The mass and energy balance of an integrated solution for municipal solid waste treatment

Abstract

This paper describes a study conducted to evaluate the best scenario regarding the integrated management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in a large basin in North of Italy. Three different scenarios were defined with various technological solutions, having as principal core the selective collection, the energy recovery and the modality of final disposal. The comparison was done considering both mass and energy balance, trying to focus on the most suitable solution. The solutions cannot be definitive without having also developed a survey on the environmental and economic sustainability of the various alternative cases. However, an assessment made by developing balances of mass and energy demonstrates that the more interesting and favorable scenarios involve greater energy recovery, in particular with gasification and anaerobic digestion of the organic matter. © 2014 WIT Press.