We are excited to announce an essential update to the Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) in the open burning model, now fully integrated into Version 2.0 on the WFD Portal. This improvement refines how the environmental impacts of open burning are calculated and visualized, ensuring a more accurate representation of plastic leakage from disposal sites, particularly in relation to open burning practices and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions tracking.
What’s New in Version 2.0?
This update addresses a critical gap in earlier versions of the WFD. Previously, leakage from disposal facilities caused by burning was included in general leakage pathways (land, drains, and water systems) but was not attributed to open burning itself. The new model corrects this, ensuring open burning’s role is clearly reflected in the data.
The updated model introduces the following enhancements:
- Updated calculations: Leakage from open burning is now calculated with updated logic, giving a fuller picture of its environmental consequences.
- GHG impacts of open burning: Emissions such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and carbon black are now represented, as seen in the Unmanaged Plastic Waste Summary, making the environmental impact of open burning easier to understand.
- Additional visuals and results: Further updates are reflected in the Unmanaged Plastic Waste Summary, Flow diagrams, and Sankey diagrams, providing users with the option to view the results of Version 1 or Version 2.0 to see the changes.
How Does This Benefit Users?
These improvements provide the bigger picture of the environmental implications of open burning – both the reduction in wind-blown plastics and the increase of GHG emissions from burning. This allows users to make more informed decisions when assessing baseline data or exploring various scenarios.
Want to Learn More?
Explore the technical details behind the update on the WFD Forum or try out the new functionality directly on the platform. We welcome your feedback as we continue to refine and improve the functionality of the WFD.
