PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
There are two environmental issues relating to landfill sites that form the backdrop to this project. Firstly, abandoned landfill or dump sites need to be stabilised and rehabilitated, since they have been constructed under loose technical specifications and many of them were unregulated at some point in their lifecycle. These are considered as environmental and health threats, responsible for various contaminants usually abundant in leachate and air emissions. In addition, they commonly occupy land close to existing settlements that could be reclaimed for human or natural activities.
The second issue is that it has been widely acknowledged in both scientific and policy forums that landfill sites are unintentional stores of large amounts of raw materials. Integrated and effective management of raw materials requires all disposed material that could be recycled or recovered to re-enter the cycle of production, leading to the increased availability of such materials and additional employment across the EU.
In Greece, in particular, the development and implementation of effective waste management practices has been slow. In the area of Chalkidiki, critical problems in municipal solid waste management have been identified relating to the collection and disposal of waste. These problems have a negative impact on the environment and affect tourist activities in the wider area.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE RECLAIM project aimed to construct a temporary pilot application that will mine parts of existing landfills, separate useful materials and produce suitable products (concentrates), both ferrous and non-ferrous, which can be fed into a metallurgical process. The application would include a pre-processing and processing production line, as well as a beneficiation stage for non-ferrous metals, introducing innovation elements from the mining industry.
Specific objectives included:
- Turning landfill mining into a useful tool for the recovery of useful materials, especially ferrous and non-ferrous metals, landfill capacity, soil material, recyclable materials (such plastic and paper products) and land, as in the case of old landfills, which will lead to drawing up of successful rehabilitation scheme with a minimal environmental footprint;
- Introducing the concept of post-disposal waste processing to the public;
- Identifying the potential of the procedure for metal recovery and site rehabilitation; and
- Implementing integrated waste management practices.
- Expected results: The project expects to achieve the following results:
- Development of a web-based GIS database for operational landfills and uncontrolled landfills in Greece accessible via a website during and after the duration of the project;
- Demonstration of a pilot-scale installation for waste processing at the Polygyros landfill site;
- Processing of at least 1 000 m3 of waste for production of different concentrate samples;
- Drafting of a national action plan for landfill mining and strategic environmental assessment; and
- Socio-economic analysis of landfill mining.
RESULTS
The LIFE RECLAIM project used Landfill Mining (LM) as a tool for recovering and further exploiting landfilled materials that could be fed into metallurgical processes. This saves on landfill space, land, reclaimed soil, and other materials and natural resources.
The project team installed a demonstration pilot unit at the landfill site of the Municipality of Polygyros, and operated it for 45 days. The beneficiaries demonstrated that LM can be used to reclaim disposed material of significant market value, an action with significant long-term environmental and economic benefits.
In addition, the project team created a set of policy tools to assist policymakers and decision makers aiming to introduce LM in the national waste management plan of Greece. The legislative barriers were identified, and the cost-benefit analysis showed that the technology was viable. The existence of many landfills and rehabilitated dump-sites in Greece provides considerable opportunities for implementing landfill mining.
The project team also demonstrated how local and national public awareness can be increased through local workshops, national conferences and other dissemination events.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).
