Assessment of the potential energy and environmental benefits of solid waste recycling in China

Countries worldwide consider solid waste collection and recycling necessary due to the recent emphasis on conservation of resources and environmental protection. Due to the constraints from resource depletion and the need for sustainable economic growth, solid waste recycling has become a critical issue in China. Several indigenous researchers in China have studied the potential benefits of solid waste recycling. However, most studies limited the environmental assessment of solid waste recycling to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and considered only one type of solid waste (paper or plastic). Therefore, the present study analyzed the energy (electricity) and environmental (GHG and air pollutant emissions) benefits of recycling steel, nonferrous metal, plastic, and paper wastes from 2005 to 2017 in China. The study used the formulation of model equations method to estimate the electrical energy and environmental benefits. Prominent findings show that the total amount of electricity saved by recycling solid waste from 2005 to 2017 was 3743.3 Mtce. On average, solid waste recycling during the period led to a 43.2% saving on electricity. Solid waste recycling avoided 4765.9 billion kg of carbon dioxide emission and 22.502 billion kg of methane emission. It was also found that the recycling of solid waste saved a total amount of 10,669.8 M kg of NOX emission but had a burden of -6263.2 M kg of VOCs emission on the environment. Solid waste recycling avoided the emission of CO2, CH4, NOX, and SOX, but the recycling of steel, plastics, and paper waste had negative impacts on the environment in terms of VOCs and PM emissions. Proper measures such as installing air pollution control devices should be put in place to minimize the emission of pollutants during the recycling of these solid wastes.

Automated summary

Solid waste collection and recycling are considered necessary by countries worldwide due to the recent emphasis on conservation of resources and environmental protection. In China, solid waste recycling has become a critical issue due to resource depletion and the need for sustainable economic growth. The study found significant energy and environmental benefits from recycling solid waste, with notable savings in electricity and reductions in CO2 and methane emissions. However, the recycling of certain types of solid waste like steel, plastics, and paper had negative impacts on the environment in terms of VOCs and PM emissions, calling for measures to minimize pollutant emissions during the recycling process.