Landfill Mining: A Sustainable Approach

Landfill Mining: A Sustainable Approach
Towards Green Environment
A. Bhatnagar1, F. Kaczala1, M. Kriipsalu2,
M. Hogland3, W. Hogland1
1Dept.
of Biology & Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
University of Life Sciences, Dept. of Water Management, Estonia
3LundaHydro AB, Sweden
2Estonian
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Recycling Remains a Rarity in Eastern Europe
Municipal waste treatment in the EU by category in 2011
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WHY Landfill Mining
• Landfill Mining (LFM) - Traditionally, LFM is defined as the excavation and
treatment of waste from an active or closed landfill (Van Passel et al., 2010).
• Involves excavation, screening, and separation of material from landfills.
• It is estimated that ca. 300 million tonnes of copper is currently disposed of in
landfills corresponding to more than 30 % of the remaining reserves in known
ores (Frändegård et al., 2012).
• It is also estimated that there are between 150,000 and 500,000 old and still
active landfills throughout the EU representing an estimated total volume of 30
to 50 billion m3 of waste (Hogland, 2002; Hogland et al., 2008; Sufalnet; Van
Hossen and Prent, 2011).
• On-going research in Sweden also indicates that apart from metals, the amount
of potential waste fuel situated in municipal landfills is enough to cover the
district heating demand in the country for 10 years (Krook et al., 2012).
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Any valuables?
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Waste Management
& the Baltic Sea Region
Closing the life cycle of landfills
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Closing the Life Cycle of Landfills
in the Baltic Sea Region
To initiate several landfill mining projects in
the Baltic Sea region
Goals
To facilitate partnership between countries
and to create transnational projects
Investigate technological, environmental and
economical related to landfill reclamation
Educating and training new generations of
young scientists
Bridging the gap between science and users
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Partner countries
Excavation site
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The excavation site: Kudjape Landfill
• Kudjape Landfill (4,2 ha, up to 12 m high) is situated
on island of Saaremaa (Ösel), Estonia.
• 1,6 km from the Baltic Sea, 4 m above sea level.
• It was in operation between 1970 and 2009
• Estimated volume is 300 000 m3
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Kudjape landfill, Estonia. Figure by Google Earth: B: 580 16´ 7,
12”, L: 220 32´ 19,05”.
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Kudjape landfill, Estonia
LFM Site
Active
recycling
station
Main
excavation
area, 4,2 ha
Kudjape landfill
Sorting
equipment
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Procedure of excavation
An international team of students and academic staff from
five countries performed fieldworks during 31 Jan. – 09 Feb. 2013.
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Landfill Gas
Measurements
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Groundwater Monitoring
Kaur-Mikk Pehme
Enriko Tooding
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Selection of equipment
Excavation in progress
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Test-excavation
Procedure of excavation
30 cm top layer was removed
Layer B1
Layer B2
Layer B3
Layer B4
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Procedure of excavation
Excavating a bucket
Sieve 40 mm
 40 mm
Sampling  40 mm
 40 mm
In total, 12 tons of waste was
excavated from four holes and
screened through 40 mm mesh on site.
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Fishings nets!!
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MATERIALS FROM OLD LANDFILL
Milk cartong
Graden waste
Garden Waste
Coppe pipe
Medical waste
Batteris
Dialy
Cupper Pipes
cover
Batteriesr
material
Recycling station
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Manual Sorting
Hand-picking coarse fraction
Fine fraction hand-picking in progress
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Composition of Coarse fraction
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Composition of Fine fraction
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How much metals in the soil fraction?
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Research in progress
Extraction of metals from LFM waste
 Hydrometallurgy (chemical leaching)
 Bioleaching
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Landfill plastic to plastic products?
http://www.plastrex.eu/en/
Economy ? New town districts/shopping centre?
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Acknowledgments
Swedish Institute project “Closing the Life Cycle of Landfills – Landfill Mining in
the Baltic Sea Region for future”.
• Assoc Prof Mait Kriipsalu, Kaja Orupõld, PhD, Enriko Tooding, Kaur-Mikk Pehme,
Kaarel Kure, and Kertu Sapelkov – Estonian University of Life Sciences
• Prof William Hogland, Fabio Kaczala, PhD, and Marika Hogland – Linnaeus
University
• Prof Gintaras Denafas, Ingrida Valavičienė, PhD, Erika Elijošiutė, and Monika
Martišiūtė – Kaunas University of Technology
• Juris Burlakovs, Lelde Mūrniece, and Ivars Kļaviņš – University of Latvia
• Sergii Shmarin – National Technical University of Ukraine
• Jonny Bergman, and Peter Horlev – RGS90, Sweden.
• PlastRex (OÜ Rexest Grupp, Estonia)
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