Incineration bottom ashes (IBA) are the main waste from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration. In the Iberian countries (Portugal and Spain), MSW incineration with energy recovery (WtE) plays an important role in MSW management. IBA is highly produced and managed differently both between and within countries. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the management model of IBA using the Iberian Peninsula as a case study, addressing its properties, current management, incentives and difficulties in valorizing, and prospects. For this purpose, incineration plants of both countries were approached, and a broad literature review was conducted to gather information. About 10% and 41% of IBA have been landfilled in Portugal and Spain, respectively. Metals (mostly ferrous) from Portuguese (6% of IBA) and Spanish (9% of IBA) WtE plants are recycled. In Portugal, the remaining IBA (84%) has been temporarily stored (11%), applied to landfills as a substitute for soil in intermediate and final covers, construction of paths, accesses, and platforms (41%), or used in civil engineering work and road construction (48%). In Spain, the remaining IBA (50%) has been reused mainly as a secondary raw material in the construction and civil engineering fields (77%), while the rest has been temporarily stored (11%), applied in the conditioning of landfills (4%), alsoa secondary aggregate replacing natural materials. Both countries regulate IBA reuse outside landfills but consider different requirements and criteria. Nevertheless, there are both drivers and barriers to valorization. In the future, different IBA applications will likely continue to be developed, with the concern of protecting the environment. Growing confidence in IBA reuse following the publication of proper studies is expected. Globally, uniform legal frameworks among EU members with the same standards would likely lead to better IBA valorization.

In the European Union (EU), waste is classified according to the List of Waste (LoW) and relying on the assessment of 15 hazardous properties (HPs). Incineration bottom ash (IBA) from municipal solid waste is a mirror entry in the LoW, which leads to extremely different management options within the EU. IBA has shown potential for different applications under a circular economy perspective, contributing both to avoiding waste landfilling and the consumption of natural resources, such as sand and gravel. In this context, IBA evaluation and classification play a significant role in understanding which protection measures should be taken. This work aims to present an assessment of the 15 HPs and the consequent classification of IBA using data from the industry. Each HP is assessed based on knowledge of waste, chemical composition considering concentration limits for hazardous substances, and/or through tests (chemical, physical, or biological). According to the criteria followed, 5 out of 6 samples from a Portuguese Waste-to-Energy plant were considered non-hazardous. Only one sample was classified as hazardous due to the assignment of HP 10, which resulted from Pb content (0.36%) above the concentration limit established for this property (0.3%). Nonetheless, although most hazardous entries in the LoW have this classification based on HP 14, the results obtained for the samples of this work seem to indicate IBA from this study is non-ecotoxic. Moreover, it has been suggested that IBA could possibly achieve the End-of-Waste status according to the Waste Framework Directive. For such purpose, clear criteria should be laid down to safely use the material, and testing is a crucial step.

Green liquor dregs (GLD) are a major waste of the pulp and paper industry, and their correct classification is important to finding alternatives to landfill disposal. In the European Union, the methodology to determine the hazard property HP 14 (“ecotoxic”) is under discussion. Although biological tests are likely more representative of wastes’ environmental behavior, there are still no official guidelines on procedures, and ecotoxicity classification relies on the chemical composition. This work aimed to evaluate the ecotoxicity of GLD to determine HP 14. The assessment comprised a chemical analysis (using ClassifyMyWaste software) and a battery of biotests targeting aquatic ecosystems (Lepidium sativum, Aliivibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata, Lemna minor, and Daphnia magna). The chemical analysis denoted GLD as a “Possible Hazard,” while the battery of biotests showed high ecotoxic effects for three out of five organisms, the most sensitive being Lepidium sativum, Lemna minor, and Daphnia magna. The pH correction of tested eluates to neutral values did not modulate the noticed effects. Globally, the results suggest that GLD should be classified as ecotoxic. Though, the European waste legislation should provide guidelines to apply the end-of-waste criteria and avoid landfilling even for materials like GLD.

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