Utilization of Organic Fraction of Municipal Waste in Accordance With the Principles of Circular Economy – A Case Study

Abstract

The organic fraction of municipal waste (MW) is a huge resource of nutrients and energy, primarily because of the high content of carbon as well as potassium and phosphorus. On the other hand, having in mind the problems that cities are faced with, such as energy supply, transportation, environmental pollution and many others, waste management has to be considered as an integral part of city management. Circular economy is a new concept of thinking which implies that all streams of a system should be considered as a possible resource, including waste. The organic part of municipal waste can be used in several ways. Anaerobic digestion (AD) that produces biogas and compost can be a part of the chain of circular economy of a city. This paper deals with the organic waste generated on the territory of the city of Nis with the focus on its potential in terms of carbon, hydrogen and mineral content. Based on the elementary analysis and quantity of waste, the streams of carbon and other elements that circulate through waste, biogas and compost have also been analyzed. Moreover, energy needs for AD function and transportation of both MW and compost are calculated. The analysis shows that the energy produced by AD can cover the energy needs for the proposed model, and the amount of produced compost is enough to recover nutrients on the majority of green yards in the city.