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Environmental impact of recycling digested food waste as a fertilizer in agriculture—A case study

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  • Chiew, Yoon Lin
  • Spångberg, Johanna
  • Baky, Andras
  • Hansson, Per-Anders
  • Jönsson, Håkan

Abstract

This study assessed the environmental impacts of recycling the plant nutrients in anaerobically digested food waste as fertilizer in agriculture. This was compared with the impacts of using chemical fertilizer, where the food waste was incinerated, producing heat. The study site was a biogas plant in central Sweden and life cycle assessment methodology was used. The impacts studied were primary energy use, global warming potential (GWP), potential acidification, potential eutrophication, cadmium flow to farmland and use of phosphate rock. Use of digested food waste as fertilizer proved to have larger negative results than use of chemical fertilizer in all categories assessed except use of non-renewable phosphate rock. Sensitivity analyses showed that the scenarios were comparable in terms of primary energy use and better for GWP if some improvements in the anaerobic digestion system were made. However, acidification and eutrophication caused by digestate handling and the cadmium content of digestate should still be considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiew, Yoon Lin & Spångberg, Johanna & Baky, Andras & Hansson, Per-Anders & Jönsson, Håkan, 2015. "Environmental impact of recycling digested food waste as a fertilizer in agriculture—A case study," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 1-14.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:95:y:2015:i:c:p:1-14
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.11.015
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    1. Johan Rockström & Will Steffen & Kevin Noone & Åsa Persson & F. Stuart Chapin & Eric F. Lambin & Timothy M. Lenton & Marten Scheffer & Carl Folke & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber & Björn Nykvist & Cynthia , 2009. "A safe operating space for humanity," Nature, Nature, vol. 461(7263), pages 472-475, September.
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    1. Sang-Mo Kang & Arjun Adhikari & Dibya Bhatta & Ho-Jun Gam & Min-Ji Gim & Joon-Ik Son & Jin Y. Shin & In-Jung Lee, 2022. "Comparison of Effects of Chemical and Food Waste-Derived Fertilizers on the Growth and Nutrient Content of Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-12, February.
    2. Thanaset Thosdeekoraphat & Kittisak Tanthai & Kachaporn Lhathum & Supawat Kotchapradit & Samran Santalunai & Chanchai Thongsopa, 2023. "The Design of a Large-Scale Induction Heating Power Source for Organic Waste Digesters to Produce Fertilizer," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-20, February.
    3. Marzena Smol & Paulina Marcinek & Zuzana Šimková & Tomáš Bakalár & Milan Hemzal & Jiří Jaromír Klemeš & Yee Van Fan & Kinga Lorencz & Eugeniusz Koda & Anna Podlasek, 2022. "Inventory of Good Practices of Sustainable and Circular Phosphorus Management in the Visegrad Group (V4)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Bahare Salehi & Lijun Wang, 2022. "Critical Review on Nanomaterials for Enhancing Bioconversion and Bioremediation of Agricultural Wastes and Wastewater," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-21, July.

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