Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Lifecycle assessment of a system for food waste disposers to tank - A full-scale system evaluation

Bernstad Saraiva, A. ; Davidsson, Åsa LU orcid and Bissmont, M. (2016) In Waste Management: international journal of integrated waste management, science and technology 54. p.169-177
Abstract

An increased interest for separate collection of household food waste in Sweden has led to development of a number of different collection-systems - each with their particular benefits and drawbacks. In the present study, two systems for collection of food waste in households were compared; (a) use of food waste disposers (FWD) in kitchen sinks and (b) collection of food waste in paper bags for further treatment. The comparison was made in relation to greenhouse gas emissions as well as primary energy utilization. In both cases, collected food waste was treated through anaerobic digestion and digestate was used as fertilizer on farmland. Systems emissions of greenhouse gases from collection and treatment of 1 ton of food waste (dry... (More)

An increased interest for separate collection of household food waste in Sweden has led to development of a number of different collection-systems - each with their particular benefits and drawbacks. In the present study, two systems for collection of food waste in households were compared; (a) use of food waste disposers (FWD) in kitchen sinks and (b) collection of food waste in paper bags for further treatment. The comparison was made in relation to greenhouse gas emissions as well as primary energy utilization. In both cases, collected food waste was treated through anaerobic digestion and digestate was used as fertilizer on farmland. Systems emissions of greenhouse gases from collection and treatment of 1 ton of food waste (dry matter), are according to the performed assessment lower from the FWD-system compared to the reference system (-990 and -770 kg CO2-eq./ton food waste dry matter respectively). The main reasons are a higher substitution of mineral nitrogen fertilizer followed by a higher substitution of diesel. Performed uncertainty analyses state that results are robust, but that decreasing losses of organic matter in pre-treatment of food waste collected in paper bags, as well as increased losses of organic matter and nutrients from the FWD-system could change the hierarchy in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. Owing to a higher use of electricity in the FWD-system, the paper bag collection system was preferable in relation to primary energy utilization. Due to the many questions still remaining regarding the impacts of an increased amount of nutrients and organic matter to the sewage system through an increased use of FWD, the later treatment of effluent from the FWD-system, as well as treatment of wastewater from kitchen sinks in the reference system, was not included in the assessment. In future work, these aspects would be of relevance to monitor.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Collection system, Energy balance, Food waste, Food waste disposers, Lifecycle assessment, Waste segregation
in
Waste Management: international journal of integrated waste management, science and technology
volume
54
pages
9 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:27184450
  • wos:000378962500020
  • scopus:84966716356
ISSN
0956-053X
DOI
10.1016/j.wasman.2016.04.036
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3f35250f-6be2-4993-9cd9-8f05c5e03d61
date added to LUP
2016-06-30 12:05:49
date last changed
2024-02-02 20:30:00
@article{3f35250f-6be2-4993-9cd9-8f05c5e03d61,
  abstract     = {{<p>An increased interest for separate collection of household food waste in Sweden has led to development of a number of different collection-systems - each with their particular benefits and drawbacks. In the present study, two systems for collection of food waste in households were compared; (a) use of food waste disposers (FWD) in kitchen sinks and (b) collection of food waste in paper bags for further treatment. The comparison was made in relation to greenhouse gas emissions as well as primary energy utilization. In both cases, collected food waste was treated through anaerobic digestion and digestate was used as fertilizer on farmland. Systems emissions of greenhouse gases from collection and treatment of 1 ton of food waste (dry matter), are according to the performed assessment lower from the FWD-system compared to the reference system (-990 and -770 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq./ton food waste dry matter respectively). The main reasons are a higher substitution of mineral nitrogen fertilizer followed by a higher substitution of diesel. Performed uncertainty analyses state that results are robust, but that decreasing losses of organic matter in pre-treatment of food waste collected in paper bags, as well as increased losses of organic matter and nutrients from the FWD-system could change the hierarchy in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. Owing to a higher use of electricity in the FWD-system, the paper bag collection system was preferable in relation to primary energy utilization. Due to the many questions still remaining regarding the impacts of an increased amount of nutrients and organic matter to the sewage system through an increased use of FWD, the later treatment of effluent from the FWD-system, as well as treatment of wastewater from kitchen sinks in the reference system, was not included in the assessment. In future work, these aspects would be of relevance to monitor.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bernstad Saraiva, A. and Davidsson, Åsa and Bissmont, M.}},
  issn         = {{0956-053X}},
  keywords     = {{Collection system; Energy balance; Food waste; Food waste disposers; Lifecycle assessment; Waste segregation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  pages        = {{169--177}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Waste Management: international journal of integrated waste management, science and technology}},
  title        = {{Lifecycle assessment of a system for food waste disposers to tank - A full-scale system evaluation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2016.04.036}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.wasman.2016.04.036}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}