An efficient waste to energy model for isolated environments. Case study: La Gomera

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a problematic aspect in isolated environments. Not only because the production of waste grows exponentially, but because in these isolated regions the difficulties are accentuated in compar-ison with the peninsular territories. The limitation of space, the technology of scale and the peaks of generation due to existing tourism, are clear examples of the barriers that must be overcome. This document studies the potential for the recovery of municipal solid waste on the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands) as an additional source of energy to produce heat and electricity. Also, the pos-sibility of carrying out the landfill mining located in the El Revolcadero envi-ronmental complex is explored. Many advantages are derived from this model: there is a significant increase in the fraction of recycling (almost non-existent at present), a greater share of renewable energy on the island (almost every-thing is diesel), the recovery of green areas and a reduction of greenhouse gas-es (GHG). To overcome the challenges that lie ahead in the integral manage-ment of solid municipal waste, we must move from a linear economy to a cir-cular economy that takes into account the priorities established by the European Union to improve the collection and treatment of municipal waste.