Characteristics of generation and low-carbon management strategies for household waste in peri-urban area: A case study of Jimei District, Xiamen
半城市化地区家庭生活垃圾特征及低碳对策:以厦门市集美区为例

Peri-urban areas have become the research focus of urbanization process. However, the waste management problems were often ignored in peri-urban areas. In this paper, Jimei District of Xiamen City, a typical peri-urban area was chosen as a case study site. Through the questionnaire together with the field investigation, the characteristics of household waste discarded from different types of settlement were analysed. By using the life cycle analysis (LCA), the greenhouse gas emissions from the four household waste treatment scenarios, mixed HW landfill, mixed HW composting, mixed HW incineration and sorted HW management, were calculated and compared. The results showed that in peri-urban area, the rates of resource recycling and utilization of the recyclable and compostable waste were to be improved. Both of rural and urban settlements should be targeted in waste reduction. More standard collection points were suggested to set up in small town and suburban settlements where the recycling rates were lower. Due to the large quantity of compostable waste in rural settlement, biological processors can be introduced into the communities. Construction of centralized fermentation plant to treat the sorted compostable waste can act as an alternative. The sorted collection and secured disposal for harmful waste should be emphasized in the urban settlement of peri-urban area. It is discovered that the sum of the greenhouse gas emissions from the integrated management system for classified HW was less than the emissions from the system for mixed HW in peri-urban area. The total emissions from incineration were less than the emissions from landfill or composting, although the emissions from power consumption in incineration plant were the most significant.