Underground bins are how garbage is removed in Switzerland. How they solved the garbage problem in Switzerland. Gevag waste incineration plant

Judge for yourself, for each bag of garbage you need to pay special companies. Throwing away five kilograms of waste costs 2-3 francs. The Swiss know how to count their money, so they prefer not to pay, but to hand over waste and broken items to special items prima. Paper products are sent to waste paper collection points, and cardboard is separated from paper, because its recycling is more expensive. Gas automatics, household appliances and other appliances are sent to special recycling companies. Metal products - to scrap metal collection points. Glass bottles - to glass collection points, pre-sorted by glass color. Deceased pets are sent to funeral homes, since burying the bodies of pets in the garden or forest is strictly prohibited. And these are just a few examples, since in Switzerland they sort and hand over everything they can. At the same time, no money is paid to the residents of the country. The Swiss are happy that they were able to save money on this.

An ideal sorting and recycling scheme can be illustrated using the example of a tea bag. The spent bag should be disassembled into its components - the tea leaves should be sent to the compost, the paper of the bag to the paper, the label to the cardboard, the aluminum clip to scrap metal, and the string to a paid garbage bag with a special label. This, of course, is an exaggerated example, but you know, the Swiss don’t really like tea bags, because throwing the tea leaves from a mug or teapot into the compost is much easier and cheaper than taking apart the bags or throwing them away entirely.

It would seem that it would be easier - to throw garbage on the side of the road on the way to vacation or work and not pay for it. But even such clever people are under control. In Switzerland there is garbage police, which can find a bully through trash. They're on the move modern methods working with material evidence and databases. Once the local newspaper reported a case where some hooligan or someone who wanted to save money threw garbage bags out of the car window. He was found and forced to pay 9,500 francs in fines and court costs. The amount, frankly speaking, is very large and, I think, will forever discourage further violation of the rules.

By the way, such a waste management system was introduced gradually (not throughout the country at once). This led to the fact that residents of those territories where they had to pay for garbage simply took their waste to other territories that were free from such rules. Because of this, the country's authorities had to urgently introduce the system throughout Switzerland. On complete cleansing the country took about thirty years.

Such an attitude towards one’s land deserves to be known as much as possible. large quantity of people. So, share information with your friends and acquaintances. Perhaps, gradually, we will be able to call our country one of the cleanest corners of the Earth.

Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world that has completely dealt with landfills and landfills. In Switzerland they are simply prohibited, and have been for quite some time. For about half a century, it has been impossible to find mountains of garbage spread out on the ground there. All waste is either recycled or incinerated, with the first incinerator appearing in Switzerland in the 1970s. A major incentive for the introduction of an effective waste collection and recycling system was the serious environmental crisis of the 1980s. At that time, it became obvious to everyone that nature was polluted with industrial waste, water bodies were filled with chemical compounds and this cannot be tolerated.

Garbage collection in Switzerland

Every city in Switzerland has about 150 special containers for separate waste collection. These are plastic, glass, metal, paper, cardboard, biological waste and a container for the rest of the garbage. When talking about Switzerland, many people jokingly cite the example of a tea bag. To throw it away, you need to separate the label and put it on the paper, the paper clip on the metal, the welding on the organic waste, and the rest in the unsorted trash. In fact, the system is roughly similar, but people do it. Including due to purely economic benefits.

There is no need to pay for throwing waste into containers for separate collection, while for unsorted waste you will have to pay about one and a half euros per bag. They try to identify those who do not buy such packages and first warn them and then fine them.

Bulk waste is also delivered to special collection points at sorting and incineration plants. You are allowed to hand over up to 150 kilograms of solid waste annually for free; if more, you will also have to pay a certain amount. For the convenience of residents who do not have the opportunity to get to the collection point by personal transport, waste can be sent to the plant in special rail buses, which are located at large transport hubs and accept solid waste.

In addition, Switzerland has some sort of garbage disposal schedule. For example, glass and cans can be thrown into containers only on weekdays and only from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On weekends and holidays it is forbidden. The authorities explain such measures very simply: glass and metal make noise when you throw them away, and the containers are located next to residential buildings, and therefore, in order not to disturb others with noise, you need to throw out this kind of waste only during working hours. As noted in the relevant department of Zurich, these rules are generally observed by residents because they are brought up on the principles of respect for others.

Streets in Switzerland are regularly cleaned, but, however, clean where they do not litter, and fines are imposed for throwing garbage in an unauthorized place. In addition, promoting respect for nature and the people around us also makes its contribution. Throwing a can on the lawn is not only fraught with large fines, but also simply indecent. In addition, there are regular excursions for schoolchildren and students to combustion and processing plants. This is how people are shown how much work is spent on keeping the country and nature clean.

Recycling in Switzerland

At the moment, Switzerland is one of the leading countries in the fight against waste. Collectively, just under half of all household waste is recycled across the country. And almost completely reuse glass, plastic, cardboard, metal are exposed.

The rest of the waste is burned in special plants, in which, thanks to complex plasma combustion and filtration technology, the smoke turns out to be harmless to the environment, people and animals. In the process of burning waste, the ash turns out to be very valuable. Many valuable elements are extracted from it. These are mainly metals, even precious ones, such as gold. It is extracted using special technologies at special enterprises. But the most abundant metal extracted from ashes is aluminum; its quantity amounts to tens of tons.

The energy generated by factories is used to heat residential buildings. In Zurich alone, the heat from factories is enough for almost 200 thousand residential buildings.

Like many other successful recycling countries, Switzerland helps its neighbors. But unlike, for example, Norway, which pays for other people's garbage, Switzerland charges for its services. Under this scheme, Switzerland helps Italy by taking and burning their garbage and receiving money for it.

According to reports from the relevant Swiss departments, now, even taking into account the processing of other people's waste, waste incineration plants operate at only three-quarters of capacity.

Third place in Europe for the amount of waste per person and no landfills - at the end of the 20th century, the volume of waste in the confederation per person exceeded 700 kg. Recycling has become a way of life for citizens in Switzerland. Landfills are banned in the country; all waste is destroyed or recycled.

Where it all began

At the end of the 70s, Switzerland found itself in a deep environmental crisis. Most water bodies were polluted with nitrates. Modern corn fields 50 years ago were saturated with breakdown products of heavy metals. Biodiversity has decreased throughout the country, and the volume of waste generated per Swiss has rapidly increased.

The small territory did not allow us to solve the problem by burying and storing waste in landfills. Therefore, in the early 90s, a scheme was developed to restore the environmental well-being of the confederation. Updated legislation includes:

• Construction of processing plants;
• Creation of a waste disposal system;
• Development of a waste chain (from the consumer’s tank to the plant);
• Founding of the Garbage Police;
• Introducing a system of fines for violating waste disposal rules.

It took 30 years for citizens to adapt; now any body of water is a source of clean drinking water. 30 recycling plants, 30 recycling facilities and strict adherence to new policies have made Switzerland a world leader in terms of ecology and waste recycling.

Scheduled garbage collection

Switzerland ranks third in Europe in waste generation per person. A large amount of garbage forced the country's residents to take measures to protect the environment. Every city in Switzerland is equipped with at least 150 containers for separate waste collection. To destroy them, more than 30 processing plants have been built throughout the country.

The waste collection system includes separate release:

• glass;
• plastic;
• paper;
• cardboard;
• bio (natural) waste, etc.

Tourists are often given the example of separate collection using a tea bag. When throwing it away you need to:

• Hand in the label along with the paper;
• Tea - with natural waste;
• Place the paperclip against the metal;
• The rest goes to unsorted waste.

The humorous example reflects the Swiss approach to waste management. The attitude towards proper waste disposal is instilled from school. The streets are constantly cleaned, and pollution is fined. Depending on the severity of the violation, the authorities can charge up to 2,000 francs (134 thousand rubles). To educate the younger generation, excursions to processing plants are conducted.

Sorting is used by citizens, including for profit reasons. In Switzerland, garbage is handed in free of charge only in separate containers.

If a person does not want to sort his waste, he needs to buy a special bag for disposing of unsorted waste. Garbage bags cost about 1.5 euros. Citizens who throw away garbage incorrectly are given a warning by the police and fined for repeated violations.

Before removal you need:

• attach special markings to the package;
• throw the bag into the bin with the corresponding house number.

For odor protection garbage containers often installed underground. The garbage truck lifts the tank and shakes out the contents.

Often, collection points are located inside large stores:

• batteries;
• light bulbs;
• disks;
• plastic bottles, etc.

The Swiss divide glass when handing over into white, green and brown. Bottle caps are sold separately.

To hand over large items, the consumer needs to go to special points at recycling plants. A Swiss can recycle no more than 150 kg free of charge. such garbage. Larger volumes are charged at 5 francs (~335 rubles) per kilogram. You cannot take an old sofa (or any other furniture) outside and leave it. You need it:

• take to the collection point;
• if possible, break it;
• discard in a separate container.

The 20 cantons of Switzerland have their own waste disposal schedules. Thus, cans and glass can only be thrown away during working hours (7.00-20.00) on weekdays. The authorities explain this by the desire to reduce noise.

The materials make loud noises when falling into the tank and disturb residents. Through such measures, the government seeks to instill in citizens respect for the personal space of others.

Christmas trees are collected strictly on January 7th. The Swiss may not hand over the tree on this particular day, but in this case he is obliged to take the tree himself to the recycling point.

Disposal of your own and others'

Recycling plants in Switzerland give a second life to 50% of the state's waste. Materials from several categories are 80% reused, some of them:

• Plastic (up to 75% recyclable);
• Glass (up to 95% recycled);
• Metal
• Batteries
• Engine oil (in the country it is prohibited to change the oil yourself; this is done at special posts);
• Organic waste;
• Cardboard and paper.

All other waste is burned in special plants. The enterprises use plasma combustion technology. Its essence is to heat the garbage and bring it to a gas state.

The resulting smoke is filtered and becomes safe for living beings. After disposal, the only combustion product is ash, which is sent to enterprises for the extraction of valuable substances. Various metals, mainly aluminum, are produced from the ashes.

Waste incinerators produce energy by burning materials. Recycling waste into energy provides heat to residential buildings in Zurich, Bern and other cities.

Switzerland, like others, has succeeded in recycling the developed countries, helps neighboring countries with recycling. Following the example of Norway and Sweden, Switzerland buys waste from neighboring countries.

The Confederation buys raw materials and receives payment for the operation of its factories. Neighboring countries, in particular Italy, pay for the removal and destruction of waste.

The Swiss government says refineries are using only three-quarters of their capacity as of 2017.

What does cleanliness cost for the people?

The Swiss pay for the cleanliness of their state in two payments - a collection fee and a fee for garbage bags.

The basic tax for waste disposal is obligatory for all citizens. Owners of houses and apartments pay a fixed fee once a year. If a person rents a home, the fee is included in utility costs and is charged monthly.

The amount of the fee varies greatly depending on the canton. For the capital, Bern, the payment is calculated from the floor area and is equal to 1.2 francs per m 2. For Zurich, largest city Switzerland, waste removal costs 1.9 francs per m2.

Payment for garbage bags

Another tax is the payment for garbage bags. Such containers are intended for municipal solid waste that cannot be disposed of or recycled.

Available in:

• 17 liters;
• 35 liters;
• 60 liters;
• 110 liters.

In Switzerland, the standard volume is 35 liters, the fee for it is 2-4 francs (depending on the canton).

The collection was first introduced in St. Gallen at the end of the 20th century. For non-recyclable waste, bags with special stickers are used.

If a person does not want to waste time separating garbage, he must:

• buy labeled bags (up to 4 francs);
• pay the fee;
• pay for unseparated waste (2-5 francs/kg).

To monitor compliance with the rules, Switzerland has a garbage police that checks every unmarked bag. If it contains unseparated waste, the contents of the bag are carefully inspected to determine the owner of the garbage (using discarded documents or receipts). The fine for violation reaches 10 thousand francs (670 thousand rubles).

Fine for dissenters

Using the right bags and separating waste requires responsibility and discipline. For those who do not want to comply with waste management rules, fines are provided, which are issued even in the event of a citizen’s mistake. It is noteworthy that taxes are the same for all Swiss citizens, regardless of income level, but the size of the fine is correlated with the income of the offender.

The ecological stability of the confederation consists not only of strict state control, but also of the attitude of citizens towards their responsibility for the territory of their country. Switzerland's waste management has become a model for most developing countries thanks to waste-free technology combustion and processing.

Alena Gerber, an environmental engineer, lived and worked in Switzerland for some time. I have been to various waste incineration plants (INPs) in Switzerland and other countries, but the most vivid impressions came from my visit to the Gevag incineration plant in the canton of Grisons in the summer of 2019. The article presents notes on how waste flow management works in Switzerland, what life is like, in particular , Gevag and what is and is not worth adopting for Russia.

I want it like in Europe!

Have you ever wondered how often Everyday life“prosperous” European countries are cited as examples when talking about any problematic industries. The waste management industry is no exception. Meanwhile, instead of a blind desire to copy the European approach (although by default everyone ironically adds to themselves “with Russian specifics”), it would be possible, by working on Western mistakes, to catch up with and even surpass Europe in some ways. Will we mindlessly copy both successful experience and ill-conceived ideas, meander through impassable jungles, or will we go straight to the goal?

But from philosophical reflections, let’s return to the topic of waste management and consider how this management occurs in one of the most developed European countries in terms of “garbage” - in Switzerland. She is often cited as a role model and champion of recycling, but let's look at what we should learn and what we should think about and stop copying. The analysis of Swiss waste may also be interesting because in implementing the “Clean Country” project, within the framework of which we are building 5 incinerators, Rostec is collaborating with the Swiss-Japanese company Hitachi Zosen Inova, that is, partly based on Swiss experience.

Initial conditions:

• Switzerland is one of the leading countries in waste production per capita (about 715 kg per year per person).
• In Switzerland, MSW landfills are prohibited (only 3 types of landfills are allowed, see below); unprocessed MSW must be incinerated without fail.
• For 8.4 million people in Switzerland, there are about 30 waste incineration plants (WINs). New ones are being built.
• The residents have a special mentality, on average characterized by diligence and accuracy.

Recycling

In Switzerland, approximately 50% of waste is recycled. There are quite a lot of collected fractions, including paper, glass, metals, organics, batteries, electrical appliances, clothing, medical and others hazardous waste, PET (the situation with the processing of other types of plastic is depressing, but more on that below), etc. The Swiss are especially successful in sorting glass (96%). But still, not all residents sort hazardous waste. Despite the plentiful presence of collection points for the same batteries and the fact that children are told from school on where and why to throw them away, they end up in the general waste stream. According to statistics, about 70% of batteries are recycled, the rest go to a waste incineration plant (WIP) with the rest of the garbage. The number and types of recycling bins near your home depends on your canton. Usually near the house there are bins for mixed garbage, vegetable waste, somewhere there are containers for paper, cardboard, somewhere for glass. Somewhere for metal. But usually metal and glass need to be taken to special collection points. Paper and cardboard can also be taken away by yourself or placed outside the door on strictly designated dates in the form of bales tied with ropes. Batteries and PET are accepted in supermarkets, and all other waste (medicines, electrical waste, paints, etc.) can be taken to where they were purchased or to other retailers.

What motivates Swiss residents to sort waste?

• Franc incentive. The tax on mixed waste is “in fact”, that is, per bag. Prices vary slightly by canton, but in Zurich per bag for non-recyclable waste for 35 liters they will charge you 2-2.5 francs(i.e. 130-160 rubles for 1 piece). Recyclable materials are given free of charge. That is, the less non-recyclable waste you produce, the less often you throw away garbage in these “golden” bags. This system works only through “punitive measures.” For throwing garbage in the “wrong” bag, you may receive a fine (for example, in Zurich - there is a special team that, based on the testimony of neighbors or the contents of the bag, finds out who the true owners of the incorrect garbage are), or such garbage will not be collected at all (for example , in Lucerne), then the neighbors will have to look into it, and the culprit will never be allowed to forget about his mistake. Money from the purchase of garbage bags goes to local governments. Local authorities, in turn, by announcing a public tender, select a company that will transport waste. The company is paid for each route completed. From the same money, local governments pay bills from the MSZ, calculated in fact for the delivered waste (by weight).

• From school days, the population is being taught to separate waste collection.

• In general, the bins for basic recyclables are conveniently located. If a tank for a certain raw material is not near the house, then it is very easy to obtain information about the location of the collection point. There are quite a lot of them. Waste is collected according to a schedule. For example, in Lucerne, general garbage and plant waste are collected every 6-7 days, and paper and cardboard 1-2 times a month.

Separately about electrical appliances

Used electrical appliances can be brought to any retail store that sells such appliances. Interestingly, there used to be a problem with this: people often left their devices somewhere in the forest, because recycling of electrical waste and household appliances the fee was collected upon delivery to collection points. However, now this recycling fee is already included in the price of the device, and its return is free of charge, which solved the problem of handing over electrical waste, but could not solve the problem of recycling itself.

Due to high labor costs (and everyone knows that Switzerland is one of the countries with the highest wages): part of the electrical waste is then still sent for export, incl. V developing countries, where no one can accurately trace their fate. About 20% used to go to Africa, 30% to China. After China’s refusal to accept recyclables, these flows are now being redistributed. Thus, it’s sad but true: the residents of Switzerland, having paid for the recycling of their electrical waste (which they have in abundance) and delivered it to a collection point, are satisfied and with a sense of accomplishment going to buy a brand new TV or phone, and half of their electrical waste will soon time ends up in some cancer village in Asia.

“Recycling” plastic is not something worth learning from Switzerland

When it comes to recycling plastic and composite waste like tetrapack, things are quite sad. A lot of goods are produced and sold. But they accumulate separately mainly PET and in some places, but very rarely, bottles of shampoos and household chemicals, i.e. with marking 2. The rest goes to be burned in a common bag. The official position is that separate accumulation and processing of other types of plastic and composite materials is unprofitable and would place a heavy burden on the shoulders of ordinary Swiss due to its high cost, while the positive environmental aspects of separate collection of plastics are called “minimal”, i.e. not worth the expense. Plastic burns well, which means they are happy to wait for it at the MSZ. Much of the plastic is simply not marked and states that the plastic should be thrown into general trash. I have also heard calls from the MSZ to put paper in a common bin, explained by the lack of combustible materials for waste incineration.

It is also very important to understand that often the plastic already sorted by residents or companies is sent not for recycling, but for the furnace. But not into the MSZ firebox, but into the oven cement factories that use plastic as fuel. Indeed, the ways of plastic are inscrutable. The cement companies in Switzerland have a strong lobby, so it is difficult to do anything about it. But something needs to be done in the future, since the degree of purification of emissions from cement factories is definitely worse than that of MSZ, and they burn a lot of plastic.

Where is the dog buried? Nowhere! You can't bury anything.

What is driving the development of waste recycling and incineration to such an extent? The thing is that since the beginning of the 2000s, it has been prohibited in Switzerland to build new solid waste landfills. There are only 3 allowed types of polygons left:

1. For biodegradable waste, i.e. organics, where it is composted.

2. For construction waste(stones).

3. For toxic slag from MSZ. The cost of burying a ton of toxic waste in such a landfill is about 80 francs (about 5,200 rubles). MSZ workers note that this slag is no longer so toxic, since the main hazardous elements are removed and then either sent for processing or buried separately. However, such landfills must be hermetically sealed and constantly monitored for signs of depressurization, which, by the way, has already happened. So, it was necessary to open a similar landfill in the canton of Aargau. The process of opening, removing hazardous waste, transporting and reclamation took 25 years and cost the population a lot of money and nerves.

And now, in order to fully trace the fate of Swiss waste, we will go to one of the 30 waste incineration plants in Switzerland, located in the canton of Grisons.

Gevag waste incineration plant

MSZ Gevag, Canton of Grisons, Switzerland

Near 100,000 tons of waste burned annually at a temperature of 1000 degrees. Combustion waste is about 23 tons per year.

Productivity: about 58 GWh of electricity and about 80 GWh of thermal energy. Built in the early 1970s.

Gevag’s capacity is not enough for the entire canton, as a result it is necessary to transport part of the waste to the incinerator in Zurich, and part to Italy, where it is also burned. In view of this, there has been talk for a long time about the construction of a second plant in the canton, but it was quite difficult to find a place for construction due to the reluctance of the locals to build an MSZ near them, but in the end a place was found and construction began.

Representatives of the Gevag administration name 6 main reasons for burning waste:

1. Reduce waste volume (by 93%)
2. Reduce the amount of waste (by 80%)
3. Disinfection of garbage
4. Reducing methane emissions from landfills (a highly active greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming). Instead of methane, combustion of waste produces CO2, among other things.
5. Concentration and management of hazardous substances
6. Generation of electricity without the use of primary energy sources. Electricity is considered half renewable, since up to 60% of waste that goes into combustion is organic* (i.e. food waste, waste of plant and animal origin). 21% of all organic waste, produced in Switzerland, are sent to the MSZ. The rest is composted to produce biogas and to fertilize the soil or used as animal feed.

Who supplies waste to the incinerator plant?

Both private individuals and companies bring waste, incl. waste collection companies. Only private owners pay for the burning service right there, on site, and large waste collection companies receive an invoice at the end of the month. Payment is made upon delivery, that is, based on the results of weighing (the machine drives onto the scales before and after the waste is shipped, and the difference in weight is paid).

Scales

Contracts guaranteeing the supply of waste volumes are not practiced at Gevag. Let us remember that Switzerland is one of the countries with the highest level of waste production per capita, MSW landfills are prohibited, so the MSZ administration is not yet concerned about the potential decline in the volume of raw materials, and therefore no supply guarantees are required. Large companies bringing a lot of waste, it is only possible to provide best price. No one pays penalties for potential waste shortages.

Prices

Private owners pay 35 francs (about 2300 rubles) for waste up to 200 kg. Next - by weight. Behind different categories waste is paid differently. For example, untreated wood is the cheapest. 130-140 francs (9200 rubles) per ton. Mixed household waste– the most expensive (300 francs / 19,700 rubles per 1 ton). MSZ representatives explain this difference in price by the cost of chemicals for chemical purification of gases and slag during the combustion process.

Well, as for ordinary residents who produce the same household waste, we remember that they pay the same tax in the form of 2-2.5 francs per garbage bag.

Other incineraries use different payment mechanisms. For example, in Zurich, when private owners bring waste, they are first sorted at the waste disposal plant, then the non-combustible waste is sent to the oven. There is no charge for this, as this service is included in the garbage tax.

MSZ management

The plant is under the supervision of local authorities. It is owned by 35 local communities. And once a year, 99 representatives from these 35 communities gather and resolve all issues related to the activities of the MSZ (51 votes are required for a decision).

Plant structure

Plant structure

At Gevag, the delivered waste is not sorted before burning and the contents are not particularly controlled. That is, incoming hazardous waste (batteries, for example) is burned along with regular garbage.

Waste goes into the bunker

Machines dump waste into a bunker. If waste big size, then they are pre-crushed. Mixing and further grinding take place in the hopper. Gevag is already a relatively old MSZ, which is why it has its own characteristics. For example, it was built with a small bunker (apparently they didn’t count on such a flow of waste from the population?). And very soon such a bunker was no longer enough for him; he had to build another, larger one. Now there are two of them, and both are in operation.

Waste mixing

The bunker is constantly monitored by infrared cameras in order to detect a fire in a timely manner. Fires occur approximately once a month. And most often they occur when grinding waste (due to sparks). Usually a fire can be dealt with on its own, but several times it was necessary to call the fire brigade. One day, a fire broke out in the depths of a waste heap and had to be put out for 12 hours straight.

Scheme of purification levels

Measurements are taken every 3 seconds to monitor pollution levels online. The measured indicators are presented in the photo below. Inspections are carried out regularly by external commissions. According to a plant employee, according to the results of inspections, the air in the pipe is even cleaner than next to the highway.

See the measured pollution levels in the photos below.

Measured indicators, 2019

Level of emissions produced as a percentage of the maximum permitted pollution level, 2017

Monitoring data is sent to the cantonal environmental department on a monthly basis.

Unburnt materials (ash) are cooled and sent to a special plant, where all kinds of metals are extracted from it. After which the ash is sent to the landfill.

Recovered unburned metal objects

In addition to five stages of purification, the plant has filters to capture various materials. In particular, there are filters that extract mercury. Once they are filled, the contents are sent to depleted salt mines in Germany, after which the mines are sealed. There are no such storage facilities in Switzerland.

Monitoring Center

Conclusions and notes

• I have already drawn your attention to the fact that Switzerland produces a very large amount of waste per capita. Half of the waste is recycled, the rest is incinerated or exported. Let’s add to this a certain degree of pride felt by the Swiss for the efficiency and smooth functioning of processes in the country as a whole (“the treatment plants at the MSZ work perfectly,” “Switzerland is a champion in processing,” etc.), and we get a lack of incentives to solve the primary problem. And this task is to reduce the PRODUCTION of MSW, in particular plastic (reduction and modification of packaging, manufacturing more goods for reuse, making goods from more recyclable materials). That is, when we're talking about about plastic and some other factions, instead of gold Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover (energy) is put at the forefront.

• Using the example of the canton of Graubünden, we observe the following situation: the existing incineration plant cannot cope with the entire volume of waste produced. But instead of investing in the industry for sorting and recycling the same plastic, thereby reducing waste volumes, it was decided to build a second incineration plant. Coincidentally, reducing the flow of well-burning plastic is not beneficial for either the MSZ or the cement plant.

• As for the garbage “tax”, my subjective observations of this side of life of the Swiss allow me to confidently state that the high cost of bags for general garbage keeps the recycling industry at a relatively high level, but does not belong to the category of incentives that force the Swiss to buy less garbage. Switzerland continues to increase its waste volume per capita.

• You can understand why the official position is that the environmental aspects of separate collection of difficult plastics are not worth the cost. Of course, this is not easy, because you need to guarantee the homogeneity and relative purity of the supplied raw materials, train the population to distinguish and correctly sort different kinds plastic. Some plastics don't really recycle well. However, to solve these problems, the Government only needs to take the vector of improving separate accumulation, oblige manufacturers to indicate labeling on packaging and goods, and make them more recyclable. In many populated areas Residents have already expressed a desire to collect complex plastics separately, but the cantonal administration still insists that such accumulation is unprofitable and lacks environmentally significant benefits. This clearly demonstrates how the presence of an incineration plant hurts the development of the processing industry. On the one hand, one could call such a position “honest”, because unlike its neighbors, who separately collect more plastic fractions and then, instead of recycling them, export the plastic problem to developing countries, Switzerland basically burns its own plastic. However, there is reason to hope that with the recent refusal of China and several other Asian countries to import plastic waste, we are on the verge of a significant transformation in the plastic recycling industry. Western countries will have to somehow solve their problems themselves, develop processing, and establish a circular economy. And only the lobby of the MSZ and other waste-to-energy industries can prevent this.

• Having achieved such success in the processing of glass, metals, PET, Switzerland, it would seem that it would not cost much effort to introduce the collection of other types of plastic as well. The Swiss are quite diligent, informed about the dangers of plastic, and many would like to contribute to resolving the environmental crisis.

• But why develop plastic recycling and the circular economy if numerous incineration plants will burn everything and say thank you? Indeed, according to research results, the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere by MSZ is much less than when burning coal or oil to produce electricity (but more than when burning natural gas). MSZ lobbyists base their tactics on this, but studies also show that recycling in general and plastic in particular saves almost twice as much energy as compared to what is produced by burning them. Europe has set a course towards abandoning the combustion of coal and oil, and after them, the combustion of MSW will be the next producer the largest number CO2. Thus, IGCs do not fully fit into the strategy to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Now let's return to the original question - what from Switzerland's experience in waste management should be adopted and what to refrain from.

1. The political will to solve garbage problems is very commendable. Flexibility and targeting of legislation. If the Swiss Government sees a problem, it takes measures to solve it. We can talk for a long time about the differences political system our two countries, because Switzerland in many aspects is a model of democracy, decisions are actually made by citizens, and power is distributed among the cantons and centralized orders are largely advisory in nature, and initiatives rise from below. But we should also adopt Swiss experience in solving problems “one by one” as they accumulate. For example: RSO training in schools, availability large quantity easily accessible RSO points (both in supermarkets and near homes, depending on the type of recyclable materials), a verified chain for recycling glass and metals, including the cost of recycling in the initial price of electrical appliances, etc.
2. The Swiss system of payment for non-recyclable raw materials upon delivery, i.e. for a special bag, quite effective and targeted. However, in the Russian Federation, in my opinion, it is not applicable. It is maintained through punitive measures. People know that if they dispose of garbage in the wrong bags, they will most likely face a fine, because it is possible to determine its owner by the contents of the bag. Neighbors and each other control each other. It is not yet possible for me to imagine something like this in Russia. This is not our mentality.
3. It would be worth taking into account one simple but very practical point: in Switzerland, ALL bins for any type of waste are closed with lids, i.e. waste is always protected from rain, which makes it quite dry (let’s add to this a separate accumulation of organic matter). This circumstance is favorable both for processing and for incineration/disposal at a landfill.
4. About 80% of all organic waste in Switzerland is composted to produce biogas and to fertilize the soil or used as animal feed. Basically, only those organics that require it for sanitary and hygienic reasons are burned. Separate collection of organics is an important condition for the maturity of a waste management system. In the absence of separate accumulation, organic matter deteriorates the quality of recyclable materials to be processed, produces methane at the landfill, and burns poorly.
5. Before building an incinerator plant in the Swiss image and likeness, it would be worthwhile to bring separate collection at least to the same level. In the conditions of our rudimentary separate accumulation of waste and insufficient awareness of citizens, we will end up with the burning of unsorted waste while releasing such a bouquet of toxic substances that the Swiss never dreamed of.
6. The Swiss precision and efficiency in monitoring pollution levels and tracking leaks is definitely something worth learning from. The gaping chasm between our mentalities in this area is obvious, but the Swiss have not always been so sensitive to the prevention of environmental pollution. Just some 50 years ago, the main lakes of the country were in such a sad situation that it was unsafe even to swim in them, let alone drink. Only thanks to the chosen course to improve the environmental situation, the flexibility of legal norms and strict adherence to the laws, the situation was radically changed. In the case of incinerators, efficiency and accuracy are the key to minimizing harm to the environment and human health. Even the report at the 2015 WEF emphasized that waste-to-energy technologies are useful ONLY IF the installations are properly operated and emissions are controlled. In countries where environmental legislation is not strictly enforced (hello, Russia), there are likely to be attempts to save money on emissions control, filter replacement, etc., which will inevitably lead to the release of toxins and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change and risk to people's health.
7. In terms of burning recyclable plastic, and at the same time burning the consumer’s responsibility for producing a large amount of waste, and most importantly, the constant need to feed so many eternally hungry incinerators - all this, in my opinion, directly contradicts the goals of the circular economy and counteraction climate change. And taking into account the priority of these problems, there is a high probability that incinerators will soon become obsolete and be left behind. This means that if we want to be proactive, instead of spending money on developing waste incineration, it would be worth investing in the development of a circular economy.

For reference: The EU has excluded waste incineration for energy from economic activities that are considered to be "profiting from sustainable activities" - those that can significantly minimize climate change and that do not cause significant harm to other environmental interactions, such as the transition to a circular economy, prevention waste generation and recycling. You can read the translation of the statement.

BUSINESS Online report from Lucerne: is sorting really necessary and what will happen if you throw it into a three-story flame gas cylinder. Part 2

“Before, 30 years ago, they told us: “Oh, just further away, away from us,” recalls the director of the “garbage oven” in Lucerne as a legend, wondering how anyone could be afraid of it. The plant burns down everything that the respectable and not-so-respectable burghers want to throw into the trash. And the entire Swiss sorting system is nothing more than a tribute to the capitalists; the environmental effect could have been achieved without it. About how the MSZ works in Switzerland, see the BUSINESS Online report.

The Renergia plant is new, operating since 2015, built in the Perlen industrial zone - near Lucerne

“THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THROW EVERYTHING OUT, BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER – WE BURN EVERYTHING”

The day before, we examined the waste separation system adopted in Switzerland. Now it’s the turn of the crown of this chain – the waste incineration plant, where it ends life cycle what is not recycled.

The enterprise, where a delegation from the Republic of Tatarstan visited at the invitation of AGK-2, was built in the Perlen industrial zone - not far from Lucerne. “Industrial zone” is a loud name. In fact, nearby are farm fields and villages where over 5 thousand people live, as well as the Roiscanal canal, in the depths of which you can even see stones. The Renergia plant is new, it has been operating since 2015, says the director of the enterprise Rudy Kummer. The main task is to provide the paper mill Perlen Papier AG, which is a shareholder of the MSZ and is located next door, with cheap steam and electricity. So the factory became one of the main investors in the “garbage oven”. This allows you to save a lot on heating oil - previously they used 40 thousand tons of fuel oil per year, but now they also pay extra for each ton of waste burned. And a ton of garbage in terms of calorific value is the same as 300 liters of oil. The output is 700 kWh of electricity.

Near the MSZ there are farm fields and villages where over 5 thousand people live

“Our plant is located in the center of the area where the waste comes from, which significantly reduces transportation routes,” noted Kummer. “In Moscow, as far as I know, no one follows such an experience...”

The total investment volume is 300 million Swiss francs, which is equivalent to approximately 19 billion rubles. Kummer did not disclose the amount of profit, but noted that annually he manages to “recapture” 15 million francs from bank loans (200 million were taken out). Let us recall that the cost of the incinerator plant in Tatarstan is 28 billion rubles. Where does the difference come from? The plant in Lucerne has half the capacity: 200 thousand tons of waste versus 550 thousand tons in Tatarstan.

Rudi Kummer did not hide: both the authorities and the population experienced great skepticism as soon as the company announced plans to build an MSZ

Kummer did not hide: both the authorities and the population experienced great skepticism as soon as the company announced plans to build an incineration plant. However, investors assured that there would be no problems: “You will see us, but not feel us.” There is not even smoke from the chimney - except in winter, when it is cold, something will be visible due to the banal condensation of water vapor. It goes without saying that the local burghers didn’t really believe the words - and went to neighboring factories. Having visited the newly built incinerator plant in Thun, they were convinced of its safety. So there were no disputes or scandals, especially since hot water in people's homes it is now heated here. However, it was easier for the burghers to come to terms with it - the Swiss have been using waste incineration technologies since 1904, and the incineration plant, which operates according to old technology, operated in Lucerne since 1971, but has now closed.

“Today we received a request to burn 180 tons of artificial football turf. Hospital waste comes in. Old Adidas collections are being thrown away. I don’t know about you in Russia, but here the police have a negative attitude towards smoking marijuana - and we destroy the mown crops of cannabis... And once we burned 200 tons of chicken, which came from abroad and could be dangerous. There are people who are strict about sorting. And there are people who don’t care, and they throw everything away. Accordingly, they pay more, but for us it doesn’t matter.”

Trucks constantly enter the huge reception hall. Behind the gate is a huge bunker

BRANCH OF HELL: THREE-STORY FLAME AND RESPONSIBILITY OF WASTE SORTERS

Finally we stand in a huge reception hall, where trucks constantly roll in. The gates open, behind them is a bunker with thousands of tons of waste. From somewhere from top to bottom comes the predatory steel daisy of a grab crane, which bites into the garbage heap, lifting it upward. Clouds of dust rise into the air. And behind Kummer there is a veil of garbage fog, which still remains outside the goal. You can no longer see anything inside - just a haze. But the reduced atmospheric pressure in the receiving bunker locks everything that is there - neither odors nor dust come out.

From somewhere from top to bottom comes a predatory steel daisy of a grab crane, which bites into the garbage heap, lifting it up

There is no longer any pre-sorting at the plant. Garbage comes from waste sorting stations, and the quality of future fuel is their responsibility. If in this stream there is something that should not be there - for example, steel baths, logs and other large items - the waste supplier may be fined. These are the terms of the contract with MSZ.

Every hour, 12.5 tons of waste are loaded from these bunkers into the shredder-grinder, which is ground into a fine fraction. The grinder operates automatically. Only occasionally does the operator stop the cranes - if something is noticed that should not be in the garbage. And then, from this “fuel” bunker, thanks to the rotation of a screw pusher, somewhat reminiscent of a shaft inside a meat grinder, the garbage goes into the furnaces of the plant’s two boilers.

Kummer opens the damper - and through the glass a real “branch of hell” is visible: tongues of flame soar to the height of a two-three-story building, scattering red-hot scraps around. Some pieces of iron are sticking out. “We will then sell them for scrap metal,” notes the director.

The garbage on the grate burns for about two hours. The combustion temperature in the furnace is approximately 1000–1200 degrees. The system evenly supplies fuel to the combustion center - this ensures low emissions of harmful substances, says Kummer. Flue gases give off their heat to water, turning it into steam - the turbine operates, electricity is generated. And the cooled gases go into the gas cleaning system.

What does the plant burn? Everything that is subject to destruction. Glass, paper, metals, and cardboard are removed from the garbage. And, in principle, the installation is suitable for recycling any type of waste

“IF SUCH PLANTS WERE HARMFUL, WE ALL WOULD DIE ALREADY”

According to Hans-Peter Fahrny, former head of waste management at the Swiss federal environmental authority, the largest source of dioxins in the country is, in principle, waste burning in bonfires. In addition, metallurgical production and enterprises contribute their share to their emissions. chemical synthesis(an industry well known to Kazan). As for the incineration plant, all three dozen factories in the country emit 2–3 grams of dioxins annually. Let us remind you that the entire territory of Switzerland is 41 thousand square meters. km with a population of 8.3 million people (Tatarstan - 68 thousand sq. km).

The volume of harmful substances emitted by the Lucerne plant was compared by its director to a glass dumped into Lake Baikal. He is generally a cheerful person: demonstrating what they find in the slag after a garbage furnace, Kummer lightly put his hands into it, dug into it, demonstrating to journalists. He pulled out from the pile either an electric motor, or a plug, or some kind of chain. I couldn’t help but remember horror movies: the slag from the MSZ is a nightmare, it’s carcinogens, cancer and death...

Kummer, however, just shrugged, showing pieces of slag in his palm. “We grew up with this. It is even difficult for us to understand why people have such fear of such factories. I’ve been working at such factories for 30 years, I probably should have been dead a long time ago... Previously, 30 years ago, they told us: “Oh, just further away, away from us.” And today people say: “Install such an installation even in the middle of the city, where there are energy consumers.” After all, the volume of harmful emissions is reduced compared to the use of fuel oil. There are such installations in Zurich, and I am not aware of people having health problems in the area. In Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen, Nuremberg, Amsterdam, Milan - right in the middle of the city. Why not in Kazan? If they were as harmful as rumor goes, then probably everyone around would have died already,” he marveled.

In Switzerland, slag is buried in landfills or sold to places where it is in demand for road construction - in Germany, Poland

The most striking thing in the pile of “exhibition” slag was the gas cylinder and the cast iron keel from the yacht. How they got into the oven after a careful sorting system is a big mystery! The slag itself, by the way, spills out into the open after the grate. But dust - that same harmful ash - is really dangerous. In Switzerland, slag is buried in landfills or sold to places where it is in demand for road construction - in Germany and Poland. But the ash is buried - according to Hans-Peter Fahrni, it is taken to the salt mines of Germany. The famous Halbronn! But now they have learned to neutralize ash by extracting valuable metals from it. So now it is mixed with the same slag...

The total investment in the MSZ is 300 million Swiss francs, which is equivalent to approximately 19 billion rubles. The amount of profit is not disclosed

“REPLACEMENT OF FILTERS? FOR WHAT?!"

The most interesting thing is the gas cleaning system. As it turned out, since the plant was launched, the filters have not been changed even once - why? They are self-cleaning. But they are still checked every year - for this, Hitachi Zoccen Inova specialists stop the factory. Since 2015, the filter sleeves have been damaged twice – a couple of them. But sensors recorded an increase in dust concentration. If the standards are exceeded for four hours, the plant shuts down, so they are simply replaced.

There are 5 gas purification systems at the MSZ in Lucerne. The first is an electrostatic filter. It serves to retain dust from flue gases. Sodium bicarbonate is used to separate acidic substances, as well as lignite coke injection to separate mercury and precipitate dioxins. Bag filters again retain dust, and the catalytic converter eliminates the remaining nitrogen oxides.

And here's a surprise: in Tatarstan there will be only three stages of cleanup. As explained to BUSINESS Online by Hitachi Zoccen Inova representative Marius Waldner, all factories are different. The composition of the equipment depends on the purpose of the plant and the environmental standards of the country. In Switzerland, the standards are stricter than in the European Union, and the Kazan plant must comply with EU and Russian standards. The Kazan project does not have an electrostatic filter. Technologically, the electric precipitator in our system is superfluous, since the plant is used to generate electricity, and this filter consumes a lot of electricity. There is also no catalytic filter - in the Kazan project it is replaced by a non-catalytic reduction system (injection of urea and activated carbon). The catalyst is necessary for fine purification of nitrogen oxide emissions, which is not required by EU standards. Even in Lucerne it is taken with a “reserve”, making it possible to improve the purification of nitrogen oxides several times compared to the standards. But its disadvantage is extremely difficult disposal and enormous cost. From the point of view of dioxin emissions, all systems provide reliable filtration, not to mention the fact that the combustion temperature itself serves as a way to neutralize them.

There are 5 gas purification systems at the MSZ in Lucerne

A three-stage system was used in Newhaven (UK). The plant in Liberec, Czech Republic, has two stages - an electrostatic precipitator and a non-catalytic reduction system, as well as an emergency bypass. The plant in the British Riverside, which in AGK-1 is a complete analogue of the Kazan one, has the same three stages of purification. So there are examples – and working examples – in the world.

But let's return to Lucerne. If you go to the very top, to the chimneys, you understand: they are... plastic. The temperature of the exhaust gases is only 80 degrees. There is no smoke, and Kummer demonstrates that the plant is working with a piece of paper thrown over the chimney - it is immediately carried upward. The shadow from the hot air is still visible. And it's all...

Local farmers - and we talked to the 31-year-old Balthasar Petermann- They don’t see any problems. Yes, there were certainly concerns, he says, glancing at his son, dangling his legs on the high seat of the tractor. But after a trip to the city of Thun, where an incinerator plant was also built, these fears of the neighbors were dispelled. And the farmer is not afraid for the child, nor for the fields with rapeseed and corn, nor for the horses and goats. Sometimes - very rarely - he smells faint odors of garbage, but that's probably all.

HOW TO MAKE THE POPULATION PROFIT: SYNTHESIS OF “TRASH MARXISM” AND A CAT WITH MUSTARD UNDER THE TAIL

To summarize the results of our trip to Switzerland, the conclusion suggests itself: the Swiss, with their waste collection system, seem to have demonstrated a clear implementation of Karl Marx’s famous expression about capitalist greed. Only, of course, in my own understanding. Remember? The famous Marxist theorist said that there is no crime that a capitalist will not commit for the sake of 300 percent profit. So: there is no incentive that a capitalist could not come up with to force the population to bring him raw materials for free.

Garbage is not something that should pollute environment, say Swiss experts. Garbage is valuable. This means that it must be obtained somehow. If you lump everything into one pile, no amount of sorting will allow you to extract the most useful information from it. At best - 10%. This means that all conditions must be created for the citizens themselves to do this. For this purpose, a system of fines and payment for garbage collection has been invented: if you want to throw away a 5 kg bag, pay 2-3 francs. If you don’t want to pay, here are sorting points where a lucky citizen can get rid of valuable waste for free! And then the capitalists, having accepted for money what cannot be recycled, will turn this garbage into steam and electricity.

Meanwhile, everything that the Swiss do can burn perfectly in the oven. Look at the fractions of garbage that are extracted from there! PAT? Batteries? Machine oil? Lamps? Perhaps only these factions can really be dangerous. Everything else - wood, paper and cardboard, bottles, pieces of concrete, metals - are raw materials. Money is for the capitalist, not for the resident.

Truly, everything is like in the famous Russian joke about how to force a cat to maintain hygiene. You can beat her, you can not feed her, you can coax her or play Mozart’s music. But wouldn't it be easier to spread mustard under the tail? The cat will immediately do what you wanted! This is what Swiss capitalists seem to have done with garbage. And ecology and getting rid of landfills is a pleasant and necessary bonus for the Alpine country, allowing you to feel like a civilized nation in Europe, the most clean country in the world, and a tribute to other image matters.