The objective of this research was to estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors for food, paper, and wood wastes through methane (CH4) flow analysis. The GHG emissions from a given amount of landfill waste depend on the carbon (C) flows in the waste: (1) carbon storage in landfills, (2) C in carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 generated in anaerobic waste decomposition, (3) C in CO2 and CH4 emitted to the atmosphere through vertical gas wells, (4) C in CO2 from CH4 oxidation through cover soils, and (5) C in CH4 emitted to the atmosphere through cover soils. This study reviews the literature on the ranges for DOCf (the fraction of degradable organic carbon that can decompose) and OX (oxidation factor) values of food, paper, and wood, with a particular focus on the role of lignin. There is an inverse relationship between lignin and the DOCf of paper and wood wastes. In this respect, the lignin content could be used as an abatement indicator for the DOCf of paper and wood. The literature review shows that the average DOCf values for food, paper, and wood were 0.72, 0.61, and 0.12, respectively. The country-specific DOCf value for wood (0.44) is significantly higher than the ranges reported in the literature, which implies that the country-specific DOCf for wood can overestimate GHG emissions compared to the DOCf obtained from the literature. The estimated GHG emissions factors were 1,055 kg-CO2e/ ton-wet waste for food, 1,367 kg-CO2e/ton-wet waste for paper, and 276 kg-CO2e/ton-wet waste for wood. Sensitivity analysis results showed that the most influential parameters were MCF (CH4 correction factor), DOCf, and OX. In order to reduce GHG emissions from landfill in Korea, landfill sites currently in operation should be converted from anaerobic to semi-aerobic.

This study was conducted to provide the basic information to know reasonable method for the removal and treatment of municipal solid wastes(MSWs). MSWs four different sources(apartment, residence, commerce, office/industry) in Daegu city were collected, and bulk density, physical composition, moisture, combustible, ash, elements and heating values were investigated. The values of bulk density were at range of 0.30～0.41ton/m3. The percentages of foods, papers, vinyls/plastics, textiles, rubbers/leathers, metals and glasses/ceramics of wet muncipal solid wastes from three sources except office/industry were at range of 27.3～46.4%, 21.2～38.4%, 10.3～11.9%, 3.8～5.2%, 0.5～1.7%, 6.9～8.7% and 1.9～2.6% respectively. The percentages of papers, foods, vinyls/plastics, textiles, rubbers/leathers, metals and glasses/ceramics of dry muncipal solid wastes from three sources except office/industry were at range of 21.1～40.4%, 14.2～30.1%, 15.2～17.8%, 4.0～6.0%, 0.9～2.8%, 12.2～14.1% and 3.1～3.7% respectively. The moisture contents of foods, woods, textiles and papers in wastes were at range of 65.7～76.2%, 34.6～50.0%, 22.2～44.8 and 30.6～44.4% respectively. The carbon contents of vinyls/plastics, rubbers/leathers, textiles, woods, papers and foods in wastes were at range of 75.88～79.87%, 58.24～70.74%, 45.23～51.63%, 42.29～45.58%, 40.19～48.4% and 25.86～36.25% respectively. The low heating values of foods, papers, woods, textiles, rubbers/leathers and vinyls/plastics by Dulong's law were at range of 178～1,353kcal/kg, 770～1,660kcal/kg, 995～1,629kcal/kg, 2,133～2,432kcal/kg, 4,200～7,275 kcal/kg and 6,384～8,722kcal/kg respectively, and the high heating values of them were at range of 782～2,056 kcal/kg, 2,459～3,314kcal/kg, 3,056～3,592kcal/kg, 4,381～5,087kcal/kg, 5,005～8,066kcal/kg and 10,032～10,739 kcal/kg respectively.