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LANDFILL MINING FOR INTEGRATED RESOURCE RECOVERY: FIELD-SCALE WASTE CHARACTERIZATION WITH EMPHASIS ON ALUMINUM PERSISTENCE, CORROSION, AND RECOVERABILITY

  • Daniel Amponsah-Berko - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Rebecca Kwofie - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Kwabena Boafo - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Vincent Arohunmolase - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Palas Borkar - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Kobina Akyea Ofori - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Richard Oboh - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Lucy Gibbs - Department of Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Jonathan Robins - Department of Social Science, Michigan Technological University, United States
  • Timothy Eisele - Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, United States

DOI 10.31025/2611-4135/2026.20637

Released under All rights reserved

Copyright: © 2026 CISA Publisher

Abstract

Aluminum is a critical industrial material with infinite recyclability, yet significant quantities are lost to municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills due to inefficient collection and sorting. This study evaluates landfill waste composition and examines aluminum persistence, corrosion behavior, and recoverability as part of an integrated resource recovery assessment through field-scale excavation and laboratory-scale simulations at the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority (MCSWMA) landfill. A total of 208 kg (dry weight) of excavated waste was sieved at 7 mm, yielding 67.4 wt.% fines and 32.58 wt.% coarse fraction. Manual sorting identified plastics (7.28 wt.%), wood (6.26 wt.%), and stones (11.03 wt.%) as major fractions alongside metals (2.34 wt.%), with aluminum at 0.43 wt.%. The combustible fraction (17.66 wt.%) presents potential for refuse-derived fuel production, while inert materials (~12.4 wt.%) are suitable for secondary aggregate reuse, together supporting a multi-stream recovery framework. Approximately 40% of recovered aluminum displayed surface corrosion, primarily affecting foils, while most beverage cans retained metallic integrity. Barrel-scale simulations and SEM-EDS analysis confirmed that uncoated foils are highly susceptible to corrosion through oxide formation and organic surface contamination, while coated cans largely persist in metallic form. All field data derive from a single sampling point and barrel experiments represent a simplified analog; conclusions are therefore site-indicative rather than site-wide. The findings demonstrate that while standalone aluminum recovery is economically insufficient at this concentration, integration within a multi-resource recovery framework — combining metals, combustibles, and inerts — presents a viable pathway toward circular economy objectives.

Keywords

Editorial History

  • Received: 26 May 2026
  • Revised: 07 Sep 2026
  • Accepted: 24 Sep 2026
  • Available online: 11 Nov 2026

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