Organic Fraction Of Municipal Solid Waste Research Articles

Trace metal fate in soil after application of digestate originating from the anaerobic digestion of non-source-separated organic fraction of municipal solid waste

Introduction: Digestate originating from anaerobic digestion of non-source-separated organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is produced abundantly worldwide and generally discarded in landfills. However, it can be a valuable resource for many bioeconomy strategies as land restoration, only if a consolidated understanding of the contaminants’ presence and behaviour in digestate-amended soil is achieved. This study aimed to investigate the fate of trace metals, namely Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cr found in the digestate, along the soil profile after digestate application on soil, and the influence that other contaminants as pharmaceutical compounds can have on their behaviour in the soil system.Methods: For that, a 90-day soil column experiment was conducted using a fine loamy sand soil topped with a layer of digestate-amended soil. Digestate-amended soil had a soil to digestate proportion of 14 to 1 (dry weight). Two experimental conditions were tested: soil amended with digestate, and soil amended with digestate spiked with the antidiabetic drug metformin. Soil samples were taken at 4 depths on days 1, 7, 21, 35 and 90, and total trace metals concentrations and fractionation were determined via atomic absorption spectroscopy.Results: Results showed that Zn, Cu, Pb ad Cr initially present in the digestate were transferred from the digestate-amended soil layer to the underlying soil layer over time, although in low amounts. Nevertheless, no transfer was detected to the deeper soil layers. Trace metals in soil were predominantly in immobile and less bioavailable forms associated with clay and silicate mineral groups, whereas in the digestate-amended soil they were in more bioavailable forms, which could be related to metals’ migration in the soil layers below. Results also show that the presence of metformin had no influence on trace metal behaviour, giving insight also on possible interactions with other potentially present contaminants as microplastics.Conclusion: The current study showed that OFMSW digestate can be a promising organic nutrient-rich matrix for land restoration even if it may contain high metals’ concentrations because low metal mobility along the soil profile can be expected.

Energy production potential of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and its implications for Nigeria

<abstract> <p>The issue of climate change and management of municipal solid waste (MSW) necessitates transition to renewable energy, including bioenergy. This work assessed energy production from organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) in the thirty-six state capitals and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. Secondary research method (qualitative and quantitative analysis) was adopted. The four valorization methods considered were incineration, anaerobic digestion (AD), landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) and densification. MSW and OFMSW generation rate (kg/cap/day) for the thirty-six state capitals and the FCT, Abuja were obtained. The paper estimated that about 4.7 million tons per year (TPY) of OFMSW is generated in the 37 cities. Daily OFMSW generation ranges from 10416 tons per year (TPY) in Damaturu, to 1.6 million TPY in Lagos. The estimates show that about 1.82 billion Nm<sup>3</sup> of biogas could be obtained from anaerobic digestion (AD) of OFMSW generated in the cities each year; about 984 Gg (1085688 tons) of methane can be recovered from the landfill gas technology, while drying and densification will produce about 1.82 million tons of solid fuel. Based on secondary sources, the cost per ton waste and emissions (kg/ton) processed were also presented.</p> </abstract>

Biomethane as an energy resource for achieving sustainable production: Economic assessments and policy implications

Circular bioeconomy models aim to reduce dependence on non-renewable and unsustainable use of resources, involving also the inclusion of gas in the green taxonomy. Thus, biomethane represents a flexible and clean resource for combating climate change. This work aims to show that biomethane is a feasible energy resource that can meet sustainable production requirements. We perform an economic analysis on biomethane plants, obtained from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) varying from 100 to 500 m 3 /h capacity, based on Net Present Value for two distinct policy scenarios in Italy: i. Certificate of Emission of Biofuel in Consumption (Baseline Policy Scenario) and ii. Tariff Premium (Alternative Policy Scenario). In addition, the Break Even Point will be calculated for the critical variables. The results show that the cost of biomethane production varies from 0.54 to 0.78 €/m 3 and the profitability changes depending on the policy scenario. The 200 m 3 /h plant is the one in which the minimum profitability condition is achieved, which significantly depends on variables such as, the size of the plant, the type of incentive, the value of the incentive, the selling price of biomethane, and the net revenue associated with the treatment of OFMSW. In addition, this work quantifies the potential for unused biomethane in Italy associated with OFMSW, which ranges from 464 to 678 million m 3 , showing that could generate economic profits from about 41 to 2068 million € and from about 59 to 3027 million € in two different scenarios (characterized by a higher rate of separate collection). Policy implications are provided to enable further penetration and development of this renewable resource.

Aerobic granulation for polyhydroxyalkanoates accumulation using organic waste leachates

This work aimed to evaluate polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)-accumulating aerobic granular sludge (AGS) production using an inoculum of activated sludge and a prefermented medium consisting of leachates from the anaerobic hydrolysis of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). Operating conditions induced the evolution in the biomass structure to obtain aerobic granules with an average diameter of 1 mm within the first 45 days. This process resulted in remarkable evolution in the settling properties, with a four-fold improvement in the sludge volume index (SVI) and the zone settling velocity (Vs), as well as a considerable increase in the density during the same period. Moreover, AGS exhibited a maximum PHA accumulation capacity of 0.215 g-PHA/g-VSS, which was two-fold higher than in the inoculum, indicating the enrichment of the biomass on PHA-accumulating microorganisms as a result of the application of the anaerobic feeding of the substrate and the operation with long famine periods; operating conditions reported as favorable for both, the cultivation of stable AGS and the selection biopolymers-accumulating microorganisms. However, the carbon balance revealed that VFA from the leachates was preferably used for EPS synthesis instead of PHA production, showing that microorganisms in AGS absorb organic carbon to convert it into EPS for internal structure maintenance.

Composting of Organic Solid Waste of Municipal Origin: The Role of Research in Enhancing Its Sustainability.

The organic solid waste of municipal origin stands as one of the residual streams of greatest concern: the great amounts continuously produced over time as well as its biochemical and physical characteristics require its proper handling via biological processes, pursuing the recovery of material and/or the generation of energy. At the European level, most of the industrial plants treating the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) rely on composting, which is a well-established and reliable process that is easy to operate in different socio-economic contexts. Nevertheless, when regarded in a life cycle perspective as well as in the view of the principles of circular economy underlying waste management, several issues (e.g., the presence of toxic substances in compost) can be recognized as technical challenges, requiring further studies to identify possible sustainable solutions. This work aims at discussing these challenges and figuring out the state of the art of composting in a circular perspective. Firstly, the main mentioned issues affecting compost quality and process sustainability are briefly reviewed. Next, to promote the effective use of composting in light of the circular economy principles, research experiences are critically presented to highlight the current technical challenges concerning the environmental and health impact reduction and possible scientific perspectives to overcome issues affecting the compost quality. Based on the critical analysis of reviewed studies, it emerged that further research should be aimed at unveiling the hazard potential of emerging contaminants as well as to address the understanding of the mechanisms underlying their potential removal during composting. Moreover, the adoption of a multidisciplinary perspective in the design of research studies may play a key role towards the definition of cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategies to overcome the technical issues affecting the process.

High solid and wet anaerobic digestion technologies for the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes and food wastes: A comparative case study in Brazil

This study evaluates and compares the resource, energy, and GHG emission performance of two biodigestion plants in Brazil, that treat the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW); one operating under high solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD) and the other as a wet anaerobic digestion (WAD) system. The results indicate that the HSAD system: (1) Utilizes less water (for WAD 83.5 l/t OFMSW, for HSAD no extra water is added); (2) produces almost 2.5 times more biofertilizer, with roughly 233 kg/t OFMSW compared to 100 kg/t OFMSW of the WAD plant; (3) it has significantly higher energy efficiency with an energy ratio (ER) of 26.4 %, whereas for WAD the ER is 68 %; and, (4) it presents a significant GHG mitigation potential, reaching yearly savings of 3,892,587.56 kg CO2eq. With this, HSAD proves to be a suitable solution for the Brazilian conditions and offers tangible diverse benefits to treat the OFMSW.

Assessment of the Environmental Sustainability of Municipal Solid Waste Valorization by Anaerobic Digestion and by Composting in Sri Lanka

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) remains a major concern in Sri Lanka, and various treatment methods have been deployed. Though both composting and anaerobic digestion have been effective in environmental decontamination, there are other environmental issues that should be assessed. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental impacts of a full-scale composting plant and an anaerobic digestion plant for managing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) in Sri Lanka using life cycle assessment (LCA). The results show that OFMSW composting causes unfavorable environmental impacts on damage categories such as human health (6.77 × 10−4 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) tonne-1 OFMSW), ecosystem quality (1.90 × 10−6 species.year tonne-1 OFMSW), and resource scarcity (3.66 × 10−1 United States Dollar (USD) tonne-1 OFMSW). Anaerobic digestion also leads to unfavorable impacts on human health (2.13 × 10−4 DALY tonne-1 OFMSW) and ecosystem quality (6.46 × 10−7 species.year tonne-1 OFMSW). However, the impact on resource scarcity (-3.85 × 10−2 USD tonne-1 OFMSW) was avoided due to electricity production via anaerobic digestion. Specifically, the treatment of OFMSW by anaerobic digestion resulted in a reduction by 68.3% in the total environmental load as compared to composting. It can be concluded that out of the two existing systems investigated, anaerobic digestion has a more favorable environmental impact than composting.

Methane production from ethanolic and acid fermentations of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste under different pH and reaction times

Thermodynamically, lactic acid and ethanol allow the best energy recovery among all common metabolites for methane production. When faster methane production is required, previously fermented organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) can be essential for methane production. This research deals with OFMSW fermentation in batch reactors at pH values of 4, 5, and 6 at 35 °C. Samples were taken at reaction times of 1, 3, and 6 days for every pH, characterized, and exposed to methane production at 35 °C. The results show that lower pH and shorter fermentation times allow better ethanol and lactic acid production. Without exception, the fermented liquid fractions produce more methane than the solid ones. Fermented OFMSW produced 19% more methane than unfermented ones. The first methanization stage of the liquid fractions required 1–2 days and the solid fractions from 4 to 8 days. According to Michaelis & Menten, the reaction rate Vmax values are significantly higher for the liquid fractions than for the solid ones. Vmax shows that the lowest tested pH (4) during fermentation delivers the best substrate for methane production. The liquid digestates show significantly lower Km values than the solid ones, indicating a good affinity of the methanogens for the substrate. These results show the possibility of producing methane fast and efficiently using liquid fermented digestates. The solid fraction produces methane, but only slower than the liquid fraction.

Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Control of the Composting Process of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste: A Pilot-Scale Experience.

The aim of this work was to carry out a pilot experiment to monitor OFMSW (organic fraction of municipal solid waste) composting processes using different types of installations (automatic reactor, aerated static pile and turned pile). To carry out the process, pruning waste was used as structuring material (SM), in a 1:1 and 1:2, v:v, OFMSW:SM ratio. Monitoring was carried out through the control of physico-chemical and microbiological parameters, such as temperature, pH, humidity, Rottegrade, Solvita tests, the presence of Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli, total coliform, and Enterococcus sp. concentrations. After carrying out the tests, it can be affirmed that the three types of installations used worked correctly in terms of the monitoring of physico-chemical parameters, giving rise to a compost of sufficient stability and maturity to be applied on agricultural soil. In all cases the bacterial concentrations in the final compost were lower than those detected in the mixture of initial components for its preparation, thus complying with the requirements established in RD 506/2013 and RD 999/2017RD on fertilizer products. However, it cannot be affirmed that one of the three types of installation used produces a greater bacterial inactivation than the others. When composting with different types of facilities, it is of interest to optimize the irrigation and aeration system in order to have a better control of the process and to study the possible temperature gradients in the piles to ensure good sanitization without the risk of bacterial proliferation a posteriori. Finally, the different initial mixtures of OFMSW and SM used in this study did not have a significant influence on the functioning of the composting process or on the microbiological quality during the process. The irrigation water can provide a bacterial contribution that can lead to increases in concentration during the composting process. This study is part of the Life-NADAPTA project (LIFE16 IPC/ES/000001), an integrated strategy for adaptation to Climate Change in Navarra, where NILSA participates in water action and collaborates in agricultural action, which includes among its objectives the development of new soil amendments from different organic waste.

A critical review on pretreatment and detoxification techniques required for biofuel production from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a widely-available promising feedstock for biofuel production. However, the presence of different inhibitors originating from fruit and food/beverage wastes as well as recalcitrant lignocellulosic fractions hampers its bioconversion. This necessitates a pretreatment to augment the biodigestibility and fermentability of OFMSW. Hence, this review aims to provide the in-vogue inhibitory compound removal and pretreatment techniques that have been employed for efficient OFMSW conversion into biofuels, i.e., hydrogen, biogas, ethanol, and butanol. The techniques are compared concerning their mode of action, chemical and energy consumption, inhibitor formation and removal, economic feasibility, and environmental sustainability. This critique also reviews the existing knowledge gap and future perspectives for efficient OFMSW valorization. The insights provided pave the way toward developing energy-resilient cities while addressing environmental crises related to generating OFMSW.

Rigid bioplastics shape the microbial communities involved in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

While bioplastics are gaining wide interest in replacing conventional plastics, it is necessary to understand whether the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as an end-of-life option is compatible with their biodegradation and their possible role in shaping the microbial communities involved in the processes. In the present work, we assessed the microbiological impact of rigid polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-based bioplastics (SBB) spoons on the thermophilic anaerobic digestion and the aerobic composting of OFMSW under real plant conditions. In order to thoroughly evaluate the effect of PLA and SBB on the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities during the process, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology was carried out. The results suggest that bioplastics shape the communities' structure, especially in the aerobic phase. Distinctive bacterial and fungal sequences were found for SBB compared to the positive control, which showed a more limited diversity. Mucor racemosus was especially abundant in composts from bioplastics' treatment, whereas Penicillium roqueforti was found only in compost from PLA and Thermomyces lanuginosus in that from SBB. This work shed a light on the microbial communities involved in the OFMSW treatment with and without the presence of bioplastics, using a new approach to evaluate this end-of-life option.

Biohydrogen Production in Microbial Electrolysis Cells Utilizing Organic Residue Feedstock: A Review

The need for renewable and sustainable fuel and energy storage sources is pressing. Biohydrogen has the potential to be a storable energy carrier, a direct fuel and a diverse building block for various downstream products. Utilizing microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) to produce biohydrogen from residue streams, such as the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), agricultural residues and wastewater facilitate utilization and energy recovery from these streams, paving the path for a circular economy. The advantages of using hydrogen include high gravimetric energy density and, given the MEC pathway, the ability to capture heavy metals, ammonia and phosphates from waste streams, thereby allowing for multiple revenue streams emanating from MECs. A review of the MEC technology and its application was carried out to investigate the use of MEC in sustainable biohydrogen production. This review summarizes different MEC designs of varying scales, including anode materials, cathode materials, and configuration possibilities. This review highlights the accomplishments and challenges of small-scale to large-scale MECs. Suggestions for improving the successful upscaling of MECs are listed, thus emphasizing the areas for continued research.

Pre-composting of municipal solid wastes as enhancer of bio-hydrogen production through dark fermentation process

This study was focused on bio-hydrogen production from thermophilic dry anaerobic acidogenic co-digestion (55 °C and 20 % of total solids) of pre-composted mixtures of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and food waste (FW). Three different mixture ratios of OFMSW:FW (80:20, 70:30 and 50:50) have been tested. The application of pre-composting improved the hydrolytic and acidogenic phases in the subsequent acidogenic co-digestion, reaching an increase in the bio-hydrogen production in the range of 45.4–46.7 %. In this sense, the best results were obtained for the pretreated mixture with the ratio 70:30, with 42.9 LH2/kg VSadded and 53.9 % of H2 in the biogas. Finally, the kinetic study has corroborated that pre-composting clearly enhances the kinetics of acidogenic fermentation of OFMSW and FW mixtures. In fact, the μmax and YP values for the pretreated mixtures have been increased by a 20 % and 33 % respectively.

A micro- and macro-scale look at the biochemical methanogenic potential of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste generated in a large city of a developing country

The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a complex and expensive task. This is especially the case in developing countries, where waste generation rates are continuously increasing and where current MSW management strategies are focused on inadequate practices, such as landfilling and incineration, which result in numerous health and environmental problems. The anaerobic digestion (AD) of MSW has been implemented worldwide as a solution to decrease the amount of waste ending up in landfills. This process allows for the recovery of energy from the organic fraction of MSW (OFMSW) in the form of biogas, which is largely composed of methane. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to evaluate the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of the OFMSW generated within different socioeconomic strata of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (MAG), Mexico. From a microscale perspective, the microbial communities within the experimental AD system were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to assess the relationship between these communities and the biogas composition. This microbial identification revealed a typical AD composition consisting of the following six phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Furthermore, through the identification of Methanobacterium and Methanosaeta, two methanogenesis pathways (hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic) were pinpointed. From a macroscale perspective, a multi-stage Gompertz kinetic model was used to describe cumulative biogas production. This model considered the complex nature of the OFMSW substrate in order to estimate the potential level of biogas production in the MAG using a weighted average that was based on the size of the population in each socioeconomic stratum evaluated (732.8 mL⋅g−1 VS). This novel contribution to the literature provides an estimation of the potential economic, energetic, and environmental benefits of treating the OFMSW produced in the MAG through AD. Through this approach, an estimated 8.5 MWh·year−1 of electrical power could be produced, translating into 1.13 million USD of yearly revenue and resulting in reduced GHG emissions (10,519 tonne CO2eq⋅year−1).

Techno-economic and carbon footprint evaluation of anaerobic digestion plants treating agro-industrial and municipal wastes in North African countries

The agro-industrial activity, which is regarded as a pillar of the North-African economy, is responsible for generating considerable waste quantities. These byproducts can be treated through anaerobic digestion (AD), which offers various financial and ecological benefits over traditional waste disposal methods. However, the transition to this sustainable process is faced with several challenges due to the heterogeneity and seasonality of agro-industrial wastes. In this study, we proposed and evaluated three waste management strategies for treating agro-industrial wastes in large-scale AD plants conceived in specific North-African countries. These strategies involve co-digesting seasonal agro-industrial wastes, i.e., three-phase olive pomace (3POP), grape pomace, and orange peel, with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) throughout the year (MS1); co-digesting the dominant agro-industrial waste (3POP) with OFMSW during the olive harvest season and mono-digesting OFMSW during the rest of the year (MS2); and co-digesting 3POP and OFMSW year-round by storing 3POP in cold storage facilities (MS3). The techno-economic findings show that the proposed AD plants would be profitable in Morocco and Algeria under both MS1 and MS2, with internal rate of return (IRR) values respectively reaching 10.8% and 18.4% under MS1 and 12.4% and 20.1% under MS2. In contrast, the conceived Tunisian plants would be financially feasible only if MS2 is adopted (IRR of 10.7%). Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis indicates that the economic performance of the proposed plants would mostly be affected by the biomethane selling price and capital cost. Additionally, the carbon footprint analysis suggests that the AD plants could, during their lifetime, reduce the CO2-eq emissions by 411, 208, and 26 Mt (under respectively MS1, MS2, and MS3) compared to the currently used waste disposal practices in the North African region.

Valorizing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste by producing black soldier fly larvae and biomethane in a biorefinery approach

The use of organic fraction municipal solid waste (OFMSW) was evaluated by rearing black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and by producing biomethane from the derived residual larval waste (R-OFMSW). To do so, OFMSW was sampled from two full scale plants during the year (four seasons) and OFMSW textures were also studied by considering untreated and pulped waste.Residual larval waste was then used to produce biomethane, closing the biorefinery process, and complete mass and energy balances are provided. On average, the larvae production was 155 ± 58 (n = 16) g kg− 1 OFMSWDM and biogas from R-OFMSW was 138 NL kg− 1 OFMSWDM (n = 16). No differences were observed considering seasonality, waste plants and OFMSW texture. Energy balance indicated that 37% of OFMSW energy content (ECOFMSW) was recovered as the sum of BSFL and biomethane from R-OFMSW, which was much lower than the energy recovered by producing solely biomethane directly from OFMSW, i.e. 50% of ECOFMSW, because BSFL consumed a large part of the potential of OFMSW.

Production of Bio-Ethanol from the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and Refuse-Derived Fuel

The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) mainly consisting of paper/cardboard can be used as feedstock for the production of cellulosic ethanol. In this paper, an efficient technology is described to convert waste paper/cardboard into cellulosic ethanol. The process involves separation of the OF from the other components in the waste stream. An acid pretreatment is used to liberate the cellulosic fibers and the accessibility of the enzyme Cellic CTEC3 loading 3.75–11.25 FPU/g paper in a fed-batch addition up to 22.5% solid yield, 15 g sugars/l with a saccharification yield up to 90%. A semi-simultaneous fermentation process (SSFP) with a saccharomyces cerevisae strain MDS130 capable of fermenting both pentoses and hexoses are growing an ethanol titer (%v/v) of 8.4% on pilon-plant scale.

Performance of a percolation reactor integrated to solid-state anaerobic garage-type digesters with leachate recirculation for organic fraction of municipal solid waste treatment

Solid-state anaerobic digestion (SSAD) systems have been used for the sustainable treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). Unlike previous reports considering lab-scale SSAD systems as a unique system, the present study aims to deeper evaluate only the complementary percolation reactor (PR) integrated into the first semi-industrial scale SSAD system in Latin America. An innovative methodology was developed based on the probability function analysis of the monitoring data with target values reported in the literature and a linear correlation matrix to address the relation between different operating parameters. The results indicate that under a maximum organic loading rate of 1.9 kg VS.m−3.d−1, PR achieved a VS removal efficiency of 56 %, producing a highly stabilized inoculum (VS/TS ratio of 0.43). A maximum methane yield of 0.06 m3 CH4.kg VS−1removed and biogas CH4 content up to 76.5 % were reached during the long-term operation of 730 days.

A Short Review on Feedstock Characteristics in Methane Production from Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract The increase in population and industrialization leads to an increase in the solid waste year by year. The limited availability, increasing cost and adverse effect of climate change on fossil fuel leads to encouraging the research in the field of finding alternatives for energy sources. The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) can be utilized as a bio-energy source, which reduces the environmental impact and the requirement of landfill areas to dispose of municipal solid waste. Anaerobic digestion is the widely used sustainable approach to treat OFMSW. In recent years, the generation of methane from municipal solid waste has received increasing attention in research. This paper reviews literature published in recent years considering various characteristics of input feedstock parameters like pH, total solids, volatile solids, and water content which affect the digestion quality of the OFMSW and increase the production of methane. A regression model is developed to identify the relationship between methane production and various feedstock parameters. When the chemical compositions of feedstock were used as independent variables, the percentage variation accounted for by the model is low (r2 = 0.63) and also the important observation from the analysis is that the pH of the feedstock influences majorly methane production.

Environmental impacts of dry anaerobic biorefineries in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach

The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) represents the 34% of European waste and the overall share is going to increase since separate collection will be implemented across the member states. There is still lack of studies on environmental impacts of dry anaerobic biorefineries applying innovative solvents to produce biopolymers (e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoates – PHA) from the OFMSW. A comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis was applied to assess the environmental impacts of a conventional management strategy to recover biomethane and compost from the OFMSW with a dry anaerobic biorefinery recovering biomethane, fertilizers and PHAs. Four approaches to recover PHAs were included in the study, comprising two innovative and environmentally sustainable extraction methods (i.e., solvent extraction with ethyl acetate (EA) and ionic liquids (ILs)). The inventory data were derived from an Italian case study plant, while the data for modelling the PHA selection/accumulation and PHA extraction processes were retrieved from the literature. The comparison revealed that, at the current technological readiness level (TRL), the conventional management strategy has better environmental performances than the novel approach producing PHAs. For example, biomethane recovery, for which a substitution with natural gas was assumed, showed the highest avoided impacts for abiotic depletion of fossil fuel (65.5%), global warming (57.4%) and ozone layer depletion (65.4%) categories. PHA recovery scenarios showed high environmental impacts in all categories linked to natural resource depletion. PHA extraction with EA proved to be the most environmentally sustainable and promising technique towards an industrial application.