LANDFILL MINING AUSTRIA: PILOT REGION STYRIA

Austria
Partners

Montanuniversität Leoben

Contact

Roland Pomberger
Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering
Franz-Josef-Straße 18
8700 Leoben

E: roland.pomberger@unileoben.ac.at
T: +43 384 240 251 50

Visit: www.avaw.unileoben.ac.at

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

To evaluate the possibility of landfill mining in Austria a fundamental research project called “Landfill Mining Austria – Pilot region Styria” (funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency) was initialized by the Chair of Waste Processing Technologies and Waste Management of the Montanuniversitaet Leoben in cooperation with different partners and the government of Styria. This project shall provide insights into the technology and economics of landfill mining, which might be used for large-scale landfill deconstruction in the future. In the course of the project, the basic concept for an ecological and legal evaluation of a landfill mining scheme should be elaborated to deviate suitable assessment tools and to develop an economic model for decision making.

PROJECT GOALS
  • Obtain data on the amount, the type and composition of wastes deposited in landfills of Styria.

  • Investigation and presentation of the resource potential of selected landfills.

  • Define one or more location/s, which may be suitable for a deconstruction.

  • Collect data on existing and proven technologies and examine their suitability for landfill dismantling.

  • Extraction of representative samples and characterization of the deposited materials in terms of quantity and quality.

  • Determination of the actual waste composition and its influence on sorting technologies.

  • Representation of the real usable content and evaluation of the amount and quality of recovered materials.

  • Development of economically viable recovery paths and markets, recruiting of potential customers.

  • Use results of the studies for introduction of new legislation in Austria to facilitate the use of old landfills as secondary raw material storages in future.

FUNDING TYPE: The Austrian Research Promotion Agency

Contact us

Location

Department of Materials Engineering
Kasteelpark Arenberg 44
3001 Leuven, Belgium