Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Management …
137
5 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from MSW Management
System
Greenhouse gases are the prime cause of global warming and climatic change, which
are subsequently affect the ecological balance and cause abiotic resource depletion,
etc. [55]. Global warming is the result of increasing temperature due to emissions
of GHGs such as CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O. The LCA of MSW management clearly
exemplifies the points of emission of major GHGs such as CH 4, CO 2 , and N 2 O
(Fig. 6). Thus, waste collection, transportation, anaerobic digestion, composting,
incineration, and landfill contribute significantly to GHG emissions during waste
management process.
5.1 GHG Emissions from Waste Collection and Transport
Systems
Greenhouse gases (mainly CO 2 and small amounts N 2 O and CH 4 ) are released in the
process of waste collection and transportation due to combustion of fuel. Collection
rates have been much lower in developing nations as compared with their developed
counterparts. For instance, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries have collection rates varying from 90 to 100%, while developing countries have comparatively low collection rates [67]. Lower collection rates
however cause less GHG emissions and vice versa because aerobic digestion of
uncollected waste may lead to no CH 4 generation, rather CO 2 is emitted [5, 95].
In developing countries, methods adopted for the collection of waste might not be
technologically advanced are causing less GHG emissions. In many African and
Asian countries, manpower is employed in waste collection such as wheelbarrows,
animal-drawn carts, pedal tricycles and push carts, etc., which are not fuel-based
vehicles and thus result in no GHGs emission [8, 37]. For developed countries, GHG
emissions ranged between 5 and 50 kg CO 2 e t
−1 of wet waste [19].
In European nations, on an average 7.2 kg CO 2 e t
−1 of waste was produced
during MSW collection and transportation [81]. In the UK transportation and waste
segregation resulted in 14,234 and 13,323 t CO 2 e of GHG emissions, respectively
[16]. The GHG emission of waste in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia was
nearly 24935 t CO 2 e in Saudi Arabia [97]. Waste collection along with transportation
in Taipei city of Taiwan accounted for 15.53 kg CO 2 e t
−1 of waste [25]. The emissions
from transportation of collected MSW to landfill in Beijing, China varied from 91.49
t CO 2 e to 102.69 t CO 2 e under the five scenarios of LCA, thereby accounting for
0.56–2.15% of GHG emissions during whole management process [96].
137
5 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from MSW Management
System
Greenhouse gases are the prime cause of global warming and climatic change, which
are subsequently affect the ecological balance and cause abiotic resource depletion,
etc. [55]. Global warming is the result of increasing temperature due to emissions
of GHGs such as CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O. The LCA of MSW management clearly
exemplifies the points of emission of major GHGs such as CH 4, CO 2 , and N 2 O
(Fig. 6). Thus, waste collection, transportation, anaerobic digestion, composting,
incineration, and landfill contribute significantly to GHG emissions during waste
management process.
5.1 GHG Emissions from Waste Collection and Transport
Systems
Greenhouse gases (mainly CO 2 and small amounts N 2 O and CH 4 ) are released in the
process of waste collection and transportation due to combustion of fuel. Collection
rates have been much lower in developing nations as compared with their developed
counterparts. For instance, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries have collection rates varying from 90 to 100%, while developing countries have comparatively low collection rates [67]. Lower collection rates
however cause less GHG emissions and vice versa because aerobic digestion of
uncollected waste may lead to no CH 4 generation, rather CO 2 is emitted [5, 95].
In developing countries, methods adopted for the collection of waste might not be
technologically advanced are causing less GHG emissions. In many African and
Asian countries, manpower is employed in waste collection such as wheelbarrows,
animal-drawn carts, pedal tricycles and push carts, etc., which are not fuel-based
vehicles and thus result in no GHGs emission [8, 37]. For developed countries, GHG
emissions ranged between 5 and 50 kg CO 2 e t
−1 of wet waste [19].
In European nations, on an average 7.2 kg CO 2 e t
−1 of waste was produced
during MSW collection and transportation [81]. In the UK transportation and waste
segregation resulted in 14,234 and 13,323 t CO 2 e of GHG emissions, respectively
[16]. The GHG emission of waste in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia was
nearly 24935 t CO 2 e in Saudi Arabia [97]. Waste collection along with transportation
in Taipei city of Taiwan accounted for 15.53 kg CO 2 e t
−1 of waste [25]. The emissions
from transportation of collected MSW to landfill in Beijing, China varied from 91.49
t CO 2 e to 102.69 t CO 2 e under the five scenarios of LCA, thereby accounting for
0.56–2.15% of GHG emissions during whole management process [96].