Application of LCA modelling in integrated waste management

T H Christensen; A Damgaard; J Levis; Y Zhao; A Björklund; U Arena; M A Barlaz; V Starostina; A Boldrin; T F Astrup; V Bisinella

doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2020.08.034

Application of LCA modelling in integrated waste management

Waste Manag. 2020 Dec:118:313-322. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.08.034. Epub 2020 Sep 10.

Authors

T H Christensen¹, A Damgaard², J Levis³, Y Zhao⁴, A Björklund⁵, U Arena⁶, M A Barlaz³, V Starostina⁷, A Boldrin², T F Astrup², V Bisinella²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark. Electronic address: thho@env.dtu.dk.
² Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark.
³ Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7908, USA.
⁴ School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
⁵ Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
⁶ Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta 81100, Italy.
⁷ Department of Mineral Processing and Environmental Protection, Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Irkutsk 664074, Russia.

PMID: 32919350
DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2020.08.034

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used in waste management for the last two decades and hundreds of journal papers have been published. The use of LCA in waste management has provided a much-improved holistic view of waste management including waste flows and potential environmental impacts. Although much knowledge has been obtained from LCA studies, there is still a need to use LCA models in integrated waste management. This paper describes six areas where LCA is expected to play a role in waste management in the future: 1) understanding an existing waste management system; 2) improving existing waste management systems; 3) comparing alternative technologies/ technology performance; 4) technology development/prospective technologies; 5) policy development/strategic development; and 6) reporting. Illustrative examples are provided for each application area.

Keywords: LCA; Modelling; Waste management.

MeSH terms

Environment
Policy Making
Prospective Studies
Refuse Disposal*
Waste Management*