Evaluation of environmental impacts of food waste management by material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA)

Padeyanda, Yashoda; Jang, Yong-Chul; Ko, Youngjae; Yi, Sora

doi:10.1007/s10163-016-0510-3

Cited by 59 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…A material flow analysis quantifies the mass/resources flow, loss in a system, and facilitates in data reconciliation in a well-defined space and time [46]. As seen in Equation (2), the material flow analysis consider the food losses occurring along the supply chain as follows:…”

Section: Materials and Energy Flow Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway

et al. 2019

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Recently, important efforts have been made to define food loss management strategies. Most strategies have mainly been focused on mass and energy recovery through mixed food loss in centralised recovery models. This work aims to highlight the need to address a decentralised food loss management, in order to manage the different fractions and on each of the different stages of the food supply chain. For this purpose, an energy flow analysis is made, through the calculation of the primary energy demand of four stages and 11 food categories of the Spanish food supply chain in 2015. The energy efficiency assessment is conducted under a resource use perspective, using the energy return on investment (EROI) ratio, and a circular economy perspective, developing an Energy return on investment – Circular economy index (EROIce), based on a food waste-to-energy-to-food approach. Results suggest that the embodied energy loss consist of 17% of the total primary energy demand, and related to the food categories, the vegetarian diet appears to be the most efficient, followed by the pescetarian diet. Comparing food energy loss values with the estimated energy provided for one consumer, it is highlighted the fact that the food energy loss generated by two to three persons amounts to one person's total daily intake. Moreover, cereals is the category responsible for the highest percentage on the total food energy loss (44%); following by meat, fish and seafood and vegetables. When the results of food energy loss and embodied energy loss are related, it is observed that categories such as meat and fish and seafood have a very high primary energy demand to produce less food, besides that the parts of the food supply chain with more energy recovery potential are the beginning and the end. Finally, the EROIce analysis shows that in the categories of meat, fish and seafood and cereals, anaerobic digestion and composting is the best option for energy recovery. From the results, it is discussed the possibility to developed local digesters at the beginning and end of the food supply chain, as well as to developed double digesters installations for hydrogen recovery from cereals loss, and methane recovery from mixed food loss.

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Section: Materials and Energy Flow Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway

et al. 2019

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“…Effective waste management cannot be achieved without a thorough knowledge of the material flows into, within, and out of a waste management system and its processes [29]. A method to achieve this objective is material flow analysis (MFA), which has been applied to analyze processes such as composting facilities [30,31], water and wastewater treatment [32,33], and combined anaerobic and pre-composting of household wastes [34]. However, there is scanty information on MFAs of vermicomposting systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of a Cattle Manure Vermicomposting System Using Material Flow Analysis: A Case Study from Uganda

et al. 2019

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Growth in cattle population is associated with increased manure generation whose current management in low-income countries is associated with health and environmental problems as well as low utilization rates. This trend can be reversed by promoting better manure management technologies. This study assessed vermicomposting as one of the technologies to manage organic wastes, using the case study in Uganda. A vermicomposting system using cattle manure and earthworms (Eudrilus euginea) was monitored for one year with the harvesting of products (compost, earthworm biomass) after every three months. Vermicompost samples from the beginning of the experiment and after every harvest were analyzed for the following parameters: pH, ash content, volatile and total solids, nutrients N, P, K, and C. Emissions of CO2, CH4, NH3, and N2O were also measured. Material flow analysis was used to determine the flows and retention of nutrients within the system. Results showed that total solids, ash, N, P, and K content significantly increased, while contents of volatile solids and C, as well as the pH, significantly decreased over time. Of the materials that entered the vermicomposting system, 46% went to vermicompost, 2% into earthworms, and 52% was lost to the atmosphere. Substance flow analysis showed that 30% of C went to vermicompost, 69% was emitted to the atmosphere, and 2% ended up in earthworms while 75% of N was transferred to vermicompost, 7% went to earthworms, and 18% escaped into the atmosphere. The cumulative emissions were 102 g CO2 kg−1 waste, 7.6 g CH4 kg−1 waste, and 3.943 × 10−5 g N2O kg−1 waste on a dry basis, while NH3 was not detected throughout the measurement time. Compared to other manure management methods, vermicomposting demonstrated good potential in conserving nutrients as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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“…Systems engineering is the discipline concerned with systems analysis and development. Material control falls in the core definition of the problem and the targeted change must be based on efficient and proper usage of that material and its applicability to food loss and food waste [23,24].…”

Section: Sub-indicator B-food Waste Index (Fwi) Retail and Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systems Engineering Approach to Food Loss Reduction in Norwegian Farmed Salmon Post-Harvest Processing

Abualtaher

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2020

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The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set the target of halving per capita global food waste and reducing food losses, including post-harvest losses. Food loss is a significant global challenge rising from the decrease in food quantities available for human consumption because of decisions and actions taken by food manufacturers and suppliers before it even reaches the retail market. Food loss within the Norwegian farmed salmon post-harvest processing system could be reduced by making change in the system’s behavior. This study, by following systems engineering principles, aimed to develop insight into the salmon post-harvest processing system’s behavioral dynamics causing current food loss and to consider conceptual keys to solutions. This study tied the food loss problem to systemic behavior of byproducts downgrading to non-food uses as the major cause. The decisions made on the materials flow are based on product design, quality control, and environmental solutions. Making a decision to conserve byproduct materials by prioritizing keeping them within the human food chain requires supportive data on their true potential as a food source. The system’s information pool that decision makers rely on can be fortified with the system’s engineering multidisciplinary outcomes that will enable the necessary paradigm shift to achieve the quested food loss reduction.

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Evaluation of environmental impacts of food waste management by material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA)

Cited by 59 publications

References 18 publications

Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway

Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway

Assessment of a Cattle Manure Vermicomposting System Using Material Flow Analysis: A Case Study from Uganda

Systems Engineering Approach to Food Loss Reduction in Norwegian Farmed Salmon Post-Harvest Processing

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