Life cycle assessment in solid waste transfer stations: a case study for western region of Bursa city

The initial purpose of entegration of transfer stations into urban solid waste management is to decrease the transportation costs of domestic wastes to disposal facilities. Moreover, the establishment of transfer stations enables the decrease of air emissions related to vehicles, fuel saving, elimination of traffic load and the decrease of vehicle maintenance and repair costs. The main objective of this study is to evaluate potential environmental loads which can be caused during the process of collection and transport of domestic solid waste from districts under the service of Bursa Western Region Solid Waste Transfer Station located within the borders of Mustafakemalpaşa district, transfer station process and transport of wastes landfill with Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). This study has been done upon the annual total amount of solid waste which was transport to the transfer station by LCA. The most appropriate scenario has been determined by comparing the effects of present management of transfer station (Present), the absence of the station (Scenario 1) and different location of the station (Scenario 2) upon human, environmental health and resource utilization with SimaPro software ReCipe Endpoint and TRACI 2 methods. ReCipe Endpoint and TRACI 2 methods have given similar results. According to these results it occur that the damage to environmental health, human health and resource utilization is more in Karacabey district in the process of present management. In the process of Scenario 1 and Scenario 2, the damage to environmental health, human health and resource utilization is more in Mustafakemalpaşa district. In consideration ReCipe Endpoint method, Scenario 1 has caused 193.33%, 200.47% and 201.38% increase in human health, ecosystem health and resource utilization respectively compared to the present situation. On the other hand, in Scenario 2 the decrease rate of damage to human health, ecosystem health and resource utilization is 2.80%, 2.37% and 2.56% respectively. TRACI 2 method, Scenario 1 has caused 204% increase in human and environment health while Scenario 2 has caused 2.35% decrease compared to the present situation. Scenario 1 has caused 26 598,04 g in the total amounts of pollutants in TRACI 2, including SO2, CO, VOC, CO2, NOx, CH4 and PM10 which has an effect on human and environment health while this amount has decreased as 244,87 g in Scenario 2 compared to present situation