Greenhouse gas emission factors for recycling of source-segregated waste materials
Greenhouse gas emission factors for recycling of source-segregated waste materials
A key challenge for the waste management sector is to maximise resource efficiency whilst simultaneously reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For stakeholders to better understand the GHG impacts of their waste management activities and identify emissions reduction opportunities, they need to be able to quantify the GHG impacts of material recycling. Whilst previous studies have been undertaken to develop GHG emission factors (EF) for materials recycling, they are generally insufficient to support decision-making due to a lack of transparency or comprehensiveness in the range of materials considered. In this study, we present for the first time a comprehensive, scientifically robust, fully transparent, and clearly documented series of GHG EFs for the recycling of a wide range of source-segregated materials. EFs were derived from a series of partial life cycle assessments (LCA) performed as far as possible in accordance with the ISO 14040 standard. With the exceptions of soil, plasterboard, and paint, the recycling of source-segregated materials resulted in net GHG savings. The majority of calculated GHG EFs were within the range of data presented in the literature. The quality of secondary data used was assessed, with the results highlighting the dearth of high quality life cycle inventory (LCI) data on material reprocessing and primary production currently available. Overall, the results highlight the important contribution that effective source-segregated materials recycling can have in reducing the GHG impacts of waste management.
This paper won the global 2016 International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Publication Award. http://www.iswa.org/iswa/iswa-awards/publication-award/
recycling, emission factor, source-segregation, waste management, greenhouse gas emissions, life cycle assessment
186-197
Turner, D.A.
aec68408-7fae-49e3-bad3-dc25764b8b90
Williams, I.D.
c9d674ac-ee69-4937-ab43-17e716266e22
Kemp, S.
942b35c0-3584-4ca1-bf9e-5f07790d6e36
December 2015
Turner, D.A.
aec68408-7fae-49e3-bad3-dc25764b8b90
Williams, I.D.
c9d674ac-ee69-4937-ab43-17e716266e22
Kemp, S.
942b35c0-3584-4ca1-bf9e-5f07790d6e36
Turner, D.A., Williams, I.D. and Kemp, S.
(2015)
Greenhouse gas emission factors for recycling of source-segregated waste materials.
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 105 (Part A), .
(doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.10.026).
Abstract
A key challenge for the waste management sector is to maximise resource efficiency whilst simultaneously reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For stakeholders to better understand the GHG impacts of their waste management activities and identify emissions reduction opportunities, they need to be able to quantify the GHG impacts of material recycling. Whilst previous studies have been undertaken to develop GHG emission factors (EF) for materials recycling, they are generally insufficient to support decision-making due to a lack of transparency or comprehensiveness in the range of materials considered. In this study, we present for the first time a comprehensive, scientifically robust, fully transparent, and clearly documented series of GHG EFs for the recycling of a wide range of source-segregated materials. EFs were derived from a series of partial life cycle assessments (LCA) performed as far as possible in accordance with the ISO 14040 standard. With the exceptions of soil, plasterboard, and paint, the recycling of source-segregated materials resulted in net GHG savings. The majority of calculated GHG EFs were within the range of data presented in the literature. The quality of secondary data used was assessed, with the results highlighting the dearth of high quality life cycle inventory (LCI) data on material reprocessing and primary production currently available. Overall, the results highlight the important contribution that effective source-segregated materials recycling can have in reducing the GHG impacts of waste management.
This paper won the global 2016 International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Publication Award. http://www.iswa.org/iswa/iswa-awards/publication-award/
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 23 October 2015
e-pub ahead of print date: 14 November 2015
Published date: December 2015
Keywords:
recycling, emission factor, source-segregation, waste management, greenhouse gas emissions, life cycle assessment
Organisations:
Centre for Environmental Science
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 384538
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/384538
ISSN: 0921-3449
PURE UUID: 493caac3-84b1-467f-8441-bdfbda2e288b
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Date deposited: 06 Jan 2016 15:43
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:22
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Author:
D.A. Turner
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