Life cycle cost–benefit efficiency of food waste treatment technologies in China

Ziyao Fan, Huijuan Dong (), Yong Geng and Minoru Fujii
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Ziyao Fan: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Huijuan Dong: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Yong Geng: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Minoru Fujii: National Institute for Environmental Studies

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2023, vol. 25, issue 6, No 7, 4935-4956

Abstract: Abstract Food waste treatment and utilization is important in sustainable waste management. Unlike most existing studies on environmental impact analysis of food waste treatment technologies, this study conducted both environmental impacts and economic cost analysis of food waste treatment technologies using life cycle assessment and life cycle cost methods. Five promising technologies in China are compared, including anaerobic digestion (AD), aerobic composting combined digestion (AC + AD), aerobic composting (AC), biochemical processor (BP), and anaerobic digestion combined feed processing technology (AD + FP). Results show that the rank of environmental impact is AD + FP > AD > BP > AC + AD > AC, while the rank of LCC is AC + AD > AD + FP > BP > AC > AD. Aerobic technology usually has a lower environmental impact, but slightly higher economic cost compared with anaerobic technology, about 188 CNY/t and 249 CNY/t, respectively. AD + FP has the best environmental performance (4.5E−11/t), and AC + AD has the best economic performance (5.3 CNY/t) due to profits from soil amendment selling. Mixed technologies AC + AD and AD + FP exhibit obvious better cost–benefit efficiency than single treatment technology AC or AD and thus are suggested to be set priority in food waste treatment. BP has relatively good performance and is worthy of consideration for regions with small treatment demand.

Keywords: Food waste; Anaerobic digestion; Aerobic composting; Life cycle assessment; Life cycle cost (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02251-4

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