Life cycle assessment and net present worth analysis of a community-based food waste treatment system

Food waste management has been a global challenge with significant economic and environmental impacts. A community-based food waste treatment scheme for Glasgow, UK is proposed. The food waste was treated by small-scale wet, mesophilic anaerobic digestion. Biogas was combusted in a combined heat and power plant to generate heat and electricity for each community. 201.39 kWh of electricity and 246.09 kWh of thermal energy could be provided to local communities per tonne of food waste treated. A total of 52,762 tonnes of food waste were produced each year in the city. Net-present worth analysis was employed to evaluate the scheme's economic feasibility. The scheme's environmental impacts were evaluated using life cycle assessment. The entire system saved 92.27 kg CO_2-eq. per tonne of food waste treated and had a net-present worth of £ 3.187 million with a carbon tax of 50 £ tonne^-1 and a biogas yield of 190 m³ tonne^-1.