Integration of Life Cycle Assessment for the Management of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) under a Circular Economy Approach

Global municipal solid waste (MSW) generation reached 1.2 billion tonnes in 2022 and is projected to increase to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050, driven mainly by urbanization and changes in consumption patterns (UNEP & ISWA). In Colombia, MSW generation amounted to 31.31 million tonnes in 2022, of which the organic fraction of MSW (OFMSW) represents between 36% and 58% of the total, depending on the urban context (DANE, 2024). The predominant disposal in sanitary landfills, combined with inadequate technical management, has generated critical environmental impacts, including the emission of nearly 20% of global anthropogenic methane (CH₄) (UNEP, 2021), a gas with a global warming potential approximately 80 times higher than CO₂ (Calvin et al., 2023), as well as the production of highly contaminating leachates and risks to public health (UNEP, 2021).

A paradigm shift has recently been identified, moving from linear collection-and-disposal schemes toward circular-economy-based energy recovery models, in which advanced Mechanical–Biological Treatment (MBT) technologies (Nanda & Berruti, 2021)—including anaerobic digestion (AD), advanced composting, co-digestion, gasification, and pyrolysis—enable the transformation of OFMSW into biogas, bioenergy, and other bioproducts, thereby reducing pressure on final disposal systems and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Sharma et al., 2021; Nanda, 2021).

This research is grounded in the formulation of integrated OFMSW management models that consider the physicochemical characterization of waste, which serves as the basis for technology selection and performance assessment (Sondh et al., 2024). Within this framework, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is applied to quantify the environmental impacts associated with the implementation of these treatment technologies, and multi-criteria decision-making tools are incorporated to integrate technical, economic, and social variables, enabling comparative scenario evaluations among emerging technologies with the aim of maximizing OFMSW valorization under circular economy principles.

It is estimated that technified OFMSW management could contribute to a potential reduction of 29 to 57 million tonnes of CH₄ emissions globally by 2030 (UNEP, 2021). In Colombia, the implementation of MBT systems for at least 5% of OFMSW, combined with biogas utilization, constitutes a key strategy for the country to achieve its target of a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (Minambiente, 2020). Likewise, the energy recovery of OFMSW provides a strategic contribution to the energy security of Latin American megacities during drought periods, reducing dependence on conventional thermoelectric sources (Sond et al., 2024). Consequently, integrated OFMSW management based on LCA has the potential to reduce environmental impacts and public health risks, transforming waste into assets for resilient urban development.