Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The incorporation of waste prevention activities into life cycle assessments of municipal solid waste management systems: methodological issues

  • LCA OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background, aim, and scope

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management organizations commonly address both waste treatment and diversion activities in their management plans, yet the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to MSW rarely incorporates the effects of waste prevention activities (WPAs) in an explicit manner. The primary objective of this paper is to further develop the methodological options for attributional LCAs of MSW to address waste prevention, including product reuse.

Main features

This article introduces the waste management and prevention (WasteMAP) LCA, a conceptual model that applies system expansion to generate a hybrid of the traditional product and waste LCA. The WasteMAP LCA, unlike the traditional LCA of MSW, can be used to compare functionally equivalent MSW management scenarios incorporating both treatment and prevention. This functional equivalence necessitates that waste prevention takes place through dematerialization. This form of WPA is analogous to waste management techniques such as landfilling in that it does not affect the functional output (product services) of MSW-generating product systems.

Results

Integral to the WasteMAP LCA is the requirement that the sum of the MSW managed through treatment and prevention, and the level of consumption of product services contributing to MSW generation, are identical for each scenario. A partial abandonment of the zero-burden assumption is also required. Consequently, product life cycles associated with WPAs, excluding the waste treatment stages, comprise the ‘upstream’ component of the system boundary, while the ‘downstream’ component encompasses the waste treatment life cycle. WasteMAP also possesses primary and secondary functional units, with the former accounting for the amount of waste managed, and the latter depicting the product services provided by the product systems responsible for the waste targeted for prevention.

Discussion

The WasteMAP LCA method can be used to identify in the results the burdens and avoided burdens attributed to waste prevention, recycling, biological and thermal treatments, as well as landfilling, within a particular MSW management system. This method also distinguishes itself through its ability to evaluate scenarios that target the prevention of particular waste streams to obtain downstream efficiency gains for the management of all waste materials.

Conclusions

An attributional LCA of MSW can be applied to a wider array of possible waste management scenarios, including those with waste prevention, by expanding the system boundary, and in the case of waste prevention through dematerialization, by introducing an additional type of functional unit.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aumônier S, Collins M (2005) Life cycle assessment of disposable and reusable nappies in the UK. Environment Agency, Bristol, UK, http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.storefront/4aaa7c480068bf9a273fc0a8029606d5/Product/View/SCHO0505BJCW&2DE&2DE#, accessed 7 Jan 2010

  • Brunner P (2004) Materials flow analysis and the ultimate sink. J Ind Ecol 8(3):4–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buttol P, Masoni P, Bonoli A, Goldoni S, Belladonna V, Cavazzuti C (2007) LCA of integrated MSW management systems: case study of the Bologna District. Waste Manage 27(8):1059–1070

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • City of Toronto (2008) Proposed Measures to Reduce In-Store Packaging Waste and Litter, Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste and Plastic Water Bottles. Staff report. City of Toronto Solid Waste Management Services. Ref. No. p:/2008/swms/Nov./019PW, http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/pw/bgrd/backgroundfile-17097.pdf. Accessed 7 Dec 2008

  • Cleary J (2009) Life cycle assessments of municipal solid waste management systems: a comparative analysis of selected peer-reviewed literature. Environ Int 35(8):1256–1266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman T, Masoni P, Dryer A, McDougall F (2003) International expert group on life cycle assessment for integrated waste management. Int J LCA 8(3):175–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper J (2003) Specifying functional units and reference flows for comparable alternatives. Int J LCA 8(6):337–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper T (2005) Slower consumption: reflections on product life spans and the "Throwaway Society.". J Ind Ecol 9(1–2):51–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curran M, Mann M, Norris G (2005) The international workshop on electricity data for life cycle inventories. J Clean Prod 13:853–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Young R, Duncan A, Frank J, Gill N, Rothman S, Shenot J, Shotkin A, Zweizig M (1993) Promoting source reduction behavior: the role of motivational information. Environ Behav 25:70–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekvall T, Weidema B (2004) System boundaries and input data in consequential life cycle inventory analysis. Int J LCA 9(3):161–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekvall T, Assefa G, Bjorklund A, Eriksson O, Finnveden G (2007) What life-cycle assessment does and does not do in assessments of waste management. Waste Manage 27(8):989–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franklin Associates (2006) Life cycle inventory of five products produced from polylactide (PLA) and petroleum-based resins: technical report. Prepared for Athena Institute International. http://www.athenasmi.ca/projects/docs/Plastic_Products_LCA_Summary_Rpt.pdf. Accessed 07 Jan 2010

  • Frischknecht R, Jungbluth N (2007) Overview and methodology: EcoInvent report no. 1. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories

  • Günther A, Langowski H-C (1997) Life cycle assessment study on resilient floor coverings. Int J LCA 2(2):73–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humbert S, Rossi V, Margni M, Jolliet O, Loerincik Y (2009) Life cycle assessment of two baby food packaging alternatives: glass jars vs. plastic pots. Int J LCA 14(2):95–106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ISO (2006) Environmental management—Life cycle assessment. Principles and framework. ISO 14040: 2006

  • Laner D, Rechberger H (2009) Quantitative evaluation of waste prevention on the level of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Waste Manage 29:606–613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lantz, D (2008) Mixed results. Resour Recycl 11-15

  • McDougall F, White P, Franke M, Hindle P (2001) Integrated solid waste management: a life cycle inventory, 2nd edn. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • McKerlie K, Knight K, Thorpe B (2006) Advancing extended producer responsibility in Canada. J Clean Prod 14:616–628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohareb A, Warith M, Diaz R (2008) Modelling greenhouse gas emissions for municipal solid waste management strategies in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Resour Conserv Recycl 52:1241–1251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2007) OECD Environmental Data: Compendium 2006/2007. Waste. Paris, France: environmental performance and information division, OECD environment directorate. working group on environmental information and outlooks, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/60/59/38106368.pdf

  • Olofsson M, Ekvall T, Sundberg J (2004) Impacts of Swedish waste prevention and the scrap market equilibrium on greenhouse gas emissions. In: M. Olofsson. Improving Model-Based Systems Analysis of Waste Management. PhD thesis, Department of Energy Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

  • Price J, Joseph J (2000) Demand management—a basis for waste policy: a critical review of the applicability of the waste hierarchy in terms of achieving sustainable waste management. Sust Dev 8(2):96–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reap J, Roman F, Duncan S, Bras B (2008) A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment. Part 1: goal and scope and inventory analysis. Int J LCA 13:290–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rebitzer G, Ekvall T, Frischknecht R, Hunkeler D, Norris G, Rydberg T, Schmidt W, Suh S, Weidema B, Pennington D (2004) Life cycle assessment part 1: framework, goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, and applications. Environ Int 30(5):701–720

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Iglesias J, Maranon E, Catrillon L, Riestra P, Sastre H (2003) Life cycle analysis of municipal solid waste management possibilities in Asturias, Spain. Waste Manage Res 21:535–548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salhofer S, Obersteiner G, Schneider F, Lebersorger S (2008) Potentials for the prevention of municipal solid waste. Waste Manage 28:245–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solid Waste Management and Recycling (2008) The dirty dozen: twelve materials that create problems for recycling plants. Solid Waste Manage Recycl 13(6):51–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Takase K, Kondo Y, Washizu A (2005) An analysis of sustainable consumption by the waste input-output model. J Ind Ecol 9(1–2):201–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (1999) National source reduction characterization report for municipal solid waste in the United States. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, p 77

    Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2006) Solid waste management and greenhouse gases: a life cycle assessment of emissions and sinks. 3 rd edition, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange//wycd/waste/downloads/fullreport.pdf. Accessed 26 Dec 2008

  • Van Der Voet E, Van Oers L, Nikolic I (2004) Dematerialization: not just a matter of weight. J Ind Ecol 8(4):121–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Washington State Department of Ecology (2003) Beyond Waste: Waste and Material Flows in Washington. Prepared by Cascadia Consulting and Ross and Associates. Publication number 03-04-028, http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0304028.pdf. Accessed 10 Oct 2009

  • Waste Diversion Ontario (2009) Recommended process to identify and address printed papers and packaging that are problematic for recycling programs. Draft for consultation, http://www.wdo.ca/files/domain4116/Draft%20Problematic%20Materials%20Process%20Nov%2017%20for%20posting.pdf. Accessed 04 Dec 2009

  • Weidema B, Wenzel H, Petersen C, Hansen K (2004) The product, functional unit and reference flows in LCA. Danish Environmental Protection Agency. Environmental News No. 70

  • Wilson DE (2002) Life cycle inventory for municipal solid waste management. Part 2: MSW management scenarios and modeling. Waste Manage Res 20:23–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

My research program has received financial support in the form of a Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Toronto, 100 Saint George Street, Rm. 5047, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada

    Julian Cleary

Authors
  1. Julian Cleary
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julian Cleary.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Shabbir Gheewala

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cleary, J. The incorporation of waste prevention activities into life cycle assessments of municipal solid waste management systems: methodological issues. Int J Life Cycle Assess 15, 579–589 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-010-0186-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-010-0186-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation