Greening the city: A holistic assessment of waste management alternatives in India
Enrico Mazzoli, Abhijit Parashar, Paolo D’Odorico, Giacomo Branca
Abstract
Waste is one of the major urban challenges faced globally today, and the severity of the challenge is further exacerbated by rapid urbanisation, growing populations and increasing per capita waste generation. As one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world, Delhi collects 11,352 t of waste every day. Without adequate segregation, most of this waste is sent to dumpsites and waste-to-energy plants, often associated with significant capital costs and environmental externalities. This paper conducts a life cycle assessment of the current waste management system and a comparative analysis with a suggested alternative scenario, where the share of recyclables and compostables going to landfills and waste-to-energy plants is reduced through adequate segregation. Our results revealed that landfills and waste-to-energy plants are associated with significant adverse environmental impacts such as climate change, soil and water acidification, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity, and respiratory health. In comparison, compost plants showed negligible emissions per tonne of waste. The alternative scenario (i.e. reduce waste to landfill through adequate segregation) can help reduce the negative impact on all environmental indicators by an average of 23 %. We posit that the prevailing narrative of addressing the waste issue through waste-to-energy plants in Delhi goes against the country's climate neutrality targets. Instead, the circular economy approach offers simpler, faster, and more cost-effective solutions that policymakers should consider to reduce the financial and environmental load of the current and future waste management issue. • Waste Issue: Delhi produces 11,352 t of solid waste each day. • Future issue: Waste production will grow significantly by 2030 and 2050. • Impact: Landfills and waste-to-energy plants cause significant environmental harm. • Solution: Segregation and recycling can reduce environmental impact by 23 %. • Circular waste management reduces costs and risks to health and the environment.