This paper presents the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) modelling used in the process of comparing the best technology for disposal municipal solid waste (MSW) in the Banjaluka region. Three scenarios were considered: unsanitary landfill, sanitary landfill with gas collection and burning on flare and sanitary landfill with energy recovery. The Banjaluka landfill is currently an unsanitary landfill because a system for collecting and treating gas has not yet been implemented. The environmental impact from the current waste management system is dominated by the landfill, which has no gas collection. The construction of the gas collecting system with flare is planned for 2015 (70% efficiency, during 30 year period) which will make the Banjaluka landfill a sanitary landfill. The long-term plan encompasses using the landfill gas for heat generation (39% efficiency) and electric energy (19% efficiency), as well as improvement of leachate collection system (from present 60% to 80%) and gas collection (from present 70% to 85%). Landfill with energy recovery leads to saved emission and avoided impact potential in several environmental categories. A sensitivity analysis is applied to the sanitary landfill with gas collection and burning on flare. The results of sensitivity analysis for sanitary landfill with flare indicate that the overall environmental impact is sensitive to the gas collection efficiency, bulk density and period of gas collection.
In this paper life cycle assessment was applied to analyze and evaluate, from an environmental point of view, current and alternatives to the current solid waste management system in Banjaluka region. The current system, which is disposal on landfill, has significant adverse environmental impacts caused by methane emissions from landfill. Therefore, four different scenarios were developed as alternatives to the current waste management system. Landfilling with energy recovery, separate collection of packaging waste, incineration and anaerobic digestion were considered in these scenarios. The functional unit in this study is 100,000 tons which is the amount of municipal waste which is generated within one year in Banjaluka. The assessment in this study was based on results from modelling performed in the EASETECH model. The improvement of gas collection in the current scenario and its utilisation for the purpose of creating energy will have a positive effect on the environment. Increasing separation collection of packaging waste and reducing biodegradable waste will have a positive effect on the environment. The separation and recycling of packaging waste should begin as soon as possible and policies that promote source separated collection should be implemented.
Waste transport is just one of the segments in the solid municipal waste management. Throughout the entire waste life cycle, starting by generation of waste, via storing, collecting, transporting, recycling, treating and depositing, several different polluting substances are emitted. The solid waste transport, apropos, transporting vehicles emit into the air different pollution substances such as CO2, CO, NOx, NMVOC, PM, PAHs etc. These substances can present certain problems for human health and environment. The research subject of this study is the analysis of solid waste transportation within the Banja Luka region (B&H), from towns and municipalities belonging to the region and transporting their mixed municipal waste to the Banja Luka landfill. In the analysis, following parameters are included: distance to the landfill, type of vehicle used for the waste transportation, type of the engine, vehicle capacity and the number of tours during a year. The study estimates the emission of CO, NOx, NMVOC, and PM2.5 during one year using the listed parameters and by applying EMEP/EEA guidelines for estimating the emission of polluting substances into the air. The largest emission of polluting substances (CO, NOx, NMVOC and PM2.5) is from the oldest vehicles. The newest vehicles had a significantly lesser emission of these polluting substances into the air. The recommendation for decreasing the emission from the transportation vehicles is to organise the transfer-stations, procure new vehicles, optimise the collection routes and decrease the number of tours, as well as to better the usage of the vehicle capacity level.
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