| Popis: |
The aim of this study is to present the results of a life cycle assessment for several scenarios for municipal solid waste management in the European Union. After the entry into force of the European Union Landfill Directive, activities have been taken in succession to establish sustainable MSW management. A life cycle assessment was conducted to determine the environmental impact of municipal solid waste. To determine the environmental effect of various disposal and recovery methods, five different scenarios most commonly used in the European Union were compared: (1) 100% landfill, (2) 100% metals are recycled, remaining waste are sent to incineration, (3) 40% of organic and recyclable waste are composted and recycled, respectively and the remaining wastes are sent to landfill, (4) 100% of organic and recyclable waste are composted and recycled, respectively and the other wastes are sent to landfill, (5) 100% of organic and metal waste are composted and recycled, respectively and the remaining waste are sent to incineration. In Scenario-1, disposal methods contribute significantly to global warming and increase the environmental impact of non-carcinogenic substances. In order to reduce the negative impact on the environment in landfills, the recovery of electricity from methane gas has significantly reduced the potential impact of global warming. The results showed that Scenario-4 and Scenario-5 are more environmentally friendly compared to other scenarios. |
