Pyrolysis for waste management: A life cycle assesment of biodegradable waste, bioenergy generation and biochar production in Glasgow and Clyde valley

Abstract

Biochar production and waste treatment by pyrolysis represent an attractive solution to decrease carbon dioxide atmospheric concentrations and to enhance the enrichment of soils by treating in a more sustainable way the biodegradable waste generated in urban or rural areas. However, its application in developed regions (such as Scotland) is still uncertain due to the consolidation of other disposal and treatment technologies in the waste market. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze this technology and compare it, from an environmental and economical point of view, with other waste treatment and disposal technologies that are currently operating in Scotland, such as landfill disposal or anaerobic digestion.