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E. Sandulescu:
"The potential for waste management to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions exemplified by regional application";
Betreuer/in(nen), Begutachter/in(nen): P.H. Brunner; E226, 2002.

The aim of this dissertation is to present how the city of Bucharest can control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originating from solid wastes. The contribution of appropriate waste management measures to the reduction of future GHG emissions has been approached. In addition, the costs of implementing different waste management technologies has been examined on the basis of their potential to reduce GHG emissions. The analysis of the distribution of waste flows into the treatment methods has been carried out by means of Material Flows and Stocks Analysis (MFSA). The most important flows and
stocks of materials, their changes with time and means to manage them with respect to minimum environmental impact and optimum resource utilisation have been identified. The organic carbon (Corg) balance of the municipal solid waste has been examined in order to detect the source of pollution with substances of climate change significance (e.g., carbon,dioxide- CO2, methane- CH4) released by the Bucharest waste management system into the atmosphere.
All combustible wastes and current waste management technologies such as incineration, recycling and landfilling have been studied with regard to their contribution to reducing greenhouse gases. The contribution of the present Bucharest waste management to the
emission of greenhouse gases CO2 and CH4 has been evaluated. By means of scenarios, possibilities for the reduction of the total GHG emissions have been examined. An optimum scenario (municipal solid waste stream managed like: recycling of recoverables- 8%, incineration of combustibles- 60%, landfilling of non-combustibles- 32%) has been modelled for the future waste management in Bucharest with regard to its relevance towards the GHG reduction potential.
Results prove that an `optimised waste management’ can contribute to the reduction of the total amount of greenhouse gases in Bucharest by 5.5%. This represents the maximal possible reduction of the GHG emissions to be achieved through proper waste management measures.
The most effective measure includes the prevention of methane emissions from the landfill by diverting combustible wastes that are not recycled to the thermal treatment with energy recovery. Only the nearly inert residues and non-combustibles contained in the municipal
solid waste stream of Bucharest are to be landfilled. Taking into account that 5.5% represents half the reduction target agreed by the EU for Romania, waste management is an effective tool to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases in Bucharest.