An integrated life cycle costing and human health impact analysis of municipal solid waste management options in Hong Kong using modified eco-efficiency indicator

This paper quantifies and compares the private and external costs of the proposed landfill extension (LFE) and advanced incineration facility (AIF) in Hong Kong using life cycle costing methodology. In addition, a modified eco-efficiency indicator is developed in order to integrate the life cycle cost and life cycle human health impact associated with these two proposed waste disposal facilities. With the inclusion of private and external costs, the life cycle costs of AIF and LFE are 1619.2 HKD/tonne MSW and 1782.4 HKD/tonne MSW, respectively. The AIF has a slightly lower life cycle cost (i.e., 163.2 HKD/tonne MSW or 9.2% lower) than the LFE. However, if only private cost is considered, the result is reversed, in which the LFE has a lower life cycle cost than the AIF. The life cycle cost of the AIF is mainly contributed by the capital cost and operating cost, while the life cycle cost of the LFE is mainly attributed to the capital cost and disamenity cost. The modified eco-efficiency indicator shows that the AIF is more eco-efficient relative to the LFE, revealing that the AIF is advantageous over the LFE in both life cycle human health impact and life cycle cost perspectives. The integration of environmental and economic aspects of the proposed waste disposal facilities from a life cycle perspective facilitates the stakeholders in developing policy guidelines for pursuing a sustainable management of MSW disposal in Hong Kong.