Journal
SUSTAINABILITY
Volume 10, Issue 7, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/su10072424
Keywords
waste management; life cycle assessment; developing countries; EaseTech; impact assessment; climate change; Ecotoxicty
Funding
- Higher Education Commission Pakistan [117-6973-PS7-084]
- University of the Punjab, Lahore
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Evaluation of existing operational and managerial provisions and identification of specific actions that fit and impact in a local context is key to find sustainable solutions. The study aims to develop an understanding of existing waste management practices for a medium sized city of Pakistan and to quantify the related environmental impacts using life cycle assessment (LCA). The existing waste management system in Bahawalpur, a city with predominant rural-urban infusion, is characterized by straining resources, low generation rates (0.424 kg/capita/day), prominent source separation, high scavenging activities and open dumping practices. The waste composition analysis proposes organic wastes as the largest constituent (64%) followed by recyclables (27%) and inerts (9%). The LCA model EaseTech used to quantify the environmental performance of existing waste management arrangements illustrated that existing waste management system in Bahawalpur City has tangible effects on climate change (3.16 x 10(7) kg CO2-Eq) and ecotoxicity (3.12 x 10(6) CTU) categories, while depletion of abiotic resources fossil (-9.60 x 10(7)) category points up most environmental savings. Significant environmental compensations for different impact categories are offered due to high source separation and recycling trade off. The overview necessitates suitable modification in existing waste disposal practice that poses severe impacts on the environment.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available