Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emission from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste Treatment

Abstract

This study aims to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from urban organic waste management. Three management system scenarios were considered as the basis for the analysis. Scenario 1, centralized composting part of the organic waste and the rest being stockpiled in a controlled landfill as a representation of current conditions. In scenario 2, apart from increasing the amount of waste being managed, it also involves home composting. In scenario 3, part of landfill gas in scenario 2 is burned openly. Operational data on municipal solid waste (MSW) management by Buleleng Regency Environmental Office (DLH) by Buleleng Regency was used in this study in addition to the databases available in the IPCC model and other literatures. In scenario 1, 2562 Gg CO_2-e comes from gas landfills emission. The centralized composting can only contribute to the avoidance of emissions by 0.158 Gg. In scenario 2, emissions were generated from landfills are 5896 Gg CO_2-e with avoided emissions obtained from the application of compost of 0.252 and 0.044 Gg CO_2-e respectively for compost produced from centralized composting and home composting. The contribution from landfills is greater in scenario 2 compared to scenario 1 in line with the amount of waste collected and managed. If 50% of landfill gas from scenario 2 is collected from gas collection facilities and then burned (scenario 3), then the avoided GHG emission from this system is 2929.5 Gg CO_2-e. This shows that the avoidance contribution of burning or utilizing landfill gas is much greater than that of composting.

Keywords: Greenhouse gas, organic fraction of municipal solid waste, landfill, composting

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/13-5-02

Publication date:July 31^st 2023