The regional integrated waste management concept in Slovenia

The regional integrated waste management concept for municipal solid waste in Slovenia has been developed for about 200.000 people producing about 100,000 t/year of municipal solid waste. The technical part is based on law enforced separated collection, composting, recycling, mechanical biological treatment of residual waste, thermal treatment of the light fraction (LF) and disposal of the heavy fraction (HF). Great attention has been dedicated to the environmental benefits of the waste to energy plant role in the case of the thermal treatment of the mechanical biological treatment (MBT) prepared light fraction, which is shown in particular through the reduction of flue gas treatment residual amounts and bottom ash quality. Sewage sludge from the region is also induced into the process of thermal treatment. No special drying is foreseen; only the mechanical dewatering process is utilized to squeeze the water out to get the sewage to about 30% solids. The incineration ash and slag from the grate represent the major portion of solid residue and part of the investigation was for its application in concrete as a substitute for cement.