Circular economy: Italian Antarctic base recycles waste too

A system that makes it possible to separate, classify and reuse waste, turning it from problem to resource and preserving the Antarctic ecosystem. It’s the circular economy model that ENEA has applied to the Italian "Mario Zucchelli" base in Antarctica, based on the separate collection of plastic, tetrapak, glass, cardboard, copper, steel and organic residues for decreasing incinerator use.

"We have developed a model of waste management which has been extensively tested and replicated in all research centers that produce urban and / or special waste", explained Giuseppe Fantauzzi, responsible for waste management at the Zucchelli base, which during the 3/4 months of the Antarctic campaigns, can accommodate up to 100 people between researchers and technicians.

All waste from the base is disposed of in Italy, including organic waste. The disposal of the waste produced in the Zucchelli base in Antarctica is carried out every 2 years, thanks to a ship made available by the National Program of Research in Antarctica (PNRA). With the last transport, 22 containers were shipped to Italy, to the port of Ravenna and assigned for disposal / recovery to companies in the waste sector. Of the 148 tonnes landed, 127, equal to 86%, were recovered, while the remaining 21 tonnes (ashes, fuels, glues, paints, laboratory chemicals, sanitaryware) were sent to landfills.

"In order to protect the Antarctic ecosystem, it’s important to accurately separate waste that can be reused. For an efficient sampling of liquids in barrels and tanks, for example, we have built a tube, with an hermetically sealed valve operated from the outside, which gives the possibility to sample a few millimeters from the bottom of the containers. Furthermore, the transparent and graduated tube allows to check and measure the stratification of liquids in emulsion ", Fantauzzi, who created the tool, explained.

In addition to laying the foundations of a "virtuous circle" of waste, the correct separation of "noble" waste from those dangerous to man and the environment allows to drastically reduce the costs for the disposal of all those substances that cannot be recovered . The composition of the waste can be determined either by using the information contained in the product safety data sheets or based on the entire production process that originated it. Sometimes it is necessary to conduct chemical-physical analysis of the waste with a sampling carried out on site.

For more information please contact:

Giuseppe Fantauzzi, ENEA - Direzione Infrastructures and Services, giuseppe.fantauzzi@enea.it