RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY. THE SEARCH FOR APPROPRIATE INDICATORS

Transcription

1 RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY. THE SEARCH FOR APPROPRIATE INDICATORS Amalia Zucaro*, Remo Santagata, Gabriella Fiorentino, Fabiana Corcelli, Sergio Ulgiati

2 INTRODUCTION Increasing levels of pollution Resource depletion Species loss and ecosystem degradation Exploitation of natural resources and services

3 INTRODUCTION

4 INTRODUCTION THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW THIS IS WHAT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY DOES Growing demand for goods Unsustainable use of resources Climate change is happening Fossil energy supplies are dwindling THIS IS THE OUTCOME Saves and values scarce resources Cut GHG and environmental impacts Makes the economy more sustainable Creates new business opportunities and jobs The circular economy package brings the pieces together production, consumption, secondary raw materials, waste management, innovation & investment- to cover the whole product lifecycle Source:

5 METHODOLOGY Life Cycle Assessment Framework LCA

6 CIRCULAR CASE STUDIES Animal waste Papermaking waste

7 Waste-to-energy plants: The case study of energy from animal waste

8 CASE STUDY ENERGY FROM ANIMAL WASTE Slaughterhouse waste represents an important potential source of renewable energy: on average, 40 50% of a live animal is waste, with a potential energy content close to diesel fuel. Treatment of animal waste from slaughterhouse and the subsequent conversion to electricity was investigated: the animal waste undergoes a rendering process, to separate a protein-rich fraction useful for animal meal production and a fat-rich fraction, to be combusted in a diesel engine for power generation (CHP plant). CHP capacity: 5 MW Total Animal Waste: 90 ton Functional Unit: 1MWh of electric energy produced System boundary: 'Gate to gate' approach Animal by-products considered zero burden Timeframe: data referred to 2014

9 53% System boundary 47%

10 Proteg S.P.A. Caivano (Italy) Proteg S.P.A. Caivano (Italy) RENDERING PROCESS ELECTRICITY GENERATION PROCESS

11 Results 63% as average value 37% as average value Characterization graph shows the relative contribution of the two main stages to the total burdens of energy from animal waste production

12 Results ELECTRICITY GENERATION PROCESS RENDERING PROCESS Characterization graph shows the relative contribution of the two main stages to the total burdens of energy from animal waste production

13 Circular Electricity vs Grid Electricity Reduced Impacts ~63% as averge value for all impact categories Normalized impacts comparing the Electricity (EE) production from animal waste and the Italian electricity production (mix of fossil fuels and renewables)

14 Waste-to-energy plants: The case study of energy from papermaking waste

15 CASE STUDY ENERGY FROM PAPERMAKING WASTE Pulp and paper manufacturing sector is one of the largest industry segments in the world in terms of water and energy usage as well as of significant use and release of chemicals and combustion products. Since its chief feedstock wood fiber is renewable, this industry can play an important role in sustainable development. The environmental sustainability associated to the pulp and paper production was assessed so as to identify those process steps that entail the highest environmental loads and require improvements. The manufacturing process used by the pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mills at Kemi, Northern Finland was used for the analysis Functional Unit: 1 ton of produced paper System boundary: Cradle to gate and cradle-to-cradle approaches Timeframe: data referred to 2015

16 System boundary Cradle to gate System boundary Cradle to Cradle

17 RESULTS 45% as average value 51% as average value Characterization graph shows the relative contribution of the three main stages to the total burdens, most of the resulting impacts were caused by the industrial production phase (in particular pulp production).

18 RESULTS 80% enviromental impacts on CC, TA, HT, MD, FD Main sources of the impacts: energy use, chemicals and additives

19 Bark and wood waste Black Liquor Treated sludge

20 IMPROVEMENTS ACHIEVED THROUGH MATERIAL AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY Energy production in situ from residual biomass improves the environmental performance of the production process Reduced Impacts >70% in CC, FE, HT, FD! Normalized impacts with and without energy recovery, referred to a functional unit of 1 ton of produced paper (distribution and end-of-life phases are not included). Cradle to gate system boundary.

21 IMPROVEMENTS ACHIEVED THROUGH MATERIAL AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY COSTS BENEFITS Cradle-to-Cradle system boundary

22 CONCLUSIONS-1 ANIMAL WASTE BETTER THAN FOSSIL SOURCE The electricity obtained from animal fat waste (AFW) is more environmentally sound that the Italian average electric mix. ADDED VALUE Although the production of AFW cannot be assumed as the solution to the energy problems, it represents an important added value considering that animal fat represents the co-product of a recycling/disposal process of an harmful waste. ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGE converting animal waste into energy can be a triple-hitter, dealing simultaneously with human security, pollution, and, last but not least, energy recovery.

23 CONCLUSIONS-2 PAPERMAKING WASTE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS LCA methodology, in a double perspective from cradle-to-gate and from cradle-to-cradle, was applied to a paper manufacturing process in Finland in order to identify those process steps that entail the highest environmental loads and require improvements. INCREASED EFFICIENCY The implementation of measures for material and energy efficiency in the assessed system, such as the use of renewable energy generated in situ from black liquor and residual biomass to support the requirements of the integrated pulp and paper mills and the waste paper recycling, resulted to be crucial in lowering the environmental burdens

24 CONCLUSIONS-3 CLOSING THE LOOP Circular Economy pathways promote the adoption of closing-the-loop production in order to increase the efficiency of resource use and achieve a better balance and harmony between economy, environment and society. ACCURATE MONITORING NEEDED The environmental loads generated through the whole supply chain has to be carefully quantified and assessed to ensure adequate decisions and to avoid too optimistic claims THE SEARCH FOR APPROPRIATE BIOPHYSICAL APPROACHES Life Cycle Assessment allowed us: to investigate each production phase, to identify the main hotspots, and to suggest efficiency improvements of the investigated processes

25 Acknowledgements THANK YOU! Amalia Zucaro Parthenope University of Naples, Italy Department of Science and Technology