Life cycle assessment of the French municipal solid waste incineration sector

Abstract

This study aims at assessing the environmental performances of the French MSW incineration sector in a life cycle perspective, considering nine midpoint impact categories. It is the first application of the WILCI tool, dedicated to the LCA of MSW incineration in the French situation (Beylot et al., 2017). The model is primarily based on operational data relative to 90 plants, representing 73% of the total mass of MSW annually incinerated in France. Regarding seven impact categories out of the nine under study, incineration of MSW in France provides a benefit (that is, a “negative” impact). The uncertainty analysis confirms the relatively large degree of confidence of this conclusion regarding acidification and particulate matter, but in the meantime highlights the remaining uncertainty regarding most other impact categories. Energy recovery is responsible for the main share of the total environmental impacts and benefits of MSW incineration in France. Moreover, this study confirms the importance of technology differentiation in the LCA of MSW incineration. The predominance, in the French incineration sector, of energy recovery as CHP, and of SCR for NOx abatement, results in the global environmental benefits calculated per tonne of average MSW incinerated. Finally, this study addresses the contribution of each waste fraction to the total impacts and benefits of MSW incineration. It identifies several fractions whose contributions to impacts and benefits are not in line with their share in the composition of MSW incinerated.