No abstract

In many European and North American countries, stakeholders and interest groups endeavour to improve fire prevention in the industry of waste management, disposal and recycling. Despite the industry’s commitment to increasing safety and fire prevention measures, incidents have peaked in recent years, causing numerous problems: Environmental pollution, potential loss of resources, facility infrastructure and contractual partners, even higher insurance rates and deductibles. The most severe consequence which is recently spreading is the looming peril of a total loss of insurance cover. This paper discusses the comprehensive results of the survey and analysis of 285 fire incidents in the waste industry of Austria that have occurred within the recent decade. First, the historical development and reasons for the current increase in waste fires are stated, revealing waste-specific fire patterns such as self-ignition and the expanding range of potential ignition sources. Second, the statistical correlation between the probability of fire incidents and seasonal or climatic factors is shown. Third, the paper presents specific findings regarding the most commonly affected waste streams as well as the distribution patterns of ignition sources and causes. For example, most fire incidents occur in storage and transport areas (52.6% and 22.8%). Finally, probable driving forces are indicated and the potential development of risks and hazards from future waste fires are shown. The paper reveals a fundamental understanding of the conditions and incipiency of fires in waste management, disposal and recycling as well as gaps in our present knowledge that compellingly require further research.

Although separate collection systems for portable batteries (PBs) have been installed years ago, high amounts of batteries still do not enter the collection systems of the member states of the European Union (EU). In Austria, the collection rate has recently dropped to the EU target value of 45%. For the purposes of this study, a comprehensive survey was conducted to identify the destinations of the other end-of-life batteries. A literature survey and an assessment of different waste streams (WSs) were followed by sampling and sorting campaigns for highly relevant WSs (residual waste, lightweight packaging waste, metal packaging waste, and small waste electrical and electronic equipment). The results underwent material flow analysis, showing that more than 800 metric tonnes of portable batteries are misplaced into non-battery-specific collection systems, 718 metric tonnes of them entering residual waste collection. Considerable amounts of batteries are stockpiled, stored or hoarded in Austrian households. Lithium-based batteries, representing a serious risk of fire to the waste industry and making up for 30% of the marketed amount, are still scarcely arriving in waste management systems.

ZusammenfassungMit anhaltender Verkehrswende nimmt die Bedeutung von Lithium-Ionen-Batterien (LIB) in Zukunft stark zu. Im Sinne der Kreislaufwirtschaft sind einerseits die optimale und nachhaltige Nutzung vorhandener Ressourcen, andererseits das Schließen von Material-Kreisläufen durch geeignete und effiziente Recyclingverfahren unabdingbar. Der Artikel behandelt die aktuellen Problemfelder und Herausforderungen entlang der Wertschöpfungskette von LIB am Ende ihres Lebenszyklus. Dabei werden insbesondere Aspekte der Vorbehandlung und des Recyclings beleuchtet.

Increasing occurrences of waste fires that are caused by improperly discarded lithium-based portable batteries threaten the whole waste management sector in numerous countries. Studies showed that high quantities of these batteries have been found in several municipal solid waste streams in recent years in Austria. This article reveals the main influence factors on the risk of lithium-based batteries in their end-of-life and it focuses on the quantification of damages to portable batteries during waste treatment processes. Hazards are identified and analysed and potential risks in waste management systems are comprehensively assessed. In two scenarios, the results showed that the potential risks are too high to maintain a sustainable form of waste management. According to the assessment, a small fire in a collection vehicle is located in the risk graph’s yellow region (as low as reasonably practicable, ALARP), while a fully developed fire in a treatment plant has to be classified as an unacceptable risk (red region of risk graph). Finally, basic recommendations for action were made.