The 27th Annual Conference of JSMCWM, 2016

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Discussion on Applicability of MBT for the Both of Regions-proper and
Sustainable Waste Management in Asia
○ Dong-Hoon Lee1), Geun-Yong Ham2), Sung-Jin Bae2), Jae-Ram Park1)
1) Dept. Energy and Environmental System Engineering, University of Seoul, Korea
2) Eco-Energy Center, Institute of Urban Science, University of Seoul, Korea

I. Regions-proper and Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

Only a few industrialized countries among about 50 countries in Asia, such as Japan, Singapore, and Korea have the
proper and planned solid waste management (SWM) system (ADB 2011). The others, over 90% of Asian countries and
over 95% in population, are having many troubles by the improper solid waste management due to rapid increase in waste
generation, financial crunch, lack of public awareness, lack of legal and technical systems, lack of collection service
system, and organic rich content in municipal solid waste (MSW) management (APO 2013). Generated wastes in
developing countries are mostly treated by open dumping or unsanitary landfill (ADB 2013; Chart 2016). Therefore the
proper SWM, the basic goals of SWM in developed countries - protections of public health, sanitation and environments,
is the first urgent task. However, they have additional burdens of global targets, such as contribution to resource
conservation and climate change mitigation with sustainable society. That is, they have to find the way to solve their tasks
together at a time, the Regions-proper and Sustainable SWM.
The concept of regions-proper and sustainable solid waste management could be modified by the addition of regions-
proper and sustainable SWM concepts to the definition of SWM by Tchobanoglous et al. (1993). That is, “the discipline
associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing and disposal of solid
wastes in the manner that is in accord with the most regions-proper and sustainable principles of public health,
economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and also responsive to public
attitudes with leading up to less reliance on landfill, greater amounts of recycling and waste-to-energy aiming the global
targets for GHG reduction and resources circulation for sustainable SWM”. Pfaff-Simoneit discussed and assessed the
appropriateness and applicability of 16 advanced solid waste management concepts under the framework conditions
facing developing and emerging countries. He revealed that source separation and concepts containing utilization of
organic matter and/or mechanical-biological treatment(MBT) technologies are rated best to make a great contribution to
resource conservation and to climate change mitigation and for the purpose of high social compatibility in developing
and emerging countries(Pfaff-Simoneit, 2013).

II. MBT in Germany and Europe

Waste management technologies have been changing in Europe towards increasing sustainability in compliance with
new directives that point out greater recycling and lesser landfill in order to reduce the environmental impact and mitigate
the greenhouse gas emission (Directive 1999/31/EC; Rada et al., 2013). Among the various methods of SWM
technologies, MBT technology, which is a combination of material specific technology and well proven but still
developing properly for the demands or the region, has been increased rapidly since 2005 after decommissioning the
classic MBT plants of the beginning time of MBT by the change of SWM concepts in Germany and Europe.
Approximately, 25% of MSW in Germany was treated by 46 MBT plants in 2010 and 330 MBT plants were constructed
during 2005 to 2011 and will be 450 plants within next 5 years (ASA, 2010; Ecoprog, 2011).
During 20 years (1993 to 2013), MBT plants in Germany have been completely changed to new plants to adapt the changes in
waste management frame work since 2005 but have over-capacities in waste treatment plants. Therefore, over-capacity in solid
waste treatment will have the reduction of treatment capacity by decommissioning of plants, replacement of MSW incinerators and
classic MBT plant in favor of new MBT plants with RDF power plants, and utilization of free capacities by importing waste to
maintain current capacities. Among the various processes of treatment plants, bio-drying process is expected to be a technology
will be operated consistently in future with the advantages on less landfill, maximizing energy recovery when being combined with
other technology and also mitigating the GHG emission (Ketelsen et al., 2015).
Considering the overall evaluation of biological treatment that consists of composting, bio-drying, anaerobic digestion,
etc., bio-drying MBT is optimum and also most suitable for decreasing in landfill (<5%) and high energy recovery (>95%)
and moist MSW even in developing countries (Kanning et al., 2013; Ketelsen et al., 2015; Pfaff-Simoneit, 2013) for both
of traditional goals and sustainable of SWM as well.

III. MBT facilities in Korea and Thailand

Composting, anaerobic digestion and bio-drying are considered as biological treatment process in MBT. Although
operational purpose of MBT plants and product (or by-product) from plants are not completely identical, selection,
combination and arrangement of unit processes (including both biological treatment and mechanical treatment) are needed
to be proper for regional situation and properties of waste to be treated. From here, two different MBT plants in Korea
and Thailand are introduced.

Dong-Hoon Lee; Professor, Dept. Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul

The 1st Engineering Building, Room No. 110, 163 SeoulSiripdae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, 02504 Seoul, Korea
Tel: +82-2-6490-5314 FAX: +82-2-2217- 8550 E-mail: dhlee@uos.ac.kr
Key Word: Regions-proper, Sustainable Waste Management, Mechanical Biological Treatment, Bio-drying, Aerated
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Static Pile
 The 27th Annual Conference of JSMCWM, 2016

1. Bio-drying MBT plant in Korea

In Korea, totally 16 MBT plants are installed for SRF production. However, except for Namhae-gun plant, the all rest
of plants are being operated with only mechanical sorting process in absence of biological treatment
The plant (25 ton/day) has been operated at Namhae-gun (county) since 2003, is composed of bio-drying (rotary drum
reactor type) process and aerobic fermentation process as biological treatment, and trommel screen, wind separator,
magnetic separator, shredder as mechanical treatment. During bio-drying in rotary drum reactor, MSW is shredded and
mixed by fixed knives, and dried by thermal energy from aerobic degradation for three days. Output from the reactor,
called bio-dried waste, is transferred to 30 mm trommel screen. Oversize fraction from the trommel screen, mainly
composed of combustible materials (plastics, textiles), is sent to wind separator, magnetic separator and shredder for SRF
production. In order to SRF yield in this plant, heavy fraction from wind separator is sent back to bio-drying process.
Undersize fraction from the trommel screen, composed of miscellaneous materials (food, paper, wood, glass, sand, etc.)
are sent to aerobic fermentation process. After another three days in this process, inert are separated by 5 mm trommel
screen and wind separator, and the rest combustible/organic materials are utilized for SRF production. From this plant,
SRF yields as mass- and energy-basis are 50.4% and 78.9%, respectively, with lower heating value of 4,100 kcal/kg (Park
et al., 2013). Also, proportion of residues to be landfilled is 11.7% of input MSW.

2. Composting MBT plant in Thailand

Since 2005, MBT plant (76 ton/day), composed of mainly 9-month composting (windrow type) process and mechanical
sorting process, has been operated at Phitsanulok province. After bag-opening process with homogenization, MSW is
piled up in trapezoidal-shaped windrows (20~25 m of width, 40~60 m of length, 2.0~2.2 m of height). The windrow is
naturally ventilated, which is supported by a bottom layer of pallets, maintained by perforated pipes. During composting
in the windrow, about 50% of mass reduction, caused by decomposition and evaporation, are occurred for 9 month without
additional turning or mix (GTZ, 2013). After that, the waste is sent to trommel screen, disk screen, wind separator,
magnetic separator and spinner for SRF production. Residues (about 30% of input MSW) from each mechanical
separation process are utilized for compost production with post maturation. From this plant, SRF yield (mass-basis) is
about 20% with lower heating value of 4,000~4,500 kcal/kg.
IV. Conclusion
Confronting the improper solid waste management, such as open dumping and unsanitary management prevalent in
developing countries in Asia, how to get achieved the proper and sustainable SWM together should be considered in
advanced SWM technologies to solve the regional problems and global targets. Old MBT plants have destroyed and new
plants have constructed rapidly since 2005 in Germany and Europe. MBT technology is a material stream specific and
very flexible technology to customize many conditions in both of developed and developing countries.
MBT, especially Bio-drying MBT with SRF utilization systems, such as SRF power plants and industrial usage, will
be the best to achieve the both targets.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded
by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea (No. 20153010102020).

References
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