Mutual disposal of municipal solid waste and flue gas on isolated islands

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management in rural and remote areas (e.g., isolated islands) is a noteworthy issue. Transportation of MSW from isolated islands to the mainland requires large-scale energy, so it demands a high amount of diesel fuel in diesel generators. To alleviate environmental pollution and energy consumption during transportation, this paper proposes a mutual disposal strategy for MSW and fuel gas from diesel generators and explores the feasibility and potential benefits based on MSW drying experiment in a self-designed device. The following were the primary conclusions: (1) the flue gas could provide sufficient heat energy for drying MSW, and the effective utilization rate can reach 60.22 ± 2.88%. It would take 60–85 min to dry MSW below 200 °C. (2) Within the permissible limits of environmental standards, the MSW contributes to the reduction of particulate matter and methane in the flue gas, while the carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and non-methane hydrocarbon contents increase due to thermal decomposition of the MSW. The global warming potential of the carbon in the treated gas can be decreased by 16.94%, and the nitric oxide contributes to carbon emission reduction. (3) The proposed mutual disposal strategy could alleviate issues in landfill leachate and simplify the treatment technology, leading to subsequent environmental, economic, and technical benefits.