Abstract
In light of the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law going into effect, amounts and make-up of municipal solid wastes (MSW) will change in the future. Some combinations of MSW disposal methods, such as recycling of containers and packaging wastes, methane fermentation of organic wastes, and MSW incineration, were evaluated under the LCA technique with major evaluation items being in the categories of cost, energy consumption, and CO2 levels. Results showed that a combination of recycling, methane fermentation, and incineration is the superior method to employ.
Containers and packaging wastes that do not contain plastics are collected separately and then recycled in recycling plants; in the methane fermentation plant, organic-rich wastes are separated mechanically before being treated; and at an MSW incineration plant, mechanically separated burnable-rich wastes and methane fermentation residue are combusted to generate electric power using recovered waste heat.
