Comparative analysis of alternatives for sustainable management of biodegradable waste

The main focus of this study is to evaluate possible alternatives for organic waste disposal and compare different waste management options to determine the most appropriate disposal method for biowaste in sustainable waste management. With increasing urbanization and population growth, managing biowaste has become critical for environmentally friendly solutions. Traditional landfill methods contribute to global warming through greenhouse gas emissions, whereas methods such as composting, biogas production, bokashi, vermicomposting, and biochar production, which offer bio-based product generation and renewable energy potential, present sustainable alternatives. In this research, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multicriteria decision-making method, was used to evaluate these methods based on criteria such as investment costs, operating costs, carbon footprint, energy recovery, and contributions to agricultural health. The AHP results indicate that biogas is the most suitable method for biowaste management. Despite high initial investment and operating costs, biogas is highlighted for its significant carbon footprint reduction and high energy efficiency. Biochar and compost rank second and third, respectively, followed by bokashi and vermicompost among the evaluated options. These findings show that biogas plants around the world have significant potential as a renewable energy source and can help reduce dependence on external energy sources. This study evaluates biowaste disposal methods with the AHP.