Unit of Environmental Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Heroon Polytechniou St., Zografou Campus, 157 80, Zografou, Greece.
Faculty of Science and Technology, Technical Physics Group, Free University of Bolzano, Piazza Università 5, 39100, Bolzano, Italy.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Jul;26(20):20232-20247. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-05307-7. Epub 2019 May 16.
This article presents the pilot experience of an integrated biowaste management system developed in Tinos island, Greece, which promoted source separation and decentralized composting in a prototype unit. This system was introduced as a new-to-the-area of implementation and innovation, since landfilling of mixed municipal solid waste has been the common practice in Tinos island, as in many other areas of insular and mainland Greece. The biowaste management system was implemented through a bring scheme that aimed at motivating the public to separate at source the organic fraction of MSW. The system was monitored on an input-output basis of critical parameters used to assess the purity of separately collected biowaste, the treatment efficiency of the prototype unit, the quality characteristics of compost produced, and public's awareness and participation. Results showed that biowaste source separation was practiced effectively by citizens, giving high-purity feed (> 98%). Compost samples were examined in comparison with the proposed EU End-of-Waste (EoW) quality criteria and fulfilled the requirements set. More specifically, the average values of compost samples regarding heavy metal content were 72% lower than the EoW limit value for Cd, 43% lower for Ni, 38% lower for Pd, 24% lower for Cu, and 36% lower for Zn. Examined composts also met the EoW criteria for phytotoxicity and pathogenic or parasitic microorganisms, while they showed an approx. 15% decrease in initial organic matter content. Moreover, this study analyzed the carbon balances and the degree that composting can sequestrate carbon. Overall, this study demonstrated that the development and operation of on-island, decentralized composting, when properly practiced, is a sustainable option in order for islands and remote areas to adopt a closed loop approach to the biowaste management problem, in line with the circular economy principles.
本文介绍了在希腊蒂诺斯岛开发的综合生物废物管理系统的试点经验，该系统在原型单元中促进了源头分类和分散堆肥。该系统作为一种新的实施和创新领域被引入，因为在蒂诺斯岛，就像在希腊许多其他岛屿和大陆地区一样，混合城市固体废物的填埋一直是常见做法。生物废物管理系统通过一项“带来”计划实施，旨在激励公众从源头分离 MSW 的有机部分。该系统基于评估分别收集的生物废物纯度、原型单元处理效率、堆肥生产质量特性以及公众意识和参与度的关键参数进行输入-输出监测。结果表明，市民有效地进行了生物废物源头分类，得到了高纯度的饲料（>98%）。堆肥样本与欧盟废物末端处理（EoW）质量标准进行了比较，并符合设定的要求。具体而言，与 EoW 镉限量相比，堆肥样本中重金属含量的平均值低 72%，镍低 43%，钯低 38%，铜低 24%，锌低 36%。检查过的堆肥也符合 EoW 关于植物毒性和致病或寄生微生物的标准，同时其初始有机物含量下降了约 15%。此外，本研究还分析了碳平衡和堆肥固碳的程度。总体而言，这项研究表明，在岛上适当实施分散式、就地堆肥的发展和运营是一种可持续的选择，以便岛屿和偏远地区能够采用闭环方法来解决生物废物管理问题，符合循环经济原则。
