Alternatives to Hazardous Waste   Incineration

It is estimated by European researchers that 70% of all current waste and emissions from industrial processes can be PREVENTED AT SOURCE by the use of technically sound and economically profitable procedures.

No country should contemplate a commercial hazardous waste incinerator without a national programme of cleaner production. Policy measures to achieve this have been well documented by UNEP, USEPA, UNIDO and others and cleaner production initiatives have achieved significant results particularly within small and medium scale industries.

Once an incinerator is built, ongoing toxic waste generation is legitimised and there is little incentive to investigate process changes within industry even if cleaner production methods are more profitable. For this reason, mandatory toxic use reduction plans should be prepared by each facility currently generating toxic waste.

BENEFITS OF TOXIC USE REDUCTION:
Massachusetts, USA

The state of Massachusetts in the United States has achieved significant reduction of hazardous waste through mandatory company planning. This legislation and training programme has become a model for pollution prevention activities around the world.

The Toxic Use Reduction Act (TURA) was passed in 1989. The goal of the legislation is to develop toxics use reduction as its primary tool for industrial pollution control while enhancing the competitive position of Massachusetts enterprises. The first goal is to reduce toxic waste generation by 50% through toxics use reduction over a ten year period (1987-1997).

Under TURA, firms that use any of a list of approximately 800 chemicals in quantities that annually cross a minimum threshold must:

annually report publically on the amount of chemical used and released; pay an annual fee prepare a plan (updated every two years) on how to reduce or eliminate the use of those chemicals that is certified by a licensed Toxics Use Reduction Planner.

In 1995, 603 firms participated. Over 87% of the participating firms implemented TUR programs. Twenty of the firms eliminated 1.29 million pounds of by-product (wastes) and on average companies saved $35,000 per year.

Between 1990 and 1993 all firms cut their toxic by-product (waste) by 14.5% and plan to generate 23% less waste in 1998. Total volume of listed toxic chemicals in the state dropped by 6% within these three years. Of the 29 firms applying for awards in toxics use reduction, together they had eliminated the use of 2,870 tons of toxic chemicals, reduced 750 tons of hazardous wastes and saved $44 million per year.


Benefits of Toxic Use Reduction: New Jersey, USA

Similar to Massachusetts, the state of New Jersey in the USA has a toxic use reduction goal of 50% within five years. New Jersey mandates pollution prevention planning based on full materials tracking throughout each industry covered by the state regulation. The total net savings to companies as a result of pollution prevention techniques amounts to $105 million dollars per year.

For every dollar spent on the entire process, including Government costs, company costs for compliance and capital costs, the companies' achieved net savings of $5 to $8.

Although all companies had achieved reductions, one-quarter of those who sent in plan summaries had reduction goals of zero for all chemicals reported.

The most common pollution prevention methods determined were:

raw material substitution
substituting different coating materials
changing to aqueous cleaners
Chlorinated solvents were among the top three chemicals targeted for toxic use elimination by companies.

Alternatives to Other Combustion Sources of Dioxin

Cement Kilns

Increasingly cement kilns are burning hazardous waste as fuel thereby generating dioxins in air emissions and ash. Cement products are now contaminated with heavy metals and dioxins.

A phase out of incinerable waste streams is possible via toxics use reduction legislation. The economic costs of converting these cement kilns back to fuel has been done by the Centre for the Biology of Natural Systems in 1996. The study found that the added expected income from burning hazardous waste in cement kilns is likely to be less than the model estimates due to a declining market share. This would enable kilns to resume former fuel burning of coal, coke, oil or natural gas, as currently practised by three quarters of the kilns in the region. However instead of receiving a tip fee (which in 1993 amounted to $68 million), the 9 cement kilns in the region would then pay for the normal fuel (about $9 million per year) amounting to an increase of approximately $77 million. At the same time, the transition results in a payroll saving since additional employees that handle the hazardous material are no longer needed. Furthermore the kiln could avoid the operational costs of installing control devices and more importantly would not generate dioxin-contaminated emissions and wastes.

DIOXINS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Greenpeace, October 1996.