Environmental Quantification of the Existing Waste Management System in a Developing World Municipality Using EaseTech: The Case of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Asma Majeed, Syeda Adila Batool and Muhammad Nawaz Chaudhry
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Asma Majeed: College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Syeda Adila Batool: Department of Space Science, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Muhammad Nawaz Chaudhry: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Lahore School of Economics, Lahore 53200, Pakistan

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: Evaluation of existing operational and managerial provisions and identification of specific actions that fit and impact in a local context is key to find sustainable solutions. The study aims to develop an understanding of existing waste management practices for a medium sized city of Pakistan and to quantify the related environmental impacts using life cycle assessment (LCA). The existing waste management system in “Bahawalpur”, a city with predominant rural-urban infusion, is characterized by straining resources, low generation rates (0.424 kg/capita/day), prominent source separation, high scavenging activities and open dumping practices. The waste composition analysis proposes organic wastes as the largest constituent (64%) followed by recyclables (27%) and inerts (9%). The LCA model “EaseTech” used to quantify the environmental performance of existing waste management arrangements illustrated that existing waste management system in Bahawalpur City has tangible effects on climate change (3.16 × 10 7 kg CO 2 -Eq) and ecotoxicity (3.12 × 10 6 CTU) categories, while depletion of abiotic resources fossil (−9.60 × 10 7 ) category points up most environmental savings. Significant environmental compensations for different impact categories are offered due to high source separation and recycling trade off. The overview necessitates suitable modification in existing waste disposal practice that poses severe impacts on the environment.

Keywords: waste management; life cycle assessment; developing countries; EaseTech; impact assessment; climate change; Ecotoxicty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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