Microsoft Word - Environmental benefits of recycling 2010 update.doc

Forestry

Pulp production

Paper and cardboard

production

Printing

Incineration Anaerobic Digestion Landfilling

Use

Post‐consumer waste

Composting Recycling

Collection

Deinking ‐pulp

production

Material production

and use

Disposal & recovery

Electricity

Heat/Stream

Co‐products

Marginal material Electricity

Heat/Stream

Co‐products

Marginal

material

Ratio of

“down‐cycling”

Avoided paper

and cardboard

production

Avoided

fertilizer

production

Avoided energy

production

Alternative use

of incineration

capacity

Carbon

sequestration

/ storage

Alternative use

of forestry

Land use

Figure 3 The paper waste systems and key parameters

3.2.2 Comparison between the various end-of-life options

Alternatives and materials compared

The selected studies only cover the traditional end-of-life options. The analysed options are:

 Recycling

 Incineration with energy recovery

 Landfill

All studies compare all three possible alternatives for treatment as illustrated in Table 4.