skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Life cycle assessment of urban waste management: Energy performances and environmental impacts. The case of Rome, Italy

Abstract

Landfilling is nowadays the most common practice of waste management in Italy in spite of enforced regulations aimed at increasing waste pre-sorting as well as energy and material recovery. In this work we analyse selected alternative scenarios aimed at minimizing the unused material fraction to be delivered to the landfill. The methodological framework of the analysis is the life cycle assessment, in a multi-method form developed by our research team. The approach was applied to the case of municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Rome, with a special focus on energy and material balance, including global and local scale airborne emissions. Results, provided in the form of indices and indicators of efficiency, effectiveness and environmental impacts, point out landfill activities as the worst waste management strategy at a global scale. On the other hand, the investigated waste treatments with energy and material recovery allow important benefits of greenhouse gas emission reduction (among others) but are still affected by non-negligible local emissions. Furthermore, waste treatments leading to energy recovery provide an energy output that, in the best case, is able to meet 15% of the Rome electricity consumption.

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Joanneum Research, Elisabethstrasse 5, 8010, Graz (Austria)
  2. Universita degli Studi di Napoli 'Parthenope', Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Ambiente, Centro Direzionale, Isola C4, 80133 Napoli (Italy)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21215945
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Waste Management
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 28; Journal Issue: 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2007.11.011; PII: S0956-053X(07)00421-7; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0956-053X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ENERGY RECOVERY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ITALY; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; MATERIALS RECOVERY; SANITARY LANDFILLS; SOLID WASTES

Citation Formats

Cherubini, Francesco, Bargigli, Silvia, and Ulgiati, Sergio. Life cycle assessment of urban waste management: Energy performances and environmental impacts. The case of Rome, Italy. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2007.11.011.
Cherubini, Francesco, Bargigli, Silvia, & Ulgiati, Sergio. Life cycle assessment of urban waste management: Energy performances and environmental impacts. The case of Rome, Italy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2007.11.011
Cherubini, Francesco, Bargigli, Silvia, and Ulgiati, Sergio. 2008. "Life cycle assessment of urban waste management: Energy performances and environmental impacts. The case of Rome, Italy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2007.11.011.
@article{osti_21215945,
title = {Life cycle assessment of urban waste management: Energy performances and environmental impacts. The case of Rome, Italy},
author = {Cherubini, Francesco and Bargigli, Silvia and Ulgiati, Sergio},
abstractNote = {Landfilling is nowadays the most common practice of waste management in Italy in spite of enforced regulations aimed at increasing waste pre-sorting as well as energy and material recovery. In this work we analyse selected alternative scenarios aimed at minimizing the unused material fraction to be delivered to the landfill. The methodological framework of the analysis is the life cycle assessment, in a multi-method form developed by our research team. The approach was applied to the case of municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Rome, with a special focus on energy and material balance, including global and local scale airborne emissions. Results, provided in the form of indices and indicators of efficiency, effectiveness and environmental impacts, point out landfill activities as the worst waste management strategy at a global scale. On the other hand, the investigated waste treatments with energy and material recovery allow important benefits of greenhouse gas emission reduction (among others) but are still affected by non-negligible local emissions. Furthermore, waste treatments leading to energy recovery provide an energy output that, in the best case, is able to meet 15% of the Rome electricity consumption.},
doi = {10.1016/j.wasman.2007.11.011},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21215945}, journal = {Waste Management},
issn = {0956-053X},
number = 12,
volume = 28,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2008},
month = {Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2008}
}