Life Cycle Assessment as a Tool to Implement Sustainable Development in the Bioeconomy and Circular Economy

Abstract

In this chapter, the life cycle assessment was presented as a tool to implement sustainable development in the bioeconomy and circular economy. Bulky waste includes large items such as furniture, doors, flooring and mattresses. The management of bulky waste is a serious problem for European countries. The URBANREC project proposed a solution to this problem through the use of new technologies for the bulky waste processing. The aim of the URBANREC project is to implement an eco-innovative, integrated system of bulky waste management and demonstrate its effectiveness in various regions of Europe. The project has received funding from the European Union. In this chapter, the LCA environmental analysis was performed for the technology of grinding bulky waste using a water jet by the Ecofrag company. The calculations were carried out using SimaPro 8.5.2.0. The LCA analysis shows that the reuse of foams and mattresses contributes to the avoidance of their targeted production, which is related with the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and consumption of fossil raw materials.

Verification of the results of environmental life cycle assessment of bulky waste management technologies using sensitivity analysis

“…Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique designed to assess the environmental risks associated with the product system or activity either directly, by identifying and quantifying the energy and materials used and the waste introduced into the environment, or indirectly, by evaluating the environmental impact of such materials, energy, and waste [Fava 1991;Groen et al 2014;Samson-Bręk et al 2019]. The assessment relates to the whole lifespan of the product or activity, from the mining and mineral material processing, product manufacturing process, distribution, use, re-use, maintenance, and recycling up to the final disposal and transportation [Fava 1991;Samson-Bręk et al 2019]. Different sources of uncertainty can affect the results of a LCA analysis.…”