Decontamination Strategies to Increase Fuel and Product Conversion Yields of Municipal Solid Waste

Since the implementation of China’s Green Fence and National Sword policies, many areas lost a market for heavily contaminated municipal solid waste (MSW). Approximately 17.2 million tons of paper and 26.9 million tons of plastic were landfilled in the USA in 2018. This nonrecyclable waste that would normally be landfilled can be converted into fuels and chemicals, but common contaminants that are present in nonrecyclable waste can negatively affect conversion. In addition, MSW is a heterogeneous feedstock whose composition can vary widely across geographical areas and socioeconomic statuses. This presents a unique challenge for providing a consistent feedstock to biorefineries around the world. Techniques that are commonly used in other industries, in addition to preprocessing methods used for traditional biomass, can be used to increase conversion yields. Drawing on established techniques, as well as experimental decontamination strategies, nonrecyclable MSW could represent a viable additional resource to agricultural residues for biofuel production. Although many of the techniques explored in this chapter have been used extensively in other industries, the feedstock composition needs to be carefully considered when choosing prospective decontamination methods. It is likely that there is not a “one-size-fits-all” decontamination method for MSW. A preprocessing and decontamination plan will rely heavily on the composition of the individual waste stream.