IWM case studies and the use of

LCA in countries with

developing economies

Dr. Forbes
McDougall
Sustainability is :

SUSTAINABILITY
Environmentally Economically
effective affordable
Socially
acceptable

a balance between the needs of the

Environment, the Economy and Society
Sustainable Waste Management needs
to be :

• Environmentally effective

• Economically affordable

• Socially acceptable
Sustainable solid waste management
systems can be engineered by:

• Accepting the concept of an integrated approach to

solid waste management
• Using a Life Cycle Assessment tool (computer model)
to optimise the integrated waste management system
The concept of Integrated Waste
Management
• IWM takes an overall approach and manages waste
in an environmentally effective and economically
affordable way.
• IWM involves the use of a range of different
treatment options at a local level.
• IWM considers the entire solid waste stream.
Integrated Waste Management includes:

BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
TREATMENT RECYCLING

COLLECTION
&
SORTING
THERMAL
TREATMENT LANDFILL
Waste Management evolution
Optimise waste management Larger than waste management

RESOURCES
BIOLOGICAL
MATERIALS
TREATMENT MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL
RECYCLING
TREATMENT RECYCLING

COLLECTION COLLECTION
& &
WASTE SORTING
MANAGEMENT SORTING
THERMAL THERMAL
LANDFILL
LANDFILL TREATMENT
TREATMENT

MANAGEMENT

WASTE INTEGRATED WASTE RESOURCE

Public health issues MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT
Optimisation of waste Optimisation of
management practices resource use
 Study: Towards the Integrated
Management of Municipal Solid Waste

• Study carried out in 1998

• The aim was to characterize 'leading edge' waste

management systems in Europe

• To identify factors that influenced system

development
 Study overview
• 11 Systems - not statistically representative

Brescia, Italy Helsinki, Finland

Hampshire, UK Copenhagen, Denmark
Malmö, Sweden Saarbrücken, Germany
Pamplona, Spain Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Germany
Prato, Italy Zürich, Switzerland
Vienna, Austria
Quantitative data comparison
 Differences in scale

 Differences in definitions of Municipal Solid Waste

 Differences in infrastructure

 Different methods of paying for MSW management

 Differences in accounting methodology and

financing
System drivers identified by waste
managers
 Good system management
 Vision
 Stability
 Critical mass (scale)
 Availability of funding
 Legislation (+ve or -ve)
 Control of all solid waste
 Public opinion / Communication
IWM Conclusions
• Program variations are extensive
• “Drivers for development” were identified
• An integrated approach to waste management is
being adopted at a local level, due to:
1) economic benefits
2) social pressure
3) environmental benefits
• Waste hierarchy only useful as a list of options
• There is a clear evolution from waste management
to resources management
How can we plan IWM systems that are
environmentally and economically sustainable?

• Overall environmental burdens

• (Overall economic cost)
• The tool of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) makes
this possible
Integrated waste management: a Life Cycle
Assessment
INPUTS BIOLOGICAL OUTPUTS
Waste MATERIALS Air
TREATMENT Emissions
RECYCLING
Energy
COLLECTION Water
Other & Emissions
Materials SORTING
THERMAL
Residual
LANDFILL
Money TREATMENT Landfill
Material
Secondary Compost Useful
Materials Energy
PRODUCTS
Life Cycle models: Results
• Net energy consumption
• Air emissions
• Water emissions
• Landfill volume (residual)
• Recovered materials
• Compost
LCA for IWM in Countries with
developing economies
• Venezuela – Caracas and Puerto Ordaz
• Brazil – Porto Alegre
• Mexico – Cuernavaca and Valle de Bravo
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia - Jeddah
• India
• China
• Korea
 Venezuela, Caracas 1998
• A comparative LCA, that investigated the burdens
associated with recycling different materials within
the establishment of a new materials recycling
program.

• Cardinale, P. (1998). Analisis de ciclo de vida: Una

herramienta de gerenci ambiental. Debates IESA.
PP.34-38. Instituto de Estudios Superiores de
Administración. Venezuela.
 Venezuela, Puerto Ordaz 2001
• Project to evaluate the environmental burden of the
existing waste management system and to
investigate the environmental burdens of a number
of possible developments of this system.

• Propuesta para el Manejo Integrado de los residuos

solidos en una localidad Venezolana – aplicando la
tecnica de inventario de ciclo de vida. pp107. ISBN:
980-07-7811-X.
Mexico
• Mexico adopted a new law in 2003 that promotes an
integrated approach to waste management supported by
LCA to ensure a data based decision making process.
• Last year a LCA study in Cuernavaca, Morelos was
completed. Unfortunately the Mayor of the city was not re-
elected and therefore the conclusions of the study are yet to
be applied.
• Currently a study is underway in Valle de Bravo, México
State, population 40,000. A waste characterisation has been
completed and the LCA modelling will be completed by the
end of 2004. The Mayor of this city has just begun his 3
year term so application of the results is likely.
 Saudi Arabia - Jeddah
• A PhD student is investigating the environmental
burdens of the current waste management system in
Jeddah.
• The aim of the project is to develop a number of
alternative integrated systems in consultation with
local Government
• The evolution of the waste management system in
Jeddah will be guided by the results of this LCA.
IWM and LCA Conclusions
• As waste management systems evolve, the IWM concept
and LCA tools can help us move towards affordable
environmental sustainability.
• Using LCA is better than other arbitrary approaches.
• Waste characterisation and understanding of total waste
arisings are needed, to make better decisions for every waste
management system.
• A variety of waste management systems are required to
meet local needs especially in countries with developing
economies.
• Limited waste management budgets make the use
of LCA tools even more important to ensure that
money is not wasted on systems that deliver sub-
optimal environmental results.