There is a growing recognition that the twin problems of waste management and resource depletion can be solved together through the utilization of waste as a resource. Some initiatives looking at the re-use of waste already exist, like in Spain for example, where the environmental complex of Montalban, Spain (Epremasa, Complejo Medioambiantale de Montalban), is a unique example of integrated waste management (EPREMASA, n. d.). It was built to meet the new EU directives regarding waste management; concentrating, recovering and valorizing waste in order to avoid landfilling as much as possible. The company is responsible for waste management operations in the province of Cordoba, Andalusia. It provides home collection of municipal solid waste (household waste, paper, cardboard, glass and electric appliances), transportation, processing and landfill man­agement for 74 municipalities (approximately 475,500 inhabitants). This strategy and the scale of operations allows the facility to be cost-effective with more flexible working procedures and a rationalization of human and material resources involved in the cycle.

The complex is an integrated facility which combines high efficiency waste scanning and segregation, recycling, composting, electricity generation and landfilling activities on the same site. The complex is able to produce high quality recycled plastic by sacrificing 40% of the organic waste through the use of a more rigorous process. Its efficiency is around 90% as only 10% of the plastic arriving at the facility is landfilled (mainly plastic contained in Tetrapack® packaging). As a result, the higher quality plastic meets the specifications for being used in further plastic packaging applications which, up to now, was limited. In addition, compost is commercially produced from organic waste, as well as 1.2 MW of electricity as the composters are connected to a biogas plant.

This process illustrates how the valorization of waste can provide first generation waste-derived feedstocks (recycled plastic, compost, biogas/ energy) as an alternative source of carbon. Such applications reduce the need to use virgin land and finite resources such as oil.