Ban on Direct Landfilling of Municipal Waste... Spotlight on 'Municipal Waste Pre-Treatment Facilities'

Recognition of Hate and Pollution Facilities, Resident Opposition Raises 'Pre-treatment Facility' as Alternative
Local Governments with Cement Factories Enjoy Benefits of Pre-treatment Facilities
"Pre-treatment Facility Installation is Simple, Economical... Cement Companies' Use of Recycled Resources, Environmental Solution"

Employees are inputting volume-based waste bags into the pretreatment process at the municipal solid waste pretreatment facility in Donghae-si, Gangwon-do.
[Photo by Donghae-si Municipal Solid Waste Pretreatment Facility]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] 'Municipal Waste Preprocessing Facilities,' which separate and sort municipal waste to recycle it as alternative fuel for cement, are gaining attention. This is because from 2026, direct landfill of volume-based municipal waste will be banned in the Seoul metropolitan area, putting local governments in the metropolitan area on high alert.

In July last year, the Ministry of Environment announced the Enforcement Rules of the Waste Management Act, which bans landfill of municipal waste in the metropolitan area from 2026. Volume-based waste bags cannot be directly landfilled; only waste remaining after incineration or recycling stages can be landfilled. Because of this, local governments in the metropolitan area are striving to build new incinerators or landfills, but facing opposition from residents, more local governments are considering switching to installing preprocessing facilities. Recently, when Seoul selected Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu as the site for a new metropolitan resource recovery facility (incinerator), residents opposed it, and the Mapo District Office chief demanded preprocessing facility installation as an alternative, which is one example.

Municipal waste preprocessing facilities are resource circulation facilities that separate and sort municipal waste generated at homes, mechanically shred and crush it to less than 5 cm, and use the waste as supplementary fuel in the cement production process. The term 'preprocessing' is used because it is the stage just before incineration where recyclable metals, plastics, and waste vinyl are separated.

Preprocessing facilities can prevent air pollution with simple equipment such as odor removal and dust control devices, and reduce environmental costs like emission charges and facility maintenance costs. Also, the cost of installing and operating preprocessing facilities is relatively cheaper than existing environmental facilities. These advantages have been proven by the performance of local governments that have operated preprocessing facilities so far. Moreover, compared to existing facilities, preprocessing facilities are more hygienic and cause less environmental pollution, increasing residents' acceptance.

Effectiveness of Preprocessing Facilities in Local Governments with Cement Plants

However, finding demand sources for the recycled resources produced through preprocessing is not easy and requires consideration. The preprocessing facilities in Donghae City and Samcheok City, Gangwon Province, have been recognized for their operational performance, and local governments nationwide visit for benchmarking, which was possible because of the nearby cement plants. In fact, Donghae City receives visits from dozens of local governments every year. Last year, 18 and this year until October, 10 local governments visited, recognizing the achievements. Especially large local governments with many residents, such as Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, which are likely to be most affected by the ban on direct landfill of volume-based municipal waste, are urgently visiting multiple times.

Donghae City's municipal waste direct landfill zero preprocessing facility was selected in the Ministry of Environment's pilot project in 2018 and began full operation in September 2020. Donghae City supplies waste classified as recyclable through the preprocessing facility to Ssangyong C&E Donghae Plant as substitute fuel for bituminous coal. Non-combustible materials remaining after sending to the cement plant are used as SRF (solid recovered fuel), recycled aggregate, and landfill cover material.

After the preprocessing facility started operation, Donghae City's landfill volume decreased by about half. Last year, the total landfill volume was 14,205 tons, down 9,245 tons or about 40% from 23,450 tons the previous year. Especially, the recycling rate of volume-based waste bags exceeded 70% last year and 77% until last month, up from 27% in 2020. The annual operation rate of the preprocessing facility also exceeds 90%. Ha Young-hee, head of Donghae City's preprocessing facility, said, "We are achieving resource circulation effects by converting household waste into resources and providing it to cement companies for reuse as heat sources," adding, "In Donghae City, collaboration with Ssangyong C&E is very smooth."

Samcheok City, operating a municipal waste preprocessing facility linked with Sampyo Cement since September 2019, has been expanding the facility since last year. Before operating the preprocessing facility, Samcheok City's annual landfill volume was 10,774 tons, which decreased by 81% to 2,079.57 tons after operation. Various effects such as reduced municipal waste disposal fees and extended landfill site usage periods are being enjoyed.

"Sufficient Economic Feasibility, Cement Circular Resource Facilities Are the Solution to the Waste Crisis"

As such, local governments with cement plants see great effects from installing preprocessing facilities, but those without demand sources like cement plants face difficulties. Therefore, some local governments reportedly make securing demand sources a condition when bidding for preprocessing facilities. A representative from HL Ecotech, a company installing and managing preprocessing facilities, said, "Local governments with cement companies operate preprocessing facilities very smoothly," adding, "Local governments that cannot find places to use recycled waste like cement companies sometimes make securing demand sources a condition during bidding."

Experts argue that once demand sources like cement plants are secured, the economic feasibility of operating preprocessing facilities is sufficient. A research team led by Professor Bae Jae-geun of Seoul National University of Science and Technology announced last year in a study titled 'Analysis of National Economic Contribution Effects of Waste Recycling in the Cement Industry' that using waste as raw materials and fuel substitute circular resources in cement manufacturing can ▲reduce national costs by 5.9945 trillion KRW by minimizing public waste treatment facility installation and operation, ▲reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55.3 billion KRW annually through natural raw material and bituminous coal substitution, ▲reduce natural mineral (raw material) mining costs by 113.5 billion KRW annually, and ▲reduce bituminous coal (fuel) import costs by 80.3 billion KRW annually, totaling 503.1 billion KRW in economic benefits.

Professor Bae said, "Installing municipal waste preprocessing facilities involves simplified administrative procedures, can be installed with domestic technology shortening construction periods, and has excellent economic feasibility as there are almost no secondary pollution treatment costs or prevention facility operation costs," adding, "In the future, cement companies' circular resource facilities will be the solution to environmental problems such as the waste crisis."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.