Establishing a logistics concept for an efficient collection of biogenous waste as input for energy recovery in biogas plants.

Status

completed

Summary

Although collecting systems are available and separate collection is established in Austria, the content of biogenous material in residual household waste was still 37 % in 2004. The main focus of the project was the reduction of the biogenous fraction in residual waste via offering a practicable and efficient solution for separate collection. The aim of the project was to establish a logistics concept for an efficient collection of biogenous waste as the input for energy recovery in biogas plants. With this service biogenous waste from households will be made useful and transformed into a demanded resource.

The consumer acceptance of collecting biogenous waste will be raised and a comfortable and functional system for collecting the material will be provided. The basic organizational and technical conditions along with possible obstacles and critical success factors for the developed service system have been investigated. Possible financing structures have been investigated as well.

An innovative collecting system consisting of a bin with a hanging bag has been developed in previous activities. The bin has an airing function and prevents the development of unpleasing smell and liquid. The combination of the appealing exterior design with the high functionality creates a comfortable collecting system for biogenous waste. After analysing prototype tests and customer requirements improvement ideas have been developed.

Based on a detailed analysis of already existing collecting and logistics systems and the demands of the potential parties, the collecting system has been redesigned and a new logistics system has been developed. Around this optimized collecting system, an efficient logistics concept has been established in order to make a high valuable resource available for energy recovery purposes.

Motivation for separate collection is crucial for the success of the efficient collection process. Through optimizing the interfaces between the parties involved along the logistic chain the efficiency of the separate collection will be improved, more material will be available for energy production and the amount of residual waste will be reduced up to one third. Another advantage is the optimization of the input material for thermal recovery in e.g. incineration plants with the reduction of the percentage of biogenous material in the household waste. Uncontrolled emitted CO₂ and CH₄ emissions can be prevented as well and the successful establishment of the system contributes to climate protection activities.

The unused potential of biogenous material is very high; the intended collecting and logistics system makes a valuable resource available and presents an innovative resource management system for the energy recovery in biogas plants. The results of the project present the preparation activities needed for realizing a demonstration project for the developed logistics system. Within the project a network of potential parties along the logistics chain has been established. This guarantees the consideration of a variety of crucial requirements of the potential participants presenting the basis for the successful running of the logistics system.

Project management

A.o. Univ. Prof. DI Dr. techn. Wolfgang Wimmer
Forschungsbereich ECODESIGN
Institut für Konstruktionswissenschaften und technische Logistik
Technische Universität Wien

Project collaborator:

DI Maria Huber, DI Rainer Pamminger
Institut für Konstruktionswissenschaften und technische Logistik
Technische Universität Wien

Project or cooperation partner

• Mag. (FH) Cornelia Olbert, Mag. Georg Wagner
  Spirit Design Consulting & Services GmbH