Life cycle inventory for municipal solid waste management. Part 2: MSW management scenarios and modeling

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Waste Management Engineering

Background:

• Municipal solid waste management is complex, involving operational, economic, and environmental factors.
• Pamplona Region's current waste management program requires evaluation against regional and European targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the environmental performance of Pamplona's current municipal solid waste management program.
• To evaluate alternative waste management scenarios, including selective organic waste collection and composting.
• To compare the environmental burdens of different waste management strategies using a Life Cycle Inventory model.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the operational, economic, and environmental factors of the existing waste management program.
• Development and illustration of alternative waste management scenarios.
• Application of a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) model to quantify environmental impacts.

Main Results:

• The LCI model enables comparison of environmental burdens across different waste management scenarios.
• Key decision-making factors include energy use, final solid waste, and Greenhouse gas emissions.
• Evaluation of scenarios against Pamplona's regional objectives and European directives.

Conclusions:

• Life Cycle Inventory modeling provides a robust framework for comparing waste management options.
• Selective collection of organic material and composting present viable alternatives for reducing environmental impact.
• The study supports informed decision-making for sustainable municipal solid waste management.