LCA case study on lawn establishment and maintenance with various peat and compost contents in substrates

The environmental impacts of the establishment and maintenance of lawn, including the production and use of various substrates, were analyzed by life cycle assessment (LCA). The project focused on comparing substrates with different peat and compost contents using pilot substrates and developed a calculation tool to optimize landscaping from an ecological perspective. The impact categories were climate change, aquatic eutrophication, acidification, and use of primary energy. Life cycle assessment methodology and ISO standards 14040 and 14044 were used. Two thousand tons of substrates per hectare of lawn area were assumed to be needed; this large amount explains the importance of the substrate properties for all of the impact categories. Degradation of peat was the most significant factor of the influence of climate; thus, the most effective means of reducing the impact of landscaping on climate is to replace peat with compost. Nitrous oxide and methane emissions were related to the use of compost, but most of these emissions will occur regardless of how the sludge or biowaste is treated. Ammonia emissions from composting were the most important factor for acidification. The significance of fuel consumption by machinery in lawn establishment and mowing was low. The high contents of N and P in compost-based substrates may lead to high nutrient emissions into water systems, which can have significant local impact. The tool helps optimize substrate contents to minimize the environmental effects. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:459-464. © 2016 SETAC.