International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

63.1.3.2 Diesel
We have used a figure of 3.09 kg CO2 equivalent per litre of diesel (including 0.46 kg
CO2 equivalent pre-combustion emissions). External damage costs with respect to
climate change associated with diesel use are therefore €0.09 per litre of diesel. 1208
Data regarding the air quality impacts associated with the use of diesel within waste
management facilities is taken from the BUWAL life-cycle inventory database
produced by the Federal Office for the Environment in Switzerland. 1209 Total damage
costs are €1.66 per litre of diesel if the high external costs are assumed, or €0.57 per
litre using the lower costs. Approximately 12% of the total damage cost relates to precombustion
emissions. The external costs are dominated by NOx externalities which
equate to 99% of the air pollution impacts associated with diesel use.
63.1.4 Emissions Avoided Through Recycling
Recovery of material from the residual waste stream occurs at incineration and MBT
facilities, as well as at recycling facilities.
Most studies provide estimates of greenhouse gas reductions delivered by ‘front-end’
collection and recovery systems, i.e. kerbside or bring recycling, followed if necessary
by sorting within a Materials Recovery Facility (if collected in commingled form).
Materials recovered from residual wastes, however, have higher levels of
contamination as a result of contact with the mixed residual waste stream.
Depending upon the material, this contamination may have the following impacts:
986
� Rather than a ‘closed-loop’ process, materials might be recycled into lower
value applications (for example, mixed glass to aggregates or plastics to
“plaswood”, which deliver reduced, if any, carbon benefits); and
� Prior to reprocessing, contaminated materials will require energy for cleaning
processes - for example, hot-washing of plastics - and thus will deliver lower
carbon benefits than clean streams.
The current analysis attributes the same greenhouse gas benefits to recyclables
removed from residual waste as those obtained through specific collections. For most
dry recyclables, this is a broadly acceptable approach since the effects of
contamination are probably such as to affect price more than the associated benefits.
However, the approach probably overstates the benefits associated with this practice
at present, though this will be true only where it is assumed that plastics are
extracted for recycling. Table 63-2 provides a summary of the values used.
1208 There is relatively little difference between the high and low damage costs for climate change
impacts.
1209 Available from http://www.bafu.admin.ch
29/09/09