AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC COMPARISON OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE WASTE TREATMENT IN THE TRADITIONAL MARKETS

Abstract

Two different fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) collection and treatment systems have been
evaluated and compared with the existing system in the largest traditional market located in Bandung city,
Indonesia. In this study, greenhouse gas quantification was performed to compare the environmental impact of
current landfill practices against two different options: (i) on-site composting, and (ii) on-site anaerobic digestion.
In addition to this, the economic performance was also evaluated by estimating the cost-output ratio from costeffectiveness analysis and the payback period. The evaluation results were then presented in the matrix of strength,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to provide an insight for the decision maker in determining the
most appropriate solution for fruit and vegetable waste treatment system in the traditional markets. The results
indicated that the alteration of FVW management system from the landfill to an on-site composting would decrease
the cost-output ratio by 20%. Meanwhile, the implementation of an on-site anaerobic digestion showed a negative
value of cost-output ratio indicating a profitable system. Furthermore, the estimation on net energy balance
revealed that one ton of waste treated in a landfill, composting and anaerobic digestion would result in 3.52, 0.01
and -0.12 ton CO2-eq, with the negative sign indicating the energy production. In addition, the payback period for
anaerobic digestion and composting are remarkably short; around 8 and 13 months, respectively. These two
alternatives, however, would be less advantageous if the government cannot ensure the availability of target sectors
that may benefit from the utilization of compost and digestate.