Review on waste-to-energy towards circular economy using life cycle assessment
Syafrudin Syafrudin, Prabang Setyono, Slamet Raharjo, Amin Chegenizadeh, Mochamad Arief Budihardjo, Hessy Rahma Wati
Abstract
• The circular economy (CE) framework emphasizes resource efficiency by promoting the reuse, recycling, and recovery of materials, thereby minimizing waste generation and environmental degradation. • Modern WtE technologies, including incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, and anaerobic digestion, facilitate energy recovery from municipal solid waste (MSW), contributing to economic growth and environmental sustainability. • LCA provides a comprehensive evaluation of environmental impacts across all stages of MSW management, supporting data-driven decisions for optimizing waste processing and energy recovery pathways. • Addressing variability in LCA data, enhancing material recovery strategies, and aligning policy frameworks with CE principles are critical for advancing sustainable MSW management systems and improving environmental performance This study contributes to filling the gap in municipal solid waste (MSW) management in waste-to-energy (WtE) to support the circular economy (CE) and consider environmental impacts through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). WtE serves as an alternative solution among MSW management approaches, capable of generating energy while providing environmental benefits and supporting the CE. This study employs bibliometric analysis based on data from Scopus from 2013 to 2023 regarding MSW management within the context of WtE, CE, and LCA. A bibliometric analysis of 86 articles using VOSviewer revealed relationships among indicators, including year and country, journal publication distribution, citation frequency of articles, and co-word analysis to identify hotspots. The results showed the dominance of MSW topics and LCA methodology and WtE technology, and highlighted the challenges and potential for future research development. An in-depth analysis of the selected articles and the five most influential keyword indicators provides insights into the gaps and challenges for future studies that could be developed in the future. This study contributes to a clearer understanding of how WtE and LCA intersect in supporting CE to elucidate the development of future technological innovations and policies that promote sustainable development.