Carbon footprint assessment for the waste management sector: A comparative analysis of China and Japan
Lu SUN1,2, Zhaoling LI2,3(), Minoru FUJII2, Yasuaki HIJIOKA2, Tsuyoshi FUJITA2
1. Department of Environment Systems, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-8563, Japan 2. Center for Social and Environmental Systems Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan 3. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
Waste management is becoming a crucial issue in modern society owing to rapid urbanization and the increasing generation of municipal solid waste (MSW). This paper evaluates the carbon footprint of the waste management sector to identify direct and indirect carbon emissions, waste recycling carbon emission using a hybrid life cycle assessment and input-output analysis. China and Japan was selected as case study areas to highlight the effects of different industries on waste management. The results show that the life cycle carbon footprints for waste treatment are 59.01 million tons in China and 7.01 million tons in Japan. The gap between these footprints is caused by the different waste management systems and treatment processes used in the two countries. For indirect carbon footprints, China’s material carbon footprint and depreciation carbon footprint are much higher than those of Japan, whereas the purchased electricity and heat carbon footprint in China is half that of Japan. China and Japan have similar direct energy consumption carbon footprints. However, CO2 emissions from MSW treatment processes in China (46.46 million tons) is significantly higher than that in Japan (2.72 million tons). The corresponding effects of waste recycling on CO2 emission reductions are considerable, up to 181.37 million tons for China and 96.76 million tons for Japan. Besides, measures were further proposed for optimizing waste management systems in the two countries. In addition, it is argued that the advanced experience that developed countries have in waste management issues can provide scientific support for waste treatment in developing countries such as China.
Food manufacturing and tobacco processing industry
15
Electrical, communications equipment, computers, and other electronic equipment manufacturing
4
Textile industry
16
Scrap and waste
5
Textile garments, shoes, hats, leather, down, and their product industry
17
Electricity and heat production, supply industry
6
Wood processing and furniture manufacturing
18
Gas production and supply industry
7
Paper printing, culture, education and sports goods, instrumentation, and other handicrafts
19
Water production and supply industry
8
Petroleum processing, coking, and nuclear fuel processing
20
Construction industry
9
Chemical industry
21
Transportation and warehousing industry
10
Nonmetallic mineral products industry
22
Wholesale and retail trade industry
11
Metal smelting and plating industry
23
Other industries
12
Metal products industry
Tab.1
Fig.2
Fig.3
Fig.4
Item
Treatment method
Landfill
Incineration
Fermentation
Recycle
Total
Treatment amount
China
105.12
35.84
3.93
-
144.89
Japan
0.57
33.99
-
8.06
42.62
Carbon footprint
China
3.52
45.48
0.17
-
49.17
Japan
0.19
5.44
-
0.38
6.01
Tab.2
Item
Recycle amount/Mt
Emission factor in production process/(tCO2·(t-waste)−1)
China
Annual Report on China’s Comprehensive Utilization of Resources 2014, NDRC, China
Japan
Recycle book 2015, JEMAI
China
Reference
Japan
Reference
Ferrous scrap
44.20
44.00
2.190
[30]
1.652
[31]
Nonferrous metal
6.87
5.00
3.450
[32]
0.671
JEMAI, 2015
Recycle book 2015, JEMAI
Paper
44.72
17.04
0.405
NDRC, 2016
Guidelines for the accounting and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from papermaking and paper products manufacturing companies (for trial implementation). 2015, http://www.ccchina.org.cn/Detail.aspx?newsId=56605&TId=60
0.950
Japan Paper Association,, 2013
Japan Paper Association. Life cycle CO2 emissions in the paper-cardboard production. 2013
Plastic
24.88
7.44
1.500
UNEP, 2011
UNEP. Technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of used tires. 2011
0.513
MOEJ, 2017
Japan Ministry of the Environment, Japan. Calculation of greenhouse gas emissions through supply chain. 2017
Textile
3.00
0.25
0.313
UNEP, 2011
UNEP. Technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of used tires. 2011
0.313
UNEP, 2011
UNEP. Technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of used tires. 2011
Wood
49.00
6.92
0.243
UNEP, 2011
UNEP. Technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of used tires. 2011
0.243
UNEP, 2011
UNEP. Technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of used tires. 2011
Tab.3
Fig.5
Fig.6
1
Li Z, Dai H, Sun L, Xie Y, Liu Z, Wang P, Yabar H. Exploring the impacts of regional unbalanced carbon tax on CO2 emissions and industrial competitiveness in Liaoning province of China. Energy Policy, 2018, 113: 9–19 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.10.048
Sun L, Li H, Dong L, Fang K, Ren J, Geng Y, Fujii M, Zhang W, Zhang N, Liu Z. Eco-benefits assessment on urban industrial symbiosis based on material flows analysis and emergy evaluation approach: a case of Liuzhou city, China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2017, 119: 78–88 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.06.007
5
Chen X, Fujita T, Ohnishi S, Fujii M, Geng Y. The impact of scale, recycling boundary, and type of waste on symbiosis and recycling. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2012, 16(1): 129–141 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00422.x
6
Jin R, Li B, Zhou T, Wanatowski D, Piroozfar A. An empirical study of perceptions towards construction and demolition waste recycling and reuse in China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2017, 126: 86–98 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.07.034
7
Berkel R V, Fujita T, Hashimoto S, Fujii M. Quantitative assessment of urban and industrial symbiosis in Kawasaki, Japan. Environmental Science & Technology (ACS Publications), 2009, 43(5): 1271–1281
8
Fujii M, Fujita T, Chen X, Ohnishi S, Yamaguchi N. Smart recycling of organic solid wastes in an environmentally sustainable society. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2012, 63: 1–8 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2012.03.002
9
Liang H, Dong L, Luo X, Ren J, Zhang N, Gao Z, Dou Y. Balancing regional industrial development: analysis on regional disparity of China’s industrial emissions and policy implications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016, 126: 223–235 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.02.145
Generowicz A, Kulczycka J, Kowalski Z, Banach M. Assessment of waste management technology using BATNEEC options, technology quality method and multi-criteria analysis. Journal of Environmental Management, 2011, 92(4): 1314–1320 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.12.016
pmid: 21232845
12
Hoklis C, Sharp A. Comparison of GHG emission from municipal solid waste management technology in selected cities in Cambodia. Advanced Materials Research, 2014, 931–932: 645–649 https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.931-932.645
13
Zhuang Y, Wu S W, Wang Y L, Wu W X, Chen Y X. Source separation of household waste: a case study in China. Waste Management, 2008, 28(10): 2022–2030 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2007.08.012
pmid: 17920856
14
Cheng H, Zhang Y, Meng A, Li Q. Municipal solid waste fueled power generation in China: a case study of waste-to-energy in Changchun city. Environmental Science & Technology, 2007, 41(21): 7509–7515 https://doi.org/10.1021/es071416g
pmid: 18044534
15
Wen X, Luo Q, Hu H, Wang N, Chen Y, Jin J, Hao Y, Xu G, Li F, Fang W. Comparison research on waste classification between China and the EU, Japan, and the USA. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 2014, 16(2): 321–334 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-013-0190-1
16
Dong H, Ohnishi S, Fujita T, Geng Y, Fujii M, Dong L. Achieving carbon emission reduction through industrial & urban symbiosis: a case of Kawasaki. Energy, 2014, 64: 277–286 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2013.11.005
17
Long Y, Yoshida Y. Quantifying city-scale emission responsibility based on input-output analysis – insight from Tokyo, Japan. Applied Energy, 2018, 218: 349–360 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.02.167
18
Schleussner C F, Rogelj J, Schaeffer M, Lissner T, Licker R, Fischer E M, Knutti R, Levermann A, Frieler K, Hare W. Science and policy characteristics of the Paris Agreement temperature goal. Nature Climate Change, 2016, 6(9): 827–835 https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3096
19
Guerrero LA, Maas G, Hogland W. Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries. Waste management, 2013, 33(1): 220–232 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.09.008
20
Marshall R E, Farahbakhsh K. Systems approaches to integrated solid waste management in developing countries. Waste Management, 2013, 33(4): 988–1003 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.12.023
pmid: 23360772
21
Tan S T, Lee C T, Hashim H, Ho W S, Lim J S. Optimal process network for municipal solid waste management in Iskandar Malaysia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2014, 71: 48–58 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.12.005
22
Dong H, Geng Y, Xi F, Fujita T. Carbon footprint evaluation at industrial park level: a hybrid life cycle assessment approach. Energy Policy, 2013, 57: 298–307 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.01.057
23
National Bureau of Statistics of China. China Statistic Yearbook. Beijing: China Statistic Press, 2016
24
Wang Y, Zhu Q, Geng Y. Trajectory and driving factors for GHG emissions in the Chinese cement industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2013, 53: 252–260 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.04.001
25
IPCC. 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Prepared by the National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme. 2014–9–21,
26
Fujii M, Fujita T, Dong L, Lu C, Geng Y, Behera S K, Park H S, Chiu A S F. Possibility of developing low-carbon industries through urban symbiosis in Asian cities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016, 114: 376–386 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.04.027
27
Liu G, Hao Y, Dong L, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Ulgiati S. An emergy-LCA analysis of municipal solid waste management. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2017, 120: 131–143 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.12.003
28
Yang N, Zhang H, Chen M, Shao L-M, He P-J. Greenhouse gas emissions from MSW incineration in China: impacts of waste characteristics and energy recovery. Waste Management, 2012, 32(12): 2552–2560 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.06.008
29
Fujii M, Fujita T, Dong L, Lu C, Geng Y, Behera S K, Park H S, Chiu A S F. Possibility of developing low-carbon industries through urban symbiosis in Asian cities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2016, 114: 376–386 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.04.027
30
Wang K, Wang C, Lu X, Chen J. Scenario analysis on CO2 emissions reduction potential in China’s iron and steel industry. Energy Policy, 2007, 35(4): 2320–2335 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2006.08.007
31
Gielen D, Moriguchi Y. CO2 in the iron and steel industry: an analysis of Japanese emission reduction potentials. Energy Policy, 2002, 30(10): 849–863 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4215(01)00143-4
32
Yanjia W, Chandler W. The Chinese nonferrous metals industry—energy use and CO2 emissions. Energy Policy, 2010, 38(11): 6475–6484 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.03.054
Chen X, Geng Y, Fujita T. An overview of municipal solid waste management in China. Waste Management, 2010, 30(4): 716–724 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-011-0024-y
35
Eriksson O, Finnveden G, Ekvall T, Björklund A. Life cycle assessment of fuels for district heating: a comparison of waste incineration, biomass-and natural gas combustion. Energy Policy, 2007, 35(2): 1346–1362 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2006.04.005
