This guideline focuses on Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) technology for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), mainly household waste and commercial waste, in urban areas of Asian developing countries. It aims to assist decision-makers and policymakers at the national and city levels and other stakeholders, such as energy plants, as well as manufacturing industries that are seeking sources of alternative fuel, to evaluate the feasibility of introducing MBT technology as an appropriate strategic option for improving waste management.
This guideline intends to:
(1) provide a holistic understanding about MBT technology including both advantages and disadvantages, as well as information about the technical and non-technical aspects of planning a sustainable MBT facility, and
(2) propose key evaluation criteria and a precheck flow in the decision-making process to objectively determine and evaluate criteria when considering the potential of introducing MBT technology.
The introduction of MBT technology should follow the waste hierarchy. Priority is placed on prevention to reduce waste generation, followed by re-use and recycling. Evaluating the waste stream and identifying additional potential for reducing, reusing, and recycling waste are also a critical part of the MSW decision-making process. MBT projects can be categorised as a type of complementary technology for the recovery of energy and for the use of materials in chemical or additional energy processes from remaining non-recyclable MSW.