Decoupling Index as an indicator of the ecological and economic sustainability of the solid municipal waste management system: Case study of Moscow

To assess the sustainability of the municipal solid waste management system (MSW), decoupling index is used. This index reflects the impact of mismatch of the direct relationship between economic growth and consumption of natural resources (pollution production). For the first time, the authors calculated the decoupling index for Moscow MSW management system in order to assess the environmental and economic sustainability of the system. The methodology of the study was based on a numerical assessment of decoupling over a certain period of time using the ratio proposed by UNEP. Calculations of the decoupling index for the municipal solid waste management system in Moscow have shown relative decoupling between the solid waste generation in the city for the period 2020-2023 and the growth of the gross regional, with the exception of the period 2021-2022, when there was a sharp decrease in condensed municipal solid waste by almost 0.7 times and absolute decoupling took place. This indicates improvements in the MSW management system in Moscow within the framework of a circular economy. The study assessed the magnitude of the mitigated greenhouse gas emissions as a result of meeting targets by diverting MSW from landfills. The approach used to assess the decoupling index for Moscow, can serve as a useful tool for assessing the environmental and economic sustainability of the MSW management system of other cities to develop future policy scenarios for sustainable MSW management in the near future.