Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from three fruit and vegetable waste management technologies using the static chamber

Abstract

Primary activity data for the type and emission rate of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from waste treatment technologies is inadequate in many developing countries. However, these data are key inputs to designing and outlining the best approaches for GHG emissions reduction from different source sectors of the economy. In this study, greenhouse gas emissions from three fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) management technologies namely, aerobic composting (AC), anaerobic digestion (AD), and Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) composting, were investigated. The static chamber method was used to assess the carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions from these technologies. The total CO2 emissions for the different FVW treatment methods investigated were 108.0, 87.5, and 61.21 g CO2 kg− 1 of FV waste initial FV for BSFL, AC, and AD respectively. When CO2 emissions were excluded from the accounting because they are considered carbon neutral or assumed to be part of the small carbon cycle, the three waste treatment technologies' emissions ranged from 1.82 to 47.48 kg CO2 -eq ton− 1 of FVW treated, largely attributable to CH4 emissions. On account of Methane and Nitrous oxide GHG mitigation, the results indicate that anaerobic digestion provides a reduction 26 times greater than BSFL and three times more than aerobic composting. To make the national GHG emission estimates for the waste sector more robust, such local area-based studies focusing on primary activity data are beneficial to reduce uncertainties in national emission approximations.