A Prospective Social Life Cycle Assessment (sLCA) of Electricity Generation from Municipal Solid Waste in Nigeria

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of municipal solid waste management systems: a review

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.

Applying social life cycle assessment in the informal recycling sector: Understanding challenges and limitations

The transition towards Circular Economy (CE) is a promising approach to sustainable development that may cause significant social impacts. Despite the benefits of CE initiatives, key players such as informal recyclers face serious social issues such as poverty, lack of social security, and discrimination. Although evaluating social impacts remains a considerable challenge, Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) is recognized as a suitable methodology with a life cycle perspective. While most SLCA experiences are conducted in the formal sector, it is important to consider the informal sector, which plays a crucial role in developing countries. This article presents an analysis of SLCA studies in informal recycling settings in order to identify the challenges and adjustments required for informal settings. The analysis is based on a literature review and a documentary review of a pilot application of SLCA in the informal recycling system in Cuenca, Ecuador. The results show that SLCA requires adaptation to be applied in informal settings. There are particular challenges in delineating boundaries due to the fuzzy nature and variability of informal activities. Tasks such as establishing specific indicators, developing reference scales and data collection, require careful planning and active stakeholder participation. For instance, indicators regarding Fair Salary or Working hours were adapted based on best practices. Furthermore, tasks such as verifying and disseminating results should be included in interpretation phases to generate long-term impacts and influence behaviors. The study underscores SLCA's multidimensional view but highlights the need for further standardization and adaptation for informal sectors.

Electricity Generation from Municipal Solid Waste in Nigeria: A Prospective LCA Study

Diverse opportunities and environmental impacts could occur from a potential move towards waste-to-energy (WtE) systems for electricity generation from municipal solid waste (MSW) in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria. Given this, the purpose of this study is to use life cycle assessment (LCA) as a primary analytical approach in order to undertake a comparative analysis from an environmental impact perspective of different WtE scenarios, along with diesel backup generators (DBGs) and grid electricity. A functional unit of 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity produced was used in assessing the following environmental impact categories: abiotic depletion (fossil fuels) potential (ADP), global warming potential (GWP 100a), human toxicity potential (HTP), photochemical oxidation potential (POCP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP). The overall result indicated that anaerobic digestion (AD) had the highest energy generated per one tonne of MSW processed for both Lagos (683 kWh/t) and Abuja (667 kWh/t), while landfill gas to energy (LFGTE) had the lowest for both (Lagos 171 kWh/t, Abuja 135 kWh/t). AD also had the lowest environmental impacts amongst the four WtE systems for both cities based on all the impact categories except for POCP. In contrast, LFGTE had the highest impact in all the categories except ADP and HTP. Extending the analysis to include diesel-based generators (DBG) and grid electricity saw the DBGs having the highest impact overall in ADP (14.1 MJ), HTP (0.0732 Kg, 1.4 DB eq), AP (0.0129 Kg SO2 eq), and EP (0.00313 Kg PO4 eq) and grid electricity having the lowest impact in GWP (0.497 Kg CO2 eq), AP (0.000296 Kg SO2 eq), and EP (0.000061 Kg PO4 eq). It was concluded that additional electricity supply from AD to the grid, with its potential to reduce the reliance on DBGs (worst scenario overall), would be a positive action in environmental impact terms.

Risk Analysis of Public–Private Partnership Waste-to-Energy Incineration Projects from the Perspective of Rural Revitalization

In China, more and more waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration plants are being delivered through public–private partnership (PPP) schemes in rural areas, which are focused on rural revitalization. These can not only deal with the ever-increasing solid waste but also provide renewable energy and thus benefit local societies. However, they usually endure a lot of risks due to long concession periods and complex contractual relationships. This research investigates the risk management of PPP WTE incineration projects from the perspective of rural revitalization. First, a preliminary list of 36 risks was derived based on a literature review. Second, a focused group discussion with eight experts was held to obtain the final list of 36 risk factors, taking into account rural revitalization. Third, a structured questionnaire survey was conducted to consult the risk frequency and risk severity. A total of 100 valid questionaries were collected. Finally, risk analysis and discussion were provided on the basis of the survey. The top 10 risks are rural appearance, payment risk, local employment, local economic development, local government succession, operation cost overrun, waste supply, construction cost overrun, revenue risk and price change risk. It indicates that (1) PPP WTE incineration projects can effectively promote rural development; (2) government authorities play a significant role in the sustainable development of PPP WTE incineration projects; and (3) the risk preference of rural PPP WTE incineration projects is social, economic and environmental risks.