Persistent Hazardous Waste and the Quest Toward a Circular Economy: The Example of Arsenic in Chromated Copper Arsenate–Treated Wood. (14th December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Augustsson, Anna; Sörme, Louise; Karlsson, Anna; Amneklev, Jennie
• Is Part Of: Journal of industrial ecology. Volume 21:Number 3(2017:Jun.)
• Page Start: 689
• Page End: 699
• Publication Date: 2016-12-14
• Subjects: arsenic -- circular economy -- industrial ecology -- MFA -- treated wood -- waste; Industrial ecology -- Periodicals; Product life cycle -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Écologie industrielle -- Périodiques; 658.56
• DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12516
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1088-1980

Abstract

Summary: The importance of a circular economy is today widely accepted and advocated, but among the challenges in achieving this, we find difficulties in the implementation of legislation and policies designed to control various waste streams from society. The example used in this article is wood that has been treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), which, in Sweden, has been covered by the rules for hazardous waste since 2002. One year later, in 2003, a survey showed that only 42% to 50% of the expected amount of CCA waste could be traced to the public waste management system. An updated material flow analysis for 2010 revealed that the figure had increased to 73%, whereas the fraction of correctly treated CCA wood waste had increased from 11% to 35%. However, almost one third of the expected volume was still not tracable, and half of the amount that was correctly submitted was incinerated together with nontoxic waste fractions. This results in, for example, arsenic contamination of slag and fly ashes that prevents the further use of these residue products. So, despite legislative instruments, there is still an urgent need for an improved collection of hazardous wood waste, as well as better routines for identifying hazardous flows and separating them from nonhazardous ones. For a circular economy to be achievable, a key priority should be to reduce the gap between intended directions and legislation, on one hand, and activities in practice on the other.