Potential environmental impacts associated with aerobic in-vessel composting and bioreactor landfilling were assessed using
life cycle inventory (LCI) tool. LCI models for solid waste management (SWM) were also developed and used to compare environmental
burdens of alternative SWM scenarios. Results from the LCI models showed that the estimated energy recovery from bioreactor
landfilling was about 9.6 megajoules (MJ) per kilogram (kg) of waste. Air emissions from in-vessel composting contributed
to a global warming potential (GWP) of 0.86 kg of CO
2-equivalent per kg of waste, compared to 1.54 kg of CO
2-equivalent from bioreactor landfill. Waterborne emissions contributing to aquatic toxicity is less coming from in-vessel
composting than from bioreactor landfilling. However, emissions to air and water that contribute to human toxicity are greater
for the composting option than for the landfill option. Full costs for in-vessel composting is about 6 times greater than
for the landfilling alternative. Integration of individually collected commingled recyclables, yard wastes, and residual wastes
with windrow composting and bioreactor landfilling produces airborne and waterborne emissions with the least environmental
effects among the alternatives considered. It also yields greater energy savings due to the conversion of the landfill gas
(LFG) to electrical energy than the option that diverts yard waste, food waste and soiled paper for aerobic in-vessel composting.
However, this scenario costs 68% more than that where the commingled collection of wastes is integrated with in-vessel composting
and conventional landfilling, owing to increased collection costs.
Keywords Bioreactor landfill - Life cycle inventory - In-vessel composting - Municipal solid waste management