Work

Environmental Assessment of Solid Recovered Fuel Production from Screening Waste Using a Life Cycle Assessment Approach

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The circular economy, as a new model of waste management through energy self-sufficiency and valorisation, can be applied to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Screening waste from WWTP pretreatment is the only waste that is not energetically recovered and thus constrains the achievement of zero waste. Previous studies demonstrated the technical feasibility of producing solid recovered fuel (SRF) from this waste. Environmental benefits, including waste reduction, resource conservation, or reduced greenhouse gas emissions are analysed in this work. Environmental impact is quantified using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology through the SimaPro 9.2. software and the CML-IA baseline v3.08 impact methodology, that propose 11 impact categories. Five scenarios were established to compare current landfill disposal with the production of densified and non-densified SRF using solar and thermal drying. Within the system boundaries studied, from waste generation to SRF production, results show that landfill is the most environmentally damaging option while producing non-densified SRF using solar drying is the most environmentally viable scenario.

Source: Processes

DOI: 10.3390/pr12091814

Authors: Juan Jesús De la Torre Bayo, Montserrat Zamorano, Juan C. Torres-Rojo, Sara Pennellini, Jaime Martín-Pascual, Alessandra Bonoli

Institutions: Universidad de Granada, University of Bologna

Language: English

Topic: Municipal Solid Waste Management

Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Affordable and clean energy, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,728