Carbon Footprint of Food Waste Management: A Case Study in Rio De Janeiro

The negative effects of municipal solid waste management to the environment are associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially regarding the biodegradation of the organic fraction of the waste in landfills, which is considered its final destination. With the objective to change this inefficient practice and incorporate the circular economy principals to the solid waste management, the anaerobic digestion is considered to be a promising alternative for the organic fraction treatment. Therefore, this chapter proposes an evaluation of a current and an alternative scenario for the food waste management from a specific case study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, considering the municipal large food waste generators, such as supermarkets and street fairs. A carbon footprint analysis was conducted for both scenarios and GHG emissions were quantified. The results indicate emissions of 138.51 t CO2e.day−1 for the current scenario and a reduction of 90% of this total amount by the alternative scenario adoption, with incorporation of an anaerobic digestion treatment unit. Finally, with one-year implementation of this alternative scenario, it is expected to avoid 45,291.33 t CO2e emissions. Apart from GHG emission reduction, the alternative scenario promotes the circular economy of food waste, with the possibility of 181,586.32 kg of biosolid and 38,549.26 m3 of biogas production, which are valuable products that can be used as a resource for supply wholesalers and retailers activities demands and on agriculture production.