ETS for EfW Webinar Q&A: Composition Analysis Explained
It’s time for the latest in our series of blogs, answering some of the audience’s questions from our webinar with Materials Recycling World about how independent waste operators can prepare for the inclusion of Energy from Waste in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
In this blog, we’ll answer the question: When it comes to waste composition analysis, is there a minimum amount required to be tested? There’s guidance and a British/ISO sampling standard, but no standard for composition analysis. If I took my waste to a UKAS lab for testing, how much would they need?
In this instance, the answer is that the minimum amount required by a lab for testing will differ for each handler/producer.
A stringent scientific methodology must be applied to ensure that accurate waste characterisation can be achieved when waste is sent for analysis.
Regarding the amount of waste required for an effective composition analysis, we must remember that Mixed Residual Waste is non-homogenous. Taking one single sample on one specific day won’t produce accurate results. So, samples need to be taken over a longer period and examined in combination to provide a composite sample that is more representative of typical waste intake.
To determine the exact mass of those samples, a number of parameters need to be understood. This includes the particle size, density, and overall quantity being produced. All of these determine the size of increments and samples that need to be collected to ensure that the laboratory analysis is representative. The type of analysis required will also be dependent on the type of waste that is being characterised.
It’s also helpful to remember that composition analysis is valuable for two reasons. The first is that it helps waste handlers better understand their waste and how it could be processed, for example, with biotechnology. The second is that it’s necessary to meet the stringent requirements of SRF off-takers, if that route is being pursued, who require SRF to meet exact specifications regarding metal and chlorine levels, among other things. (You can read more about the importance of waste characterisation here).
Analysis can help identify if MRW contains significant amounts of glass, metals, or plastics and if it could be segregated for recycling. It can also establish how much carbon will be produced when the MRW is combusted. It can also indicate how well your non-recyclable MRW feed could perform as Solid Recoverable Fuel (SRF) once the right biotech treatment has been applied.
One of the key takeaways from the webinar was how vital it is to know your waste. Waste handlers can empower themselves with waste characterisation and composition analysis. If you don’t clearly understand what you’re bringing in, you could be missing opportunities to make the best processing decisions, stabilise costs and protect the environment, not to mention at a significant disadvantage when regulatory change occurs.