Waste Sector Research Articles

Inventory and projection of greenhouse gases emissions for Sumatera Utara Province

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) emissions which result in global warming is a serious problem for the human being. Total globally anthropogenic GHG emissions were the highest in the history of the year 2000 to 2010 and reached 49 (4.5) Giga ton CO2eq per year in 2010. Many governments addressed their commitment to reducing GHG emission. The Government of Indonesia (GoI) has released a target in reducing its GHG emissions by 26% from level business as usual by 2020, and this target can be increased up to 41% by international aid. In this study, the GHG emissions for Sumatera Utara province are assessed and divided into six sectors. They are Agricultural, Land Use and Forestry, Energy, Transportation, Industrial, and Waste sectors. The results show that total GHG emissions for Sumatera Utara province in the baseline year 2010 is 191.4 million tons CO2eq. The business-as-usual projection of the GHG emission in 2020 is 354.5 million tons CO2eq. Mitigation actions will reduce GHG emissions up to 30.5% from business as usual emission in 2020.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BIOGAS GENERATION FOR THE SOLID WASTE SECTOR USING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE WITH THE BRAZILIAN MODEL OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN AREAS WITH NO OPERATIONAL HISTORY

Abstract: The city of Volta Redonda, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, has a controlled landfill of municipal solid waste (MSW) which was partially recovered in 2008. This disposal site has no data on the amount of waste volume landfilled. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was used to capture images of the study area and through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) the biogas generation was determined. By overlaying the georeferenced images the contour lines were determined which enabled the creation of the 3D Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the area with a resolution of 0.296349 m / pix. The DTM provided the determination of the volume of waste landfilled (535.755,79 m3) and the real surface area (36.770,96 m2) of the controlled landfill. These parameters allowed obtainment the maximum flow rate of methane generation of 16.539,82 m3 for 2007. The Brazilian model used to determination biogas generation in waste sector achieve a maximum flow rate of methane generation of 126.599,4 m3 for the year 2007. A significant difference between biogas generation in the two models was observed mainly due to the amount of waste determined in both models.

Environmental Fiscal Reform and the Double Dividend: Evidence from a Dynamic General Equilibrium Model

An environmental fiscal reform (EFR) represents a transition of a taxation system toward one based in environmental taxation, rather than on taxation of capital, labor, or consumption. It differs from an environmental tax reform (ETR) in that an EFR also includes a reform of subsidies which counteract environmental policy. This research details different ways in which an EFR is not only possible but also a good option that provides economic and environmental benefits. We have developed a detailed dynamic CGE model examining 101 industries and commodities in Spain, with an energy and an environmental extension comprising 31 pollutant emissions, in order to simulate the economic and environmental effects of an EFR. The reform focuses on 39 industries related to the energy, water, transport and waste sectors. We simulate an increase in taxes and a reduction on subsidies for these industries and at the same time we use new revenues to reduce labor, capital and consumption taxes. All revenue recycling options provide both economic and environmental benefits, suggesting that the “double dividend” hypothesis can be achieved. After three to four years after implementing an EFR, GDP is higher than the base case, hydrocarbons consumption declines and all analyzed pollutants show a reduction.

Relation between greenhouse gas emissions and economic profit for different configurations of biogas value chains: A case study on different levels of sector integration

Abstract Biogas production through anaerobic digestion of organic waste and manure can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions in several sectors such as the waste, transport, energy and agricultural sector. The aim of this paper is to study the effect of different levels of sector integration in biogas value chains, and to discuss how different policy measures and regulations influence the reduction of greenhouse gases. Environmental impacts and economic profit were calculated for four different biogas value chain configurations in Norway. Further, the most profitable scenario was used as a reference to calculate the economic incentives needed to make the other scenarios as profitable as the reference. The results show that a broad integration of sectors is beneficial in terms of reduction of greenhouse gases. There is, however, a negative coherency between reduction of greenhouse gases and economic profitability when it comes to different levels of sector integration. The calculations showed that only a small increase in economic incentives are necessary to make biomethane for transport purposes as profitable as the reference. Inclusion of the agricultural sector into waste-based biogas value chains appears to be challenging and is likely to require greater incentives.

ANALISIS IDENTIFIKASI SEKTOR PEREKONOMIAN SEBAGAI SEKTOR BASIS DAN SEKTOR POTENSIAL DI KOTA BOGOR

This study aims to determine the sectors that become the basis sector and non-base in the city of Bogor, then to know the performance of each sector in the city of Bogor, and to know the sector that became a potential sector in the city of Bogor. The research was conducted by using Location Quotient / LQ method. In the city of Bogor, from the period of 2011 to 2015 there is one sector of the highest base of electricity and gas procurement sector. Of the 16 economic sectors, the economic sector including the basic sector in 2011 is the procurement of electricity and gas, the transportation and warehousing sectors, the financial services sector and insurance and other services sectors. In addition to these four sectors in 2011, in 2012-2015, it increased by 7 sectors, to 11. The additional sectors were water supply, waste management, waste, construction, and large and retail trade sectors; car and motorcycle repair, accommodation, food and beverage sector, information and communications sector, corporate services sector, health services sector and social activities. then that included in the non-base sector is the other five sectors.In the city of Bogor the performance of the economic sector can be explained that the sector that has the average value of Regional Growth (PR) is the highest sector of procurement of electricity and gas. This value indicates that the growth of electricity and gas procurement sector in Bogor City is higher than that of Indonesia. In Bogor City from 2011 to 2015 included in the potential sector is sector. Then from these sectors, the most potential sector or the most potential sector is the electricity and gas procurement sector.From the results of research that has been obtained by researchers, the researchers provide suggestions that must be taken are as follows: First, the base sector should be more maintained and developed again without exclude development against other sectors. The electricity and gas procurement sector that contributes to the GRDP should be developed by industrializing in cooperation with investors, so that the contribution from the gas and electricity procurement sector can increase again. Second, planning in development should be given to sectors that have the potential to be developed as a top priority so that development can be carried out more optimally.

From Second National Communication to Third National Communication for the UNFCCC: Sri Lanka’s Progress

Sri Lanka is a signatory country to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and therefore is expected to provide information on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, measures to mitigate and to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change, and any other information that the party considers relevant to the achievement of the objective of the Convention.Sri Lanka is now in the preparation of the 3rd National Communication. This paper attempts to review the status of the implementation of the recommendations provided by the Second National Communication (submitted in 2010) in the area of Green House Gas mitigation in the backdrop of the expectations of the Third National Communication. The targets of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) were also considered in this context. The sectors dealt with here are power, transport, industries, agriculture, land use, land use change and forestry and waste. In general considerable action had been taken towards implementation of the recommendations put forward by the Second National Communication (2NC). However more work needs to be done to fulfil the expectations fully. With regards to the power sector, despite the expectation of the INDCs to provide 50% of the energy demand from Non-Conventional Renewable Energies (NCRE) by 2030, the Long Term Generation and Expansion Plan of the Ceylon Electricity Board envisages only 26.27% from NCRE by 2034 while the contribution from coal increased to 56.91%. The recommendation of 2NC to introduce natural gas as an alternative for base load generation has not materialized. With regards to the transportation sector which emits about 50% of carbon dioxide, there had been certain policy directions towards ensuring sustainable transport modes but the progress is rather slow. Some strategies and action plans in this regard are National Transport Master Plan, Road Sector Master Plan and Western Megapolis Action Plan which collectively aims at enhancing the use of public transport of higher quality and encourage its use while constructing and maintaining high quality transport modes including road and rail. Clean Air 2025 and Blue Green Era directives also accentuates these intentions. Greening the industries remain largely voluntary. The Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment has introduced two very important tools; National Green Reporting System (2011) and Green Procurement Policy (2015). The Blue Green Era Policy advocates green infrastructure and green industries. In the area of agriculture, National Agriculture Policy Framework and National Food Production Programme (2016-18) identifies the requirement of production of safe food by promoting eco-friendly practices and minimizing agro chemicals and pesticides in food crop production. The policy on toxin free country also is in agreement to this. With regards to the land use, land use change and forestry, the major attempt is the production of the National REDD+ Investment Framework and Action Plan in 2017. It encompassed three policy areas; forest, wildlife and watersheds, land use planning and other forested lands. In the waste sector, while National Policy on Solid Waste Management (2007) and Pilisaru Project are struggling to achieve their objectives, plans are underway to form a single waste management authority for the country and also introduce instruments such as Polluter Pay, producer Responsible etc. to minimize the pollution from waste streams. A Waste Management Plan for target provinces had been prepared by the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment with the assistance of UN HABITAT in 2017. There is some interest in waste to energy projects. Keywords: National communication, Transport, Waste, Forests, Recommendations, Power

Concrete recycling life cycle flows and performance from construction and demolition waste in Hanoi

As construction increases through a rise in development in Vietnam, the environmental performance of recycling construction and demolition waste is not well documented. This paper addresses this lack of knowledge, by mapping the current recycling system and estimating recycling performance of a key component in construction and demolition waste in Vietnam, concrete. Primary data were collected directly from six Vietnamese construction enterprises involved in the life cycle of construction and demolition waste management. The results indicated that potential net environmental benefits exist for all impact categories examined if a mechanised plant were considered. Moreover, construction demolition waste may then be used for more permanent applications such as building foundations and in new building materials. The results confirm benefits to technological advancements in concrete recycling in the construction demolition waste sector. Fostering investment and interest in such strategies could be achieved by imposing clear and consistent construction demolition waste classifications, establishing clear lines of responsibility, and coordinating activities amongst key stakeholders to promote the benefits of concrete recycling. These findings consolidate the need of further research in Vietnam and other developing nations, where more detailed life cycle inventory development and stakeholder engagement could help. Then better environmental outcomes through the concrete recycling management may be delivered.

ADAPTATION OF IPCC DEFAULT VALUES ON NATIONAL LANDFILL CONDITIONS

Over the next 10 to 30 years methane emissions from landfills in Germany will continue to represent a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions in the waste sector. Methane emissions have been estimated for the National Inventory Report on the German Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NIR) using the First Order Decay (FOD) method and the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Both national data and default factors (standard values) provided by the IPCC were used in calculating the estimations. A review of the methodological basis and input data used to determine methane formation in landfills indicates that the previous approaches adopted in the NIR reports led to methane formation rates that clearly exceeded actual emissions from German landfills. Both the state of knowledge and the results of investigations focussed on landfill gas production and emissions from numerous German municipal solid waste landfills confirm the latter. To obtain a more accurate description of the methane generation potential and methane generation in landfills, DOC parameters, fraction of degradable organic carbon (DOCf), half-life and methane correction factor (MCF) can be adapted for the individual organic fractions of waste. When the adapted values for use in the estimation of methane emissions of German landfills are applied, the results yielded are in a range of approx. 50ϼompared to the estimated values reported in the German NIR to date.

Biowaste Valorisation in a Future Circular Bioeconomy

The biowaste refinery concept has received significant attention in recent years as a sustainable alternative the petroleum refinery, exploiting the biowaste for producing high value bioproducts. However, waste-based biorefineries mainly apply homogeneous waste streams from agriculture and food processing as feedstock. This paper presents the state of the art of mixed-biowaste biorefinery concepts. We identified 20 studies that use the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as feedstock, producing enzymes, bioplastics, biopesticides and other high value products. Valorisation efficiency (output product per kg OFMSW) and potential revenue by valorising the OFMSW into different products (Euro/ton OFMSW) was analysed for the identified studies. It was found that enzymes have the highest potential revenue followed by biopesticides and bioplastics. Developing biorefineries applying OFMSW as feedstock presents a promising opportunity for moving up the waste hierarch through coupling the waste and production sector in a future circular bioeconomy.

Generating Renewable Energy from Municipal Waste Sector: A Comparative Study between Japan and Indonesia

Generating Renewable Energy from Municipal Waste Sector: A Comparative Study between Japan and Indonesia

A Review of Effective Waste Management from an EU, National, and Local Perspective and Its Influence: The Management of Biowaste and Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Solid Waste

The waste management industry across the European Union (EU) has undergone radical change following the recognition that a move towards a sustainable society is essential for humankind. To this end, the EU has targeted household recycling targets of 50% by 2020 and 70% by 2030 in a bid to move towards a more sustainable and resource efficient society. Despite such targets and a number of relevant progresses in technology (such as incineration, composting, and anaerobic digestion), there are several challenges facing the municipal solid waste sector. The purpose of this review is to assess the EU, UK and local policies that are affecting the way waste is treated, Greater Manchester (GM) in the United Kingdom (UK), will be used as an example. The review focuses upon anaerobic digestion as a choice technology for waste management and assesses the influences of policies upon the application of anaerobic digestion at the EU and local level, finding that at current rates of recycling, local and national targets will be missed by approximately 7.3% in the year 2030, even in the best case scenario where the maximum amount of biowaste is managed under the current operational capacity. The review concludes that in order to improve the recycling bio-waste capacity on a local, national, and EU level, the introduction of the AD must be increased tremendously.

Assessment of mitigation pathways of GHG emissions from the Korean waste sector through 2050

Abstract The waste sector may play a significant role in national mitigation policies with further greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction opportunities mainly because of its linkage to other sectors. However, the waste sector has not drawn much attention from research community mainly because the amount of GHG emissions from the waste sector is notably smaller than other sectors. This study presents emissions estimation and mitigation potentials of the waste sector in Korea. Emission estimates and business-as-usual emissions through 2050 are estimated based on four different treatment methods, including landfill, incineration, wastewater, and biological treatment by considering country-specific emission parameters of wastes, where available. Different types of wastes for each treatment method are investigated to obtain accurate emission estimates. It is expected that GHG emissions in 2050 are about 12.0 Tg CO2eq, which is 17% less than those in 2010. Mitigation potentials and economic impacts of five different measures are also investigated, and it is revealed that the production of refuse drive fuel from combustible municipal solid wastes may render the greatest benefit with the most mitigation potential of 649 kt CO2eq. An interdependent nature among mitigation measures is further discussed and it is shown that, if implemented together, the accumulated mitigation potentials are far less than the simple sum of individual potentials. It is implied that an aggregate potential of individual measures needs to be examined when implementing several mitigation measures simultaneously. This study outlines how to investigate emissions estimation and mitigation pathways for the waste sector in a national level.

A concept to support the transformation from a linear to circular carbon economy: net zero emissions, resource efficiency and conservation through a coupling of the energy, chemical and waste management sectors

Abstract Coal and carbon-containing waste are valuable primary and secondary carbon carriers. In the current dominant linear economy, such carbon resources are generally combusted to produce electricity and heat and as a way to resolve a nation’s waste issue. Not only is this a wastage of precious carbon resources, which can be chemically utilized as raw materials for production of other value-added goods, it is also contrary to international efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase resource efficiency and conservation. This article presents a concept to support the transformation from a linear ‘one-way cradle to grave manufacturing model’ toward a circular carbon economy. The development of new and sustainable value chains through the utilization of coal and waste as alternative raw materials for the chemical industry via a coupling of the energy, chemical and waste management sectors offers a viable and future-oriented perspective for closing the carbon cycle. Further benefits also include a lowering of the carbon footprint and increasing resource efficiency and conservation of primary carbon resources. In addition, technological innovations and developments that are necessary to support a successful sector coupling will be identified. To illustrate our concept, a case analysis of domestic coal and waste as alternative feedstock to imported crude oil for chemical production in Germany will be presented. Last but not least, challenges posed by path dependency along technological, institutional and human dimensions in the sociotechnical system for a successful transition toward a circular carbon economy will be discussed.

Wood waste decomposition in landfills: An assessment of current knowledge and implications for emissions reporting

Large quantities of wood products have historically been disposed of in landfills. The fate of this vast pool of carbon plays an important role in national carbon balances and accurate emission reporting. The Republic of Ireland, like many EU countries, utilises the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for greenhouse gas reporting in the waste sector, which provides default factors for emissions estimation. For wood products, the release of carbon is directly proportional to the decomposition of the degradable organic carbon fraction of the product, for which the IPCC provides a value of 0.5 (50%). However, in situ analytic results of the decomposition rates of carbon in landfilled wood do not corroborate this figure; suggesting that carbon emissions are likely overestimated. To assess the impact of this overestimation on emission reporting, carbon decomposition values obtained from literature and the IPCC default factor were applied to the Irish wood fraction of landfilled waste for the years 1957–2016 and compared. Univariate analysis found a statistically significant difference between carbon (methane) emissions calculated using the IPCC default factor and decomposition factors from direct measurements for softwoods (F = 45.362, p = <.001), hardwoods (F = 20.691, p = <.001) and engineered wood products (U = 4.726, p = <.001). However, there was no significant difference between emissions calculated using only the in situ analytic decomposition factors, regardless of time in landfill, location or subsequently, climate. This suggests that methane emissions from the wood fraction of landfilled waste in Ireland could be drastically overestimated; potentially by a factor of 56. The results of this study highlight the implications of emission reporting at a lower tierand prompts further research into the decomposition of wood products in landfills at a national level.

Waste Municipal Service and Informal Recycling Sector in Fast-Growing Asian Cities: Co-Existence, Opposition or Integration?

Despite being generally poorly recognized by public authorities, informal recycling remains nevertheless a major component in the waste sector, which questions the legitimacy of the official waste arrangements. A look at the current transformation in Hanoi (Vietnam), Delhi (India) and Surabaya (Indonesia) allows us to understand the socio-technical aspects of infrastructural choices in the management of waste generated in fast-growing Asian cities. The three cases present similar traditional recycling practices yet contrasted (non-) regulation within their waste policies. From the co-existence of a municipal waste management service with a traditional informal recycling sector, to an opposition between both, there is also a possibility of making use of the existing local practices to achieve a more sustainable system.

The impact of socioeconomic factors on municipal solid waste generation in São Paulo, Brazil.

Social factors have not been sufficiently explored in municipal solid waste management studies. Latin America has produced even fewer studies with this approach; technical and economic investigations have prevailed. We explored the impacts of socioeconomic factors on municipal solid waste generation in Greater Sao Paulo, which includes 39 municipalities. We investigated the relations between municipal solid waste generation and social factors by Pearson's correlation coefficient. The Student's t-test (at p ← 0.01) proved significance, and further regression analysis was performed with significant factors. We considered 10 socioeconomic factors: population, rural population, density, life expectancy, education (secondary, high and undergraduate level), income per capita, inequality and human development. A later multicollinearity analysis resulted in the determination of inequality (rp = 0.625) and income per capita (rp = 0.607) as major drivers. The results showed the relevance of considering social aspects in municipal solid waste management and isolated inequality as an important factor in planning. Inequality must be used as a complementary factor to income, rather than being used exclusively. Inequality may explain differences of waste generation between areas with similar incomes because of consumption patterns. Therefore, unequal realities demand unequal measures to avoid exacerbation, for example, pay-as-you-throw policies instead of uniform fees. Unequal realities also highlight the importance of tiering policies beyond the waste sector, such as sustainable consumption.

Time series analysis models for estimation of greenhouse gas emitted by different sectors in Turkey

ABSTRACTDue to the increasing global warming in the world, analyzing greenhouse gas emissions is a crucial issue. This study has examined greenhouse gas emissions in Turkey according to energy sector, industrial processes sector, agriculture sector and waste sector. Then, time series analysis models are used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions based on sectors. Models' performances are tested using mean error, mean absolute error and root mean square error. The results show that forecasting models have a good potential to estimate the national greenhouse gas emissions for different sector within a reasonable error. The study results will help organize and estimate the national greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

CH&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;4&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; emission estimates from an active landfill site inferred from a combined approach of CFD modelling and in situ FTIR measurements

Abstract. Globally, the waste sector contributes to nearly a fifth of anthropogenic methane emitted to the atmosphere and is the second largest source of methane in the UK. In recent years great improvements to reduce those emissions have been achieved by the installation of methane recovery systems at landfill sites, and subsequently methane emissions reported in national emission inventories have been reduced. Nevertheless, methane emissions of landfills remain uncertain and quantification of emission fluxes is essential to verify reported emission inventories and to monitor changes in emissions. Here we present a new approach for methane emission quantification from a complex source such as a landfill site by applying a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to calibrated in situ measurements of methane as part of a field campaign at a landfill site near Ipswich, UK, in August 2014. The methane distribution for different meteorological scenarios is calculated with the CFD model and compared to methane mole fractions measured by an in situ Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer downwind of the prevailing wind direction. Assuming emissions only from the active site, a mean daytime flux of 0.83 mg m−2 s−1, corresponding to a spatially integrated emission of 53.3 kg h−1, was estimated. The addition of a secondary source area adjacent to the active site, where some methane hotspots were observed, improved the agreement between the simulated and measured methane distribution. As a result, the flux from the active site was reduced slightly to 0.71 mg m−2 s−1 (45.6 kg h−1), and at the same time an additional flux of 0.32 mg m−2 s−1 (30.4 kg h−1) was found from the secondary source area. This highlights the capability of our method to distinguish between different emission areas of the landfill site, which can provide more detailed information about emission source apportionment compared to other methods deriving bulk emissions.

Implementing city-level carbon accounting: A comparison between Madrid and London

A change of focus from the current production-based Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions inventory to an integrated production-consumption carbon accounting system would improve the quality of city-level inventories. London is one of the few cities in the world which has reported its GHG emission inventory using Consumption-Based (CB) methodologies. Although Madrid has adopted the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories (GPC) to report their GHG emissions, the city has never officially reported its GHG inventory using CB methodologies. Thus, the goal of this study is to analyze the challenges that must be faced by the production-based GHG emission inventory of Madrid in order to estimate GHG emissions from their supply chains and final consumers using the London's GHG emissions inventory experience. From the comparison between the 2010 GHG emission inventories of Madrid and London some challenges could emerge that Madrid's decision-makers might need to face regarding urban carbon accounting practices. As results, this paper shows that if GHG emissions from urban supply chains and final consumers are considered, the total GHG emissions reported by the Madrid inventory could double. This increase is similar to what London experienced when comparing production-based and integrated production-consumption GHG inventories. Besides, some difficulties related to lack of information were found when estimating GHG emissions associated with those goods and services consumed in Madrid. It would be useful to develop a full CB inventory using environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) matrices, more city-level primary data, and local cradle-to-grave factors, following the methodology applied by the London inventory. These actions would allow a more accurate calculation of urban supply chains and final consumer GHG emissions in Madrid. Finally, further research is recommended in order to improve the current knowledge about the contributions of the energy, transport and waste sectors to GHG emissions in both, Madrid and London.

Historical Review of Waste Management and Recycling in South Africa

Recycling has been taking place in South Africa for more than three decades, driven by social and economic needs. While the waste hierarchy is embedded in national policy, an extensive legislative framework has made it more and more challenging for the public and private sector to remain compliant and competitive in a local and global market, and still drive waste away from landfill towards reuse, recycling and recovery. A local recycling economy, on par with many developed countries, is in part due to a large and active informal waste sector. In the absence of separation at source across South African cities and towns, informal waste pickers have been key to accessing resources which the private sector has struggled to access, due to gatekeeping by municipalities. The South African waste and recycling sector can be defined in terms of four main stages of development—“The Age of Landfilling”, “The Emergence of Recycling”, “The Flood of Regulation” and “The Drive for EPR”, and is currently standing on the brink of a fifth stage—“The future is a Circular Economy”. The low hanging fruit, the easy to collect and recycle products, has been reaped. Moving to higher diversion from landfill targets will require more investment by the private sector and by government in the future. The social, economic and environmental benefits of doing this are clear, but must be balanced against the cost that will ultimately be borne by society, as consumers.