Life Cycle Assessment-based Environmental Impact Comparative Analysis of Composting and Electricity Generation from Solid Waste

Abstract

Managing waste is becoming more challenging than ever with the rate of increase of the global population and industrialization. The need for an optimal waste management system, offering added value to the population and industrial growth, is of utmost importance with the increase in energy and food demand, particularly that for organically grown food. In this study, waste generated by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) was taken as a case study. The waste was converted to electricity and compost for use on farmland and the environmental effect of both processes was determined by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach using GaBi™ software. The impacts analyzed were based on the level of emissions from each process. During the comparison, it was found that, if the waste generated by the UTM were used to generate electricity, the outcome would be a reduced emissions profile throughout the cycle as compared to using the waste as compost. However, the saving in emissions from indirect inputs was not considered for the purpose of this study.

Material Flows and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Potential of Decentralized Composting in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study in Tiassalé, Côte d’Ivoire

“…In the last decade, urbanization and population growth led to a significant increase of waste generation [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The collection, transport and processing of these growing quantities remain a major problem in many countries, especially in low- and middle-income countries where waste collection rate is generally below 50% [ 4 , 5 ].…”

Life cycle inventory for an organic swine waste treatment system

“…Composting is a form of resource recovery from solid waste, as the products are applied to agricultural soils and used in the generation of electrical energy. This process is gaining support globally due to the increase in demand for organically grown food using organic fertilizers [ 14 , 15 ]. There is endless organic waste that is optimal for obtaining compost, especially in full-cycle pig farms, where non-conventional wastes are generated.…”

Characterization of pequi shell (caryocar brasiliense camb.) For its use as a biomass

“…According to Elwan et al (2015), global waste generation in 2010 has increased much more than in the last ten years, along with population growth. A growth of around 3 billion of habitants are expected, generating 1.3 millions of tons of solid urban wastes per year, at a per capita rate of 1.2 Kg per person per day with the expectation of increase to 1.4 Kg per person per day in 2015.…”