scholarly journals Sustainability Assessment of the Green Compost Production Chain from Agricultural Waste: A Case Study in Southern Italy

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pergola ◽  
Alessandro Persiani ◽  
Vittoria Pastore ◽  
Assunta Maria Palese ◽  
Carmine D’Adamo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Technology Process

Horticultural farms are faced with the problem of disposing of huge amounts of agricultural by-products whose management requires sustainable solutions. Composting means to recycle organic waste to make compost—a high agronomic value product—able to positively affect soil quality: A good occasion to switch definitively from a conventional agriculture to an organic one. Nevertheless, composting can have negative direct/indirect environmental impacts. The aim of this research was to assess the sustainability of a windrow composting system, able to treat agricultural green waste of different typology (“light” and “heavy” with dry matter below or above 10%, respectively). Environmental impacts, energy consumptions, and production costs of all composting stages were evaluated by Life Cycle Assessment. Results show that the production of 1 ton of compost caused CO2eq emissions ranging from 199 to 250 kg and required between 1500 and 2000 MJ of energy; costs ranged between 98 and 162 euro, nevertheless lesser than the commercial green compost. The raw material typology affected significantly the composting process making compost based on “heavy” materials the most sustainable. These findings underline the need to spread this low technology process, easy to apply, especially in organic farms, and to promote the agronomic use of compost.

scholarly journals Development of indicators for the sustainability of the sugar industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Alberto García-Bustamante ◽  
Noé Aguilar-Rivera ◽  
Manuel Zepeda-Pirrón ◽  
Cynthia Armendáriz-Arnez
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Sugar Industry ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Sugar Production

AbstractSustainable development has been highlighted widely in productive sectors such as the sugar industry with new paradigms and trends such restructuring of sugar mills in biorefineries and development of green chemical from byproducts, considering issues such as technology adoption towards sustainability, circular economy, climate change, value chain, sustainability assessment and decision making. Production of cane sugar is one of Mexico’s main agro-industries; it conveys numerous positive socio-economic impacts and presents opportunities for productive diversification and enhanced profitability and competiveness. The sugar industry faces sustainability challenges due to the management of natural resources like soil, water, fossil fuels and agrochemicals, as well as the impacts of its greenhouse gas emissions and socio-economic constraints. However, sustainability of cane and sugar production cannot be assessed due to a lack of methodological frameworks for integrating economic and environmental indicators. We propose an index for Mexico’s sugar agro-industry that facilitates the identification of those system components that impact sustainability. This index is based on a reduced number of indicators aggregated through a multi-criteria evaluation using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). We apply this index to evaluate four sugar production systems in Mexico: producers of raw, refined, muscovado sugar and ethanol. Results show that systems with a high agro-industrial yield present better sustainability performance. This study is relevant because it provides quantitative information for decision makers towards a sustainable sugarcane agro-industry, based on the indicators used to build the sustainability index, to address actions as increase productive diversification by-products based, improve access to credit, irrigation, management practices and raw material quality reducing production costs, eliminate fossil fuel use in factories, make fertilizer application more efficient and reduce the area that is burned for manual harvest.

scholarly journals Water Footprint Assessment of Rice Production in Malaysia Using LCA Approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurfarhain Mohamed Rusli ◽  
Zainura Zainon Noor ◽  
Shazwin Mat Taib ◽  
Pang Chien Han
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Rice Production ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Inventory Analysis ◽  
Milled Rice ◽  
Formidable Challenge

The demand for rice in year 2030 is projected to be around 533 million ton of milled rice and known to be a high water consuming crop. In Asia alone, irrigated rice consumes as much as 150 billion m3 of water. With water being the most important component for rice production, yielding more rice with less water is therefore a formidable challenge.  The aim of this study is to assess the water footprint of paddy plantation at Muda Rice Granary, Kedah for five consecutive years; 2012 to 2016. By using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, the potential environmental impacts due to water consumption in planting and processing rice will be assessed. By integrating water footprint with LCA may assist in analysing environmental impacts associated with direct and indirect water consumption throughout the whole process; starting from raw material extraction, processing or production, distribution, use, and disposal. The methodological framework follows the LCA framework; setting up goal and specifying the scope of study, followed by inventory analysis, water footprint sustainability assessment and finally interpretation or response formulation. The research boundary for this study include the growing phase of paddy; seedling and cultivating of the paddy until the rice milling process. By implementing this water footprint research in paddy field, it will be essential not only in research area but also in agricultural development in Malaysia. Consequently, it will become the baseline for other agricultural in Malaysia in this research area.

scholarly journals Design of Agricultural Waste Charcoal Cooking Fuel for Developing Countries

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Banzaert ◽  
Amos Winter
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
End User ◽  
User Interest ◽  
Cooking Fuel ◽  
The Impact

Charcoal made from agricultural waste (AWC), intended for use in developing countries, has the potential to be a cooking fuel with health, economic, and environmental benefits. Investigations were undertaken to integrate the technical understanding of the fuel with the real-world context in which it may be produced and used. Multiple formulations of AWC were studied to understand the impact of raw material variation on charcoal briquette emissions. A key finding is the viability of manure as a binder, which should improve AWC production costs and proliferation. In Nicaragua, AWC emissions, end user interest, and producer economic viability was examined. Emissions of AWC appear to be similar to or less than wood and wood charcoal. End user interest seems moderate, a positive outcome given the lack of charcoal usage in the region studied. Based on the outcomes of pilot production, development of the manufacturing system must account for local preferences.

scholarly journals Socio-environmental Impacts Associated with Burning Alternative Fuels in Clinker Kilns

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. B. Mainier ◽  
L. P. C. Monteiro ◽  
R. J. Mainier
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Cement Clinker ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Environmental Care ◽  
Rotary Kilns

The pollutants found in emissions from cement plants depend on the processes used and the operation of the clinker kilns. Another crucial aspect concerns the characteristics of raw materials and fuels. The intensive use of fuels in rotary kilns of cement plants and the increasing fuel diversification, including fuels derived from coal and oil, from a multitude of industrial waste and from biomass, charcoal and agricultural waste (sugarcane bagasse, rice husk), is increasing the possibilities of combinations or mixtures of different fuels, known as blends. Thus, there are socio-environmental impacts associated with the burning of alternative fuels in clinker kilns. In view of the growing trend of entrepreneurs who want to target the waste produced in their unit and of the owners of the cement plants who want to reduce their production costs by burning a waste with lower cost than conventional fuels, it is necessary to warn that a minimum level of environmental care should be followed regarding these decisions. It is necessary to monitor the points of emission from cement kilns and in the wider area influenced by the plant, in order to improve environmental quality. Laboratory studies of burning vulcanised rubber contaminated with arsenic simulate the burning of used tires in cement clinker kilns producing SO2 and As2O3.

Graubündens Wald im Fokus | Focus on the Grisons forest

2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (7) ◽  
pp. 195-200
Author(s):  
Reto Hefti
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Intensive Use ◽  
Form Part ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
The Government

In the mountainous canton Grisons, much visited by tourists, the forest has always had an important role to play. New challenges are now presenting themselves. The article goes more closely into two themes on the Grisons forestry agenda dominating in the next few years: the increased use of timber and climate change. With the increased demand for logs and the new sawmill in Domat/Ems new opportunities are offered to the canton for more intensive use of the raw material, wood. This depends on a reduction in production costs and a positive attitude of the population towards the greater use of wood. A series of measures from the Grisons Forestry Department should be of help here. The risk of damage to infrastructure is particularly high in a mountainous canton. The cantonal government of the Grisons has commissioned the Forestry Department to define the situation concerning the possible consequences of global warming on natural hazards and to propose measures which may be taken. The setting up of extensive measurement and information systems, the elaboration of intervention maps, the estimation of the danger potential in exposed areas outside the building zone and the maintenance of existing protective constructions through the creation of a protective constructions register, all form part of the government programme for 2009 to 2012. In the Grisons, forest owners and visitors will have to become accustomed to the fact that their forests must again produce more wood and that, on account of global warming, protective forests will become even more important than they already are today.

SELISIH BIAYA PRODUKSI SEBAGAI ALAT PENGENDALIAN MANAJEMEN PT INDO PUSAKA BERAU

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (02) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
SAFITRI NURHIDAYATI ◽  
RIZKI AMELYA SYAM
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Analytical Tool ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Material Costs ◽  
Library Research ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Cost

This study aims to analyze whether the difference that occurs in the cost of raw materials, direct labor, and factory overhead costs between the standard costs and the actual costs in PLTU LATI is a difference that is favorable or unfavorable. Data collection techniques with field research and library research. The analytical tool used is the analysis of the difference in raw material costs, the difference in direct labor costs and the difference in factory overhead costs. The hypothesis in this study is that the difference allegedly occurs in the cost of raw materials, direct labor costs, and factory overhead costs at PT Indo Pusaka Berau Tanjung Redeb is a favorable difference. The results showed that the difference in the cost of producing MWh electricity at PT Indo Pusaka Berau Tanjung Redeb in 2018, namely the difference in the price of raw material costs Rp. 548,029.80, - is favorable, the difference in quantity of raw materials is Rp. 957,216,602, - is (favorable) , the difference in direct labor costs Rp 2,602,642,084, - is (unfavorable), and the difference in factory overhead costs Rp 8,807,051,422, - is (favorable) This shows that the difference in the overall production cost budget is favorable or profitable. This beneficial difference shows that the company is really able to reduce production costs optimally in 2018.  

Sustainable approach towards the new EU-Sugar Market era

2016 ◽  
pp. 151-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arend Wittenberg ◽  
Menno Roukema ◽  
Jan L.M. Struijs ◽  
Olaf van Baal
Keyword(s):  
Production Capacity ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Northwest Europe ◽  
Market Situation ◽  
Sugar Market ◽  
Strong Market Position ◽  
Growth Scaling ◽  
The Given

Suiker Unie focuses on a strong market position in Northwest Europe at the lowest possible production costs for sugar. The company tries to achieve this by giving attention to the entire production chain. An important pillar of this mission is sustainability. During the recent years Suiker Unie developed a Masterplan to prepare its factories for the new market situation after 2017. In line with Cosun’s strategy of profitable growth, scaling up production capacity of beet factories was defined as goal of this Masterplan. The ambition of reduction of production costs and sustainability (e.g. carbon-footprint) was translated into the challenging constraint to increase the capacity growth within the given steam supply and the actual odour and noise emissions. Based on a thorough bottleneck study a portfolio of measures for each factory is defined, grouped into debottlenecking, energy saving, optimization and environmental projects.

Technical accounting: sugar extraction and losses

2020 ◽  
pp. 712-721
Author(s):  
Jan Maarten de Bruijn de Bruijn
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Extraction Yield ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Sugar Production ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Sugar Extraction ◽  
White Sugar

The bought sugar in the processed raw material (either beet or cane) comprises a high financial value and may contribute to somewhere around 50% of the white sugar production costs. It is therefore of the utmost importance to minimize sugar losses along the process and produce as much white sugar as possible from the raw material. This paper explains the principle of technical accounting as tool to control sugar extraction and losses in beet sugar manufacture. The sugar mass balance used to calculate the overall sugar extraction yield, as well as several simple calculations proposed for estimating the different sugar losses (like e.g. extraction (diffusion) losses, infection losses, sugar losses in molasses, etc.) in the subsequent process steps will be explained in detail. Proper technical accounting is considered indispensable for continuous process control and process improvement in pursuit of best-practice operation and cost-leadership.

scholarly journals End-of-Life Alternatives of Glass Reinforced Polyester Boat Hulls Compared by LCA

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 096369351802700 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Önal ◽  
Gökdeniz Neşer
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Weight Ratio ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Photochemical Oxidation ◽  
Human Toxicity ◽  
Vacuum Infusion ◽  
Infusion Method

Glass reinforced polyester (GRP), as a thermoset polymer composites, dominates boat building industry with its several advantages such as high strength/weight ratio, cohesiveness, good resistance to environment. However, proper recovering and recycling of GRP boats is became a current environmental requirement that should be met by the related industry. In this study, to propose in a cost effective and environmentally friendly way, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been carried out for six scenarios include two moulding methods (namely Hand Lay-up Method, HLM and Vacuum Infusion Method, VIM) and three End-of-Life (EoL) alternatives(namely Extruding, Incineration and Landfill) for a recreational boat's GRP hulls. A case study from raw materials purchasing phase to disposal/recycling stages has been established taking 11 m length GRP boat hull as the functional unit. Analysis show that in the production phase, the impacts are mainly due to the use of energy (electricity), transport and raw material manufacture. Largest differences between the methods considered (HLM and VIM) can be observed in the factors of marine aquatic ecotoxicity and eutrophication while the closest ones are abiotic depletion, ozon layer depletion and photochemical oxidation. The environmental impact of VIM is much higher than HLM due to its higher energy consumption while vacuum infusion method has lower risk than hand lay-up method in terms of occupational health by using less raw material (resin) in a closed mold. In the comparison of the three EoL techniques, the mechanical way of recycling (granule extruding) shows better environmental impacts except terrestrial ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation and acidification. Among the EoL alternatives, landfill has the highest environmental impacts except ‘global warming potential’ and ‘human toxicity’ which are the highest in extrusion. The main cause of the impacts of landfill is the transportation needs between the EoL boats and the licenced landfill site. Although it has the higher impact on human toxicity, incineration is the second cleaner alternative of EoL techniques considered in this study. In fact that the similar trend has been observed both in production and EoL phases of the boat. It is obvious that using much more renewable energy mix and greener transportation alternative can reduce the overall impact of the all phases considerably.

scholarly journals Optimizing the Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Remote Community Infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie E. Filer ◽  
Justin D. Delorit ◽  
Andrew J. Hoisington ◽  
Steven J. Schuldt
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Remote Community ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Sustainable Technologies ◽  
Study Results

Remote communities such as rural villages, post-disaster housing camps, and military forward operating bases are often located in remote and hostile areas with limited or no access to established infrastructure grids. Operating these communities with conventional assets requires constant resupply, which yields a significant logistical burden, creates negative environmental impacts, and increases costs. For example, a 2000-member isolated village in northern Canada relying on diesel generators required 8.6 million USD of fuel per year and emitted 8500 tons of carbon dioxide. Remote community planners can mitigate these negative impacts by selecting sustainable technologies that minimize resource consumption and emissions. However, the alternatives often come at a higher procurement cost and mobilization requirement. To assist planners with this challenging task, this paper presents the development of a novel infrastructure sustainability assessment model capable of generating optimal tradeoffs between minimizing environmental impacts and minimizing life-cycle costs over the community’s anticipated lifespan. Model performance was evaluated using a case study of a hypothetical 500-person remote military base with 864 feasible infrastructure portfolios and 48 procedural portfolios. The case study results demonstrated the model’s novel capability to assist planners in identifying optimal combinations of infrastructure alternatives that minimize negative sustainability impacts, leading to remote communities that are more self-sufficient with reduced emissions and costs.

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