For the next century to come, one of the biggest challenges is to provide the mankind with relevant and sufficient resources. Recovery of secondary resources plays a significant role. Industrial processes developed to regain minerals for commodity production in a circular economy become ever more important in the European Union and worldwide. Landfill mining (LFM) constitutes an important technological toolset of processes that regain resources and redistribute them with an accompanying reduction of hazardous influence of environmental contamination and other threats for human health hidden in former dump sites and landfills. This review paper is devoted to LFM problems, historical development and driving paradigms of LFM from 'classical hunting for valuables' to 'perspective in ecosystem revitalization'. The main goal is to provide a description of historical experience and link it to more advanced concept of a circular economy. The challenge is to adapt the existing knowledge to make decisions in accordance with both, economic feasibility and ecosystems revitalization aspects. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This article aims to develop a general model for the evaluation of ecological–economic efficiency that will serve as an information support tool for decision making at the corporate, municipal, and regional levels. It encompasses cost–benefi t analysis in solid waste management by applying a sustainability promoting approach that is explicitly related to monetary measures. A waste managements’efficient decision (WAMED) model based on cost–benefit analysis is proposed and developed to evaluate the ecological–economic efficiency of solid waste management schemes. The employment of common business administration methodology tools is featured. A classification of competing waste management models is introduced to facilitate evaluation of the relevance of the previously introduced WAMED model. Suggestions are made for how to combine the previously introduced EUROPE model, based on the equality principle, with the WAMED model to create economic incentives to reduce solid waste management-related emissions. A fictive case study presents the practical application of the proposed cost–benefit analysis-based theory to the landfilling concept. It is concluded that the presented methodology reflects an integrated approach to decreasing negative impacts on the environment and on the health of the population, while increasing economic benefits through the implementation of solid waste management projects.

A cost methodology is proposed for evaluating the ecological-economic efficiency of a municipal solid waste management scheme based on the recommendations of cost-benefit analysis and the full-cost accounting methodology for municipal solid waste management. The methodology employs the previously introduced waste managements' efficient decision (WAMED) model and the company statistical business tool for environmental recovery (COSTBUSTER) indicator. A case study presents the practical application of the proposed cost-benefit analysis-based theory to the landfilling concept currently applied in Kalmar, Sweden. It is concluded that the presented provisions for evaluation of the ecological-economic efficiency of a municipal solid waste management scheme reflect a novel integrated approach to solving the problem of simultaneously decreasing the negative impacts of municipal solid waste on the environment and the health of the population while providing an information support tool for decision making in municipal solid waste management at regional and municipal levels to improve small-and medium-sized company competitiveness in particular.

A cost structure is proposed for optimizing the recirculation and recycling of commodities and energy usage considering regional, national and global operating scales. The methodology proposed involves business administration theory and economics and employs the previously introduced equality principle and the model for efficient use of resources for optimal production economy (EUROPE) to impose shadow costs on unwanted material wastes and energy residuals that produce economic incentives to reduce such wastes at the source. A case study presents the practical application of the proposed theory in a national and a global context. It is concluded that the presented methodology is useful for increasing the cost-effectiveness and optimizing recirculation and recycling in the usage of energy resources and natural resources in general. Profitability increases, technology is advanced and environmental conditions improve simultaneously through the application of the EUROPE model to analyze government policy related to the recirculation and recycling of solid wastes and energy. Furthermore, the equity of the distribution of such recirculation and recycling facilities is improved. The developed methods are useful information support tools for decision-making in the management of energy and other natural resources with emphasis on the economics of recirculated and recycled residuals.

This paper describes a method of optimizing the production economy when excavating an old landfill in order to both minimize its environmental impact and obtain a profit. The analysis employs the equality principle and the 'Efficient Use of Resources for Optimal Production Economy' (EUROPE) model introduced by the first-named author for assigning industrial costs to waste. When using this model, waste has the same economic status as any normal industrial product in line with the inherent meaning of the equality principle. Application of the method to landfill mining then creates novel economic incentives for the improvement of the environment and profitability and the technology used when exploiting older landfills. An introduced key factor enables management to immediately obtain an overall comprehension of the economic, technological and environmental performance of their landfill that continuously can be monitored and evaluated. The results of a Norwegian example imply that impure, and hence unwanted, waste fractions have a certain negative impact on the outcome. This is because of the related internal shadow prices for unwanted wastes and wastes of commercial interest created through use of the equality principle. It is beneficial when landfill mining companies act in accordance with the equality principle to promote sustainable development.

A cost structure is proposed for economising on the energy usage considering regional, national and global operating scales. The introduced methodology involves business administration theory and economics and employs the previously introduced equality principle and the model for Efficient Use of Resources for Optimal Production Economy (EUROPE) to impose shadow costs on unwanted energy residuals which induce economic incentives to reduce such spillages at the source. A case study presents the practical application of the proposed theory in a national and global context. It is concluded that the introduced methodology is useful for increasing the cost-effectiveness and making the usage of major energy resources in general more efficient. Profitability increases, technology is advanced and environmental conditions improve when the EUROPE model is applied on activities that involve energy spillages at higher policy analysis levels. Furthermore, the equity of the distribution of major energy system facilities is improved. The developed methods are suitable information support tools for decision-making in the management of energy resources.

This study shows how material and immaterial flows can be analysed. The basis for the analysis is the equality principle and its mathematical expression the EUROPE model (the model for Efficient Use of Resources for Optimal Production Economy) which creates economic incentives to improve nature, advance the technological standard and increase profits. Particularly, the flows of cargo transportation, mega city supplies, long distance water transportation and various substance flows are described. The theoretical findings show viability for in general improving material and immaterial flows as well as the economy, the technological standard and the living conditions in the geographical regions in question. It is concluded that The EUROPE model based on the equality principle is in theory applicable on transportation policy issues, supplies to major cities, long distance water supply and important substance flows. In general, it is recommended to apply the EUROPE model when undertaking projects involving: transportation, mega city supply; transportation of water over long distances, and; flows of various substances.

A cost structure is proposed for evaluating and improving the ecological-economic efficiency of baling sub-scheme units within solid waste management schemes that end with, for example, incineration for heat and power production. The methodology proposed employs the previously introduced WAste Managements’ Efficient Decision model (WAMED) and the COmpany STatistical BUSiness Tool for Environmental Recovery indicator (COSTBUSTER). The previously introduced equality principle and the Efficient Use of Resources for Optimal Production Economy (EUROPE) model are applied so to in monetary terms express the emissions in case of bale related fire (sol), pollutions from leachate (liq) and odour (g) at a scheme. Previously, the EUROPE model has been applied to residuals from producing industry, the construction sector and whole landfills. A case study presents the practical application of the proposed methodology. It is concluded that the presented novel methodology for evaluation and improvement of the ecological-economic efficiency of solid waste baling management schemes simultaneously decreases the negative impact on the environment and the health of the population, provides the foundation of an investment appraisal support tool for the implementation of solid waste management projects and enables comparative analysis of estimated, actual and prevented monetary damages from the implementation of baling plant units.

An overview of the classification of ecological normalization methods is presented to facilitate the evaluationof alternatives. An historical review is given of the development of several ecological normalization methods such as LifeCycle Assessment and the International Organization for Standardization's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and thelike in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), in the European mainland and in the United States ofAmerica. Mathematical models together with medical laboratory experiments were generally used in the former USSRto establish pollution permission levels, whereas environmental management tools are more emphasized in the Westernworld as ecological normalization methods for firms. Perspectives on the future development of these methods are given.It is concluded that the application of methods for ecological normalization is one of the most efficient ways of managingenvironmental matters today and this promotes human health protection. It is also concluded that the movement towardsan increasing accord in quality standards among various countries using a complex approach will result in the continuousdevelopment of ecological normalization methods.