bonn Barrio Pereque-Ilhabela
Phone: +49 (0)228 / 535 3761 SP-Brasil-CEP 11630-000
Fax.: +49(0)1888 / 535 3500 Brazil
URL: www.BMZ.de Phone: +55 (0)12 / 472 2200
E-Mail: [email protected] ramal 147
URL: www.ilhabela.sp.gov.br
2. Federal German Ministry for Education and E-Mail: [email protected]
Research - BMBF
Dr. Jürgen Heidborn 6. Municipality of Phitsanulok
Bonn Office Solid Waste Management Programme
Heinemannstr. 2 for Phitsanulok
53175 Bonn - Bad Godesberg Dr. Walter Schöll
Berlin Office Phitsanulok Municipal Office, Muang District
Hannoversche Straße 30 Phitsanulok 65000
D- 10115 Berlin Thailand
Phone: +49 (0)1888 / 57- 3541 Phone: +66 (0)55 / 23 23 00
Fax: +49 (0)1888 / 57- 83601 Fax: +66 (0)55 / 23 23 00
URL: www.BMBF.de E-Mail: [email protected]
7. Apoyo a la Gestión de Residuos Sólidos
3. Projeto Gestao Ambiental Urbana - GAU Municipales en el Estado de México
Dr. Detlev Ullrich Dr. Günther Wehenpohl
Largo IBAM n° 1, Humaita Parque de Orizaba No. 7; 7. Piso
22271-070 Rio de Janeiro Col. Del Parque
Brazil 53390 Naucalpan
Phone: +55 (0)21 2535 3434 Estado de México
Fax: +55 (0)21 2526 2464 Phone / Fax: ++52 (0)55 / 5576-4417
URL: www.gau.org.br E-Mail: [email protected]
8. B.A.U.M. TRACOM Ltda
4. Prefeitura Municipal de São Sebastião Ignacio Navas
Secretaria de Meio Ambiente e Urbanismo Carr 13 No. 96 - 82 of. 103
Secretário Sr. José Teixeira Filho Bogotá D.C.
Rua Amazonas 13 Colombia
Centro - São Sebastião - SP - 11600/000 Phone: +57 (0)315 / 301 92 94
Phone +55 (0)12/ 38926000 Fax: +57 (0)1 / 636 30 87
Fax. +55 (0)12 / 38922819 URL: www.baumgroup.com
URL: www.saosebastiao.sp.gov.br E-Mail: [email protected]
78
9. Knoten Weimar - International Transfer Center 13. Ingenieurbüro für innovative Abfallwirtschaft
for Environmental Biotechnology GmbH; iA GmbH
Braunschweig Technical University Werner P. Bauer
Leichtweiss Institute, Waste-management Gotzinger Str. 48/50
Department D- 81371 Munich
Prof. Dr.- Ing. Klaus Fricke Phone: +49 (0)89 / 189 35 0
Dipl.-Ing. Heike Santen Fax: +49 (0)89 / 189 35 199
Beethovenstraße 51 a URL: www.ia-gmbh.de
D- 38106 Braunschweig E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +49 (0)531 / 391 3969
Fax.: +49 (0)531 / 391 4584 14. Sustainable Technologies, Building-Business
URL: www.bionet.net Consultants (TBW) GmbH
E-Mail: [email protected] Hr. Hartlieb Euler
Baumweg 10
10. Wilhelm Faber GmbH D- 60316 Frankfurt am Main
Wolfgang Tönges Phone: +49 (0)69 / 9435 070
Dr. Dirk Maak Fax: +49 (0)69 / 9435 0711
Galgenwiesenweg 23-29 URL: www.tbw-frankfurt.com
D- 55 232 Alzey E-Mail: [email protected]
Phone: +49 (0)6731 / 492 232
Fax: +49 (0)6731 / 492 283 15. Ingenieurgemeinschaft Witzenhausen
URL: www.faber-ambra.de IGW Fricke & Turk GmbH
E-Mail: [email protected] Bischhäuser Aue 12
D- 37 213 Witzenhausen
11. University of Kassel Phone: +49 (0)5542 / 93 080
Waste Technology Faculty Fax: +49 (0)5542 / 93 08 20
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arnd Urban E-Mail: [email protected]
Dr.-Ing. Aber Mohamad
Mönchebergstraße 7 16. INTECUS Dresden GmbH
D- 34125 Kassel Pohlandstraße 17
Phone: +49 (0)561 / 95 29 095 D- 01309 Dresden
Fax: +49 (0) 561 / 95 29 098 Phone: +49 (0)351 / 318 23 14
URL: www.uni-kassel.de/fb14/abfalltechnik/ Fax: +49 (0)351 / 318 23 33
E- Mail: [email protected] URL: www.intecus.de
12. Solid Waste Treatment W.L.
Gore & Associates GmbH 17. Faber Serviço Ltda.
Lothar Deyerling Christiane Dias Pereira
Hermann-Oberth-Str. 24 Rua Duque de Caxias, 188
D-85640 Putzbrunn 2° Piso - SALA 13
Phone: +49 (0)89 / 4612 2726 Centro - São Sebastião
Fax: +49 (0)89 / 4612 4 2726 São Paulo, 11600-000
E-Mail: [email protected] BRASIL
Phone/Fax: +55 (0)12 38 93 10 12
79
18. Wilhelm Faber GmbH 24. Infrastruktur & Umwelt, Professor Böhm und
Maria Elena Mendoza Partner
Galgenwiesenweg 23 - 29 Gernod Dilewski
D- 55232 Alzey Julius-Reiber-Straße 17
Phone/Fax: +52 (0)712 1228 127 D- 64293 Darmstadt
E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: +49 (0)6151 / 81 30 0
Fax: +49 (0)6151 / 81 30 20
19. Wilhelm Faber GmbH URL: www.iu-info.de
Chaiwat Teankum Schlicht E-Mail: [email protected]
Galgenwiesenweg 23 - 29
D- 55232 Alzey 25. Dr. Uwe Cusnick
Phone: +66 (0)1 820 52 76 Organization Consultant
Fax: +66 (0)55 21 79 35 Wehrhofstraße 1
E-Mail: [email protected] D- 60489 Frankfurt
Phone: +49 (0)69 / 789 39 15
20. Dr. Kornelia-Theodora Drees Mobil: +49 (0)179 / 699 29 15
Viktoriaallee 46 E-Mail: [email protected]
D- 52066 Aachen
Phone: +49 (0)241 / 997 997 87
21. Dagmar Diebels

Filmteam
Goffartstraße 44
D- 52066 Aachen
Phone: +49 (0)241 / 51 51 064
22. Technical University Hamburg

-Harburg - TUHH
Waste Management Section
Prof. Dr. Rainer Stegmann
Fr. Ina Körner
Harburger Schlossstrasse 36
D- 21079 Hamburg
Phone: +49 (0)40 / 42878 3154
23. IKW Beratungsinstitut für Kommunalwirt-

schaft GmbH
Gabriele Janikowski
Bayenthalgürtel 4
D- 50968 Cologne
Phone: +49 (0)221 / 93 70 91 0
Fax: +49 (0)221 / 93 70 91 11
URL: www.ikw.de
80
Appendix 3 Bibliography
List of references Additional sources
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Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
- German Technical Cooperation -
Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1-5
Postfach 5180
65726 Eschborn, Germany
Telephone: +49 (6196) 79-0
Fax: +49 (6196) 79-1115
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2007 02 12 GTZ - Sector Project Mechanical Biological Waste Treatment

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2007 02 12 GTZ - Sector Project Mechanical Biological Waste Treatment

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Division 44

Environment & Infrastructure

Deutsche Gesellschaft für

Deutsche Gesellschaft für

1 Introduction and Rationale 8

3 MBWT Reference Material and Events 15

4 MBWT Pilot Projects 18

4.2 Results and Experience Gathered from Pilot Projects 22

5 Future Prospects of MBWT in Developing and Threshold Countries 64

Appendix 1 Characterization of the Pilot Projects

Appendix 2 List of Important Contacts

Table 1: Differences between composting and MBWT 10

Table 4: Personnel requirements for MBWT operations in São Sebastião

Table 6: Water content of waste inputs in the pilot projects 40

Table 7: Results of treated -waste analysis in São Sebastião 41

Table 8: Heavy-metal contents as a function of input material 42

Table 9: Quantity and quality of process water from biotreatment wind-

Table 10: Mass reduction through biotreatment in the Al-Salamieh,

Table 11: Comparison of specific costs in the pilot projects 58

Figure 2: The operational sequence of mechanical-biological waste treatment 10

Figure 3: A natural-draft (convecting) biotreatment windrow as an exam-

Figure 4: Schematic rendition of an intensive aerobic decomposition process 12

Figure 5: Residual-waste treatment options 13

Figure 6: At the entrepreneurs' forum on "Public Private Partnerships

Figure 7: Mechanical-biological waste treatment using the FABER-AMBRA®

Figure 8: Mechanical-biological waste treatment using the FABER-AMBRA®

Figure 9: Composting windrow in Al-Salamieh, with cover and forced ventilation 20

Figure 10: Training for Recicladores at the scale-model MBWT facility in

Figure 11: A typical decomposition temperature curve 23

Figure 12: Temperature monitoring with a sampling gauge in Phitsanulok 25

Figure 13: Waste pickers at the Phitsanulok landfill 26

Figure 14: Compost heaps during the model experiment in Al-Salamieh 27

Figure 15: Homogenizing drum at work in Phitsanulok 28

Figure 16: Waste from Phitsanulok before and after homogenization 29

Figure 18: Training for technical personnel at the Phitsanulok landfill 32

Figure 19: Theoretically achievable and actual throughput at the MBWT

Figure 21: Time history of in-heap temperatures in São Sebastião 35

Figure 22: Time history of temperatures in a FABER-AMBRA® heap

Figure 24: Waterlogged base of a heap showing evidence of anaerobic decomposition 38

Figure 25: Results of gas monitoring at heaps C and D on

Figure 26: Coconut-shell biofilter at the Phitsanulok MBWT facility 44

Figure 27: Test heap in São Sebastião 45

Figure 31: Densities of compaction with and without pretreatment [6] 49

Figure 32: Emplacement of pretreated waste in São Sebastião 51

Figure 33: Mass reduction in the pilot phase of MBWT in Phitsanulok 51

Figure 34: Test-field dimensions for the commercial-scale compaction trial 52

Figure 35: Dry-season emplacement trial for pretreated waste at the

Figure 36: Comparison of in-heap densities and achieved landfill

Figure 37: Leachate burden at the MBWT landfill in São Sebastião 54

Figure 39: Comparison of specific landfilling costs in Phitsanulok with and

Figure 40: Informal-sector intervention in the flow of household waste 61

Figure 41: Members of the Ilhabela Cooperative at work sorting recyclables 62

1 Introduction and Rationale

I n many developing countries, shifting living

Especially the organic fraction of municipal solid

The sector project "Promotion of Mechanical-

generating and providing reference material

T he primary goal of MBWT is to minimize

ches rely on quite similar techniques. However,