CARBON FOOTPRINT OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE: A CASE STUDY OF LUCKNOW

Abstract

Carbon footprint refers to the direct or indirect emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
expressed in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent. Municipal solid waste consists of organic and inorganic materials.
Decomposition of organic waste leads to the formation of potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) like methane and carbon
dioxide. The objective of this study is to estimate the carbon footprint of Lucknow subjected to the total organic waste
generated. The city had observed population growth rate of 2.6% per year from 2001 to 2011 which has resulted in the
increase of waste. Every day approximately 4000-5000 tonnes of organic waste is generated in the city. Population
forecasting is done to estimate the population and the amount of waste generated in the city by considering the previous
growth rate. Emission factors are used for estimating the GHGs emission from the waste. The result obtained from the
study reveals that the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane is 745.22 kg/day and 58.71 kg/day respectively which
accounts to the carbon footprint of 1978.1 kg/day in terms of equivalent carbon dioxide. Since carbon dioxide and methane
are GHGs these emissions lead to increase in their concentration in the atmosphere which is responsible for global
warming and climate change.