A Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (CED), life cycle based, for industrial waste management decision making

Journal Article · Sun Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Waste Management

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WASMAN.2013.08.004· OSTI ID:22300345

Puig, Rita ^[1]; Fullana-i-Palmer, Pere ^[2]; Baquero, Grau; Riba, Jordi-Roger ^[1]; Bala, Alba ^[2]

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1. Escola d’Enginyeria d’Igualada (EEI), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Plaça del Rei, 15, 08700 Igualada (Spain)
2. UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change, Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), c/Passeig Pujades, 1, 08003 Barcelona (Spain)

Highlights: • We developed a methodology useful to environmentally compare industrial waste management options. • The methodology uses a Net Energy Demand indicator which is life cycle based. • The method was simplified to be widely used, thus avoiding cost driven decisions. • This methodology is useful for governments to promote the best environmental options. • This methodology can be widely used by other countries or regions around the world. - Abstract: Life cycle thinking is a good approach to be used for environmental decision-support, although the complexity of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies sometimes prevents their wide use. The purpose of this paper is to show how LCA methodology can be simplified to be more useful for certain applications. In order to improve waste management in Catalonia (Spain), a Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (LCA-based) has been used to obtain four mathematical models to help the government in the decision of preventing or allowing a specific waste from going out of the borders. The conceptual equations and all the subsequent developments and assumptions made to obtain the simplified models are presented. One of the four models is discussed in detail, presenting the final simplified equation to be subsequently used by the government in decision making. The resulting model has been found to be scientifically robust, simple to implement and, above all, fulfilling its purpose: the limitation of waste transport out of Catalonia unless the waste recovery operations are significantly better and justify this transport.

• OSTI ID: 22300345
• Journal Information: Waste Management, Vol. 33, Issue 12; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0956-053X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST
DECISION MAKING
ENERGY DEMAND
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NET ENERGY
SPAIN
WASTE TRANSPORTATION