Analysis of refuse-derived fuel from the municipal solid waste reject fraction and its compliance with quality standards

Abstract

The final disposal of the Municipal Solid Waste is still a problem in many countries. The lack of space, the generation of leachate, and the emission of greenhouse gases as well as the requirements of the new legislation on waste dissuade the administrations involved from using the landfill option as a possible means of final disposal of MSW. The terms of the European Legislation on waste management and energy encourage member states to develop waste recovery techniques before sending it to a landfill. Therefore, member states have introduced source separation and mechanical-biological treatment to separate biodegradable recovery fractions (organic, paper-cardboard, plastic packaging, and glass) from the reject fraction, which is afterwards disposed of in landfills. One of the main aims of this study is to analyse the energy recovery properties of the reject fraction from a biological-mechanical treatment plant in Spain. For this purpose, this work presents a physical and chemical characterization of waste reject fraction from a real mechanical-biological treatment plant as well as the metal and halogen content. Additionally, the quality standards of the refused derived fuel processed at the laboratory and the atmospheric emissions of this type of fuel have been determined.