The temporary storage of municipal solid waste - Recommendations for a safe operation of interim storage facilities.

Since 1st of June, 2005 it was stipulated that municipal solid waste (MSW) in Germany must be sufficiently pre-treated before final disposal. Thermal and high-performance mechanical-biological processes may be employed for this pre-treatment. Due to the current lack of sufficient operating capacity in the corresponding facilities, part of the waste stream must be held in interim storage until treated or until further utilisation becomes possible. In Germany, the following types of waste with different demands on storage conditions are of concern: These storage solutions have in common that considerable environmental problems can occur as a result of inadequate construction and process engineering. In addition, the temporary storage of waste is also of relevance for the situation of other European countries, which are under pressure to reduce the portion of biodegradable waste going to landfills in order to fulfil the provisions made by European legislation. This article deals with the different approaches for the interim storage of waste, related problems as well as with the demands and possibilities to minimize the environmental risks associated with these solutions.