Quantification of climate change mitigation potential at Novi Sad landfill

Abstract

Unsanitary landfills and inadequate waste management system represent the 3rd largest global anthropogenic source of methane emissions in the environment. Waste management system in Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia, significantly contributes to the national carbon footprint. Unsanitary Municipal solid waste landfill in Novi Sad receives and deposits mixed waste without any treatment, thus causing the organic waste to biodegrade within the landfill body, and produce and emit the landfill gas (mostly CH4 and CO2) in the environment. Other potential sources of greenhouse gas emissions from waste management system include vehicles used for waste collection, machinery used at the landfill and landfill fires. The purpose of this study is to determine total baseline emissions of relevant greenhouse gases from the waste management system in Novi Sad, and to estimate and quantify the emission reduction potential for defined organic waste treatment scenario. The potential scenarios for organic waste diversion and treatment from the landfill include composting, anaerobic digestion, mechanical biological treatment, waste to energy, etc. Quantification of baseline emissions and climate change mitigation potential are estimated using the Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool, the model developed by Climate and Clean Air Coalition.