Characterization of Valuable Materials from Incineration of Municipal Biosolid and Solid Waste Ash in Ontario: Assessing the Feasibility and Developing a Business Case for Recovery of Select Materials by Municipalities

Waste materials generally have limited economic value and create an intricate burden for municipalities. Few studies have looked at the recycling potential that comes from complex matrices (i.e. residual ash) generated from the process of municipal waste incineration. The experiment details the methods for an assessment of the total recovery potential of metals from solid waste incineration facilities. This research combines ideas from environmental science, chemistry and policy management to provide analysis for municipalities. Analytical chemical analysis was performed to characterize the quantities of the identified metals over the entirety of the samples. Metal components were determined, and the dollar value of the material that is being disposed of after incineration, was calculated using the market values of the metals of economic interest. From the results presented in the study, a context specific cost benefit analysis was developed for dealing with ash samples from four facilities in southern Ontario.