Transport of solid waste - road transport versus rail transport: case study Christchurch

Abstract

The focus of this study is to analyse the operations of solid waste transport from Christchurch (New Zealand) to a recently opened regional landfill 70km north of Christchurch by comparing two scenarios - road and rail transport. The thrust of the research is based on the logistics of transporting solid waste and identifying the CO₂ emissions or in simple terms the energy used by the two modes. The study takes into consideration solid waste data from 2000-2005 and extrapolates future waste data to assess the situation in 2015. The modelling looks separately at road and a combination of rail-road operations by outlining the various planning and logistics requirements for transporting solid household waste from Christchurch to the new Kate Valley landfill