Valentina Castellani

Beyond the throwaway society: A life cycle‐based assessment of the environmental benefit of reuse

In the context of a circular economy, sustainable consumption is often seen as the antithesis of current consumption patterns, which have led to the definition of the so-called throwaway society. Reuse may provide a preferred alternative to other waste management options, because it promotes resource efficiency and may significantly reduce environmental impacts. To appraise the environmental benefits related to reuse of goods, a methodology adopting life cycle assessment (LCA) has been developed. A standardized procedure has been developed, identifying reference products within product category subject to reuse, and collecting reliable inventory data as a basis for calculating environmental impact through LCA. A case study on a second-hand shop is presented, and the avoided impacts are quantified. Inventory data were taken both from the literature and directly from sales and surveys submitted to customers. The results are presented, highlighting: 1) for each product category, the average avoided impacts for 1 unit of reused product considered; and 2) for the overall activities of the second-hand shop, the cumulative avoided impacts in 1 yr. In the case study, the higher contribution to avoided impacts comes from the apparel sector, due to the high amount of items sold, followed by the furniture sector, because of the high amount of environmental impacts avoided by the reuse of each single item.

LCA for assessing environmental benefit of eco-design strategies and forest wood short supply chain: a furniture case study

PurposeEco-innovation strategies are increasingly adopted to ensure the minimization of environmental impacts. Nonetheless, only a comprehensive integrated assessment along the life cycle stages of a product may ensure a robust analysis of the benefit of the innovation. The object of the present study is the environmental assessment of furniture prototypes produced using certified wood and integrating eco-design criteria in their conception. The aim of the study was twofold: firstly, to evaluate the environmental profile of the furniture, highlighting possible hot spots of impacts, and secondly, to evaluate the capability of life cycle assessment (LCA) to identify the environmental benefit associated to the adoption of eco-innovation strategies, such as the following: ensuring short supply chain from raw material to production; using wood coming from certified forests (according to PEFC scheme); and the implementation of eco-design principles, also associated with green public procurement requirements.MethodsLCA has been applied in a case study related to the wood furniture sector in the alpine region of Northern Italy. Every activity was modeled using primary data, related to the inputs and outputs of the processes, provided directly by the designers and by woodworking firms. Input data related to forestry activities and wood extraction were collected and processed in a previous phase of the study. The life cycle of a prototype school desk from the cradle-to-gate perspective was analyzed. A woodworking plant was examined in detail, dividing the whole manufacturing process into four phases: panels production, woodworking, painting and steel parts processing. The system boundaries included all the activities which take place inside the plant as well as energy inputs, transports and ancillary products used.Results and discussionThe results highlighted that the working phases showing the greatest environmental burdens were the production of solid wood panels and the processing of iron parts. No concerns about chemicals, glues and paints were raised, due to the eco-design principles implemented in the production of the furniture. The choice of a short supply chain allowed for drastic reductions in the impacts associated to long-distance transports. Three sensitivity analyses were carried out to test the robustness of results concerning the following: (1) glue options, (2) drying phase and VOC emissions, and (3) transport options.ConclusionsThis study proves to which extent eco-design criteria implemented in practice improve the environmental performance of products. All positive effects due to decisions taken in school desk design and conception were supported by evidence.

Life cycle assessment of bio-based products: a disposable diaper case study

PurposeIn this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. The product has several innovative elements, due to the implementation of eco-design principles, such as: (1) introduction of biopolymers (namely polylactic acid (PLA) and Mater-bi®), (2) relevant reduction of petrochemical plastics, and (3) minimization of energy consumptions and use of renewable energy in manufacturing. The aim of the study is to evaluate the environmental benefits gained through eco-innovation, while identifying further areas of improvement.MethodsThe bio-based diaper has been evaluated using a “cradle-to-gate” analysis. The functional unit is one diaper, assuming an average size among the different commercial options. A case study of an enterprise in Italy (WIP S.p.A) was carried out to collect as much reliable primary data as possible. In order to highlight potential areas of improvement and to compare the environmental performance of the product, a sensitivity analysis based on three different impact assessment methods (adopting ReCiPe 2008, IMPACT 2002+ and Cumulative Energy Demand (CED)) and a comparison with a standard commercial diaper were performed. Finally, three possible end-of-life scenarios including composting of WIP diaper were hypothesized and tested.Results and discussionContribution analysis suggested that sourcing and production of raw materials used in WIP diaper manufacturing contributed most significantly to the potential environmental impacts. Adopting ReCiPe method, pulp, and sodium polyacrylate present the highest environmental burdens in WIP diaper system. Applying IMPACT2002+ method, PLA relative contribution to the toxicity increases, due to the generation of the electricity used in corn production and in PLA production phases. For both methods, impacts related to energy consumption of the WIP diapers’ production process look to be negligible. WIP diaper performance has room for improvement, since critical points were detected in the life cycle stages of raw materials used. However, the results of the normalization step, according to ReCiPe method, state that WIP diapers can bring environmental benefits, compared to standard ones. Moreover, if composting end-of-life scenario is included in the assessment, there is a significant improvement in WIP diaper environmental performance compared to a standard diaper.ConclusionsIntegrating eco-innovation and eco-design principles in the production of the bio-based diaper leads to a better environmental profile, compared to the standard one. Nevertheless, there are several areas of concerns to be considered in order to further improve its environmental performance. So far, the possible improvements identified from the case study are: (1) the selection of biopolymers suppliers with better production systems from an environmental point of view, (2) the reduction of distances along the supply chain, and (3) the implementation of composting procedures for the end of life. In conclusion, the introduction of biopolymers in diaper composition could lead them to be preferable compared to standard diapers, but criticisms arise, which need to be solved, to avoid the risk of burdens shifting.

A new method for tourism carrying capacity assessment

Tourism activities can generate both positive and negative effects on the conditions of the areas where visiting and fruition activities take place; every form of human use of natural environment causes changes to the environment conditions. Evaluation of carrying capacity of a destination has as a purpose the measurement of the threshold over which alteration due to human activities becomes unacceptable. To evaluate the consequences of tourism activities impacts it is necessary to know the characteristics of the environment where they occur and especially its resilience, which is the measure of the disturbance that the natural environment can tolerate without altering its equilibrium state. The carrying capacity concept is linked with resilience and rises from the necessity of measure which is the maximum acceptable level of impact for the environment or for one of its components and the capability of recovery of the previous condition. The purpose of this study is to suggest a model for assessing the physical carrying capacity of tourism destinations, as a tool to evaluate whether the current situation is sustainable or not and to determine if a rise in visitor numbers could affect the quality of the environment, the resources available and the quality of public services. For the assessment, all environmental aspects are separately analysed and the main environmental issues related to the daily life of residents and to tourism activities (air quality, water quality and disposability, waste management, soil use) are considered. The methodology is based on an evaluative procedure inspired by the DPSIR model, useful for underlining which are the drivers of impacts and which is the most relevant dataset to describe current and future scenarios. The innovative aspect of this study is the integration of the physical carrying capacity assessment with the evaluation of the managing capacity of environmental and public services, which can lead to depletion of ecosystem quality.

Forestry operations in the alpine context. Life cycle assessment to support the integrated assessment of forest wood short supply chain

PurposeBiotic resources are considered a key element of bio-economy. In the present study we focus on the forest supply industry, assessing environmental sustainability through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. We explored and evaluated forestry operations in order to support decision-makers in choosing the best operational modes for site-specific conditions. Main aims of the study are: 1) a LCA-based systematic comparative analysis of different operational modes and technological options associated with wood extraction considering site-specific conditions; 2) the quantification of impacts associated with transport of wood material.MethodsA case study on the alpine region of Italy (Intelvi Valley) is presented and discussed. Different forestry activities were investigated, comparing the traditional operational method with a more mechanized one (advanced mechanization). All operations were included within the system boundaries, from felling to transport to sawmill. Regarding the traditional operational method, different options were evaluated, considering that: 1) the extraction could be performed by cable-yard or winch; and 2) the delimbing phase could be performed before or after extraction phase. Each activity was modeled using primary data, assuring that real forest conditions are taken into account and assessed.ResultsIn spite of the expectations associated with advanced mechanization, the hypothesis to choose traditional mechanization was preferable for Intelvi Valley conditions. Fuel consumption and related emissions proved to be the main source of impacts. Sensitivity analyses highlighted that advanced mechanization could be the best method to perform forestry operations, if used in proper conditions (i.e. at the top productivity rate) and that the choice of a short supply chain drastically reduces the impacts induced by long distance transportation.ConclusionsThe choice of the best technological options should be based on a site-specific and context- related assessment. It is very important to give priority to the operational mode which minimizes the hours necessary to perform each operation. It was also found that the technological option should be chosen according to the geomorphology and topography and the site-specific characteristics of the area investigated, and no one option can be considered as the most suitable for all conditions.Furthermore, current impact assessment methods are still lacking in the evaluation of potential impact to biodiversity in the specific context were the extraction takes place. Further investigations related to the environmental profile of a product will be object of a second study that will concern the design of green furniture pieces, starting from certified wood as raw material.

Carrying Capacity of Tourism System: Assessment of Environmental and Management Constraints Towards Sustainability

The tourism sector accounts nowadays for about 10% of world GDP (source: World Travel & Tourism Council – WTTC) and it is widely acknowledged that tourism activities depend highly on the quality of natural resources (see, among others, Inskeep, 1991). Thus, the aim of sustainable tourism development plans, in order to reach sustainable development goals, should be the decoupling of economic growth from natural environment depletion, through the definition of more sustainable patterns of production and consumption in tourism activities, as also stated by international and European resolutions about sustainable development (see, for instance, the Reviewed Strategy for Sustainable Development, the Integrated Product Policy, the Action Plan on the Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy, the Renewed EU Tourism Policy).

Technology sustainability assessment to support decision making on energy production at local scale

Considering climate issues, the Kyoto Protocol is the most important worldwide reference aimed at reducing greenhouse gases that cause climate change; going further, the recent European Climate and Energy Policy defi nes binding targets for 2020, that include increasing use of renewable energy (wind, solar, biomass, etc.) to 20% of total energy production. In order to identify the most suitable strategies to achieve this objective, an evaluation of some relevant issues that can affect the sustainability of possible renewable energy options is necessary. This study focus on technology sustainability assessment of energy production from forest biomass, defi ning a set of indicators to provide a decision support system (DSS) for local decision makers, enabling them to evaluate the environmental impacts, the resource availability and renewability, the feasibility of the technology in the local context and the social acceptance of the plant among the local community. The case study presented in this article refers to an Italian mountain community (Comunita Montana delle Alpi Lepontine) in northern Italy, where the assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability of a plant producing electricity powered by Syngas coming from gasifi cation of forest biomass was performed. The aim of the research was to develop a multidisciplinary DSS to assess the feasibility of the application and to defi ne guidelines for sustainability assessment of technologies for energy production using forest biomass, identifying critical issues and potential areas of optimization.

Systematic analysis of secondary life cycle inventories when modelling agricultural production: A case study for arable crops

Analysis of agricultural production with life cycle based methodologies is data demanding. To build comprehensive life cycle inventories, secondary datasets are commonly used when primary data are not available. However, different inventory data and modelling approaches are used to populate secondary datasets, leading to different results. The present study analyses the features of twelve secondary datasets to support datasets selection and proper interpretation of results. We assess twelve datasets for arable crop production in France, as modelled in three databases often used in the LCA field (Agri-footprint, ecoinvent and AGRIBALYSE). First, we compared system boundaries and general assumptions. Second, we focused on foreground systems comparing, inventory data, data sources and modelling approaches. Third, we performed a contribution analysis of impact assessment results to identify modelling choices that contribute most to differences in the results. Nine relevant elements were identified and assessed: definition of system boundaries and modelling of agricultural practices, characteristics of inventory data, agricultural operations, fertiliser application and fate, plant protection products application and fate, heavy metals inputs to the agricultural system and fate, irrigation assumptions, land use and transformation. The datasets differ greatly with respect to these elements. Hence, recommendations are drawn from the datasets comparison, supporting the selection of the datasets coherently with the goal and scope of a study and interpretation of results.

Research findings and decision making: the case of renewable energy

BackgroundEnergy policies from local to global scale are increasingly questioned in terms of sustainability. Evidence- and science-based decision making in this field needs a robust and transparent integrated assessment of policy options. Nevertheless, scientific findings do not lead straight to political conclusions, and the relationship between science and decision making is a debated issue. The article discusses the main barriers to effective interaction and communication between scientific enquiry and decision making and proposes some effective ways to overcome these barriers, starting from experiences in the biomass energy sector.ResultsThe article discusses the case of wood fuel, focusing on one of the European hot spots for air pollution, namely the Po Valley in Northern Italy. It proves to be an interesting case, especially because of the ambiguity between the positive and the negative aspects of wood burning, which, if not adequately integrated by information about the specific conditions that influence pollution levels, can lead to opposite political decisions about the use of wood in local energy plans.ConclusionsStarting from scientific findings, it is possible to derive guidelines about the best practices to adopt in order to reduce environmental impacts along the whole wood fuel chain. In this regard, associations of producers and of consumers and other existing networks (e.g., forestry consortia) can be very useful, either as a source of information not published in the scientific literature and as intermediaries for translating the knowledge into a more usable format and to convey information to the final targets identified (e.g., policy makers, firms, and final users).

Prioritizing and optimizing sustainable measures for food waste prevention and management

Highlights • The waste hierarchy is not enough for prioritizing food waste prevention measures.• The methodology proposed prioritizes measures using LCA and mathematical programming.• The methodology identifies quick wins – actions with low cost and high impact avoided.• The relevance of the weighting set used in the prioritization is limited.• Targets for food waste prevention must be set at the level of environmental impact.