Current and future greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the management of municipal solid waste in the eThekwini Municipality – South Africa

Life cycle assessment of municipal solid waste management with regard to greenhouse gas emissions: Case study of Tianjin, China

Each and every step in the process of municipal solid waste (MSW) management generates the greenhouse gases (GHG). Therefore, it is imperative to focus on MSW from the source to the final waste disposal in order to decrease the negative impact on the environment. This study aims to calculate the GHG emissions at the present moment (Status Quo) for waste management as well as on the improved MSW management that should be implemented in this local community by 2027 (Scenario 2027). To visualize waste streams in these two scenarios, the STAN 2.5 software was used, and for the calculation of GHG emissions in the City of Zvornik, the IWM-2 software was used. The MSW management Status Quo is basically characterized by the collection communal of waste and its deposition on the landfill without a degasification system and landfill gas treatment. The guidelines and recommendations for MSW management improvement, Scenario 2027 propose the establishment of separate collections of secondary raw materials and biodegradable waste, and improved collection and treatment of landfill gas at the landfill site. The implementation of these measures would result in a reduction of approximately 40% in GHG emissions compared to the Status Quo. The most significant impact would be realized in the environment due to the collection and treatment of landfill.

The studies on municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Pakistan and its impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are glaringly missing. Therefore, this study examines the effect of MSW management on GHG emissions in Pakistan and suggests the best suitable strategies for alleviating GHG emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 waste model (WM) was used to create inventory of GHG emissions from landfilling. The solid waste management GHG (SWM-GHG) calculator and strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threat (SWOT) analyses were used as strategic planning tools to reduce GHG emissions by improving MSW management in Pakistan. The IPCC 2006 WM estimated 14,987,113 metric tonnes (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) of GHG emissions in 2016. The SWM-GHG calculator, on the other hand, estimated 23,319,370 Mt CO2-eq of GHG emissions from management of 30,764,000 Mt of MSW in 2016, which included 8% recycling, 2% composting, and 90% disposal in open dumps. To reduce GHG emissions, two strategies including recycling-focused and incineration-focused were analysed. The recycling approach can reduce more GHG emissions than incineration, as it can reduce 36% of GHG emissions (as compared to GHG emission in 2016) by recycling 23% of MSW, anaerobically digesting 10% of MSW, and disposing of 67% of MSW in sanitary landfills (with energy recovery). Moreover, the SWOT analysis suggested integration of the informal sector, adoption of anaerobic digestion and formulation of explicit MSW regulations for improving the current management of MSW which will also result in lower GHG emissions.

Municipal waste production in Indonesia is rapidly increasing due to population growth and economic development, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This research aims to develop effective waste management scenarios for Pekanbaru City, focusing on reducing GHG emissions through integrated treatment methods. Employing a comprehensive methodology, the study estimates GHG emissions from various waste management practices, including biological, thermal, and mixed methods. The research utilizes a basic model to calculate emissions based on activity data and emission factors, exploring current practices and innovative strategies like Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae for organic waste treatment. Findings reveal that the Mix scenario, which combines multiple waste management processes, results in the most significant reduction of GHG emissions, achieving a net emission of 112,985.89 tons of CO?-eq/year, compared to the existing scenario with 637,864.33 tons of CO?-eq/year. The study identifies key emission hotspots, emphasizing the need for improved management of organic waste through composting and recycling. The implications of this research highlight the importance of adopting integrated waste management strategies to mitigate GHG emissions effectively. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, promoting sustainable practices aligned with the 3R hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle) and supporting targeted interventions that can enhance environmental sustainability in urban settings.

Technological advancements, environmental regulations, and emphasis on resource conservation and recovery have greatly reduced the environmental impacts of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, including emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). This study was conducted using a life-cycle methodology to track changes in GHG emissions during the past 25 years from the management of MSW in the United States. For the baseline year of 1974, MSW management consisted of limited recycling, combustion without energy recovery, and landfilling without gas collection or control. This was compared with data for 1980, 1990, and 1997, accounting for changes in MSW quantity, composition, management practices, and technology. Over time, the United States has moved toward increased recycling, composting, combustion (with energy recovery) and landfilling with gas recovery, control, and utilization. These changes were accounted for with historical data on MSW composition, quantities, management practices, and technological changes. Included in the analysis were the benefits of materials recycling and energy recovery to the extent that these displace virgin raw materials and fossil fuel electricity production, respectively. Carbon sinks associated with MSW management also were addressed. The results indicate that the MSW management actions taken by U.S. communities have significantly reduced potential GHG emissions despite an almost 2-fold increase in waste generation. GHG emissions from MSW management were estimated to be 36 million metric tons carbon equivalents (MMTCE) in 1974 and 8 MMTCE in 1997. If MSW were being managed today as it was in 1974, GHG emissions would be ~60 MMTCE.

Optimization of environmental management strategies through a dynamic stochastic possibilistic multiobjective program

GHG emission factors developed for the collection, transport and landfilling of municipal waste in South African municipalities

Investigating the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste management using ant colony algorithm, Monte Carlo simulation and LCA approach in terms of EU Green Deal

ABSTRACTClimate change is a consequence of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the waste sector contribute to 3% of total anthropogenic emissions. In this study, applicable solutions for municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Luangprabang (LPB) and Laos were examined. Material flow analysis of MSW was performed to estimate the amount of MSW generated in 2015. Approximately 29,419 tonnes of MSW is estimated for 2015. Unmanaged landfilling was the main disposal method, while MSW open burning was also practiced to some extent. The International Panel on Climate Change 2006 model and the Atmospheric Brown Clouds Emission Inventory Manual were used to estimate GHG emissions from existing MSW management, and total emissions are 33,889 tonnes/year carbon dioxide-equivalents (CO2-eq). Three scenarios were developed in order to reduce GHG emissions and environmental problems. Improvement of the MSW management by expanding MSW collection services, introducing composting and recycling, and avoiding open burning, can be considered as solutions to overcome the problems for LPB. The lowest GHG emissions are achieved in the scenario where composting and recycling are proposed, with the total GHG emissions reduction by 18,264 tonnes/year CO2-eq.

Carbon emissions are one of the components of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) which mainly comes from the use of fossil fuels and various human activities. Based on fossil fuel and industrial emissions data, in 2022 Indonesia ranked as the 6th largest carbon emitting country in the world after China, the United States, India, Russia and Japan, with 728.88 million tons of CO2e total emissions. The Ministry of Industry reported that total GHG emissions from Indonesia's industrial sector reached 238.1 million tons of CO2e in 2022. In the mining industry, GHG emissions originate from deforestation, energy use, processing, and refining, with non-renewable energy use being the largest emitter. GHG emissions from primary mineral and metal production contribute approximately 10% of global GHG emissions related to energy. Each mining industry may have varying primary sources of GHG emissions depending on the type of mine and the final product. Mining industries, as one of the major emitters, must conduct GHG inventories to understand emission sources and develop effective reduction strategies. GHG inventory activities are conducted based on guidelines provided by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Management Handbook (2012), Book II Volumes 1-4. Efforts to reduce GHG emissions can be undertaken through planting plants that have high carbon absorption and storage capabilities in mine reclamation activities, as well as using New and Renewable Energy (NRE) as an alternative to replace fossil energy.

Driven by the global campaign against the dual pressures of environmental pollution and resource exhaustion, the Chinese government has proposed the target of carbon neutrality. On account of this, the increasing number of waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) from electric vehicles (EVs) is causing emergent waste-management challenges and it is urgent that we implement an appropriate waste-LIB recycling program, which would bring significant environmental benefits. In order to comprehensively estimate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from waste-LIB recycling, the GHG savings also need to be taken into account. Based on the requirements of a carbon-neutral target, this study adopted the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) method to established a mathematical model for measuring the GHG emissions and GHG savings of waste LIBs and a numerical experiment is presented to verify the model. The results were analyzed and are discussed as follows: (1) To achieve carbon neutrality, the resultant GHG emissions and GHG savings are equal, and the corresponding value is 706.45 kg CO2-eq/t. (2) The influence of the ratio of recovery from different collection centers on the net GHG emissions is relatively weak and the ratio of different processing strategies significantly affects the net GHG emissions. (3) There are three directions including recycling technologies, type of batteries, and environmental pollutants, that warrant investigation in the future research.

This study focuses on defining the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Ha Noi city. Firstly, the MSW samplings at Nam Son and Xuan Son landfills were collected to identify the components. Based on the statistical data on the amount and ratio of MSW collected, the volume of MSW treated by different technologies was estimated. Then, the GHG emissions were quantified by applying the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 model. The annual GHG released from MSW in Ha Noi in 2017 was 1.1 million tons of CO2e from landfilling, 16.3 thousand tons of CO2e from incineration, and 76,100 tons of CO2e from composting. The GHG emission level from landfills is the highest (327 kg of CO2e per ton of treated waste), followed by composting (189 kg of CO2e per ton), and incineration (115 kg of CO2e per ton). The GHG emissions from landfills comprised nearly 90% of GHG emissions from MSW disposal in Ha Noi. The results also revealed that if there are no measures to recover landfill gas for energy generation, the GHG generated from MSW treatment facilities will also contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect and climate change impact. These research results also supply the basis information for decision-makers to select the appropriate MSW treatment technologies for Ha Noi in the context of increasing population pressure and environmental pollution.

Municipal solid waste management planning considering greenhouse gas emission trading under fuzzy environment

Disposal of solid waste poses great challenges to city managements. Changes in solid waste composition and disposal methods, along with urbanisation, can certainly affect greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste. In this study, we analysed the changes in the generation, composition and management of municipal solid waste in Beijing. The changes of greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste management were thereafter calculated. The impacts of municipal solid waste management improvements on greenhouse gas emissions and the mitigation effects of treatment techniques of greenhouse gas were also analysed. Municipal solid waste generation in Beijing has increased, and food waste has constituted the most substantial component of municipal solid waste over the past decade. Since the first half of 1950s, greenhouse gas emission has increased from 6 CO2-eq Gg y(-1)to approximately 200 CO2-eq Gg y(-1)in the early 1990s and 2145 CO2-eq Gg y(-1)in 2013. Landfill gas flaring, landfill gas utilisation and energy recovery in incineration are three techniques of the after-emission treatments in municipal solid waste management. The scenario analysis showed that three techniques might reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22.7%, 4.5% and 9.8%, respectively. In the future, if waste disposal can achieve a ratio of 4:3:3 by landfill, composting and incineration with the proposed after-emission treatments, as stipulated by the Beijing Municipal Waste Management Act, greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste will decrease by 41%.

Climate change stands out as a significant environmental issue on a global scale, with greenhouse gases being one of its primary drivers. The greenhouse gas process provides a critical framework for understanding the sources, emissions, and environmental impacts of these gases. This article presents an overview of the fundamental elements of the greenhouse gas process in the textile sector and discusses how it should be managed in line with sustainability goals. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxides (N2O), and fluorinated gases are the most common greenhouse gases, each derived from different sources. The textile sector is particularly associated with high greenhouse gas emissions, especially in areas such as energy consumption, water usage, and waste management. Therefore, measurements taken in factories are crucial for identifying emission sources and developing reduction strategies. This article examines in detail the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from various activities at Kıvanç Textile. Energy consumption, particularly the emissions resulting from the fuels used in electricity and heating processes, is evaluated. Additionally, emissions from other important sources such as refrigerant gas leaks, waste management, and transportation are analyzed. The measurement process was carried out in accordance with national and international standards. The greenhouse gas inventory includes data on energy consumption, fuel consumption, refrigerant gas usage, transportation, production process management, and waste management throughout the factory. Based on these data, the total amount and sources of emissions were determined. This study presents a systematic method for calculating a company’s carbon footprint, with data collected in accordance with national and international standards. Such data can provide a reference point for other companies when making similar calculations. All of the businesses of the facility where the study was conducted were examined and calculations were made on a total of 1350 employees. As a result of the detailed study, Kıvanç Textile’s corporate carbon footprint for 2023 was calculated as a total of 68,746.86 tons CO2e. According to this data obtained, Kıvanç Textile emitted 50.92 tons of CO2e greenhouse gases per employee. At the same time, it was determined that the production in 2023 was 4,427,082 tons and a greenhouse gas emission of 15.53 tons of CO2e per production (ton) was calculated. This study also includes proposed strategies for reducing emissions. These strategies include energy efficiency measures, the use of renewable energy sources, waste reduction, and the adoption of efficient production processes. In conclusion, this article emphasizes the importance of efforts to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in textile factories. Kıvanç Textile’s greenhouse gas measurements provide a fundamental reference for achieving sustainability goals in the sector. The data obtained will support the factory’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and minimize its environmental impacts.