Assessment of Organic Waste Management Methods Through Energy Balance

Comparetti, Antonio; Febo, Pierluigi; Greco, Carlo; Navickas, Kęstutis; Nekrosius, Arvydas; Orlando, Santo; Venslauskas, Kęstutis

doi:10.3844/ajassp.2014.1631.1644

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a process for converting organic wastes, for example, animal husbandry effluents; plant biomass [6], food industry by-products, sewage sludge and Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW), including food waste, into biogas and digestate [4,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Valorisation of Biowaste for Soilless Cultivation of Salvia Officinalis in a Circular Bioeconomy

et al. 2020

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The aim of this work is to assess the usefulness of biowaste deriving from Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) processes (i.e., vermicompost, compost and digestate), as growing substrates for the partial or total replacement of peat, by measuring the vegetation biometric parameters of sage (Salvia officinalis L.)—leaf area; Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) value (index of chlorophyll concentration); fresh and dry weight of leaves; stem weight; root length. The results showed that vermicompost positively influenced most of above parameters (+16.7% for leaf area, +7.3% for fresh leaf weight, +6.4% for dry leaf weight, +8.5% for fresh stem weight, +0.9% for dry stem weight, +16% for root length) and, therefore, can be used as a sustainable growing substrate, alternative to peat, for the sage soilless cultivation. Yet, the results of some biometric parameters are better with peat rather than with compost (−7.2% for SPAD value, −47.3% for fresh leaf weight, −46.8% for dry leaf weight, −32.9% for fresh stem weight, −39.1% for dry stem weight, −52.4% for fresh root weight, −56.6% for dry root weight) and digestate (−30.2% for fresh leaf weight, −33.6% for dry leaf weight, −23.9% for fresh stem weight, −27% for dry stem weight, −51.8% for fresh root weight, −34.4% for dry root weight, −16% for root length). Therefore, these results are interesting for potted plants in nursery activity, while the above differences must be verified also after the transplanting of the tested plants in open field. However, the use of all the above growing substrates alternative to peat allows the sustainable valorization of food industry by-products, plant biomass, animal manure and the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Valorisation of Biowaste for Soilless Cultivation of Salvia Officinalis in a Circular Bioeconomy

et al. 2020

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“…In this study, according to the recommendations from the ILCD Handbook, the Global Warming (GWP100a) midpoint impact category is analysed. The data about the means of transport used for transferring the substrates to the biogas plant were drawn from a previous paper (Comparetti et al, 2014). The methodology used for LCA is defined in the ISO Standard 14040:2006 and ISO Standard 14044:2006.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lca Applied to an Anaerobic Digestion Plant for Biomethane and Digestate Production

Greco

Comparetti²,

Febo³

et al. 2020

Rural Development 2019

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Nowadays it is paramount to promote bioenergy for climate protection, energy security and creation of income/jobs. In this perspective, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) for biogas and digestate production seems to be a viable way to simultaneously improve waste management while producing Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The main objective of this work is to assess the environmental impact associated with biomethane and digestate production from an AD plant as Global Warming Potential, expressed in CO2 equivalents. Therefore, a LCA was carried out for the production of biomethane ready for the injection into the Italian distribution natural gas grid. A mix from different waste sources (cattle manure and slurry, pig slurry, Citrus industry by-product, chicken manure, manure from broilers, triticale silage and waste from vegetable cleaning) is considered for biogas and digestate production. Besides biomethane this plant will produce digestate, that is a biological and nutrient-rich fertiliser. Thus, the cycle of circular economy is closed, as the recovery of matter and energy is carried out from waste. The results clearly indicate the importance of the process steps transport of biomass to AD plant and, above all, methane upgrading (separation by membrane). Depending on the high amount of the substrate and long distance travelled, Citrus waste substrate transport accounts for the largest share in GHG emissions with 0.229 kg CO2-eq/Nm 3 or 70.5 % of total transportation emission. Greenhouse gas emissions estimated for the various process stages for the Sclafani Bagni plant showed, that methane upgrading emits 1.95 kg CO2-eq/Nm 3 , while other processes totally emits 0.525 kg CO2-eq/Nm 3 . The LCIA results confirmed the negative total impact of the process with grid injection, in terms of kg of CO2 eq.: the LCA verified the carbon-negative-bio-energy concept of the project. Therefore, biomethane derived from biogas is an entirely renewable and readily available low carbon alternative fuel, that can be locally produced from organic waste and capable to replace the fossil natural gas in the near future.

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“…Organic wastes such as sewage sludge and animal manures are often considered because they commonly contain useful concentrations of plant macronutrients (e.g. nitrogen or phosphorus) (Comparetti et al, 2012(Comparetti et al, , 2013a(Comparetti et al, , 2013b(Comparetti et al, , 2014(Comparetti et al, , 2015(Comparetti et al, , 2017. For instance, municipal sewage sludge has been investigated quite extensively as a growing medium component.…”

Section: Soilless Plant Cultivation Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Europe and North America alone 95-115 kg of food per person each year (Gustavsson et al, 2011) are wasted. Aside from avoidance measures for organic waste generation anaerobic digestion is a favorable way of utilizing organic waste including food waste (Comparetti et al, 2012(Comparetti et al, , 2013a(Comparetti et al, , 2013b(Comparetti et al, , 2014(Comparetti et al, , 2015(Comparetti et al, , 2017. This treatment reduces CO2 emissions from composting or landfills and the biogas can be used for fossil fuel substitution (Appels et al, 2011; Mata-Alvarez et al, 2000).…”

Section: Soilless Plant Cultivation Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The circular economy is grounded on resource efficiency, waste reduction, recycle and valorisation. "Food waste is a key area in the circular economy" (Comparetti et al, 2012(Comparetti et al, , 2013a(Comparetti et al, , 2013b(Comparetti et al, , 2014(Comparetti et al, , 2015(Comparetti et al, , 2017EC, 2017), and is considered as an underutilised resource that can be brought into use. The circular economy creates more employment with fewer resources (Mitchell and James, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sustainable, Circular and Innovative Value Chains Using Growing Substrata Alternative to Peat for the Cultivation of Nutraceutical Species

Greco

Comparetti

Mammano

et al. 2020

Rural Development 2019

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The modern agricultural system is wasteful, with Europe generating some 700 million tonnes of agricultural and food waste each year. In the context of the agri-food chain, the 'circular economy' aims to reduce waste while also making best use of the 'wastes' produced by using economically viable processes and procedures to increase their value. In this paper we will try to frame the key issues associated with food waste into the emerging bioeconomy and circulareconomic mode, suggesting that these three concepts are intertwined, and considering them unitarily might provide win-win solutions that minimize wastage, promote income growth and job creation, and prompt sustainable local development. In terms of performance and economic considerations, peat is in many ways an ideal constituent of soilless growing media. Peat has become the material of choice throughout plant production systems from propagation to saleable 'finished plant' material. However, the extraction of peat has well documented negative impacts on the environment; arguably the most important of these is the release of stable, sequestered carbon into the active carbon cycle, thereby exacerbating climate change. During the last 20 years, peat extraction has come under increasing scrutiny throughout Europe and particularly in the UK. This has generated an abundance of studies examining a diverse range of alternative materials (as compost, vermicompost, digestate, biochar). In the selection of new materials, environmental considerations have become as important as performance and economic cost. In this context there has been a justifiable emphasis on organic materials derived from agricultural, industrial and municipal waste streams. For future urban sustainability it is necessary to develop integrated processes, which can be part of a circular bio-economy. However the challenge still remains of simultaneously recycling the nutrients from the waste. The greenhouse horticulture applied to nutraceutical species is the ideal sector for improving the conversion rate of organic waste into food and health friendly products. On farm composting/vermicomposting/pyrolysis/anaerobic digestion and the use of the end-product to the partial substitution of peat in nursery activity allows reducing the environmental and economic costs in the production of potted plants.

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Assessment of Organic Waste Management Methods Through Energy Balance

Cited by 7 publications

References 58 publications

Sustainable Valorisation of Biowaste for Soilless Cultivation of Salvia Officinalis in a Circular Bioeconomy

Sustainable Valorisation of Biowaste for Soilless Cultivation of Salvia Officinalis in a Circular Bioeconomy

Lca Applied to an Anaerobic Digestion Plant for Biomethane and Digestate Production

Sustainable, Circular and Innovative Value Chains Using Growing Substrata Alternative to Peat for the Cultivation of Nutraceutical Species

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