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GHGs Emissions and Sustainable Solid Waste Management

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Recycling of Solid Waste for Biofuels and Bio-chemicals

Abstract

In the 21st century, global warming and climate change are among the greatest environmental challenges and humanitarian crisis. Globally, annual greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from solid waste disposal sites is estimated to be approximately a quarter of total anthropogenic methane emission. Integrated solid waste management, therefore, provides significant opportunities to control environmental pollution and minimize the negative impacts of global climate change. This chapter illustrates the current status of global GHGs emission in relationship with population growth and solid waste generation. Mathematic models used to quantify GHGs generated from the waste sector as the zero-order model (i.e., SWANA, German EPER and IPCC Default Method) and the first-order model (i.e., TNO, LandGEM, IPCC First-Order Decay; FOD) are explained including application to certain inventory in selected countries. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which involves the cradle-to-grave concept, environmental burden from global warming and selected case studies are described and applied to assess GHGs emissions from various solid waste management options such as recycling, composting, sanitary landfilling, anaerobic digestion, incineration, mechanical biological treatment (MBT), source reduction, and utilization and application of biochar. Existing solid waste management practices and innovative options to achieve GHGs mitigation and community adaptation including resiliency are presented. Lessons learned and best practices in solid waste management from Thailand (i.e., Bangkok Kamphaeng Sean West: Landfill Gas to Electricity Project) and from other countries (i.e., GHGs mitigation project: MBT plant in Gaobeidian, Hebei province, People’s Republic of China; municipal solid waste composting project in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Federal Republic of Nigeria; and gasification, landfill gas and anaerobic digestion in Bali, Indonesia) are further discussed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management, Environmental Research Institute Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Suthirat Kittipongvises

  2. Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Chongrak Polprasert

Authors
  1. Suthirat Kittipongvises
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  2. Chongrak Polprasert
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Correspondence to Suthirat Kittipongvises .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

    Obulisamy Parthiba Karthikeyan

  2. James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

    Kirsten Heimann

  3. SGS Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu

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Kittipongvises, S., Polprasert, C. (2016). GHGs Emissions and Sustainable Solid Waste Management. In: Karthikeyan, O., Heimann, K., Muthu, S. (eds) Recycling of Solid Waste for Biofuels and Bio-chemicals. Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0150-5_3

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