Jelena Pubule, Ivars Veidenbergs, Sarma Valtere, Silvija Nora Kalnins, Dagnija Blumberga

Indicators for the assessment of biowaste treatment throw through anaerobic digestion

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Abstract

Anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and catering/food waste is one of the best options for biowaste treatment. During the last decades, the waste management system in the Baltic States has changed on a large scale. During the next years, regional waste management will be greatly transformed. The decision to use the thermal treatment of municipal waste to reach the specified legal targets was taken. In Lithuania and Estonia, waste incineration plants have been recently built. Therefore, it is clear that next year’s municipal solid waste in Estonia and Lithuania will be incinerated in plants. At the same time, there is a lack of a common vision concerning biowaste treatment in Latvia. Therefore, a well-considered decision must be taken. Anaerobic digestion is one of the best options for biowaste management in Latvia. During the research, indicators for the assessment of biowaste treatment through anaerobic digestion were analyzed. A reduction of GHG emissions is one of the main benefits of this use, or more specifically RES. Therefore, the statistical analysis of data from a decrease in GHG emissions, and the most significant characteristic factors of equipment function, or independent parameters, must be determined. During the research, the empirical model for the identification and analysis of indicators for the assessment of biowaste treatment was carried out. With the created algorithm, a description of the module and the definition of thresholds was achieved. The regression equation, which characterized the connection between the decrease in GHG emissions and the parameters that influence this decrease, will be defined. The results allow for the identification of key indicators in the evaluation of biowaste treatment and its efficiency. The paper presents a multi-factor regression equation to determine the reduction of GHG emissions.