A life cycle assessment of biological treatment scenario of municipal solid waste in developing country (case study: Makassar, Indonesia)

Abstract

Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is a significant challenge in developing countries, including Indonesia, where landfilling is the predominant waste treatment method. This study examines the case of Makassar City, where landfilling is still in use while composting is utilized to a limited extent. The research aims to evaluate and compare the environmental impact with three alternative scenarios involving biological treatment and life cycle assessment (LCA) processing. The scenarios were examined: Business as Usual Scenario (BaU), Landfill and Composting, Landfill and Anaerobic Digestion, Landfill, Composting, and Anaerobic Digestion. The study considers waste transportation, landfilling, anaerobic digestion, and composting within its system boundary, using annual waste processing as the functional unit. Environmental impacts assessed include global warming, acidification, and eutrophication. The findings indicate that the BaU scenario has the highest environmental impact, particularly regarding global warming, with 8,436,685.61 kg CO2eq/year emissions. On the other hand, alternative scenario 3, which incorporates landfill management, composting, and anaerobic digestion, shows a relatively lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) emission. However, further measures are needed to effectively reduce emissions, such as implementing a cover for the compost pile and arranging the mixing.

Good Environmental Governance Roles in Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Indonesia: A Review

“…One of the negative impacts of urban development is the increasing complexity of solid waste management problems (Pasang et al, 2007). In line with increasing urban complexity, waste emerges as a problem that requires special attention and handling (Muis et al, 2023). Currently, waste management in Indonesia still needs to be improved, in part due to policies or management programs that are less integrated and a lack of support and community participation (Fariz et al, 2023).…”

Investigating the Potential of Landfilled Plastic Waste - A Case Study of Makassar Landfill, Eastern Indonesia

“…As one of the major cities and a metropolitan city with a strategic location in the Eastern Indonesia Region, Makassar City had a total population of 1,432.189 people in 2022 (Makassar Bureau of Statistics, 2023). The rapid development and lifestyle changes have led to an increase in waste volume in Makassar City; it's currently averaging 1139 tons a day (Muis et al, 2023). The characteristics of waste in Makassar City are dominated by organic waste, accounting for 55% of the total, while non-organic waste, including plastics, rubber, cane and metal, constitutes 45%.…”