A nexus of comparative economic and environmental assessment results of bioenergy production pathways from municipal solid waste using eco-efficiency indicator

So far, various research has been based on economic and environmental assessments as potent tools for examining the sustainability level of bioenergy generation paths. Among these studies, a method that can balance increasing economic profit and reducing environmental impact is rewarding to generate bioenergy sustainably. Accordingly, this study suggested the eco-efficiency indicator as a nexus parameter for the environmental and economic performance of the bioenergy generation path. In this research, eco-efficiency performance was analyzed among six scenarios, including Anaerobic digestion for heat and electricity, Anaerobic digestion for household gas, Anaerobic digestion for fuel gas, Pyrolysis for electricity, Fermentation for bioethanol, and Landfill gas collection for household use. The economic indicators contained Net Present Value and Benefit-cost ratio. The environmental indicators included Human health, Ecosystems, and Resources. Finally, a case study on Aradkooh, Iran, was conducted. The results indicate that landfill gas exhibits superior eco-efficiency performance, achieving a score of 0.928 (Pt/$), compared to six other bioenergy production pathways. Among these other scenarios, fermentation holds the second position with a score of -0.001 (Pt/$), while pyrolysis for electricity ranks sixth with a score of -0.062(Pt/$). To effectively enhance the sustainability level, social evaluation is required to launch bio-energy production paths from MSW in addition to the economic and environmental assessment.