Ofira Ayalon

One size fits all? An assessment tool for solid waste management at local and national levels

As environmental awareness rises, integrated solid waste management (WM) schemes are increasingly being implemented all over the world. The different WM schemes usually address issues such as landfilling restrictions (mainly due to methane emissions and competing land use), packaging directives and compulsory recycling goals. These schemes are, in general, designed at a national or regional level, whereas local conditions and constraints are sometimes neglected. When national WM top-down policies, in addition to setting goals, also dictate the methods by which they are to be achieved, local authorities lose their freedom to optimize their operational WM schemes according to their specific characteristics. There are a myriad of implementation options at the local level, and by carrying out a bottom-up approach the overall national WM system will be optimal on economic and environmental scales. This paper presents a model for optimizing waste strategies at a local level and evaluates this effect at a national level. This is achieved by using a waste assessment model which enables us to compare both the economic viability of several WM options at the local (single municipal authority) level, and aggregated results for regional or national levels. A test case based on various WM approaches in Israel (several implementations of mixed and separated waste) shows that local characteristics significantly influence WM costs, and therefore the optimal scheme is one under which each local authority is able to implement its best-fitting mechanism, given that national guidelines are kept. The main result is that strict national/regional WM policies may be less efficient, unless some type of local flexibility is implemented. Our model is designed both for top-down and bottom-up assessment, and can be easily adapted for a wide range of WM option comparisons at different levels.

Greenhouse gas emission mitigation plan for the State of Israel: : strategies, incentives and reporting

In the context of the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its accompanying Kyoto Protocol, participating nations have recognized the need for formulating Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). These NAMAs allow countries to take into account their national circumstances and to construct measures to mitigate GHG emissions across economic sectors. Israel has declared to the UN that it would strive to reduce its GHG emissions by 20% in the year 2020 relative to a ‘business as usual scenario. With its growing population and an expanding economy, the national GHG mitigation plan was developed to draw a course for steering the Israeli economy into a low-carbon future while accommodating continued economic growth. The article describes relevant policy measures, designed to aid in the implementation of the plan and compares them with measures being undertaken by different countries. Emphasis is placed on analysing the progress to date, opportunities and barriers to attaining the ultimate GHG emissions reduction goals. The objective of this article is to contribute to the knowledge base of effective approaches for GHG emissions reduction. We emphasize the integrated approach of planning and implementation that could be especially useful for developing countries or countries with economies in transition, as well as for developed countries. Yet, in the article we argue that NAMAs’ success hinges on structured tracking of progress according to emerging global consensus standards such as the GHG Protocol Mitigation Goals Standard. Policy relevance: The study is consistent with the NAMA concept, enabling a country to adopt a ‘climate action plan’ that contributes to its sustainable development, while enabled by technology and being fiscally sound. The analysis shows that although NAMAs have been framed in terms of projects, policies, and goals, current methodologies allow only the calculation of emission reductions that can be attributed to distinct projects. Currently, no international guidance exists for quantifying emissions reduction from policy-based NAMAs, making it difficult to track and validate progress. This gap could be addressed by an assessment framework that we have tested, as part of a World Resources Institute pilot study for an emerging voluntary global standard.

The potential conflict between traditional perceptions and environmental behavior: compost use by Muslim farmers

Although traditional societies often have a deep understanding of ecological relationships, traditional or religious values might be in conflict with current environmental values. According to Islamic Law, some compost sources used for agricultural purposes are impure, especially human and pig excreta. This study examined how Muslim farmers perceive the issue of impurity of compost sources and the extent to which the conflict between traditional and modern values affects compost use. Questionnaires were distributed to 77 Muslim and 11 Christian farmers in Israel, examining their personal characteristics, attitudes toward compost use, awareness of its sources and advantages, and the influence of traditional perceptions on the tendency to use compost. Interviews were conducted with agricultural consultants and Muslim clergy. Although the use of compost was limited, a higher level of awareness was found among the younger and/or more educated Muslim farmers. Varied attitudes were expressed regarding the degree of purity/impurity; 52xa0% of the respondents expressed willingness to use compost if derived from pure materials. The agricultural consultants were acquainted with Muslim farmers who recoiled from the use of compost. The Muslim religious leaders stated that impure substances can be purified through biochemical reactions during the composting process and noted that the use of compost is preferable if chemical fertilizers are harmful to the environment. Although Muslim farmers expressed willingness to use compost if it was proved to be pure according to Islam, this paper addresses how, in practical terms, universal environmental policies may give rise to value conflicts in traditional communities.

The state of municipal solid waste management in Israel

Regulation is a key tool for implementing municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategies and plans. While local authorities in Israel are responsible for the storage, collection, and disposal of MSW, Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoEP) is responsible for the formulation and implementation of waste management policies and legislation. For the past 12 years, about 80% of the MSW in Israel has been landfilled and recycling rates have not increased, despite regulations. This paper presents the state of MSW management in Israel in light of the MoEP’s strategic goal of landfilling reduction, the regulations and legislation designed and implemented for achieving this goal, and the ensuing results. Among other things, the results indicate the importance of monitoring and assessing policy and regulations to examine whether regulation is in fact effective and whether it keeps track of its own targets and goals or not. It is also concluded that even when there is an extensive regulation that includes a wide range of laws, economic penalties and financial incentives (such as landfill levy and financing of MSW separation at source arrangements), this does not guarantee proper treatment or even an improvement in waste management. The key to success is first and foremost a suitable infrastructure that will enable achievement of the desired results.

What gets measured gets managed: A new method of measuring household food waste

The quantification of household food waste is an essential part of setting policies and waste reduction goals, but it is very difficult to estimate. Current methods include either direct measurements (physical waste surveys) or measurements based on self-reports (diaries, interviews, and questionnaires). The main limitation of the first method is that it cannot always trace the waste source, i.e., an individual household, whereas the second method lacks objectivity. This article presents a new measurement method that offers a solution to these challenges by measuring daily produced food waste at the household level. This method is based on four main principles: (1) capturing waste as it enters the stream, (2) collecting waste samples at the doorstep, (3) using the individual household as the sampling unit, and (4) collecting and sorting waste daily. We tested the feasibility of the new method with an empirical study of 192 households, measuring the actual amounts of food waste from households as well as its composition. Household food waste accounted for 45% of total waste (573u202fg/day per capita), of which 54% was identified as avoidable. Approximately two thirds of avoidable waste consisted of vegetables and fruit. These results are similar to previous findings from waste surveys, yet the new method showed a higher level of accuracy. The feasibility test suggests that the proposed method provides a practical tool for policy makers for setting policy based on reliable empirical data and monitoring the effectiveness of different policies over time.

Designing an agricultural vegetative waste-management system under uncertain prices of treatment-technology output products

Setting up a sustainable agricultural vegetative waste-management system is a challenging investment task, particularly when markets for output products of waste-treatment technologies are not well established. We conduct an economic analysis of possible investments in treatment technologies of agricultural vegetative waste, while accounting for fluctuating output prices. Under a risk-neutral approach, we find the range of output-product prices within which each considered technology becomes most profitable, using average final prices as the exclusive factor. Under a risk-averse perspective, we rank the treatment technologies based on their computed certainty-equivalent profits as functions of the coefficient of variation of the technologies output prices. We find the ranking of treatment technologies based on average prices to be robust to output-price fluctuations provided that the coefficient of variation of the output prices is below about 0.4, that is, approximately twice as high as that of well-established recycled-material markets such as glass, paper and plastic. We discuss some policy implications that arise from our analysis regarding vegetative waste management and its associated risks.

BIODEGRADABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT BY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION: A COMPARISON BETWEEN POLICY APPROACHES AND REGULATION IN ITALY AND ISRAEL

Biodegradable waste is a significant component of municipal solid waste (MSW); anaerobic digestion allows the recycling of this waste. This paper presents a comparison between definitions, management, and usage of digestate/sludge and sewage from the anaerobic digestion (AD) of biodegradable waste in Italy and Israel in light of the legislation in both countries. Italian legislation is focused on three main components of the whole management/ recycling chain of bio-waste: the source of the waste, the characteristics of the digestate, the environmental matrix (i.e., soil and water) affected by the use of the digestate. Some relevant differences are currently present in the legislation concerning bio-waste and the sewage sludge management. In particular, both EU and Italian legislation lack specific “end-of-waste criteria” regarding the digestate from the AD of bio-waste. The legislation in Israel, on the other hand, is more focused on the application of the digestate and sewage from AD plants on soil rather than the source of the bio-waste. The focus on the end product (waste, water or sludge) is due to scarcity of water as well as soil sensitivity for agriculture use. The comparison indicates profound differences between the two countries, revealing inter alia advantages and disadvantages.u200b

A regional optimization model for waste-to-energy generation using agricultural vegetative residuals

The spatial distribution of vegetative agricultural residuals (VAR) implies that any waste treatment system (WTS) designed to manage VAR is particularly sensitive to transportation costs. Additionally, a wide range of treatment technologies is potentially available for VAR treatment, but some of them lack a well-developed market for their output products. This study develops a method to design an economically feasible VAR treatment system, analyzing the profitability of the system as a function of logistics and uncertain market prices of the available treatment technologies products. The design method includes an economic optimization model followed by a sensitivity analysis of the potential changes in the systems profitability. The results show that the market price of the treatment technologies products has a larger impact on the systems profitability than transportation costs. Specifically, if biochar prices reach the level forecasted by experts, pyrolysis will become the dominant technology of the WTS. The research highlights the importance of the treatment technology selection and the location of treatment facilities in the design of an optimal WTS for VAR.

Economic Aspects of Israeli Adaptation Policy to Climate Change

Adaptation policy is becoming a key issue of the post-Kyoto 2012 international climate policy agreement. The difficulties in implementing national and international mitigation policies and the increasing awareness of climate change phenomena eventually gave impetus to science and policy research on adaptation. Therefore, the Ministry of Environmental Protection established the Israeli Climate Change Information Center (ICCIC). The mission of the information center is to assemble the scientific research regarding adaptation to climate change, identify research gaps and define the risks and consequences of climate change in various sectors. Furthermore, the ICCIC will integrate Israels knowledge and technologies for implementation within Israel and other countries.This research is part of developing a national scientific knowledge base that will support the evolvement of the national adaptation plan, focusing on economic aspects. The research includes gathering and integration of available research and policy documents concerning adaptation to climate changes, in order to identify knowledge gaps from economic aspects, to recognize all the risks and implications of climate change and to propose a national policy of adaptation.The research is based on survey of various measures to cope with climate change in order to determine the economic resources that should be invested, even if the effects of climate change turn out to be less severe. These options are defined as No Regret alternatives. The specific areas that were investigated are as follows. First, the climate changes that are predicted for the next 50 years are presented. Second, specific policies for water resources, public health, bio-diversity and green building are discussed. Finally, the mutual connections amongst the above-mentioned areas are analyzed in a multi-disciplinary concept using economic perspectives.

Sustainable ‘Green’ Rural Municipalities

The chapter suggests several ways to reduce carbon emissions from rural communities. Both the waste and the energy sectors are significant producers of greenhouse gases (GHG), but with proper management it is possible not only to reduce the amount of GHG, but also to obtain other ancillary benefits. In the field of sustainable waste management, both the city and the agricultural sector gain from cooperation in which the agricultural sector serves as the recipient of an increasing volume of the rich organic waste produced in the city. This means of waste management is significant for countries characterised by high organic content of the waste, poor organic content of agricultural land, and generally inferior waste-management practices. According to this method, each ton of waste reduces 0.25 t of CO2 equivalents by avoiding methane emission at landfill sites, and furthermore, the addition of compost to agriculture soils can increase yields: the production of 1 t of dry vegetative matter leads to the sequestration of 2 t of CO2. Another means to reduce carbon emission is by increasing energy efficiency in the community. Several alternative measures are presented in the chapter, including advanced solar technologies. In addition to carbon emission reduction, the suggested alternatives can reduce air pollution and energy expenditures.