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The Biofactory: Quantifying Life Cycle Sustainability Impacts of the Wastewater Circular Economy in Chile

Author

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  • Madeline Furness

    (Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
    School of Biochemical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340025, Chile)

  • Ricardo Bello-Mendoza

    (Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand)

  • Rolando Chamy Maggi

    (School of Biochemical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340025, Chile)

Abstract

The wastewater circular economy (WW-CE) represents a solution to improving sanitation coverage and management worldwide. However, the transition to circular wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) requires facilitation to enhance decision-makers’ understanding of the integral sustainability impacts of the WW-CE. This research implemented a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), combining Life Cycle Assessment, Social Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing with a Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model to quantify the environmental, social, and economic impacts of different WWTPs technologies. Two real WWTPs (Plant A and Plant B) in Chile have embraced alternative WW-CE configurations, adopting the title Biofactories, and are considered as case studies in this investigation. A comparative LCSA considered the service of a 1,000,000-population equivalent, under three scenarios: wastewater discharge without treatment, conventional WWTPs, and biofactory WW-CE configurations. The results demonstrate that the transition to WW-CEs improved integral sustainability, and decreased integrated environmental, social, and economic impacts by 30% in Plant A, demonstrating better performance in terms environmental and social impacts. However, a 58% decrease in integral sustainability impacts for Plant B was achieved via the economic advantage of the thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment of sludge. The urgent need to adopt sustainable decision-making models to improve sanitation coverage and sustainability performance of the sanitation industry across the globe is discussed. The WW-CE in Chile presents an opportunity for this to be achieved.

Suggested Citation

  • Madeline Furness & Ricardo Bello-Mendoza & Rolando Chamy Maggi, 2023. "The Biofactory: Quantifying Life Cycle Sustainability Impacts of the Wastewater Circular Economy in Chile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-22, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:22:p:16077-:d:1282738
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Onat, Nuri Cihat & Kucukvar, Murat & Tatari, Omer, 2016. "Uncertainty-embedded dynamic life cycle sustainability assessment framework: An ex-ante perspective on the impacts of alternative vehicle options," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 715-728.
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