Landfilling of municipal solid waste in a life cycle perspective

The objective of this research is to compare the greenhouse gas emissions between recycling of MSW recyclable value wastes and landfilling in Thailand. Methane emissions from the organic fraction of waste in landfills contribute to global warming whereas for recycling, the global warming potential comes from the energy consumption of the recycling process. The whole life cycle of the two scenarios is considered, including transportation. The recycling option reduces the methane emissions from landfill due to diversion of waste. The study shows that this reduction more than offsets the increase due to energy consumption in the recycling process. Apart from the reduction in global warming potential, recycling also contributes to resource conservation. Thailand has a high potential for recycling since a large proportion of the waste currently going to the landfills is actually recyclable. Two case studies of ecodesign are also considered to highlight the increase in recyclability and the benefits thereof.