| Institution: | 1. Instituto Superior Técnico, Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal;2. 3 Drivers – Engineering, Innovation and Environment, Avenida 5 de Outubro, 124, 4th Floor, 1050-061 Lisbon, Portugal;3. Faculty of Economics of University of Coimbra, Avendia Dias da Silva, 165, 3004-512 Coimbra, Portugal;4. Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1149-016 Lisbon, Portugal;1. Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Business Research Unit (BRU), Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal;2. CMA, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal;3. CEG-IST, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal;1. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;2. Beijing Engineering Research Center for Watershed Environmental Restoration & Integrated Ecological Regulation, Beijing 100875, China;3. Universidade Paulista (UNIP), Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia de Produção, Laboratório de Produção e Meio Ambiente, São Paulo, Brazil;4. School of Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University, 518060 Shenzhen, China;5. University of Naples ‘Parthenope’, Department of Science and Technologies, Centro Direzionale, Isola C4, 80143 Naples, Italy;6. University of Naples ‘Parthenope’, Department of Engineering, Centro Direzionale, Isola C4, 80143 Naples, Italy;1. Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal;2. CEG-IST, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal;3. CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal;1. Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), São Paulo School of Management (FGV/EAESP), São Paulo, Brazil;2. Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University, Sorocaba, Brazil;3. School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Design, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil;4. Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (FGV/EBAPE), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;5. Institute for Global Public Policy, Fudan University, China;6. Chemical Engineering Department, Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil |
| Abstract: | The impact of the management of packaging waste on the environment, economic growth and job creation is analyzed in this paper. This integrated assessment intends to cover a gap in the literature for this type of studies, using the specific case study of the Portuguese packaging waste management system (SIGRE).The net environmental benefits associated with the management of packaging waste, are calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The results show that, for the categories studied, the impacts associated to SIGRE's various activities are surpassed by the benefits associated to material and energy recovery, with special focus on recycling. For example, in 2011 SIGRE avoided the emission of 116 kt CO2 equiv. – the equivalent carbon emission of the electricity consumption of 124.000 households in Portugal.The economic impact of SIGRE is evaluated through Input–Output Analysis. It was found that SIGRE's activities also have a significant economic impact. For example, their added value are ranked amongst the upper third of the economic activities with highest multiplier effect at national level: this means that for each Euro of value added generated within SIGRE, 1.25 additional € are added to the rest of the economy (multiplier effect of 2.25).Regarding the social impacts of SIGRE, the number of direct jobs associated with the system is estimated to be more than two thousand and three hundred workers. Out of these, 83% are connected to the management of municipal waste packaging (selective collection and sorting), 15% are connected to the management of non-municipal packaging waste and only 2% are connected to the Sociedade Ponto Verde (SPV, green dot society in English) – the management entity responsible for SIGRE.In general terms, the results obtained provide quantitative support to the EEA (2011) suggestion that moving up the waste hierarchy – from landfilling to recycling – creates jobs and boosts the economy. |
