Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Agriculture Faculty, Biosystem Engineering Department, Hatay, Türkiye
Abstract
In this study, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to determine the environmental impacts of the Gökçegöz solid waste landfill (SWL) in Hatay Province. Within the scope of the LCA, the system boundary was defined as the processes of solid waste collection, transportation, transfer to transfer stations, and disposal at the landfill site, and 1 ton of municipal solid waste (MSW) was accepted as the functional unit. Using SimaPro 8.0.5.13 software for the LCA analysis, environmental impacts were identified across 11 impact categories based on the CML-IA Baseline model. The results of this study revealed that 536,998 tons of MSW are disposed of annually at the Gökçegöz SWL in Hatay Province. According to the LCA results, the carbon footprint was determined to cause the greatest environmental impact among the 11 impact categories, accounting for 76.92%. The carbon footprint was calculated as 553.02 kgCO2-eq ton-1 of MSW, and the hotspot was identified as the MSW stored at the landfill site.
Keywords
Municipal solid waste,Environmental impact,, Landfill,Carbon footprint,Hotspot
How to Cite
BİRECİK , A., & EREN, Ömer. (2026). Life Cycle Assessment for Urban Solid Waste Management: The Case of Hatay. MAS Journal of Applied Sciences, 11(2), 222–234. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20322397
📄Abyar, H., Pakzad-Toochaei, S., Einollahipeer, F., Namroodi, S., Rezaei, H., 2026. Environmental assessment of municipal solid waste composting: comparing landfilling and incineration scenarios towards a sustainable approach. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 22(2): 607-617.
📄Banar, M., Cokaygil, Z., Ozkan, A., 2009. Life cycle assessment of solid waste management options for Eskisehir, Turkey. Waste Management, 29: 54-62.
📄Bandaranayaka, D.T., Wei, Y., de Alwis, A., Danthurebandara, M., Herath, G., Gajanayake, P., 2026. Scenario-based life cycle assessment of municipal waste GHG emissions and mitigation potential in Sri Lanka. Environments, 13(3): 130.
📄Birecik, A., 2023. Life cycle assessment for municipal solid waste management: A case of gökçegöz solid waste landfill site in Hatay province. Master’s Thesis, Mustafa Kemal University, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Hatay.
📄Bogner, J., Pipatti, R., Hashimoto, S., Diaz, C., Mareckova, K., Diaz, L., Kjeldsen, P., Monni, S., Faaij, A., Gao, Q., Zhang, T., Ahmed, M.A., Sutamihardja, R.T., Gregory, R., 2008. Mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions from waste: conclusions and strategies from the IPCC fourth assessment report. Working Group III (Mitigation). Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy, 26(1): 11-32.
📄Cerqueira, C.Q., Lora, E.E.S., de Souza, L.L.P., Leme, M.M.V., Barros, R.M., Venturini, O.J., 2025. Life cycle assessment of methanol production from municipal solid waste: environmental comparison with landfilling and ıncineration. Resources, 14(1): 12.
📄Cheniti, H., Kerboua, K., Sekiou, O., Aouissi, H. A., Benselhoub, A., Mansouri, R., Zeriri, I., Barbari, K., Gilev, J. B., Bouslama, Z., 2024. Life cycle assessment of municipal solid waste management within open dumping and landfilling contexts: a strategic analysis and planning responses applicable to Algeria. Sustainability, 16(16): 6930.
📄Colvero, D.A., Pfeiffer, S.C., Ramalho, J.C.M., do Nascimento, A.A., de Lima, A.C.A., 2025. Identification of environmental impacts associated with municipal solid waste management through life cycle assessment. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 22: 5929-5946.
📄Çapar, B., Topkaya, B., Kranert, M., 2026. Review of waste management and life cycle assessment studies in megacities. Environmental Research and Technology, 9 (Special Issue), 7-13.
📄Çetinkaya, A.Y., Bilgili, L., Levent Kuzu, S., 2018. Life cycle assessment and greenhouse gas emission evaluation from Aksaray solid waste disposal facility. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 11: 549-558.
📄Gao, C., Bian, R., Li, P., Yin, C., Teng, X., Zhang, J., Gao, S., Niu, Y., Sun, Y., Wang, Y., Wang, H., 2025. Analysis of carbon reduction potential from typical municipal solid waste incineration plants under MSW classification. Journal of Environmental Management, 273: 123844.
📄Gu, X., Chen, F., Borrion, A., 2026. Comparative analysis of low-carbon transition pathways for municipal solid waste management systems in China and England: An analysis based on life cycle and scenario simulation. Sustainable Development, 1–22.
📄Irbaş, E., Dadaşer Çelik, F., 2021. Life cycle assessment for solid waste management: A case study for Melikgazi municipality (Kayseri). Artvin Çoruh University Journal of Natural Hazards and Environment, 7(2): 266-267.
📄Kanbir, F., Sandıkçıoğlu, M., 2022. The urban solid waste management and its problems in Siirt . Afyon Kocatepe University Journal of Social Sciences, 24(2): 404-425.
📄Liamsanguan, C., Gheewala, S.H., 2008. LCA: A decision support tool for environmental assessment of MSW management systems. Journal of Environmental Management, 87: 132-138.
📄Mondal, A., Reddy, M.N.R, Dubey, B.K., Yadav, V., 2026. Pathways to sustainable municipal solid waste management: An LCA of integrated approaches and product circularity in Nashik, India. Journal of Environmental Management, 398: 128424.
📄Özer, B., Yay, A.E., 2021. Comparative life cycle analysis of municipal waste management systems: Kırklareli/Turkey case study. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28: 63867-63877.
📄Özeler, D., Yetiş, Ü., Demirer, G.N., 2006. Life cycle assessment of municipal solid waste management methods: Ankara case study. Environment International, 32: 405-411.
📄Read, A.D., 1999. A weekly doorstep recycling collection, i had no idea we could overcoming the local barriers to participation. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 26: 217-249.
📄Salihoğlu, G., Poroy, Z., Salihoğlu, N.K., 2019. Life cycle assessment for municipal waste management: Analysis for Bursa. Pamukkale University Journal of Engineering Sciences, 25(6): 692-699.
📄Taşkın, A., Demir, N., 2026. Environmental sustainability analysis of an integrated municipal solid waste management system: A life cycle approach. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 22(2): 571-582.
📄Üstün Odabaşı, S., Laratte, B., 2024. Life cycle assessment of municipal solid waste management in Samsun, Turkey: Different scenarios with emphasis on energy and material recovery. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 26: 2814-2829.
📄Washburn, B., 2011. Avian use of solid waste transfer stations. Landscape and Urban Planning, 104: 388-394.
📄Weligama Thuppahige, R.T., Babel, S., 2026. Assessment of the environmental sustainability of municipal solid waste valorization by anaerobic digestion and by composting in Sri Lanka. Environmental Technology, 47(7): 1088-1101.
📄Yay, A.S.E., 2015. Application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for municipal solid waste management: A case study of Sakarya. Journal of Cleaner Production, 94: 284-293.