Method selection for sustainability assessments: The case of recovery of resources from waste water

M C Zijp; S L Waaijers-van der Loop; R Heijungs; M L M Broeren; R Peeters; A Van Nieuwenhuijzen; L Shen; E H W Heugens; L Posthuma

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.04.006

Method selection for sustainability assessments: The case of recovery of resources from waste water

J Environ Manage. 2017 Jul 15:197:221-230. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.04.006. Epub 2017 Apr 6.

Authors

M C Zijp¹, S L Waaijers-van der Loop², R Heijungs³, M L M Broeren⁴, R Peeters⁵, A Van Nieuwenhuijzen⁶, L Shen⁴, E H W Heugens², L Posthuma⁷

Affiliations

¹ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: michiel.zijp@rivm.nl.
² National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
³ Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University (CML), P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Econometrics and Operations Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
⁴ Group Energy and Resources, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3584CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁵ ERF-Energy and Resource Factory, P.O. Box 4103, 2980 GC Ridderkerk, The Netherlands.
⁶ Witteveen+Bos Consulting Engineers, P.O. Box 233, 7400 AE Deventer, The Netherlands.
⁷ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 28391095
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.04.006

Abstract

Sustainability assessments provide scientific support in decision procedures towards sustainable solutions. However, in order to contribute in identifying and choosing sustainable solutions, the sustainability assessment has to fit the decision context. Two complicating factors exist. First, different stakeholders tend to have different views on what a sustainability assessment should encompass. Second, a plethora of sustainability assessment methods exist, due to the multi-dimensional characteristic of the concept. Different methods provide other representations of sustainability. Based on a literature review, we present a protocol to facilitate method selection together with stakeholders. The protocol guides the exploration of i) the decision context, ii) the different views of stakeholders and iii) the selection of pertinent assessment methods. In addition, we present an online tool for method selection. This tool identifies assessment methods that meet the specifications obtained with the protocol, and currently contains characteristics of 30 sustainability assessment methods. The utility of the protocol and the tool are tested in a case study on the recovery of resources from domestic waste water. In several iterations, a combination of methods was selected, followed by execution of the selected sustainability assessment methods. The assessment results can be used in the first phase of the decision procedure that leads to a strategic choice for sustainable resource recovery from waste water in the Netherlands.

Keywords: Circular economy; Method selection; Resources; Sustainability assessment; Waste water.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Conservation of Natural Resources*
Netherlands
Wastewater*

Substances

Waste Water