Effects Of Resource-Oriented Waste Management On Optimizing Water-Food-Energy Nexus In Rural China: A Material And Energy Flow Analysis

The waste management as the interface between human daily life and environment is an important part in rural region. However, the micro-scale process analysis from the perspective of an integrated rural water-food-energy system has not been well investigated to reveal the effects brought by waste management on local environment. The lack of relevant evidence is a major barrier to realize the specific quantitative impacts of distinct waste management systems and the importance of sustainable waste management for local area. In this study, a material and energy flow analysis based on processes is presented in a micro-scale to make systematical comparison between end-pipe-treatment waste management and modern resource-oriented waste management. The results indicated that waste management notably affects the nitrogen and phosphorus flow in rural areas. Moreover, the resource-oriented system can obviously optimize the local water-food-energy nexus in terms of energy recovery and nutrient consumption. Based on the quantity analysis, chemical fertilizer is also found inevitable to guarantee the food supply because of the element system loss in various paths. Besides, the simultaneous optimum point of different nutrient elements is difficult to achieve due to their distinct transfer mechanisms. Our results can help policymakers and publics make better choice in waste management strategy. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.