Municipal Solid Wastes Characterisation and Waste Management Strategy Evaluation in Insular Context: A Case Study in Reunion Island

Abstract: In the insular French tropical departments, the main method for municipal solid wastes (MSW) disposal is landfilling. However, this land consuming method is inappropriate for insular territories. To adopt a sustainable strategy for MSW management wastes characterisation and life cycle analysis (LCA) are essential steps. The aims of this study were first to compare previous insular French tropical department characterisation studies to find similarities. Results highlight a high share of putrescible matters (food and green wastes) and plastic in the MSW composition. Secondly, a characterisation of the MSW was made, with Reunion Island as a case study. Based on the results obtained by the characterisation study different wastes treatment scenarios were proposed and LCA was performed. To characterise the MSW, three cities were chosen and two characterisation campaigns were completed in summer and winter, respectively. On average, results show that putrescible matters and plastic constitute the highest percentage of the overall wastes, more than 40% of the wastes bin content. Besides, a large amount of reusable wastes ('25%) was observed in the MSW. LCA method indicated that the best scenario in terms of environmental impact was the scenario involving multiple waste-treatment process. Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]