Life cycle assessment for municipal waste management: Analysis for Bursa

Abstract

Solid waste management model of the city of Bursa that responds to the waste management needs of the city creates a burden on the environment, like every other activity. The purpose of this study was to analyze the environmental burden arising from municipal solid waste management in Bursa and to determine the necessary steps to be taken to reduce this. Environmental burden was analyzed by using life cycle assessment (LCA) approach and landfill gas impact modeling. Municipal waste management steps, namely collection and transport, transport to transfer station, landfilling, energy conversion from landfill gas, were included into the system boundaries in LCA. SimaPro 8.5.0 software was used for the LCA study, and EPA LandGem model was employed for the assessment of the impact by landfill gas. The findings of the study showed that the emissions reduced by the landfill gas to energy plant in one year is approximately 0.5 million ton CO2 equivalent, and the contribution of municipal waste, which is mainly managed by landfilling, to the global warming in one year is approximately 44 million ton CO2 equivalent. The approximate contribution of municipal waste management to smog formation was calculated as 55 million ton O-3 equivalent, the contribution to depletion of ozone layer was 647 kg CFC-11 equivalent, and to carcinogenic substance formation was 22.5 CTUh. Its inhalation impact was found as 1732 ton PM10 equivalent.