Forecasting of GHG emission and linear pinch analysis of municipal solid waste for the city of Faridabad, India

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems play a crucial role in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in China. Although the government has implemented many policies to improve the MSW management system, the impact of these improvements on city-level GHG emission reduction remains largely unexplored. This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of both direct and downstream GHG emissions from the MSW sector, encompassing sanitary landfill, dump, incineration, and biological treatment, across 352 Chinese cities from 2001 to 2021 by adopting inventory methods recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The results reveal that (1) GHG emissions from the MSW sector in China peaked at 70.6 Tg of CO2 equiv in 2018, followed by a significant decline to 47.6 Tg of CO2 equiv in 2021, (2) cities with the highest GHG emission reduction benefits in the MSW sector were historical emission hotspots over the past 2 decades, and (3) with the potential achievement of zero-landfilling policy by 2030, an additional reduction of 203.7 Tg of CO2 equiv is projected, with the emission reduction focus toward cities in South China (21.9%), Northeast China (17.8%), and Southwest China (17.3%). This study highlights that, even without explicit emission reduction targets for the MSW sector, the improvements of this sector have significantly reduced GHG emissions in China.

Potential for greenhouse gas reduction and energy recovery from MSW through different waste management technologies

Scenario analysis of the eco-efficiency for municipal solid waste management: A case study of 211 cities in western China

Background, Aim and Scope. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management system has an important role to reduce final disposal of MSW. Recently prevention of global warming in MSW transportation and treatment processes is also coming into important. Decision makers in local region should design the MSW management system that solves above issues, and is desirable for the region in cost constraint. But there are few studies taking into account regional MSW discharge and waste treatment properties and their perspective. In this study, we proposed a methodology to design environmentally and economically desirable MSW management systems in local region by applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and cost analysis.Materials and Methods. The central region of Iwate Prefecture was chosen as a case study. Firstly, we surveyed material and energy inputs/outputs in MSW transportation and treatment processes in the case study area. Then, Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data of each process was calculated. Secondarily, scenarios involving several MSW management systems considering patterns of MSW treatment technologies and/or MSW segregation were designed. Results and Discussion. As a scenario analysis, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, SOx/NOx emissions, final disposal and the cost was calculated when each scenario would be for the period from FY2005 to FY2030. From the results, we found that the MSW treatment system in which municipalities form communal MSW treatment mostly has an advantage than the municipality-based MSW treatment system in which municipalities treat MSW by themselves. We also found the trade-off relationship in the results; a system giving priority to gasification and melting facilities decreases the amount of final disposal and cost and increases GHG emissions, while another system giving priority to stoker type grate facility decreases GHG emissions and cost and increases the amount of final disposal. However this trade-off relationship is solved by enhancing waste segregation and/or bio-methanation of kitchen garbage. Additionally, we calculated the indicator value of environmental impact by the Distance-to-target method, and we evaluated a relationship between the indicator value and the cost. As the result, scenario involving the region-based MSW treatment system with bio-methanation is selected as a desirable MSW management system if reduction of final disposal is prioritize as the MSW treatment policy. Conclusions. In the actual fields, it is required not only quantatative evaluation environmental impact and cost but also qualitative investigation such as site selection of waste treatment facilities considering NIMBY phenomenon. Nonetheless, the methodology proposed in this paper is effective for local municipalities’ decision support.

In Malaysia, the rapid growth of population and new consumption trends are causing an increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation rate. To make matters worse, the current MSW handling practices in Malaysia are mostly dumping in open landfills with no proper landfill gas collection and energy recovery system, producing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere. This handling process undoubtedly causes climate change and is economically unfavourable. In this study, a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) approach was simulated using General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) to determine the optimum allocation of MSW on different disposal and treatment facilities (DTF), including sanitary landfills, incineration, recycling, anaerobic digestion, composting, and plasma arc gasification. The mathematical model utilised the augmented e-constraint method to minimise the capital and operational cost, maximise the value of final products, and minimise GHG emissions simultaneously. As compared to the current MSW management situation in Malaysia (total cost: 7.24 M MYR/d, net GHG emissions: 70,465 t CO2-eq/d), the least cost Pareto solution (total cost: 7.23 M MYR/d, net GHG emissions: 24,630 t CO2-eq/d) shows a more than 65 % reduction in GHG emissions without incurring any additional cost. The 9th,10th, and 11th Pareto optimal solutions would be able to achieve the national recycling target of 22 % by 2020 as promulgated by the Malaysia Government. It is hoped that this study can provide guidance on the best allocation of MSW on DTF for decision-makers to plan and design the best in class solution for MSW management not only in Malaysia but also regions that face a similar MSW disposal dilemma.

A multi-objective model to optimize country-scale municipal solid waste management with economic and environmental objectives: A case study in Malaysia

Better information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation potential in the agricultural sector is necessary to manage these emissions and identify responses that are consistent with the food security and economic development priorities of countries. Critical activity data (what crops or livestock are managed in what way) are poor or lacking for many agricultural systems, especially in developing countries. In addition, the currently available methods for quantifying emissions and mitigation are often too expensive or complex or not sufficiently user friendly for widespread use.The purpose of this focus issue is to capture the state of the art in quantifying greenhouse gases from agricultural systems, with the goal of better understanding our current capabilities and near-term potential for improvement, with particular attention to quantification issues relevant to smallholders in developing countries. This work is timely in light of international discussions and negotiations around how agriculture should be included in efforts to reduce and adapt to climate change impacts, and considering that significant climate financing to developing countries in post-2012 agreements may be linked to their increased ability to identify and report GHG emissions (Murphy et al 2010, CCAFS 2011, FAO 2011).

In China, the continuously increasing amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has resulted in an urgent need for changing the current municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system based on mixed collection. A pilot program focusing on source-separated MSW collection was thus launched (2010) in Hangzhou, China, to lessen the related environmental loads. And greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Kyoto Protocol) are singled out in particular. This paper uses life cycle assessment modeling to evaluate the potential environmental improvement with regard to GHG emissions. The pre-existing MSWM system is assessed as baseline, while the source separation scenario is compared internally. Results show that 23 % GHG emissions can be decreased by source-separated collection compared with the base scenario. In addition, the use of composting and anaerobic digestion (AD) is suggested for further optimizing the management of food waste. 260.79, 82.21, and -86.21 thousand tonnes of GHG emissions are emitted from food waste landfill, composting, and AD, respectively, proving the emission reduction potential brought by advanced food waste treatment technologies. Realizing the fact, a modified MSWM system is proposed by taking AD as food waste substitution option, with additional 44 % GHG emissions saved than current source separation scenario. Moreover, a preliminary economic assessment is implemented. It is demonstrated that both source separation scenarios have a good cost reduction potential than mixed collection, with the proposed new system the most cost-effective one.

PurposeThe Gulf Cooperation Council member countries not only generate the highest quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) per capita when compared globally, but also in most of these countries, such waste is just dumped at different landfill stations. In Oman, the total quantity of MSW stood at 2.0 million tons per year. The emission from this waste is estimated at 2,181,034 tons/year (carbon dioxide equivalent). This article attempts to develop frameworks that considered landfilling, composting and recycling of MSW.Design/methodology/approachTo know the composition of the municipal solid waste in Oman, a quantitative research method was employed. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from MSWM in this study focus on three major gases, CO2, CH4 and N2O. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 model is used to calculate GHG emissions from landfills and composting (IPCC, 2006). Four frameworks – baseline F0, framework F1, framework F2 and framework F3 – are outlined in this paper. The F0 represents the current situation of the MSW in which most of the waste goes to landfills and dumpsites. In F1, improved MSW collection service and landfilling are incorporated and open burning is restricted. The F2 considered landfilling and composting, while F3 is based on landfilling, composting and recycling.FindingsThe framework F2, which proposes the composting process for the organic waste which normally goes to landfills, results in the reduction of emissions by 40% as compared to landfill practice. Similarly, the samples of MSW collected in Oman show a good amount of recycling waste. The framework F3, which considers the landfill, composting and recycling, reduced the total GHG emissions from 2,181,034 tons/year to 1,427,998 tons/year (carbon dioxide equivalent), representing a total reduction of 35% in emissions.Research limitations/implicationsDifferent values such as CH4 correction factor, the fraction of degradable organic carbon and the fraction of DOC used to determine the GHG emissions from MSW considering landfilling, composting and recycling based on the IPPC model and existing literature review. The actual determination of these values based on the Oman conditions may result in more accurate emissions from MSW in Oman.Practical implicationsDifferent frameworks suggested in this research have different practical implications; however, the final framework F3, which produces fewer emissions, required a material recovery facility to recycle the MSW in Oman. For framework F3, it is important that the residents in Oman have enough knowledge and willingness to do the waste segregation at the household level. Apparently, such knowledge and willingness need to be determined through a separate study.Originality/valueThe frameworks F2 and F3 are considered to be more suitable solutions compared to the current practices for Oman and other gulf countries to reduce its per capita emissions from MSW and protect its local environment. There is a potential for further work that needs to explore the possible solutions to implement the suggested frameworks.

Mitigating Curtailment and Carbon Emissions through Load Migration between Data Centers

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.

Towards integrated, and sustainable municipal solid waste management system in Shashemane city administration, Ethiopia

Abstract. To track progress towards keeping global warming well below 2 ∘C or even 1.5 ∘C, as agreed in the Paris Agreement, comprehensive up-to-date and reliable information on anthropogenic emissions and removals of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is required. Here we compile a new synthetic dataset on anthropogenic GHG emissions for 1970–2018 with a fast-track extension to 2019. Our dataset is global in coverage and includes CO2 emissions, CH4 emissions, N2O emissions, as well as those from fluorinated gases (F-gases: HFCs, PFCs, SF6, NF3) and provides country and sector details. We build this dataset from the version 6 release of the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v6) and three bookkeeping models for CO2 emissions from land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF). We assess the uncertainties of global greenhouse gases at the 90 % confidence interval (5th–95th percentile range) by combining statistical analysis and comparisons of global emissions inventories and top-down atmospheric measurements with an expert judgement informed by the relevant scientific literature. We identify important data gaps for F-gas emissions. The agreement between our bottom-up inventory estimates and top-down atmospheric-based emissions estimates is relatively close for some F-gas species (∼ 10 % or less), but estimates can differ by an order of magnitude or more for others. Our aggregated F-gas estimate is about 10 % lower than top-down estimates in recent years. However, emissions from excluded F-gas species such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are cumulatively larger than the sum of the reported species. Using global warming potential values with a 100-year time horizon from the Sixth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global GHG emissions in 2018 amounted to 58 ± 6.1 GtCO2 eq. consisting of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion and industry (FFI) 38 ± 3.0 GtCO2, CO2-LULUCF 5.7 ± 4.0 GtCO2, CH4 10 ± 3.1 GtCO2 eq., N2O 2.6 ± 1.6 GtCO2 eq., and F-gases 1.3 ± 0.40 GtCO2 eq. Initial estimates suggest further growth of 1.3 GtCO2 eq. in GHG emissions to reach 59 ± 6.6 GtCO2 eq. by 2019. Our analysis of global trends in anthropogenic GHG emissions over the past 5 decades (1970–2018) highlights a pattern of varied but sustained emissions growth. There is high confidence that global anthropogenic GHG emissions have increased every decade, and emissions growth has been persistent across the different (groups of) gases. There is also high confidence that global anthropogenic GHG emissions levels were higher in 2009–2018 than in any previous decade and that GHG emissions levels grew throughout the most recent decade. While the average annual GHG emissions growth rate slowed between 2009 and 2018 (1.2 % yr−1) compared to 2000–2009 (2.4 % yr−1), the absolute increase in average annual GHG emissions by decade was never larger than between 2000–2009 and 2009–2018. Our analysis further reveals that there are no global sectors that show sustained reductions in GHG emissions. There are a number of countries that have reduced GHG emissions over the past decade, but these reductions are comparatively modest and outgrown by much larger emissions growth in some developing countries such as China, India, and Indonesia. There is a need to further develop independent, robust, and timely emissions estimates across all gases. As such, tracking progress in climate policy requires substantial investments in independent GHG emissions accounting and monitoring as well as in national and international statistical infrastructures. The data associated with this article (Minx et al., 2021) can be found at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5566761.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a significant cause of climate change, and municipal solid waste (MSW) is an important source of GHG emissions. In this study, GHG emissions from MSW treatment in Beijing during 2006–2019 were accounted, basing on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) inventory model; the influencing factors affecting GHG emissions were analyzed by the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) model combined with the extended Kaya identity, and the GHG mitigation potential were explored based on different MSW management policy contexts. The results showed that the GHG emissions from MSW treatment in Beijing increased from 3.62 Mt CO2e in 2006 to 6.57 Mt CO2e in 2019, with an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 4.68%, of which 89.34–99.36% was CH4. Moreover, the driving factors of GHG emissions from MSW treatment were, in descending order: economic output (EO), GHG emission intensity (EI), population size (P), and urbanization rate (U). The inhibiting factors were, in descending order: MSW treatment pattern (TP) and MSW treatment intensity (TI). Furthermore, compared with the BAU (business–as–usual) scenario, the GHG mitigation potential of the MSW classification and the population control scenario were 35.79% and 0.51%, respectively, by 2030.

Major US electric utility climate pledges have the potential to collectively reduce power sector emissions by one-third