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Rolf Frischknecht - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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LCI modelling approaches applied on Recycling of Materials in view of environmental sustainability, risk perception and eco-efficiency
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2010Co-Authors: Rolf FrischknechtAbstract:Purpose and scope Two ISO-compliant approaches on modelling the Recycling of plastics and metals are frequently applied in life cycle assessment case studies and intensively debated: the recycled content or cutoff approach and the end of life Recycling or avoided burden approach. This paper discusses the two approaches from three different perspectives: (1) the kind of sustainability concept served, (2) the risk perception involved and (3) the eco-efficiency indicators resulting from the two approaches. Results and discussion The analysis shows that the recycled content approach serves the strong sustainability concept. It is based on a risk-averse attitude and results in higher eco-efficiency of metal scrap Recycling as compared to primary metal manufacture. The end of life Recycling approach serves the weak sustainability concept (losses in natural capital can be compensated by man-made capital). It corresponds to a risk-seeking attitude and results in higher eco-efficiency of primary metal manufacture as compared to secondary metal production. Conclusions It is concluded that a harmonisation of the approaches is hardly possible due to the value choices involved. It is the task of (private and public) life cycle assessment commissioners to decide on the appropriate modelling approach. National authorities may have a rather long-term and risk-averse perspective, whilst industries may prefer a short-term perspective leading them to select the recycled content and end of life Recycling approach, respectively. Life cycle inventory databases need to be flexible to serve such opposing perspectives and to enable practitioners to adapt the modelling approaches according to the needs of the commissioner.
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lci modelling approaches applied on Recycling of Materials in view of environmental sustainability risk perception and eco efficiency
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2010Co-Authors: Rolf FrischknechtAbstract:Purpose and scope Two ISO-compliant approaches on modelling the Recycling of plastics and metals are frequently applied in life cycle assessment case studies and intensively debated: the recycled content or cutoff approach and the end of life Recycling or avoided burden approach. This paper discusses the two approaches from three different perspectives: (1) the kind of sustainability concept served, (2) the risk perception involved and (3) the eco-efficiency indicators resulting from the two approaches.
Jean-philippe Steyer - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Treatment of the biodegradable fraction of used disposable diapers by co-digestion with waste activated sludge
Waste Management, 2014Co-Authors: Michel Torrijos, Philippe Sousbie, M Rouez, M Lemunier, Y Lessard, L Galtier, A Simao, Jean-philippe SteyerAbstract:The results presented in this paper are part of a project aimed at designing an original solution for the treatment of used disposable diapers permitting the Recycling of Materials and the recovery of energy. Diapers must be collected separately at source and transported to an industrial facility to undergo special treatment which makes it possible to separate plastics and to recover a biodegradable fraction (BFD) made up mainly of cellulose. The methane yield of BFD was measured and found to be 280 ml CH4/g VSfed on average. 150 kg of dry BFD can be retrieved from the treatment of one ton of used disposable diapers, representing an energy potential of about 400 kW h of total energy or 130 kW h of electricity. As the treatment process for used diapers requires very high volumes of water, the setting up of the diaper treatment facility at a wastewater treatment plant already equipped with an anaerobic digester offers the advantages of optimizing water use as well as its further treatment and, also, the anaerobic digestion of BFD. The lab-scale experiments in a SBR showed that BFD co-digestion with sewage sludge (38% BFD and 62% waste activated sludge on volatile solids basis) was feasible. However, special attention should be paid to problems that might arise from the addition of BFD to a digester treating WAS such as insufficient mixing or floating particles leading to the accumulation of untreated solids in the digester.
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Energy recovery from used disposable diapers by co-digestion with waste activated sludge
2013Co-Authors: Michel Torrijos, Philippe Sousbie, M Rouez, M Lemunier, Y Lessard, L Galtier, A Simao, Jean-philippe SteyerAbstract:The results presented in this paper are part of a project aimed at designing an original solution for the treatment of used disposable diapers permitting the Recycling of Materials and the recovery of energy. Diapers must be collected separately at source and transported to an industrial facility to undergo special treatment which makes it possible to separate plastics and to recover a biodegradable fraction (BFD) made up mainly of cellulose. The methane yield of BFD was measured and found to be 280 ml CH4/g VSfed on average. 150 kg of dry BFD can be retrieved from the treatment of one ton of used disposable diapers, representing an energy potential of about 400 kWh of total energy or 130 kWh of electricity. As the treatment process for used diapers requires very high volumes of water, the setting up of the diaper treatment facility at a wastewater treatment plant already equipped with an anaerobic digester offers the advantages of optimizing water use as well as its further treatment and, also, the anaerobic digestion of BFD. The lab-scale experiments in a SBR showed that BFD co-digestion with sewage sludge (38% BFD and 62% WAS on VS basis) was feasible. However, special attention should be paid to problems that might arise from the addition of BFD to a digester treating WAS such as insufficient mixing or floating particles leading to the accumulation of untreated solids in the digester.
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Life cycle assessment of biomethane from offshore-cultivated seaweed
Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining, 2012Co-Authors: Juliette Langlois, Jean-philippe Steyer, Jean-francois Sassi, Gwénaëlle Jard, Jean-philippe Delgenès, Arnaud HeliasAbstract:Algae are a promising source of industrial biomass for the future. In order to assess if aquacultured seaweed (macroalgae) could be considered an environmentally friendly source of biomass for bioenergy, life cycle assessments were performed for European countries, comparing methane as a biofuel from the anaerobic digestion (A) of whole seaweeds, (B) of alginate extraction residues, and (C) natural gas as a fossil fuel reference. These results clarify that the sources of electricity and energy used to heat the anaerobic digesters have an important impact. Recycling of Materials and use of greenhouses at the nursery stage also allow environmental improvements for system (A). Ecodesign can make algal biomethane competitive in several categories compared to natural gas: a decrease of 21.9% and 54.2% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 58.6% and 68.7% in fossil depletion for systems (A) and (B), respectively, decrease in ozone depletion, and last but not least, improvement in the marine eutrophication index for system (A). For system (B), benefits are more arguable and dependent on the allocation. To conclude, seaweed could become competitive with terrestrial feedstock for biofuel production in the near future.
Arnaud Helias - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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life cycle assessment of biomethane from offshore cultivated seaweed
Biofuels Bioproducts and Biorefining, 2012Co-Authors: Juliette Langlois, Jean-francois Sassi, Gwénaëlle Jard, Jean-philippe Delgenès, Jeanphilippe Steye, Arnaud HeliasAbstract:Algae are a promising source of industrial biomass for the future. In order to assess if aquacultured sea- weed (macroalgae) could be considered an environmentally friendly source of biomass for bioenergy, life cycle assessments were performed for European countries, comparing methane as a biofuel from the anaerobic digestion (A) of whole seaweeds, (B) of alginate extraction residues, and (C) natural gas as a fossil fuel reference. These results clarify that the sources of electricity and energy used to heat the anaerobic digesters have an important impact. Recycling of Materials and use of greenhouses at the nursery stage also allow environmental improvements for system (A). Ecodesign can make algal biomethane competitive in several categories compared to natural gas: a decrease of 21.9% and 54.2% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 58.6% and 68.7% in fos- sil depletion for systems (A) and (B), respectively, decrease in ozone depletion, and last but not least, improvement in the marine eutrophication index for system (A). For system (B), benefi ts are more arguable and dependent on the allocation. To conclude, seaweed could become competitive with terrestrial feedstock for biofuel production in the near future. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
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Life cycle assessment of biomethane from offshore-cultivated seaweed
Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining, 2012Co-Authors: Juliette Langlois, Jean-philippe Steyer, Jean-francois Sassi, Gwénaëlle Jard, Jean-philippe Delgenès, Arnaud HeliasAbstract:Algae are a promising source of industrial biomass for the future. In order to assess if aquacultured seaweed (macroalgae) could be considered an environmentally friendly source of biomass for bioenergy, life cycle assessments were performed for European countries, comparing methane as a biofuel from the anaerobic digestion (A) of whole seaweeds, (B) of alginate extraction residues, and (C) natural gas as a fossil fuel reference. These results clarify that the sources of electricity and energy used to heat the anaerobic digesters have an important impact. Recycling of Materials and use of greenhouses at the nursery stage also allow environmental improvements for system (A). Ecodesign can make algal biomethane competitive in several categories compared to natural gas: a decrease of 21.9% and 54.2% in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 58.6% and 68.7% in fossil depletion for systems (A) and (B), respectively, decrease in ozone depletion, and last but not least, improvement in the marine eutrophication index for system (A). For system (B), benefits are more arguable and dependent on the allocation. To conclude, seaweed could become competitive with terrestrial feedstock for biofuel production in the near future.
Sven Hunhammar - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Cycling residues. Potential for increased transportation demands due to Recycling of Materials in Sweden
Resources Conservation and Recycling, 1995Co-Authors: Sven HunhammarAbstract:Abstract This paper discusses in general terms the potential risk that increased Recycling of Materials in the technosphere may lead to significant changes in freight transportation demands. Such cyclic, as opposed to linear, material flows are proposed as one step towards an environmentally sustainable use of resources. Total volume of transported annual material flows in Sweden are estimated in order to provide a background for the analysis of transport demands: • Raw material 210 Mton • Products 165 Mton • Residues from production 20 Mton • Residues from consumption 10 Mton The difference in volume between raw material and products is explained by foreign trade, generation of residues and indefinite data. The difference in products compared to residues can primarily be explained by an increasing stock of Materials in society, large pollution flows (e.g., CO 2 ), and that resources have a higher water content than residues. On a qualitative basis, it can be argued that a drastic increase of transportation demand can not be expected by increased Recycling. A decrease of transported raw material is expected for some sectors, while only limited increase of residue transports. Furthermore, it should also be observed that the problem of residue/waste transportation is very small compared to the environmental impact of the total transportation sector. The main conclusion is therefore that the expected changes in transportation demand due to increased reuse and Recycling, are not a general hindrance against introducing a more cyclic material management.
Clare Broadbent - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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steel s recyclability demonstrating the benefits of Recycling steel to achieve a circular economy
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2016Co-Authors: Clare BroadbentAbstract:In a world where the population is expected to peak at around 9 billion people in the next 30 to 40 years, carefully managing our finite natural resources is becoming critical. We must abandon the outdated ‘take, make, consume and dispose’ mentality and move toward a circular economy model for optimal resource efficiency. Products must be designed for reuse and remanufacturing, which would reduce significant costs in terms of energy and natural resources. To measure progress in achieving a circular economy, we need a life cycle approach that measures the social, economic and environmental impact of a product throughout its full life cycle—from raw material extraction to end-of-life (EoL) Recycling or disposal. Life cycle thinking must become a key requirement for all manufacturing decisions, ensuring that the most appropriate material is chosen for the specific application, considering all aspects of a products’ life. The steel industry has been developing LCI data for 20 years. This is used to assess a product’s environmental performance from steel production to steel Recycling at end-of-life. The steel industry has developed a methodology to show the benefits of using recycled steel to make new products. Using recycled Materials also carries an embodied burden that should be considered when undertaking a full LCA. The Recycling methodology is in accordance with ISO 14040/44:2006 and considers the environmental burden of using steel scrap and the benefit of scrap Recycling from end-of-life products. It considers the Recycling of scrap into new steel as closed material loop Recycling, and thus, Recycling steel scrap avoids the production of primary steel. The methodology developed shows that for every 1 kg of steel scrap that is recycled at the end of the products life, a saving of 1.5 kg CO2-e emissions, 13.4 MJ primary energy and 1.4 kg iron ore can be achieved. This equates to 73, 64 and 90 %, respectively, when compared to 100 % primary production. Incorporating this Recycling methodology into a full LCA demonstrates how the steel industry is an integral part of the circular economy model which promotes zero waste; a reduction in the amount of Materials used and encourages the reuse and Recycling of Materials.