The effects of changes in consumption composition and growth in recycling on decoupling household consumption from its waste footprint

Worldwide, household consumption has significantly increased in the last decades while its composition has significantly changed. In France, economic growth (and therefore consumption growth) is a political objective. On the contrary, waste policies rather target reduction, in particular as to waste generation and waste disposal. Accordingly, decoupling household consumption growth from its waste footprint is a requirement to simultaneously achieve economic and waste policy targets. In this context, this study aims at assessing the effects of both changes in the composition of consumption and growth in recycling rates on the waste footprint of French households. Three models are combined. Firstly, the macro-econometric model “NEMESIS” is used to elaborate prospective economic scenarios by 2020. Three scenarios of economic trajectories for France are built, exclusively modifying the total volume of household consumption. In the meantime, three scenarios of consumption patterns are built, respectively assuming that i) composition remains constant from 2008 to 2020, ii) trends in consumption observed from 1980 to 2010 apply to the period 2008-2020, iii) some final consumption expenditures increase at arbitrarily chosen rates. Moreover, two models are specifically designed in order to calculate the waste footprint of French household consumption in these cases of economic scenarios by 2020. In the first place, an Input-Output model extended to waste is built in order to quantify waste from economic activities induced by household consumption. Quantities of waste to treatments are also differentiated in the model, so that scenarios of recycling can be implemented together with economic scenarios. Secondly a complementary coefficient-based model is built to compute waste generation and treatment (in ktonnes of waste) as a function of household consumption (in Meuros). The results highlight that if consumption trends observed over the last 30 years continue over the period 2008-2020, then they would favor “relative” decoupling between consumption and waste footprint in terms of dry recyclables, mixed wastes and organic wastes, and “absolute” decoupling in terms of mineral wastes. Three scenarios of recycling are additionally assessed in the framework of the economic scenarios, respectively considering the increase in recycling of source-sorted waste fractions, the increase in recovery at sorting centers and the increase in source-segregation. This assessment highlights that the increase in recycling rates would globally limit the effects of consumption growth on the demand for non-mineral waste disposal induced by French households over the period 2008-2020. However, changes in production structures would be additionally required in order to significantly decouple household consumption from its “waste disposal footprint” over the period 2008-2020. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

LCA of municipal solid waste incineration in France: from comprehensive site‐ specific data to Life Cycle Inventory modeling

In France, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), including non-hazardous waste from economic activities collected together with post-consumer waste, are primarily incinerated (approximately 30% in 2010; ADEME, 2012). Yet, current Life Cycle Inventory databases do not precisely account for the characteristics of waste incineration in the specific French context, in particular with respect to air emissions, use of reactants, energy recovery rates and treatment of bottom ashes. This study accordingly aims at collecting environmental and energy data specific to French incinerators for their further integration into a dedicated Life Cycle Inventory model. The results of data collection and analysis are focused at in this presentation. Data were collected considering 90 French incinerators, respectively operated by SITA, TIRU and VEOLIA, and representing approximately 73% of the total mass of MSW incinerated in France as of 2012. Firstly, French incineration installations were classified according to their abatement technologies. Wet systems (with liquid emissions) combined with electrostatic precipitators and semi dry/semi wet systems combined with a fabric filter are predominant in France regarding dedusting and acid gas treatment (they respectively represent 34 and 25% of the total amount of waste incinerated). At the same time, Selective Catalytic Reduction (high temperature) combined with reactants for Dediox (36%) and Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction combined with reactants for Dediox (32%) are predominant with respect to NOx and dioxin abatement. Secondly, data of process-specific emissions (NOx, particles, dioxins, etc.) have been collected, considering 90 incinerators and 3 years in a raw (2012 to 2014), for their further statistical treatment by category of abatement technology. The correlation between emission factors and abatement technologies is discussed. Considering each kind of emission factor, a distribution of values is accordingly associated either with a given technology of abatement or with the whole French incineration installations. In addition, building on the mass balance at the scale of one French incineration plant, transfer coefficients are calculated in order to further infer waste-specific emissions (e.g. metals) in the model for Life Cycle Inventory of waste incineration in France. Finally, additional data relative respectively to energy (recovery and consumption), to the use of reactants and to downstream treatment of bottom ashes were collected and further statistically treated, considering the 90 incinerators under study. In particular, MSW appear to be incinerated primarily (55%) in plants cogenerating heat and electricity. As a conclusion, the potential use of these data in a Life Cycle Inventory model dedicated to French incineration is more specifically discussed. Acknowledgements This study was partly funded by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) in the framework of the PCI project. The authors wish to thank Patrick Boisseau (TIRU), Jacques Giacomoni (VEOLIA), Lionel Kosior (SITA) and Cédrik Priault (VEOLIA) for their contributions to this work. Reference: ADEME, 2012. L’incinération des déchets ménagers et assimilés. Les avis de l’ADEME. Décembre 2012

Correction to: The evolution of life cycle assessment in european policies over three decades

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Environmental Impacts of Large-Scale Grid-Connected Ground-Mounted PV Installations

Available on: http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/057/vol11/007/ecp57vol11_007.pdfInternational audienceThis study characterizes the environmental performances of large-scale ground-mounted PV installations by considering a life-cycle approach. The methodology is based on the application of the existing international standards of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Four scenarios are compared, considering fixedmounting structures with (1) primary aluminum supports or (2) wood supports, and mobile structures with (3) single-axis trackers or (4) dual-axis trackers. Life cycle inventories are based on manufacturers' data combined with additional calculations and assumptions. Fixed-mounting installations with primary aluminum supports show the largest environmental impact potential with respect to human health, climate change and energy consumption. The climate change impact potential ranges between 37.5 and 53.5 gCO2eq/kWh depending on the scenario, assuming 1700 kWh/m².yr of irradiation on an inclined plane (30°), and multi-crystalline silicon modules with 14% of energy production performance. Mobile PV installations with dual-axis trackers show the largest impact potential on ecosystem quality, with more than a factor 2 of difference with other considered installations. Supports mass and composition, power density (in MWp/acre of land) and energy production performances appear as key design parameters with respect to large-scale ground mounted PV installations environmental performances, in addition to modules manufacturing process energy inputs

Environmental impacts of large-scale grid-connected ground-mounted PV installations

World Renewable Energy Congress - Sweden, 8-13 May, 2011, Linköping, SwedenInternational audienceThis study characterizes the environmental performances of large-scale ground-mounted PV installations by considering a life cycle approach. The methodology is based on the application of the existing international standards of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Four scenarios are compared, considering fixed-mounting structures with (1) primary aluminum supports or (2) wood supports, and mobile structures with (3) single-axis trackers or (4) dual-axis trackers. Life cycle inventories are based on manufacturers' data combined with additional calculations and assumptions. Fixed-mounting installations with primary aluminum supports show the largest environmental impact potential with respect to human health, climate change and energy consumption. The climate change impact potential ranges between 37.5 and 53.5 g CO2 eq/kWh depending on the scenario, assuming 1700 kWh/m2 yr of irradiation on an inclined plane (30°), and multi-crystalline silicon modules with 14% of energy production performance. Mobile PV installations with dual-axis trackers show the largest impact potential on ecosystem quality, with more than a factor 2 of difference with other considered installations. Supports mass and composition, power density (in MWp/acre of land) and energy production performances appear as key design parameters with respect to large-scale ground-mounted PV installations environmental performances, in addition to modules manufacturing process energy inputs

Indicators and assessment of the environmental impact of EU consumption

This report provides an overview of the LCA applied to assessing environmental impacts of consumption in EU as a basis to support several policies and the assessment of their impacts and benefits. The content builds from the results of the Life Cycle Indicators (LC-Ind2) project , aimed at developing two sets of Life Cycle Assessment-based indicators for assessing the environmental impact of EU consumption: the Consumer Footprint and the Consumption Footprint. The indicators have been designed aiming at: • monitoring the evolution of impacts over time in the EU and the Member States as well as the progress towards decoupling economic growth from environmental impacts. • building an LCA-based framework for assessing relevant consumption and eco-innovation policies. Environmental impacts are assessed from three different perspectives: product group level, consumption areas (food, housing, mobility, consumer goods, and appliances) and average EU consumer. • developing a single headline indicator to monitor the evolution of the overall environmental impacts of EU consumption and production at macro level. This includes the elaboration of a specific framework on which to build such indicator and complete time-series for each Member State and European Union as a whole. • testing ecoinnovation scenarios along the supply chains, from extraction of raw materials, to consumer behaviour, up to end of life options.JRC.D.1-Bio-econom

Consumption and Consumer Footprint: methodology and results

This report presents the results of the Life Cycle Indicators (LCIND2) project, aimed at developing two sets of Life cycle Assessment-based indicators for assessing the environmental impact of EU consumption: the Consumption Footprint and the Consumer Footprint. The indicators have been designed aiming at: • monitoring the evolution of impacts over time in the EU and the Member States as well as the progress towards decoupling economic growth from environmental impacts • building an LCA-based framework for assessing relevant consumption and eco-innovation policies. The methodology shall measure the environmental impacts from three different perspectives at end consumer product group level; consumption areas (food, housing, mobility, consumer goods, and appliances); the average EU consumer. • developing a single headline indicator to monitor the evolution of the overall environmental impacts of EU consumption and production at macro level. This includes the elaboration of a specific framework on which to build such indicator and complete time-series for each Member State and European Union as a whole. • testing ecoinnovation scenarios along the supply chains, from extraction of raw materials, to consumer behaviour, up to end of life options. This science for policy report is complemented by a technical report, where methodological details and assumptions as well as comparison with other available studies are reported.JRC.D.1-Bio-econom

Accounting for the environmental impacts of sulfidic tailings storage in the Life Cycle Assessment of copper production: A case study

International audienc