Environmental and economic assessment of sustainable municipal solid waste management strategies in Iran

Abstract

Waste management in urban areas has always been a major concern for municipalities. The gigantic population growth results in massive waste production, leading to a worrying rise in the level of greenhouse gas emissions, a major global issue. The most common techniques for energy recovery from waste are WTE and landfill gas plants. In this research, four different waste management scenarios have been investigated, and the emitted GHGs are analysed using the IPCC guideline for municipal solid waste (MSW) in Tehran. Furthermore, the total cost of each scenario is calculated. Also, effect of various parameters, such as plant usage, methane recovery factor, and MSW heating value, on the emissions is evaluated. The results depict that among all the investigated alternatives, scenario 3 (in which 50 % of the waste was burned in WTE plant, 30 % landfilled, and 20 % recycled) has the least GHG emissions in the target region. For a more thorough analysis, a cost comparison between the scenarios was performed, indicating that landfilling with recovery is the most economical option. Focusing on various technical, economic, and environmental aspects of waste management, this paper provides a comprehensive framework for a combined plan of action in the waste management sector of Iran.