Low-waste and non-waste technologies: definition, description, problems and principles

The problems of the harmful influence of industry on the environment have long troubled ecologists. Along with modern means of organizing effective methods for the disposal of hazardous waste, options are also being developed to minimize the initial damage to the environmental situation. In this regard, reducing waste emissions allows not only to reduce damage to nearby infrastructure facilities, but also to increase the economic efficiency of enterprises. True, non-waste technologies require significant contributions in the course of implementation. The introduction of such programs often affects the production stages, forcing the leaders to review the approaches to the provision of technological processes.

What are wasteless and low-waste technologies?

In a broad view, wastelessness does not at all imply a total refusal to produce secondary products that remain after the main production process. That is, the definition of wasteless technology can mean the organization of the enterprise, in which the most rational consumption of natural resources and energy is carried out. But this is still a general definition of this concept. If strictly to approach the issue, non-waste technologies should be presented as a general principle of the organization of the production process, according to which the raw materials are used completely in a closed cycle.

A low-waste technology deserves special attention. In essence, this is an intermediate link, which allows to transfer the enterprise to the production mode with a full cycle with minimum costs. At sites where the low-waste concept was implemented, the level of harmful impact on the ecological background is observed, not exceeding the permissible sanitary standards. Nevertheless, if wasteless technologies involve the full processing of secondary raw materials, then long-term storage or disposal of materials is allowed in this case.

How is the wastage of production assessed?

To begin with, it should be noted that the full implementation of completely wasteless production is not always possible. There are entire industries in which enterprises and combines for various reasons can not get out of the status of low-waste. In this regard, estimates of wastelessness deserve attention. In particular, specialists use coefficients that allow to determine what percentage of waste the enterprise can not process and send for disposal or storage.

For example, low-waste and non-waste technologies in the coal industry are more difficult to implement than in other industries. In this case, the rate of wastelessness varies between 75 and 95%. Also, we should recall the very essence of introducing technologies that reduce the impact of harmful substances on the environment. Taking into account this aspect, one can speak about the need to determine and share the useful substances that are contained in the waste. Sometimes this figure reaches 80%.

Principles of technology

Wasteless technology is based on several principles, the main among which are the following:

• Systems approach. It assumes that it is necessary to consider the object of production from the point of view of waste minimization without detachment from the regional industrial infrastructure.
• Cyclicity of flows. According to this principle, there should be in some way a cycle of used raw materials, as well as energy that provides its processing.
• Complex application of resources. This principle provides for maximum consumption of raw materials and energy potential. Since any raw material can be considered as a complex, all its components must be extracted during production cycles.
• Limitation of environmental impacts. We can say that this is the main idea, in accordance with which low-waste and non-waste technologies of production in different sectors are developed.
• Rationality of production organization. In this case, optimization of technological processes is proposed with the aim of maximizing the savings of material resources, energy costs and financial investments.

The process of introduction of wasteless technologies

Any actions aimed at changing the production process, provide for the development of the project. In this case, it can be assumed that there are no drainage technological systems and water circulation cycles on the platform of effective filtration methods. Such schemes, for example, are used in industries of galvanic production. One of the most effective tools for processing secondary raw materials is the introduction of non-waste technologies that exclude the formation of secondary products in principle. For this, additional stages of processing and cleaning are introduced into production processes. It is also practiced to create separate industrial complexes that purposefully realize closed systems with the provision of processing of material flows.

Wastelessness in metallurgy

In the process of designing the plants that will handle the processing of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, the widest range of means for ensuring non-waste production is used. For example, liquid, gaseous and solid wastes may be involved in processing. As a basic tool for minimizing processing products, cleaning agents are also used. In addition, low-waste and non-waste technologies can operate not only directly within a metallurgical enterprise. Mining and processing plants, where the development of large-tonnage waste disposal is taking place, are engaged in the production of finished building materials. In particular, from the waste do bookmark for the mines, form the wall blocks and lay road surfaces.

Wastelessness in agriculture

This sphere of economic activity is the most flexible in terms of using funds that provide for the secondary processing of resources. This is due to the fact that most of the agricultural wastes are based on products of organic origin. For example, non-waste technologies can appear in the form of re-use of compost, manure, sawdust, foliage and other materials. Further from these wastes the raw material base for fertilizer is formed, which saves the costs of non-renewable resources.

Waste-free energy

In modern power engineering specialists are guided by the wide application of technological methods of fuel combustion. This can be the use of a fluidized bed, which helps minimize the pollutants in the exhaust gases. Also, waste-free production technology in the energy sector is manifested in the form of mastering developments designed to purify gas emissions from nitrogen and sulfur oxides. Changing approaches to the technical equipment of enterprises. Dust-cleaning equipment, for example, is operated with a high efficiency, and the resulting ash is subsequently transferred to the construction sector as an ingredient of concrete solutions.

Problems of non-waste and low-waste production

Most of the problems arising in the process of transition to wasteless production are due to the contradiction between the desire to minimize processing products and preserve the efficiency of enterprises. Inclusion in the production processes of new stages with the recycling of secondary raw materials, for example, reduces the economic performance of industrial facilities. Also, the problems of non-waste technology are associated with the inability to process a number of emission products. Mostly this applies to the chemical industry, in which the volume of harmful gaseous waste increases. However, there are also reverse examples, when the introduction of projects of non-waste production contributed to an increase in economic efficiency. In the same mining industry, enterprises realize as a secondary raw material rocks with characteristics that meet the requirements of construction plants.

Management of non-waste enterprises

Integration of systems that allow to optimize production capacity from the point of view of minimizing the formation of harmful wastes also implies the improvement of management processes. From the enterprises the organization of the whole complex of functions which allow to regulate formation, application and placing of products of processing is required. At the same time, it is important to take into account that non-waste technologies at enterprises affect not only the immediate sources of secondary raw materials, but also further consumers. To improve the effectiveness of the subsequent waste management, the storage and disposal systems for raw materials are improved.

Conclusion

Despite the reduction in production in the crisis, the harmful impact of industrial enterprises on the environment remains at the same level (at best). This is explained by the fact that managers are trying to save, including environmental costs. Nevertheless, waste - free resource-saving technologies allow solving such problems by offering means for more rational consumption of the raw material base. In other words, waste reduction measures come into effect already at the first stages of the technological process. This makes it possible not only to optimize the volumes of the final output of the secondary product, but also to save on the initial costs associated with the purchase of resources for production.