5.6 Introduction to the Waste Flow Diagram

Summary

This video introduces the Waste Flow Diagram tool, designed for rapid assessment of plastic leakage in solid waste management systems. It explains how the tool visualizes waste flows and helps quantify plastic pollution, linking to sustainable development goals. The video outlines the necessary input data, including municipal solid waste management stages, and how to apply leakage factors to estimate plastic leakage. It also demonstrates how to predict the fate of leaked plastics and assess intervention scenarios, promoting informed decision-making to reduce waste and pollution.

Takeaways

• 🔧 The Waste Flow Diagram tool is a rapid, observation-based assessment tool to estimate plastic leakage.
• 🌍 It visualizes solid waste management systems and links them to plastic pollution, helping to quantify leakage.
• 📊 The tool helps users make informed decisions on improving waste management and reducing plastic pollution.
• 🏙️ It is specifically useful for evaluating municipal solid waste systems, focusing on collection, sorting, transportation, and disposal stages.
• 🔍 Plastic leakage occurs at multiple stages of waste management, and the tool quantifies this leakage through 'leakage influencers.'
• 🚛 Key leakage influencers include waste containment and transport issues such as overloading trucks or inadequate coverage.
• 🌱 The Waste Flow Diagram tool is aligned with SDG 11.6.1 and can directly utilize and visualize relevant data.
• ♻️ Users are guided through estimating plastic leakage and predicting how much plastic ends up on land, in water, or burned.
• 🧮 The tool avoids complex calculations and statistics, making it user-friendly and accessible.
• 🤝 Developed by GIZ, University of Leeds, Eawag, and Wasteaware, the tool supports sustainable interventions to reduce plastic pollution.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of the Waste Flow Diagram tool?

The primary purpose of the Waste Flow Diagram tool is to conduct a rapid and observation-based assessment to calculate the amounts of plastic leaked into the environment and their final fates, providing a standardized visualization of municipal solid waste and plastic flows.

How does the Waste Flow Diagram tool help in addressing plastic pollution?

The tool helps by identifying sources of plastic pollution and allowing interventions before the plastic is released into the environment. It quantifies plastic leakage and visualizes waste flows, aiding in making informed decisions on improvements and evaluating their impact on reducing waste and plastic pollution.

What is the link between the Waste Flow Diagram tool and Sustainable Development Goal 11.6.1?

The tool is harmonized to directly use and visualize data of SDG indicator 11.6.1, which measures total municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities with regards to the total waste generated by cities.

What input data is needed to run the Waste Flow Diagram?

To run the Waste Flow Diagram, users need information about the municipal solid waste management system, including generators, collection system, sorting stage, transport network, and disposal facilities. Ideally, this information should be up-to-date and reliable.

What are 'leakage influencers' in the context of the Waste Flow Diagram tool?

Leakage influencers are aspects related to infrastructure and practices that influence the potential leakage of plastic from each stage of the municipal solid waste management system, such as the degree to which the load of waste exceeds the capacity of the trucks.

How does the tool quantify the generated plastic leakage?

The tool quantifies the generated plastic leakage by applying leakage factors to each leakage influencer, which are expert-guessed factors representing the percentage of plastics that could turn into leakage at a particular stage of the municipal solid waste management system.

What is the role of decision trees in the Waste Flow Diagram tool?

Decision trees in the tool help users determine the leakage potentials for each leakage influencer by choosing the pollution level whose description best fits the case study. The tool then combines the corresponding leakage factors to calculate the amount of plastic leaking from each stage.

How does the tool estimate the final fate of leaked plastic?

The tool guides users to estimate how much of the leaked plastic will end up in one of four fates: retained on land, burnt, into a drainage system, or into water bodies, based on observations and descriptions provided in the user manual.

Can the Waste Flow Diagram tool be used to measure the impact of potential intervention scenarios?

Yes, the tool allows users to measure and visualize the impact of potential intervention scenarios, such as increasing collection rates, on plastic leakage and waste management.

Who developed the Waste Flow Diagram tool and what was the collaboration?

The Waste Flow Diagram tool was developed through a collaboration between GIZ, the University of Leeds, Eawag, and wasteaware, with support from the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and GIZ.

What additional tools are recommended for a more detailed analysis of plastic pollution?

For a more detailed analysis of the situation, other tools such as the ISWA plastic pollution calculator are recommended.

Outlines

00:00

🗺️ Introduction to the Waste Flow Diagram Tool

The video introduces the Waste Flow Diagram tool, an assessment tool designed to estimate plastic leakage in waste management systems. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and quantifying plastic pollution to inform sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 11.6.1. The script discusses the global concern of plastic pollution and the inadequacy of current efforts like beach cleanups and bans on single-use plastics. It highlights the need for systematic assessment tools to identify sources of plastic pollution and intervene effectively. The Waste Flow Diagram is presented as a solution for rapid, approximate assessments at the municipal level, with a focus on the stages of waste management where plastic leakage occurs.

05:02

🔍 Detailed Explanation of Waste Flow Diagram Assessment

This paragraph delves into the specifics of how the Waste Flow Diagram tool operates. It explains the concept of 'leakage influencers' which are factors that affect the potential for plastic leakage at different stages of municipal solid waste management, such as transportation. The script outlines how users assess these influencers and apply leakage factors to calculate the amount of plastic that could leak. It also discusses how the tool guides users to estimate the final fate of leaked plastic, whether it remains on land, is burnt, enters a drainage system, or water bodies. The video script assures viewers that the tool is user-friendly, avoiding complex calculations, and is supported by a collaboration of organizations including GIZ, the University of Leeds, Eawag, and wasteaware. It concludes by encouraging viewers to try the tool and provides recommendations for further reading.

Keywords

💡Waste Flow Diagram

The Waste Flow Diagram is a tool designed for rapid assessment of plastic leakage in solid waste management systems. It allows users to visualize the flow of waste and identify points where plastic might leak into the environment. The tool is crucial for the video's theme as it is the central method discussed for assessing and managing plastic pollution. In the script, it is mentioned as a way to guide users through the process of quantifying plastic leakages and visualizing waste management.

💡Plastic Leakage

Plastic leakage refers to the release of plastic waste into the environment, which can lead to pollution, particularly affecting water systems. It is a key concept in the video as it is the primary issue the Waste Flow Diagram tool aims to address. The script discusses how plastic leakage occurs at various stages of waste management and how the tool can help quantify and mitigate it.

💡Municipal Solid Waste Management

Municipal solid waste management encompasses the collection, sorting, transportation, and disposal of waste generated by households and businesses. It is central to the video's narrative as the Waste Flow Diagram tool focuses on this system to identify and quantify plastic leakage. The script mentions that plastic can leak into the environment at various stages of this system.

💡Sustainable Development Goal 11.6.1

Sustainable Development Goal 11.6.1 is a United Nations target aimed at reducing pollution, including plastic marine pollution, particularly from land-based sources. It is mentioned in the script as a related goal that the Waste Flow Diagram tool supports by providing a methodology to measure waste management in relation to total waste generated.

💡Leakage Influencers

Leakage influencers are factors that affect the potential for plastic to leak from different stages of the municipal solid waste management system. These are critical in the video's discussion as they are used by the Waste Flow Diagram tool to assess and calculate the amount of plastic that could become uncontrolled in the environment. The script provides examples such as the degree to which waste exceeds truck capacity and the level of waste containment in bags.

💡Leakage Factors

Leakage factors are expert-estimated percentages that represent the potential for plastic to leak at specific stages of the waste management system. They are integral to the video's explanation of how the Waste Flow Diagram tool calculates plastic leakage. The script describes how these factors are applied based on observations and descriptions provided in the tool's manual.

💡Pollution Levels

Pollution levels are classifications that describe the extent of environmental pollution, particularly how much leaked plastic ends up in different fates such as land, burnt, drainage systems, or water bodies. This concept is essential in the video as it helps users of the Waste Flow Diagram tool to estimate the final destinations of leaked plastic. The script provides descriptions to help users determine the appropriate pollution level for their case study.

💡Decision Trees

Decision trees are a tool used within the Waste Flow Diagram for organizing and displaying the decision-making process. They are used to determine the leakage potentials for each leakage influencer and are key to the video's explanation of how the tool guides users through the assessment process. The script mentions that there is one decision tree for each stage of the municipal solid waste management system.

💡Quantitative Data

Quantitative data refers to numerical information that can be used to measure and analyze the waste management situation. It is highlighted in the script as the foundation for the Waste Flow Diagram tool's assessments, with a recommendation to use the methodology of SDG indicator 11.6.1 for collecting such data.

💡Plastic Flow Diagrams

Plastic flow diagrams are visual representations of the final destinations of generated plastic waste, as determined by the Waste Flow Diagram tool. They are a key output of the tool and are central to the video's message as they provide a clear, standardized way to understand and communicate the results of the assessment. The script describes how these diagrams show the percentage of collected and uncollected plastic waste.

Highlights

Introduction to the Waste Flow Diagram tool for estimating plastic leakage

Understanding the visualization of solid waste management systems and their link to plastic pollution

Quantifying plastic leakage with the Waste Flow Diagram

Explaining the input data required for the Waste Flow Diagram

Linking the tool to Sustainable Development Goal 11.6.1

The global concern of plastic pollution and international efforts to address it

The importance of identifying sources of plastic pollution

The role of uncollected waste and unsound practices in plastic pollution

The need for system assessment tools to describe waste management and plastic leakage

The design and purpose of the Waste Flow Diagram for rapid assessment

Guidance on using the tool to quantify plastic leakages into the environment

How the results of the assessment can inform decisions and evaluate impacts

The use of the Waste Flow Diagram for benchmarking between different case studies

Understanding the municipal solid waste management system stages

Quantifying plastic leakage with information on infrastructure and practices

The concept of leakage influencers and their impact on plastic leakage

Leakage factors as expert-estimated percentages of potential plastic leakage

The process of conducting observations and applying leakage factors

Calculating the amount of plastic leaking from each stage of waste management

Estimating the final fates of leaked plastic waste

Visualizing the final destinations of generated plastic waste

The tool's ability to measure and visualize the impact of intervention scenarios

The simplicity of the tool, avoiding complicated calculations and complex statistics

Collaboration behind the development of the Waste Flow Diagram tool

Encouragement to test the tool in one's own city

Recommendations for further reading on the topic

Transcripts

Welcome to this video on the Waste Flow Diagram tool,

a rapid and observation-based assessment tool to estimate plastic leakage.

After watching this video, you will understand

how the Waste Flow Diagram tool simply visualizes solid waste

management systems, how this is associated with plastics pollution,

and how it helps you quantify plastic leakage.

We will also explain what input data is needed to run the Waste Flow Diagram,

and how this links to sustainable development goal 11.6.1.

We are all aware of the plastic pollution problem,

particularly in areas with poor waste management.

This emerging global concern has already led to many

international meetings, initiatives, commitments, and actions.

Including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal

14.1 with the objective to reduce plastic marine pollution,

particularly from land-based sources.

Many efforts are underway to try to reduce plastic pollution.

Such as beach cleanups.

Bans on certain types of single-use plastics,

such as lightweight plastic bags.

And the development of reuse and recycling options.

Whilst these efforts have good intentions,

they possibly do not sufficiently solve the problem.

What you really need is to identify the sources of plastic pollution,

and intervene before it is released and becomes uncontrolled in the environment.

Uncollected waste together with waste

that leaks from unsound practices during the municipal solid waste

management stages of collection, sorting, transportation, and disposal

are some of the main sources of plastic pollution,

specifically in low and middle income settings.

To understand how to intervene in an effective manner

we need system assessment tools describing waste and resources

management, and associated plastic leakage at the municipal, town, or city level.

The Waste Flow Diagram was designed exactly for this purpose,

aiming at the rapid approximate first assessment.

I will now hand over to Imanol Zabaleta

to guide you to the Waste Flow Diagram tool.

Welcome to this video on the Waste Flow Diagram tool.

The tool guides the user through a rapid

and observation-based assessment to quantify plastic leakages into the

environment and ultimately into water systems of a specific location

be that a town, city, or metropolitan areas.

Then, the results are visualized in a standardized way

to show municipal solid waste and plastic mass flows,

including plastic pollution in the environment.

The outcomes of the Waste Flow Diagram assessment

serve to make informed decisions on what improvements to do where.

As well as to evaluate their impacts on reducing waste and plastic pollution.

Using the same approach in different case studies

can also act as benchmark enabling comparison between them.

In order to run the Waste Flow Diagram,

users must have a good understanding of the municipal

solid waste management system of the case study.

A municipal solid waste management system

is composed of different stages. Namely, the generators,

a collection system, a sorting stage, a transport network,

and lastly, disposal facilities.

In every one of these stages, plastic can leak into the environment.

In order to quantify this generated plastic leakage,

the tool requires the following information.

Ideally, this information should be as up-to-date and reliable as possible.

However, if you do not have this information,

or you do not trust the one you have, we recommend you

to follow the methodology of the SDG indicator 11.6.1.

Which measures total municipal solid waste collected and managed

in controlled facilities, with regards to the total waste generated by cities.

An interesting feature of the Waste Flow Diagram tool

is that it is harmonized, so that it can directly use

and visualize data of SDG indicator 11.6.1.

Once the information of the municipal solid waste management system is

compiled, the next step is to quantify the plastic waste leaking out

of each stage of the municipal solid waste management system.

For each stage, the Waste Flow Diagram considers a set of

aspects related to infrastructure and practices that influence the

potential leakage of plastic from that stage.

These aspects are referred to as leakage influencers.

Let's choose one of these stages, for example transportation.

The three leakage influencers of transportation are:

the degree to which the load of waste exceeds the capacity of the trucks,

the level of waste containment in bags,

and the level of coverage of the trucks.

Every stage of the municipal solid waste management system

has several leakage influencers, and each leakage influencer

can have different levels of leakage potential: low, medium, high, or very high.

For each leakage potential level, the manual provides a general description

and a leakage factor as the ones shown in this table.

The leakage factors are expert guessed factors that represent

the percentage of plastics at that particular stage of the municipal

solid waste management system that could turn into leakage.

The user must conduct observations in the case study,

Decide which of the descriptions fits best to the real situation.

The tool then will apply the corresponding leakage factor.

All these leakage influencers, their different leakage potentials,

and corresponding leakage factors are arranged in decision trees

as the one shown here.

There is one decision tree for each stage of the municipal solid waste

management system. After determining the leakage potentials

for each leakage influencer, the Waste Flow Diagram tool combines the

corresponding leakage factors using the formula at the bottom to

calculate the amount of plastic leaking from that particular

stage of the municipal solid waste management system.

Once we have the leakages, the tool then guides the user on estimating

how much of this leaked amount will ultimately end up

in one of the following four fates:

retained on land, burnt, into a drainage system, or into water bodies.

Similar to how we did for the leakage influencers,

the user manual includes a list of descriptions of how the

environment should look like for each pollution level of each fate.

Here we see the descriptions for each pollution level for the fate "land".

The user needs to choose the pollution level whose description

best fits to the case study.

The results are then presented in plastic flow diagrams as the

one shown here, where we see the final destinations of the generated plastic.

Check that in this case 40 percent of the plastic waste

generated is collected. Whereas 44 percent is uncollected.

Let's now assume we want to know how the diagram

would look like in a different scenario,

where the city invests to increase collection rates

from 40 to 70 percent. The tool also allows measuring and

visualizing the impact of such potential intervention scenarios.

The whole methodology with all steps is explained in the user guide.

For those worried about its complexity, some good news:

The tool has been designed in such a way

that it avoids complicated calculations and complex statistics.

The Waste Flow Diagram tool was developed through a collaboration between GIZ,

the University of Leeds, Eawag, and wasteaware.

Thanks to the support of the German Ministry for Economic

Cooperation and Development, and GIZ.

So, that's it. In this video we introduced the Waste Flow Diagram tool.

The tool helps to conduct a rapid and observation-based assessment

to calculate the amounts of plastic leaked into the environment

and their final fates. It also provides a standardized visualization of

municipal solid waste and plastic flows. It relies on

quantitative data of the municipal solid waste management

situation, for which the methodology of the SDG indicator 11.6.1

is recommended. For a more de tailed analysis of the situation,

other tools are available such as the ISWA plastic pollution calculator.

So, eager to give it a try yourself?

Go and test it in your city using the user manual.

For more in-depth knowledge on the topic, we also recommend

the following key literature. Thank you for watching.