Evaluation of Plastic Waste Management in Thailand Using Material ...

Adjust system
Problem Definition
System definition Selection of
substances
Selection of
boundaries
Determination
of flows and
stocks
2. Refine
material flows
Adjustment
Selection of
goods
Determination of mass flows
Balancing of goods
Determination of Concentrations
Balancing of substances
Illustration and Interpretation
28
Selection of
processes
1. Refine
mass flows
1. Refine
concentration
Figure 2.26 MFA procedure (Brunner and Rechberger, 2005)
2.5.2 Case study of MFA for plastic waste management
1. Australia and Poland
In 2004, plastic wastes were generated 952 tons/year, and the plastic consumption rate was
116 kg/cap/year in Austria. There were 2,000 tons/year of plastic waste generation and 55
kg/cap/year of plastic consumption in Poland. Most of plastic wastes that were generated in
Poland were disposed at landfills, while plastic wastes were used to produce electricity
from energy recovery process in Austria. Although the plastic waste generation per capita
is in Poland 50 % lower than in Austria the difference is expected to diminish in the future
as the increase of plastics consumption has been significantly more dynamic in Poland in
the last decade (Bogucka and Brunner, 2007). These countries had the different waste
treatment and waste recycling rate. Table 2.5 shows the rates of plastic waste recycled,
thermally treated and land-filled in those both countries.
Table 2.5 Rate of Recycling, Thermal-Treatment, and Landfilling (Bogucka and
Brunner, 2007)
Waste treatment Percentage (%) of each rate
Austria Poland
Recycling 14 5
Energy recovery 60 4
Landfilling 26 91
2. Redetermine goods
Redefine problems