Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2025
Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste
Published on: July 18, 2025
Material flow and environmental performance of the source segregated biowaste composting system
Panagiotis Chazirakis1, Apostolos Giannis2, Evangelos Gidarakos2
1School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, University Campus, 73100 Chania, Greece; Inter-municipal enterprise of solid waste management (DEDISA), 50 Grigoriou V, 73100 Chania, Greece.
Source-segregating biowaste in integrated waste management systems significantly enhances environmental performance. This approach, combining composting and material recovery, reduces impacts on human health, ecosystem quality, and resource scarcity.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Waste Management Engineering
Background:
- Mechanical and Biological Treatment (MBT) facilities are crucial for modern waste management.
- Assessing environmental impacts requires comprehensive life cycle assessments (LCA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the environmental impacts of two alternative biowaste management approaches.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of source segregation within an integrated waste management system.
Main Methods:
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using the ReCiPe 2016 methodology.
- On-site data collection and sampling over two years at an MBT facility in Chania, Greece.
- Assessment of mass balances and environmental performance from waste generation to end-use.
Main Results:
- Biowaste source segregation significantly improves recoverability and environmental performance.
- Combined biowaste management with composting and material recovery reduced human health impacts by 4.6 times.
- Freshwater ecosystem quality impacts decreased 6.3 times, and resource scarcity usage reduced 2.5 times.
Conclusions:
- Integrated waste management systems benefit greatly from biowaste source segregation.
- Composting and material reprocessing are key to minimizing environmental burdens.
- Optimized biowaste management contributes to a more sustainable circular economy.
