Evaluating the Life Cycle Assessment of Waste-to-Energy Power Plants for Municipal Solid Waste Management to Enhance Environmental Sustainability in Indonesia

The increasing volume of municipal solid waste, as observed in Bantargebang, Indonesia, presents critical challenges to waste management practices, including landfill overcapacity, increased operational costs, and significant environmental and public health risks. The objective of this study is to apply a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for evaluating of Waste to Energy Power Plants (WtE PP), specifically examining the environmental impact of WtE PP Bantargebang in relation to its environmental and operational performance compared to other municipal solid waste management methods, including landfilling and open dumping. The methodology employed openLCA v2.5.0 software and Ecoinvent v391 database. One ton of municipal solid waste (MSW) was selected as the functional unit. In this analysis, the boundary systems used gate-to-gate, focusing on the processes involved from the entry of municipal solid waste (MSW) into the incineration facility until the final output including energy generation. The results indicate that the WtE PP Bantargebang system effectively reduces GWP, achieving a reduction of -367.56 kg CO₂ equivalent per ton of waste, compared to traditional waste management practices like landfilling and open dumping. WtE with Energy Substitution at Bantargebang demonstrates substantial reductions in fine particulate matter, global warming potential, and human health risks, suggesting that the avoidance of high-carbon energy sources can significantly mitigate environmental and health impacts. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating renewable energy sources, improving waste treatment technologies, and adopting integrated waste management systems to enhance sustainability. This study recommends further improvements in air and water management and suggests exploring less carbon-intensive energy alternatives to achieve more sustainable waste management practices.