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Ceraso A, Cesaro A. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of municipal solid waste management systems: a review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 368:122143. [PMID: 39128346 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
In the context of Circular Economy, the significance of municipal solid waste management systems (MSWMSs) has increased, as well as the need for comprehensive assessment tools of their sustainability. In the Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) framework, the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), which is a methodology aiming to evaluate the environmental, economic, and social burdens throughout the various phases of waste management, has raised great interest. The paper describes the state-of-the-art of the implementation of LCT tools, with high regard to LCSA, for the evaluation of MSWMSs through their life cycle, with a deep focus on the use of both midpoint and endpoint categories. Drawing insights from an analysis of 69 case studies, the paper identifies the most frequently applied midpoint and endpoint categories for the sustainability assessment of MSWMSs. These categories are exposed in terms of their significance and applicability to specific waste management scenarios, providing valuable guidance for experts and researchers seeking to employ LCSA in MSWMSs assessments. Additionally, the paper outlines the limits associated with the implementation of LCSA, thereby highlighting areas for further research and improvement. In contrast to other reviews in this field, this paper uniquely focuses on the implementation of LCSA in the specific context provided by MSWMSs. By disseminating such insights, the paper aspires to foster the widespread adoption of LCSA by experts and researchers, ultimately advancing the sustainability discourse in municipal solid waste management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annachiara Ceraso
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Cesaro
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy
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Arosemena Polo JD, Toboso-Chavero S, Adhikari B, Villalba G. Closing the nutrient cycle in urban areas: The use of municipal solid waste in peri-urban and urban agriculture. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 183:220-231. [PMID: 38761486 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Cities face the challenges of supplying food and managing organic municipal solid waste (OMSW) sustainably amid increasing urbanization rates. Urban agriculture (UA) can help with this effort by producing local crops that are fertilized with nutrients recovered from compost generated from OMSW. This research aims to determine the potential of OMSW compost to supply the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) demand of UA and the environmental benefits of replacing mineral fertilizer from a life cycle perspective. The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) serves as the case study given its commitment to reuse biowaste according to the Revised Waste Framework Directive and to promote UA as a signing member of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. Based on crop requirements and farmer surveys, we find that the annual NPK demands of the agricultural fields of the AMB that cover 5,500 ha and produce 70,000 tons of crops are approximately 769, 113, and 592 tons of NPK, respectively. Spatial material flow analysis and life cycle assessment were applied to found that the current waste management system can potentially substitute 8 % of the total NPK demanded by UA with compost, reduce the impacts by up to 39 % and yield savings in global warming of 130 %. The more ambitious future scenario of 2025 can potentially substitute 21 % of the total NPK demand and reduce environmental impacts up to 1,049 %, depending on the category considered. Avoiding processing of mixed OMSW, mineral fertilizer replacement and cogeneration of electricity from biogas are the major contributors to these environmental savings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Arosemena Polo
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB) (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Toboso-Chavero
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB) (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Integral Design and Management, Department of Materials, Mechanics, Management & Design, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Biraj Adhikari
- Practical Action Consulting Asia, 44600 Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Gara Villalba
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB) (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, XRB, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Ye P, Fang L, Song D, Zhang M, Li R, Awasthi MK, Zhang Z, Xiao R, Chen X. Insights into carbon loss reduction during aerobic composting of organic solid waste: A meta-analysis and comprehensive literature review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160787. [PMID: 36502991 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Carbon neutrality is now receiving global concerns for the sustainable development of human societies, of which how to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and enhance carbon conservation and sequestration becomes increasingly critical. Therefore, this study conducted a meta-analysis and literature review to assess carbon loss and to explore the main factors that impact carbon loss during organic solid waste (OSW) composting. The results indicated that over 40 % of carbon was lost through composting, mainly as CO2-C and merely as CH4-C. Experimental scale, feedstock varieties, composting systems, etc., all impacted the carbon loss, and there was generally higher carbon loss under optimal conditions (i.e., C/N ratio (15-25), pH (6.5-7.5), moisture content (65-75 %)). Most mitigation strategies in conventional composting (CC) systems (e.g., additive supplementary, feedstock adjustment, and optimized aeration, etc.) barely mediated the TC and CO2-C loss but dramatically reduced the emission of CH4-C through composting. Among them, feedstock adjustment by elevating the feedstock C/N ratio effectively reduced the TC loss, and chemical additives facilitated the conservation of both carbon and nitrogen. By comparison, there was generally higher carbon loss in the novel composting systems (e.g. hyperthermophilic and electric field enhanced composting, etc.). However, the impacts of different mitigation strategies and novel composting systems on carbon loss reduction through composting were probably underestimated for the inappropriate evaluation methods (composting period-dependent instead of maturity originated). Therefore, further studies are needed to explore carbon transformation through composting, to establish methods and standards for carbon loss evaluation, and to develop novel techniques and systems for enhanced carbon conservation through composting. Overall, the results of this study could provide a reference for carbon-friendly composting for future OSW management under the background of global carbon neutrality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Ye
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Linfa Fang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Low-carbon Green Agriculture in Southwestern China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Dan Song
- Chongqing Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401147, China
| | - Muyuan Zhang
- Chongqing Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Chongqing 401147, China
| | - Ronghua Li
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Mukesh Kumar Awasthi
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Zengqiang Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ran Xiao
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Low-carbon Green Agriculture in Southwestern China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Xinping Chen
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Low-carbon Green Agriculture in Southwestern China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing 400715, China
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Policastro G, Cesaro A. Composting of Organic Solid Waste of Municipal Origin: The Role of Research in Enhancing Its Sustainability. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:312. [PMID: 36612633 PMCID: PMC9819849 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The organic solid waste of municipal origin stands as one of the residual streams of greatest concern: the great amounts continuously produced over time as well as its biochemical and physical characteristics require its proper handling via biological processes, pursuing the recovery of material and/or the generation of energy. At the European level, most of the industrial plants treating the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) rely on composting, which is a well-established and reliable process that is easy to operate in different socio-economic contexts. Nevertheless, when regarded in a life cycle perspective as well as in the view of the principles of circular economy underlying waste management, several issues (e.g., the presence of toxic substances in compost) can be recognized as technical challenges, requiring further studies to identify possible sustainable solutions. This work aims at discussing these challenges and figuring out the state of the art of composting in a circular perspective. Firstly, the main mentioned issues affecting compost quality and process sustainability are briefly reviewed. Next, to promote the effective use of composting in light of the circular economy principles, research experiences are critically presented to highlight the current technical challenges concerning the environmental and health impact reduction and possible scientific perspectives to overcome issues affecting the compost quality. Based on the critical analysis of reviewed studies, it emerged that further research should be aimed at unveiling the hazard potential of emerging contaminants as well as to address the understanding of the mechanisms underlying their potential removal during composting. Moreover, the adoption of a multidisciplinary perspective in the design of research studies may play a key role towards the definition of cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategies to overcome the technical issues affecting the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Policastro
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
- Telematic University Pegaso, 80132 Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandra Cesaro
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy
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