Environmental impact assessment of municipal solid waste management incorporating mechanical treatment of waste and incineration in Hangzhou, China

摘要

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is becoming increasingly popular around the worldas a means of accommodating the increasing amounts of waste that the growing globalpopulation generates. China currently produces more MSW than any other country. As such, thisarea of the world is facing challenges on an unprecedented scale. MSW management in China ishighly dependent on landfilling, and the development of sanitary landfills is currently a toppriority for the Chinese government. Hangzhou is one of the most developed cities in China. Infact, in 2013, the amount of incinerated MSW in Hangzhou represented 56% of total MSW.MSW incineration is primarily performed via a process of co-incineration with coal becauseMSW has a low heating value.This paper employs a environmental impact assessment by LCA program to determinewhether refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production and incineration can have a more positive impacton the environment than the co-incineration of MSW with coal in Hangzhou, China. Accordingto the results, RDF production and incineration could improve Hangzhou’s MSW managementglobal warming potential from -33% to 0%, the acidification potential from -90% to 34%, andthe eutrophication potential from -1 200% to 350% in comparison to the co-incineration of MSWwith coal. The treatment of organic reject material from RDF production has a significant effecton the results; as such, it should be utilized in energy production rather than landfilled.