Life-cycle assessment of municipal solid-waste management strategies in Tricity region of India

Abstract

Unscientific disposal of waste is of severe environmental concern like air, water, and soil pollution. This requires immediate attention to minimize the impact of solid waste on the existing environment and health. Generation of waste is directly influenced by economic development. Most of the municipal authorities in the developing countries are facing massive challenges in waste management in an effective and efficient manner. The present study aims to explore the life-cycle assessment methodology to determine the impact of municipal solid-waste management under different scenarios in Tricity regions of Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula. The study analyzes the impacts of different potential waste management alternatives for Tricity area using life-cycle approach (LCA). Four potential scenarios of scientific solid-waste management were analyzed. The impact categories analyzed were global warming, acidification, eutrophication, and human toxicity. Among the proposed alternative scenarios, the scenario with the combination of recycling, composting, and sanitary landfill showed the least environmental impacts. The results show that the significant environmental savings are achieved through the energy recovery in the present waste management scenario. A sensitivity analysis was carried in context of recycling rate with the recycling rate varied from 90 to 10%.