Life Cycle Impact Assessment of Garbage-Classification Based Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems: A Comparative Case Study in China.

Yujun Yuan,Qiang Zhai,Tong Li

doi:10.3390/ijerph17155310

Abstract

Confronted with a series of problems caused by surging generation of municipal solid waste (MSW), the Chinese central and local governments have promulgated and implemented policies to deal with them, including promotions of the classification of MSW. However, to date, practical knowledge and understanding about benefits for garbage classification from its environmental performance perspective is still limited. The present study is purposed to comprehensively investigate the environmental effects of garbage classification on municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems based on three proposed garbage classification scenarios in China, via a comparative life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). Taking advantage of Impact Assessment of Chemical Toxics (IMPACT) 2002+ method, this comparative LCIA study can quantitatively evaluate midpoint, endpoint, and single scored life cycle impacts for the studied MSWM systems. A Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis is carried out to test the effectiveness and reliabilities of the LCIA results. The LCIA and uncertainty analysis results show that MSWM systems based on various garbage classification scenarios have significant variations in the studied midpoint, endpoint, and single scored environmental impacts. Different garbage classification scenarios have their individual environmental-friendly superiority for specific impact categories. Overall, results of this study demonstrate that MSW treatment systems integrated with garbage classification are more environmentally friendly by comparison with non-classification; and that the more elaborate the level of MSW classification, the smaller its impacts on the environment.

Highlights

This study is aimed to: (a) conduct a comparative life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) study on three municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems based on three garbage classification scenarios in China to investigate the environmental performances of different garbage classification scenarios; (b) carry out a comprehensive uncertainty analysis for the life cycle impacts of the studied
6.016E−01 MJ surplus, and the least significant impacts in categories: aquatic ecotoxicity 2.733E+03 kg TEG water, terrestrial ecotoxicity 9.386E+02 kg TEG soil, terrestrial acid/nutri 3.731E−01 kg SO2 eq, and land occupation 1.047E+01 m2 org.arable; (b) Scenario 2 (S-2) has the highest impacts in categories: respiratory inorganics 2.159E−02 kg PM2.5 eq, aquatic ecotoxicity 2.749E+03 kg TEG water, terrestrial ecotoxicity
A comparative LCIA study was performed for MSWM systems based on three garbage classification scenarios in China

Summary

Introduction

There are various practical approaches of garbage classification/sorting, in different countries. Japanese citizens are required to dispose garbage per local garbage sorting guidance, with specific requirements for disposal of incinerable and non-incinerable wastes. Nonrecyclable, and biomass wastes and with a specific focus on mechanical sorting and processing. The US puts efforts on waste source reduction and pays more attention on the recycling of paper, glass, plastics etc. Recent decades have witnessed the rapid increasing generation amount of

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion