Applying the 3R Approach for Waste Minimization of Petrochemical: a case study in Asaluyeh Industrial Area, Iran

Using the 3Rs approach (reduces, reuse and recycle) for Sustainable Management of Waste, has been put into practice for almost a decade, however, this approach hasn’t been applied for waste minimization in Iran yet. This study is examining the use of 3Rs approach to the waste produced by 11th Olefin Complex in Pars Special Economic Zone. The results of this survey show that in this complex, 265 tons of industrial waste and 408 tons of non-industrial wastes are produced annually. The waste is mostly buried in the city’s landfills. The waste produced by the Complex is scored based on its weight value and the degree of danger. The types of waste which obtained above eight are highly recommended for waste minimization. Seven out of eleven types of waste are considered as hazardous waste and four are not dangerous. In the end, waste minimization strategies and methods have been presented. These methods show the high priority of recycling waste in Olefin complex and they can be used as a stable system for waste minimization in Petrochemical industry.