TY - JOUR
T1 - Environmental impact assessment of the current, emerging, and alternative waste management systems using life cycle assessment tools
T2 - a case study of Johannesburg, South Africa
AU - Adeleke, Oluwatobi
AU - Akinlabi, Stephen A.
AU - Jen, Tien Chien
AU - Dunmade, Israel
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - Proper information regarding the performance of waste management systems from an environmental perspective is significant to sustainable waste management decisions and planning toward the selection of the least impactful treatment options. However, little is known about the environmental impacts of the different waste management options in South Africa. This study is therefore aimed at using the life cycle assessment tool to assess the environmental impact of the current, emerging, and alternative waste management systems in South Africa, using the city of Johannesburg as a case study. This assessment involves a comparative analysis of the unit processes of waste management and the different waste management scenarios comprising two or more unit processes from an environmental view. The lifecycle boundary consists of unit processes: waste collection and transportation (WC&T), material recycling facilities (MRF), composting, incineration, and landfilling. Four scenarios developed for the assessment are S1 (WC&T, MRF, and landfilling without energy recovery), S2 (WC&T, MRF, composting, and landfilling with energy recovery), S3 (WC&T and incineration), and S4 (WC&T, MRF, composting, and incineration). Based on the result of this study, MRF is the most environmentally beneficial unit operation while landfill without energy recovery is the most impactful unit operation. The result further revealed that no scenario had the best performance across all the impact categories. However, S3 can be considered as the most environmentally friendly option owing to its lowest impact in most of the impact categories. S3 has the lowest global warming potential (GWP) of 33.19 × 106 kgCO2eq, ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0.563 kgCFC-11e, and photochemical ozone depletion potential (PODP) of 679.46 kgC2H2eq. Also, S4 can be regarded as the most impactful option owing to its highest contributions to PODP of 1044 kgC2H2eq, acidification potential (AP) of 892073.8 kgSO2eq, and eutrophication potential (EP) of 51292.98 MaxPO4−3eq. The result of this study will be found helpful in creating a complete impression of the environmental performance of waste management systems in Johannesburg, South Africa which will aid sustainable planning and decisions by the concerned sector.
AB - Proper information regarding the performance of waste management systems from an environmental perspective is significant to sustainable waste management decisions and planning toward the selection of the least impactful treatment options. However, little is known about the environmental impacts of the different waste management options in South Africa. This study is therefore aimed at using the life cycle assessment tool to assess the environmental impact of the current, emerging, and alternative waste management systems in South Africa, using the city of Johannesburg as a case study. This assessment involves a comparative analysis of the unit processes of waste management and the different waste management scenarios comprising two or more unit processes from an environmental view. The lifecycle boundary consists of unit processes: waste collection and transportation (WC&T), material recycling facilities (MRF), composting, incineration, and landfilling. Four scenarios developed for the assessment are S1 (WC&T, MRF, and landfilling without energy recovery), S2 (WC&T, MRF, composting, and landfilling with energy recovery), S3 (WC&T and incineration), and S4 (WC&T, MRF, composting, and incineration). Based on the result of this study, MRF is the most environmentally beneficial unit operation while landfill without energy recovery is the most impactful unit operation. The result further revealed that no scenario had the best performance across all the impact categories. However, S3 can be considered as the most environmentally friendly option owing to its lowest impact in most of the impact categories. S3 has the lowest global warming potential (GWP) of 33.19 × 106 kgCO2eq, ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0.563 kgCFC-11e, and photochemical ozone depletion potential (PODP) of 679.46 kgC2H2eq. Also, S4 can be regarded as the most impactful option owing to its highest contributions to PODP of 1044 kgC2H2eq, acidification potential (AP) of 892073.8 kgSO2eq, and eutrophication potential (EP) of 51292.98 MaxPO4−3eq. The result of this study will be found helpful in creating a complete impression of the environmental performance of waste management systems in Johannesburg, South Africa which will aid sustainable planning and decisions by the concerned sector.
KW - Emission
KW - Environmental impact
KW - Johannesburg
KW - Life cycle assessment
KW - Sustainability
KW - Waste management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114108090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11356-021-16198-y
DO - 10.1007/s11356-021-16198-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 34476692
AN - SCOPUS:85114108090
SN - 0944-1344
VL - 29
SP - 7366
EP - 7381
JO - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
JF - Environmental Science and Pollution Research
IS - 5
ER -