System for the recovery of beach-cleaning residue
WASTE AND TECHNOLOGY
Beached waste consists mainly of organic substances (algae, aquatic plants, Posidonia), mineral substances (sand, shells) and anthropogenic waste (plastics, microplastics etc.)
In some areas, quantities can be in the order of 600 tons per km of beach.
Sand content is particularly high (up to more than 60% by weight); once separated and washed via the in-system wet process, the sand can be returned to the beach of origin (free of organic matter and waste).
ECOCENTRO SARDEGNA’s advanced system technology, the heart of which is the washing unit, enables pollutants to be transferred from the waste to the process water.
At the same time, organic and inorganic substances are separated and sent to two distinct reuse/recovery chains, and plastics and unwanted substances are removed:
- The resulting washed sand is of high quality, free of contaminants and undesirable substances, making it particularly suited for return to the beach of origin.
- Washed organic substances, consisting mainly of Posidonia, is subjected to a post-washing dewatering process, which allows it to be reused in agriculture and/or ecological building processes.
SYSTEM SECTIONS
STORAGE SECTION
In the storage section, waste is delivered by vehicles from the beaches being cleaned, unloaded into the storage section and fed to the subsequent treatment stages with the aid of operating machines. Residue from road- and drain-cleaning can also be delivered separately to the system via sweeping machines, gully emptiers, and so on.
SEPARATION AND SCREENING SECTION
In the separation and pre-screening section, coarse and light waste, including anthropogenic waste, is preliminarily separated by passing through a specially designed and manufactured star screener that, due to the shaking action exerted, also separates sandy substances retained by wet algae, significantly increasing the overall recovery efficiency of the system .
WASHING AND PARTICLE SIZE SEPARATION SECTION
The heart of the plant is the washing unit, which is specially designed for the treatment of this type of waste. Here, the waste undergoes a counter-current washing process that simultaneously separates non-organic substances (sand) from organic substances (algae, Posidonia). The separation and recovery of finer sands, typical of many beaches, takes place in a separate hydrocyclone unit with spiral gravimetric separators that also permit microplastics and other anthropogenic contaminants to be removed.
SLUDGE DEWATERING AND WASHING WATER TREATMENT SECTION
All the washing water is sent to a chemical-physical-biological treatment section, with final sand filtration, active carbon adsorption and desalination (if necessary), so that it can be fully reused in the process. Sludge from the purification section is separated by sedimentation and mechanically dewatered before being sent on for recovery/disposal.
TECHNOLOGY
Advanced system technology, the heart of which is the washing unit, enables pollutants to be transferred from the waste to the water.
At the same time, organic and inorganic substances are separated and sent to two distinct reuse/recovery chains, and plastics and unwanted substances are removed:
- The resulting washed sand is of high quality, free of contaminants and undesirable substances, making it particularly suited for return to the beach of origin.
- Washed organic substances, consisting mainly of Posidonia, is subjected to a post-washing dewatering process, which allows it to be reused in agriculture and/or ecological building processes.
MATERIALS OBTAINED FROM TREATMENT
SAND
UNRECOVERABLE AND ANTHROPOGENIC WASTE
ORGANIC MATTER
DEWATERED MUD
Successful applications of beach waste recovery systems in operation include the “Respect your Capital” project, in collaboration with the Mare Vivo association, for the protection of the Italian coastline. Over a period of 30 days at Marina di Cecina in Tuscany, on the Le Gorette beach,585 tons of the surface layer of the beach were removed, about 150 tons of beached Posidonia were recovered and transformed into COMPOST (organic soil), about 320 tons of clean and washed sand were returned and replaced, and 10 tons of anthropogenic waste, plastics and microplastics were disposed of.
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