A methodology for analyzing the cross media life-cycle environmental impacts of optimal solid waste management strategies: Comparison of global and local model domains with assessment of air quality impacts

Management of municipal solid waste (MSW) results in changes in worldwide pollutant emissions to varying levels depending factors such as the geography of the collection area, the extent to which recycling programs are implemented and the net effect of recycled product manufacturing when considering offsets obtained from reduced virgin manufacturing. These worldwide impacts are due to emissions associated with producing transportation fuels used for MSW management activities, producing electric generating fuels to supply the electricity used by various MSW related activities and global effects of virgin and remanufacturing facilities.; Life cycle inventory (LCI) techniques can be used to examine the total emissions associated with a system defined to encompass any specific set of activities. In this research, a linear programming (LP) model is used to examine the optimal behavior of MSW management strategies from minimum cost, energy consumption and environmental emissions standpoints. The model coefficients are derived from a set of process models which define the characteristics of the MSW management system as well as various underlying processes such as electric lower generation. In addition to determining the global emissions associated with various cost optimal MSW management strategies, the model allows the user to define regional characteristics to determine the local impacts of implementing global cost and LCI optimal solutions. The model also allows regionally optimal solutions to be examined. An air quality model is used to map LP solution emissions into space and time to examine the possible impacts of global and regional optimal MSW management strategies on ambient CO and PM concentrations.; Results show that the applicability of globally optimal solutions to regional emissions is highly dependant on what facilities are located inside the target air shed and the way in which these facilities change their operating characteristics in response to increasing levels of recycling. For example, regions that contain no virgin manufacturing or remanufacturing facilities suffer a slight increase in net regional emissions when globally optimal aggressive recycling programs are implemented due to increased collection and recyclables transportation emissions. However, these emission increases result in a very small impact on the ambient concentration of CO and PM.