Strategies for the municipal solid waste sector to assist Canada in meeting its Kyoto Protocol commitments

2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian K Mohareb ◽  
Mostafa Warith ◽  
Roberto M Narbaitz

The Government of Canada has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committing to a 6% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 1990 levels during the commitment period of 2008–2012. To attain this target, emission reductions throughout many sectors must be achieved. The waste sector can assist Canada in reducing GHG emissions to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. In 2001, the waste sector generated 24.8 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) from landfill gas (LFG) generation, wastewater treatment, and incineration. Emissions from the transportation of solid waste were not considered, and are seen to be small. Several strategies for reducing GHG emissions from solid waste are analyzed. Source reduction decreases the amount of material being generated, thus reducing from the source any emissions that might be related to the life cycle of the material. Recycling can reduce GHG emissions by reducing the amount of virgin material being processed, avoiding life cycle emissions. Landfill gas collection for energy recovery can reduce methane (CH4) emissions from organic wastes in landfills, and the Government of Canada's Climate Change Plan has considered this strategy. Anaerobic digestion converts some of the organic matter in the municipal solid waste (MSW) to both CH4 and carbon dioxide (CO2), where the CH4 can be used to generate power, while composting converts some of the organic fraction to CO2. Both of these processes produce a soil conditioner as their residue. Waste incineration reduces MSW volume and can generate power, displacing generation from fossil fuels. An integrated approach, considering these techniques where appropriate, can succeed in reducing emissions from the solid waste sector. Policy choices such as extended producer responsibility, minimum recycled content laws, and LFG capture criteria would increase the impact of solid waste management on GHG emissions. Key words: climate change, Kyoto Protocol, municipal solid waste, source reduction, recycling, landfill gas capture, anaerobic digestion.

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-348
Author(s):  
Tariq Umar

Reduction in emissions is the key to tackle climate change issues and achieve environmental sustainability. The Gulf Cooperation Council member countries however, not only generate the highest quantity of MSW/capita when compared globally but also in most of these countries such waste is just dumped at different landfill stations. In Oman, the total quantity of MSW stood at 2.0 million tonnes/year. The emission from this waste is estimated at 2,989,467 tonnes/year (CO2 Equivalent). This article attempts to develop frameworks that considered landfilling, composting, and recycling of MSW and compared the emissions of these frameworks. The framework (F2) which proposes the landfilling and composting process for the organic waste which normally goes to landfills results in an increase of emissions by 7% as compared to landfill practice. Similarly, the samples of MSW collected in Oman show a good amount of recycling waste. The framework (F3) which considers the landfill, composting, and recycling reduced the total Greenhouse Gas emissions from 2,989,467 tonnes/year to 2,959,735 tonnes/year (CO2 Equivalent); representing a total reduction of 1% in emissions. Although composting increases the emissions, however, considering composting and recycling will not only reduce the burden on landfills but will promote agricultural and industrial activates.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1365
Author(s):  
Paulina Poma ◽  
Marco Usca ◽  
María Polanco ◽  
Theofilos Toulkeridis ◽  
Carlos Mestanza-Ramón

The landfill is a final disposal technique to confine municipal solid waste (MSW), where organic matter is degraded generating leachate and biogas composed of methane gases (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases that contribute to global warming. The objective of the current research was to estimate the amount of biogas generated through the LandGEM 3.03 mathematical model to determine the amount of electrical energy generated and the number of homes that would be supplied with electrical energy from 2021 to 2144. As a result of the application, it was estimated that in the Pichacay landfill, the highest point of biogas generation in 2053 would be 76,982,177 (m3/year) that would generate 81,226,339.36 (kWh/year), and would supply 5083 homes with electricity. Similarly, in the Las Iguanas landfill, the highest point would be 693,975,228 (m3/year) of biogas that produces 73,223,5296.7 (kWh/year) and would supply electricity to 45,825 homes. Of the performed gas analyses in the Pichacay landfill in 2020, an average of 51.49% CH4, 40.35% CO2, 1.75% O2 and 17.8% H2S was presented, while in the Las Iguanas landfill, for 2020 and 2021, we obtained an average of 51.88/CH4, 36.62% CO2, 1.01% O2 and 187.58 ppm H2S. Finally, the biogas generated by being harnessed minimizes the impacts related to global warming and climate change and would contribute electricity to the nearby communities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 945-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tariq Umar

PurposeThe Gulf Cooperation Council member countries not only generate the highest quantity of municipal solid waste (MSW) per capita when compared globally, but also in most of these countries, such waste is just dumped at different landfill stations. In Oman, the total quantity of MSW stood at 2.0 million tons per year. The emission from this waste is estimated at 2,181,034 tons/year (carbon dioxide equivalent). This article attempts to develop frameworks that considered landfilling, composting and recycling of MSW.Design/methodology/approachTo know the composition of the municipal solid waste in Oman, a quantitative research method was employed. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from MSWM in this study focus on three major gases, CO2, CH4 and N2O. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 model is used to calculate GHG emissions from landfills and composting (IPCC, 2006). Four frameworks – baseline F0, framework F1, framework F2 and framework F3 – are outlined in this paper. The F0 represents the current situation of the MSW in which most of the waste goes to landfills and dumpsites. In F1, improved MSW collection service and landfilling are incorporated and open burning is restricted. The F2 considered landfilling and composting, while F3 is based on landfilling, composting and recycling.FindingsThe framework F2, which proposes the composting process for the organic waste which normally goes to landfills, results in the reduction of emissions by 40% as compared to landfill practice. Similarly, the samples of MSW collected in Oman show a good amount of recycling waste. The framework F3, which considers the landfill, composting and recycling, reduced the total GHG emissions from 2,181,034 tons/year to 1,427,998 tons/year (carbon dioxide equivalent), representing a total reduction of 35% in emissions.Research limitations/implicationsDifferent values such as CH4 correction factor, the fraction of degradable organic carbon and the fraction of DOC used to determine the GHG emissions from MSW considering landfilling, composting and recycling based on the IPPC model and existing literature review. The actual determination of these values based on the Oman conditions may result in more accurate emissions from MSW in Oman.Practical implicationsDifferent frameworks suggested in this research have different practical implications; however, the final framework F3, which produces fewer emissions, required a material recovery facility to recycle the MSW in Oman. For framework F3, it is important that the residents in Oman have enough knowledge and willingness to do the waste segregation at the household level. Apparently, such knowledge and willingness need to be determined through a separate study.Originality/valueThe frameworks F2 and F3 are considered to be more suitable solutions compared to the current practices for Oman and other gulf countries to reduce its per capita emissions from MSW and protect its local environment. There is a potential for further work that needs to explore the possible solutions to implement the suggested frameworks.


Climate ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maha Alsabbagh

Mitigating climate change to limit the global temperature increase (relative to pre-industrial temperatures) to 2 °C is receiving considerable attention around the world. Here, historical and future carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) in Bahrain were calculated using the revised Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1996 and IPCC 2006 methods. The extent to which waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies can contribute to climate change mitigation was assessed by performing a multicriteria analysis. The results indicated that CO2e emissions from MSW in Bahrain have been increasing since the Askar landfill was constructed in 1986. Emission recalculations indicated that CO2e emissions from MSW contribute 6.2% of total emissions in Bahrain rather than the 11.6% reported in the second national communication. Methane emissions from MSW in 2030 are predicted to be 22–63 Gg. The WtE technologies anaerobic digestion and landfill gas recovery gave the best and gasification the worst multicriteria analysis model results. A database of WtE plants around the world should be compiled to allow decisions around the world to be based on best practices. The potential for maximizing energy recovery and decreasing costs needs to be investigated to allow WtE plants to compete better with renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.


2013 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
C.H. Ekanem ◽  
H.E. Ekanem ◽  
F.D. Eyenaka ◽  
E.A. Isaiah

The rising levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the Earth’s atmosphere have the potential to cause changes in our climate. Some of these emission increases can be traced directly to solid waste. Landfills are among the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and methane, the key GHGs. Thus, effective mitigation of these emissions through formalization of waste reduction into the waste management system to reduce land filling could provide environmental benefits of reducing the adverse impacts of climate change. This paper therefore proposes waste prevention and recycling-jointly referred to as waste reduction as better and most potent strategies for the management of solid waste and for reducing greenhouse gases and calls on both the government and private agencies to check or control the increasing pollution or abuse of the environment by enforcing compliance with the laid out Policies, Pronouncements, Regulations and enacted Legislation especially in the developing countries. The study concludes that by choosing to prevent waste and recycle, less waste will be generated, the need for landfill will be minimal, energy demand will decrease, fewer fossil fuels will be burned and less methane and carbon dioxide will be emitted to the atmosphere which helps to curb climate change.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7425
Author(s):  
Seongmin Kang ◽  
Joonyoung Roh ◽  
Eui-chan Jeon

The greenhouse gas emissions of the waste incineration sector account for approximately 43% of the total GHG emissions and represent the majority of the CO2 emissions from waste in Korea. Improving the reliability of the GHG inventory of the waste incineration sector is an important aspect for the examination of global GHG emission management according to the Paris Agreement. In this study, we introduced a statistical approach to analyze seasonal changes through analysis of waste composition and CO2 concentration in Municipal Solid Waste incinerators and applied the methodology to one case study facility. The analysis results in the case study showed that there was no seasonal variation in waste composition and CO2 concentrations, except for wood. Wood is classified as biomass, and the GHG emissions caused by biomass incineration are reported separately, indicating that the effect of an MSW incinerator on GHG emissions is not significant. Therefore, the seasonal effect of CO2 concentration or waste composition may not be an impact when calculating GHG emissions from case study facilities’ MSW incinerators. This study proposed an approach for analyzing factors that affect the GHG inventory reliability by analyzing seasonal characteristics and variation through the statistical analysis, which are used for the calculation of the GHG emissions of an MSW incinerator.


2021 ◽  
Vol 926 (1) ◽  
pp. 012009
Author(s):  
S A C R Darmawan ◽  
A L Sihombing ◽  
D G Cendrawati

Abstract The government has regulated the use of RDF biomass for coal co-firing in power plants. This paper examines biomass (Eichhornia Crassipes and municipal solid waste) characteristics and its potential use as RDF for co-firing in CPP. The method includes the analysis of the composition, supply of raw materials, and biomass characteristics. These results will compare with the coal’s characteristics in CPP. The density of Eichhornia Crassipes in Lake Tondano was 25 kg/m2, with the wet mass of 45,350 tons. The results of the Eichhornia Crassipes sample test for parameters of moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, fix carbon and gross calorific value have a value range of 93%, 5.8-7.1%, 60.21-63.5%, 17.9-22%, 11.4% and 2681-3068 kcal/kg. Amurang CPP uses coal with 4200 kcal/kg calories as much as 1056 tons/day. The co-firing target of 5% requires 52.8 tons of biomass per day. The existing Eichhornia Crassipes biomass in Lake Tondano only supplies the CPP for 62 days. MSW typically has calorific values and moisture with Eichhornia Crassipes biomass, about 3766-4194 kcal/kg and 31.7-87.1%. The use of MSW to cover the lack of Eichhornia Crassipes will ensure the sustainability of the supply of biomass raw materials in the co-firing program at CPP.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 462-469
Author(s):  
Kanchan Popli ◽  
Jeejae Lim ◽  
Hyeon Kyeong Kim ◽  
Young Min Kim ◽  
Nguyen Thanh Tuu ◽  
...  

This study is proposing a System Dynamics Model for estimating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission from treating Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in South Korea for years 2000 to 2030. The government of country decided to decrease the total GHG emission from waste sector in 2030 as per Business-as-usual level. In context, four scenarios are generated to predict GHG emission from treating the MSW with three processes i.e., landfill, incineration and recycling. For prior step, MSW generation rate is projected for present and future case using population and waste generation per capita data. It is found that population and total MSW are directly correlated. The total population will increase to 56.27 million and total MSW will be 21.59 million tons in 2030. The methods for estimating GHG emission from landfill, incineration and recycling are adopted from IPCC, 2006 guidelines. The study indicates that Scenario 2 is best to adopt for decreasing the total GHG emission in future where recycling waste is increased to 75% and landfill waste is decreased to 7.6%. Lastly, it is concluded that choosing proper method for treating the MSW in country can result into savings of GHG emission.


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