IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i11p5810-d559689.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing the Environmental Performance of Municipal Solid Waste Collection: A New Predictive LCA Model

Author

Listed:
  • Alba Bala

    (UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change, Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional (UPF), Passeig Pujades, 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Marco Raugei

    (School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley Campus, Wheatley OX33 1HX, UK)

  • Carlos Afonso Teixeira

    (Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal)

  • Alberto Fernández

    (Ecoembalajes España, S.A., Calle de Cardenal Marcelo Spínola 14/2ª planta, 28016 Madrid, Spain)

  • Francisco Pan-Montojo

    (Circular Economy and Waste Advisor, 10 Azagador, Las Rozas de Madrid, 28232 Madrid, Spain)

  • Pere Fullana-i-Palmer

    (UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change, Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional (UPF), Passeig Pujades, 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Most existing life cycle assessment models of waste management have so far underplayed the importance of the waste collection phase, addressing it only in a simplified fashion, either by requesting the total amount of fuel used as a direct user input or by calculating it based on a set of input parameters and fixed diesel consumption factors. However, if the main purpose of the study is to improve the efficiency of the collection system itself, a more detailed analysis of the collection phase is required, avoiding oversimplified and potentially misleading conclusions. The new LCA collection model presented here relies on a large number of parameters (number and type of containers, collection frequency, distances for the various legs of transport, etc.) and allows the detailed predictive analysis of alternative collection scenarios. The results of applying this newly developed model to a number of experimental case studies in Portugal are analyzed, discussed, and compared to those produced by a selection of pre-existing, more simplified models such as ORWARE and MSW-DST. The new model is confirmed as being the most accurate and, importantly, as the only one capable of predicting the consequences of a range of possible changes in the collection parameters.

Suggested Citation

  • Alba Bala & Marco Raugei & Carlos Afonso Teixeira & Alberto Fernández & Francisco Pan-Montojo & Pere Fullana-i-Palmer, 2021. "Assessing the Environmental Performance of Municipal Solid Waste Collection: A New Predictive LCA Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:5810-:d:559689
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/11/5810/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/11/5810/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Volrad Wollny & Günter Dehoust & Uwe R. Fritsche & Peter Weinem, 2001. "Comparison of Plastic Packaging Waste Management Options: Feedstock Recycling versus Energy Recovery in Germany," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 5(3), pages 49-63, July.
    2. David Lazarevic & Emmanuelle Aoustin & Nicolas Buclet & Nils Brandt, 2010. "Plastic Waste Management in the context of a European recycling society," Post-Print halshs-00584531, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Toniolo, Sara & Pieretto, Chiara & Camana, Daniela, 2023. "A lifecycle-based indicator to support residual solid waste flow planning at the regional level," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Markus Gall & Andrea Schweighuber & Wolfgang Buchberger & Reinhold W. Lang, 2020. "Plastic Bottle Cap Recycling—Characterization of Recyclate Composition and Opportunities for Design for Circularity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Bassey, Uduak & Sarquah, Khadija & Hartmann, Michael & Tom, Abasi-ofon & Beck, Gesa & Antwi, Edward & Narra, Satyanarayana & Nelles, Michael, 2023. "Thermal treatment options for single-use, multilayered and composite waste plastics in Africa," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    3. Miguel Vigil & Maria Pedrosa-Laza & JV Alvarez Cabal & Francisco Ortega-Fernández, 2020. "Sustainability Analysis of Active Packaging for the Fresh Cut Vegetable Industry by Means of Attributional & Consequential Life Cycle Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Benedetta Cotta, 0. "What goes around, comes around? Access and allocation problems in Global North–South waste trade," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-15.
    5. Rigamonti, L. & Grosso, M. & Møller, J. & Martinez Sanchez, V. & Magnani, S. & Christensen, T.H., 2014. "Environmental evaluation of plastic waste management scenarios," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 42-53.
    6. Riaz Ahmad & Gengyuan Liu & Remo Santagata & Marco Casazza & Jingyan Xue & Kifayatullah Khan & Javed Nawab & Sergio Ulgiati & Massimiliano Lega, 2019. "LCA of Hospital Solid Waste Treatment Alternatives in a Developing Country: The Case of District Swat, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-20, June.
    7. Helén Williams & Fredrik Wikström & Katarina Wetter-Edman & Per Kristensson, 2018. "Decisions on Recycling or Waste: How Packaging Functions Affect the Fate of Used Packaging in Selected Swedish Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, December.
    8. Jonas Keller & Carla Scagnetti & Stefan Albrecht, 2022. "The Relevance of Recyclability for the Life Cycle Assessment of Packaging Based on Design for Life Cycle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, March.
    9. Benedetta Cotta, 2020. "What goes around, comes around? Access and allocation problems in Global North–South waste trade," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 255-269, June.
    10. Wang, Xiaotong & Lu, Meijun & Mao, Wei & Ouyang, Jinlong & Zhou, Bo & Yang, Yunkai, 2015. "Improving benefit-cost analysis to overcome financing difficulties in promoting energy-efficient renovation of existing residential buildings in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 119-130.
    11. Eleonora Fiore & Barbara Stabellini & Paolo Tamborrini, 2020. "A Systemic Design Approach Applied to Rice and Wine Value Chains. The Case of the InnovaEcoFood Project in Piedmont (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-28, November.
    12. repec:aud:audfin:v:20:y:2018:i:48:p:278 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Hatem Alhazmi & Faris H. Almansour & Zaid Aldhafeeri, 2021. "Plastic Waste Management: A Review of Existing Life Cycle Assessment Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-21, May.
    14. Turner, David A. & Williams, Ian D. & Kemp, Simon, 2015. "Greenhouse gas emission factors for recycling of source-segregated waste materials," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 105(PA), pages 186-197.
    15. Rebekka Volk & Christoph Stallkamp & Justus J. Steins & Savina Padumane Yogish & Richard C. Müller & Dieter Stapf & Frank Schultmann, 2021. "Techno‐economic assessment and comparison of different plastic recycling pathways: A German case study," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(5), pages 1318-1337, October.
    16. Mayanti, Bening & Helo, Petri, 2022. "Closed-loop supply chain potential of agricultural plastic waste: Economic and environmental assessment of bale wrap waste recycling in Finland," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    17. Huysman, Sofie & Debaveye, Sam & Schaubroeck, Thomas & Meester, Steven De & Ardente, Fulvio & Mathieux, Fabrice & Dewulf, Jo, 2015. "The recyclability benefit rate of closed-loop and open-loop systems: A case study on plastic recycling in Flanders," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 53-60.
    18. Magnus Andersson & Maria Ljunggren Söderman & Björn A. Sandén, 2019. "Adoption of Systemic and Socio-Technical Perspectives in Waste Management, WEEE and ELV Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-26, March.
    19. Beatrice Salieri & Natasha Stoudmann & Roland Hischier & Claudia Som & Bernd Nowack, 2021. "How Relevant Are Direct Emissions of Microplastics into Freshwater from an LCA Perspective?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-16, September.
    20. Väntsi, Olli & Kärki, Timo, 2015. "Environmental assessment of recycled mineral wool and polypropylene utilized in wood polymer composites," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA), pages 38-48.
    21. Beigbeder, Joana & Perrin, Didier & Mascaro, Jean-François & Lopez-Cuesta, José-Marie, 2013. "Study of the physico-chemical properties of recycled polymers from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) sorted by high resolution near infrared devices," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 105-114.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:11:p:5810-:d:559689. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.