Evaluation of Traditional Container Glass Recycling Systems Against Selected Environmental Impact Criteria Using the LCA Method

The data published by the European Container Glass Federation shows that the EU28 average collection rate for recycling of glass containers has grown to a rate of 76%. However the stabilizer produced at mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) installations at landfills still contains large amounts of recyclable glass. An industrial-scale study has been undertaken in order to assess the possibility of recovering this glass from the stabilizer. A new pilot installation was built at the MBT plant in Marszów, Poland. Tests were conducted on stabilizer samples produced at the plant (13 samples) and others collected from several MBT plants based in Poland (six samples). Processing the stabilizer on the designed line made it possible to recover on average 68.4 ± 7.0% of the glass contained in it from Marszów samples and 58.4 ± 14.2% in the case of samples acquired from other MBT installations. It is demonstrated that the concentrate quality largely depends on the stabilizer’s moisture content. A concentrate with glass content from 98.0% to 99.5% was obtained for samples of low-moisture stabilizers (for 14 out of 19 samples). The product was accepted by glass recycling plants due to its low level of contamination with other materials and its appropriate particle size.

Download Full-text

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Analysis of Sewage Sludge Recycling Systems in China

Nature Environment and Pollution Technology ◽

10.46488/nept.2021.v20i05.027 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Jiawen Zhang ◽

Toru Matsumoto

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Anaerobic Digestion ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Building Materials ◽

Sludge Treatment ◽

Heat Utilization ◽

Sludge Recycling ◽

Recycling Systems

With the acceleration of economic development and urbanization in China, sewage sludge generation has sharply increased. To maximize energy regeneration and resource recovery, it is crucial to analyze the environmental impact and sustainability of different sewage sludge recycling systems based on life cycle assessment. This study analyzed four sewage sludge recycling systems in China through life cycle assessment using the ReCipe method, namely aerobic composting, anaerobic digestion and biomass utilization, incineration, and heat utilization and using for building materials. In particular, the key pollution processes and pollutants in sewage sludge recycling systems were analyzed. The results demonstrated that aerobic composting is the most environmentally optimal scenario for reducing emissions and energy consumption. The lowest environmental impact and operating costs were achieved by making bricks and using them as building materials; this was the optimal scenario for sludge treatment and recycling. In contrast, incineration and heat utilization had the highest impact on health and marine toxicity. Anaerobic digestion and biomass utilization had the highest impact on climate change, terrestrial acidification, photochemical oxidant formation, and particulate matter formation. In the future, policy designers should prioritize building material creation for sludge treatment and recycling.

Download Full-text

Eco-Impact of Plastic and Paper Shopping Bags

Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics ◽

10.1177/155892501200700103 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 155892501200700 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu ◽

Yi Li ◽

J.Y. Hu ◽

P.Y. Mok ◽

Xuemei Ding

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Life Cycle Impact Assessment ◽

Detailed Explanation ◽

User Groups ◽

Disposal Options ◽

Single Score ◽

Recycling Systems ◽

Very High

This article describes the study of the eco-impact of plastic and paper bags using the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) technique under three different options: usage and disposal criteria with the existing usage behavior to reuse and governmental policies to recycle (option1), usage and disposal criteria as per consumers’ perceptions if systems are in place (option2) and usage and disposal criteria in case of absence of recycling systems (option3). The first stage, which was the baseline for other options, comprised of the study of the eco-impact of plastic and paper bags in the manufacturing phase, without considering the usage and disposal phases. LCIA was performed by the Eco-indicator 99, a damage oriented method for LCIA in SIMAPRO 7.1. The single score values calculated by the Eco-indicator'99 were considered as a directive to compare the environmental impact made by plastic and paper bags and a detailed explanation of the results is provided in this article. The next stage was the study of the eco-impact of these bags including their usage and disposal phases. This was undertaken with the three different options as stated above and the results derived were compared with the results derived from the baseline study, which is the main focus of the study under discussion. The values for usage and end-of-life phases were obtained from the questionnaire survey of different user groups of shopping bags in China, Hong Kong and India. The results of this study show that the eco-impact of plastic and paper bags was very high if there were no usage and disposal options provided. When the eco-impact values from options of existing possibilities and consumers’ perception were compared, the eco-impact value was lower in option 1 in all the three countries for both types of bags, which is mainly attributed to the fact that in option 1, a higher percentage of reuse is preferred to recycle and disposal to landfill categories. Also the eco-impact of these two types of bags was studied with and without the presence of recycling systems in China, India and Hong Kong, where the eco-impact was lower due to the presence of recycling systems. The results indicate that a higher percentage of reuse could significantly trim down the eco-impact of plastic and paper bags. Consumers’ perceptions and usage behaviors in connection with respective government's policies and implementation of recycling systems could be highly decisive in reducing the eco-impact of plastic and paper shopping bags.

Download Full-text