Abstract
After the adoption of Paris Agreement in 2015, efforts to reduce GHG emissions had been great issues globally. Incineration is commonly used as intermediate disposal of MSW. However it generates not only greenhouse gases but also air pollutants. In this study, GHG emissions from incineration of MSW was calculated between 1996 and 2021 in Korea, using the GHG emissions calculation tool provided by the Korea Environment Corporation. We also conducted scenario analysis to predict the amounts of MSWI and GHG emissions from 2022 to 2050. Business-as-usual and five scenarios were set and evaluated. This study found that the incineration of MSW and GHG emissions had continuously increased since 1996. Among municipal solid wastes, incineration of plastic accounted for over 90% of total GHG emissions during the year. Based on scenario analysis, S5 (replacement with bioplastics) showed the largest reduction rate. In the case of BAU, GHG emissions in 2050 is expected to increase by 80% compared to 2021. Adopting the S5 can be expected to reduce total GHG emissions by 95% during the same period. The results of this study may serve as basis data for reducing GHG emissions in the waste incineration sector and moving toward a carbon neutral society in Korea.
