No zero burden assumption in a circular economy

Ilić, Danica Djurić; Eriksson, Ola; Ödlund, Louise; Åberg, Magnus

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.031

Cited by 54 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In contrast, the concept of circular economy entails the reuse of waste by creating a new market, thus exploiting the full potential of the recovered resources [2]. The main objective is to restore and regenerate material cycles, i.e., to maintain the value of materials at every stage of a product's life, minimise waste generation and eventually close the material cycle through high-value recycling [3]. The broader goal lies in simultaneously creating environmental quality, economic prosperity and social equity [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs): The Case Study of Palermo University (Italy)

Mannina

Alduina

Badalucco

et al. 2021

Water

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The wastewater sector paradigm is shifting from wastewater treatment to resource recovery. In addition, concerns regarding sustainability during the operation have increased. In this sense, there is a need to break barriers (i.e., social, economic, technological, legal, etc.) for moving forward towards water resource recovery facilities and demonstration case studies can be very effective and insightful. This paper presents a new water resource recovery case study which is part of the Horizon 2020 EU Project “Achieving wider uptake of water-smart solutions—Wider Uptake”. The final aim is to demonstrate the importance of a resource recovery system based on the circular economy concept. The recovery facilities at Palermo University (Italy) are first presented. Afterwards, the resource recovery pilot plants are described. Preliminary results have underlined the great potential of the wastewater treatment plant in terms of resources recovery and the central role of the University in fostering the transition towards circular economy. The fermentation batch test highlighted a volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation suitable for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production. The results of static adsorption and desorption tests showed that the highest amount of adsorbed NH4+ was recorded for untreated and HCl-Na treated clinoptilolite.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs): The Case Study of Palermo University (Italy)

Mannina

Alduina

Badalucco

et al. 2021

Water

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“…Since this type of pallet is made from waste, the environmental impact from its production is purely based on the production and supply of additives, electricity, and diesel. However, a zero-burden approach in a circular economy has been criticised, as waste is no longer considered waste but rather as raw materials for other purposes (Ilic et al 2018). Therefore, the impacts from the production of WPC pallets could be increased if plastic and wood were allocated a part of the burden from their preceding life cycles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental impacts of wooden, plastic, and wood-polymer composite pallet: a life cycle assessment approach

Khan

Deviatkin

Havukainen

et al. 2021

Int J Life Cycle Assess

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Purpose Waste recycling is one of the essential tools for the European Union’s transition towards a circular economy. One of the possibilities for recycling wood and plastic waste is to utilise it to produce composite product. This study analyses the environmental impacts of producing composite pallets made of wood and plastic waste from construction and demolition activities in Finland. It also compares these impacts with conventional wooden and plastic pallets made of virgin materials. Methods Two different life cycle assessment methods were used: attributional life cycle assessment and consequential life cycle assessment. In both of the life cycle assessment studies, 1000 trips were considered as the functional unit. Furthermore, end-of-life allocation formula such as 0:100 with a credit system had been used in this study. This study also used sensitivity analysis and normalisation calculation to determine the best performing pallet. Result and discussion In the attributional cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment, wood-polymer composite pallets had the lowest environmental impact in abiotic depletion potential (fossil), acidification potential, eutrophication potential, global warming potential (including biogenic carbon), global warming potential (including biogenic carbon) with indirect land-use change, and ozone depletion potential. In contrast, wooden pallets showed the lowest impact on global warming potential (excluding biogenic carbon). In the consequential life cycle assessment, wood-polymer composite pallets showed the best environmental impact in all impact categories. In both attributional and consequential life cycle assessments, plastic pallet had the maximum impact. The sensitivity analysis and normalisation calculation showed that wood-polymer composite pallets can be a better choice over plastic and wooden pallet. Conclusions The overall results of the pallets depends on the methodological approach of the LCA. However, it can be concluded that the wood-polymer composite pallet can be a better choice over the plastic pallet and, in most cases, over the wooden pallet. This study will be of use to the pallet industry and relevant stakeholders.

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“…As already stated in [27], waste energy recovery seems to be the most interesting solution, although it may potentially require greater amounts of complement, as it is not always reliable. However, this statement is true only under the zero-burden approach [66]. Although widely used [34], this approach is not globally shared [27].…”

Section: The Importance Of Waste Energy Accountingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life Cycle Assessment of District Heating Systems in Europe: Case Study and Recommendations

Jeandaux¹,

Videau²,

Prieur‐Vernat³

2021

Sustainability

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District heating systems are a way to integrate renewable energies into the heating sector, with the primary aim of decarbonizing this final use. In such systems, renewable energy sources are centrally managed with cutting-edge technological equipment, efficient maintenance rates and service guarantees. Both the decarbonization effect and the centralization lead to environmental benefits, which can go beyond the climate change indicator. In this study, life cycle assessment was used to assess the environmental sustainability of district heating solutions compared to standalones. The study aimed to examine a diverse set of options for large-scale district heating systems across Europe and to compare them to different standalone solutions. Eight technologies (five district-level and three standalone solutions) were analyzed in two densities of habitats and four areas of Europe. This study aimed to understand the drivers of district heating environmental performance and to provide guidelines for accounting said performance. The analysis showed better performance for district heating scenarios compared to isotechnology standalones for every environmental impact category: the climate change impact category were reduced from 5 to 90%, while respiratory inorganics were reduced from 45 to 64%, depending on the considered climatic area. This statement was true under key parameters, both technical and methodological—efficiencies and complement rates, but also the neutral carbon principle for biomass energy accounting and allocation rules.

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No zero burden assumption in a circular economy

Cited by 54 publications

References 28 publications

Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs): The Case Study of Palermo University (Italy)

Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs): The Case Study of Palermo University (Italy)

Environmental impacts of wooden, plastic, and wood-polymer composite pallet: a life cycle assessment approach

Life Cycle Assessment of District Heating Systems in Europe: Case Study and Recommendations

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