GHG emissions: an assessment at municipal solid waste disposal site in Indore, India

Abstract

After ratifying the Kyoto protocol the assessment of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) inventories has become crucial for India. Municipal solid waste management system for city of Indore, India, has been evaluated for GHG emissions over a period of 41 years. Corresponding assessment of CO2, methane and N2O has been done on the basis of waste quantity and composition assessed for various waste types. IPCC first-order decay model is used for inventory accounting from solid waste disposal site to form the baseline scenario. The inventories thus created are assessed for estimating the energy content and identifying the most appropriate waste processing option by comparing their mitigation potential before landfilling. The impact of improved waste management practices on GHG emissions is quantified. The result shows that though composting can provide 60% mitigation of GHG emissions this is less than the 80% mitigation that can be achieved with an incineration unit.