The energy consumption and environmental impacts of a color TV set in China

The present study analyses the different processes followed during color TV set production along with the energy consumption and the environment emissions in each stage. The purpose is to identify “hot-spots”, i.e. parts of the life cycle important to the total environmental impact. The analysis is performed using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, which is a method used to identify and quantify in the environmental performance of a process or a product from “cradle to grave”. LCA methodology provides a quantitative basis for assessing potential improvements in the environmental performance of a system throughout the life cycle. The system investigated includes the production of manufacturing materials, transport of manufacturing materials, color TV set manufacturing, transport of color TV sets, use of color TV sets, discarding color TV sets and partial plastic waste energy utilization. The environmental burdens that arise from color TV sets are mainly due to air emissions derived from fossil fuel utilization.     

典型复合包装的全生命周期环境影响评价研究

采用生命周期评价法研究了牛奶纸塑铝复合包装的全生命周期环境影响,并与塑料包装的环境影响进行比较评价.通过现场和资料调研的方式获得整个生命周期的能量物质的输入输出和环境外排的数据.结果表明,纸塑铝复合包装和塑料包装的环境影响值分别为5.225, 4.670Pt,在整个生命周期中,环境影响比重最大的是原材料获取阶段,两者均在80%左右.塑料包装在化石资源消耗方面是纸塑铝复合包装的2倍多,由于化石资源消耗是不可再生的,因此其对环境的影响无法通过相关途径降低.纸塑铝复合包装的环境影响较大的原因是其尚未得到很好的回收再生利用,通过发展铝塑分离再生技术和提高纸塑铝复合包装回收率可以降低其环境影响.     

The environmental effect of reusing and recycling a plastic-based packaging system

This Australian study presents the findings of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) that examined whether a re-use and recycle strategy for a plastic-based packaging that substantially reduces the quantity of waste to landfill would also reduce the overall environmental burden. The resources and environmental effects assessed over the life of each of the packagings included fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and photochemical oxidant precursors. The results demonstrate that recycle and reuse strategies for plastic-based products can yield significant environmental benefits. The study also includes some interesting findings regarding the relative contributions of transportation and construction energy, and the potential benefits of adjusting the impact assessment results to take into account the spatial variation in the significance of some environmental effects.     

Carbon footprint analysis for increasing water supply and sanitation in South Africa: a case study

This study investigates the environmental burdens due to the provision of potable water and sanitation in the eThekwini Municipality (Durban), South Africa. This was achieved by employing LCA studies for the individual parts of the urban water system (impoundment, water treatment, distribution, collection, sewage treatment and water recycling). Based on the results of the individual LCAs a base case was constructed.For the provision of potable water and sanitation to new customers, which have not been previously served, two different scenarios (200 000 new customers in an urban environment with waterborne sewage and in a peri-urban environment with on-site sanitation) and three different options (maximising use of existing assets, recycling water and building new infrastructure) were considered and analysed. With regard to the impact scores calculated for both scenarios (urban and peri-urban), the recycling of water is followed by maximising the use of existing assets as the most environmentally friendly options. The construction of new infrastructure carries a higher environmental burden and the use of bottled water for drinking (an additional scenario) carries the highest environmental burden.     

工程材料LCA中环境效益的分析与研究

论述了材料环境效益性的目标因素,详细分析产品材料在LCA中的环境效应性、能量消耗性和经济回收性;通过LCI分析建立环境效应、能量度量、经济度量的决策模型和数学模型实现材料环境效益性的目标;先整体定性分析LCA工艺,再定量计算环境效益的三属性值,建立目标函数、分层优化算法确定影响因子和相应的权重系数之间的关系以及对产品材料的环境效益性的影响,最后以家用小型风扇回收处理中各种材料环境效益性为例进行具体分析和决策,进一步明确和决策优化出环境效益性好的工程材料。     

ECO-design of reuse and recycling networks by multi-objective optimization

An ECO-optimized reuse of process liquors addresses the financial gain and the effective use of resources. In processes that have a potential for process liquor recovery, the minimization of both economic and environmental burdens can be realised by an ECO-optimal design of reuse and recycling network (RRN).In this paper, a procedure for synthesizing such an RRN for a metal finishing process is investigated. The simultaneous analysis of environmental impact sensitivity (SAEIS) based on a superstructure approach, combined with multi-objective optimization is performed by mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP). This allows an “eco–eco” trade-off i.e. total annualized cost and environmental impacts are minimized simultaneously. By varying the weighting factor, different RRN alternatives were generated. A replacement of the standard and closed-loop system by these solutions, even for the environmentally friendliest case, yielded a reasonable cost saving on raw material's inputs.     

An assessment of the recycling potential of materials basedon environmental and economic factors; case study in South Korea

As the generation of waste home appliances increases continuously with economic growth, the importance of recycling becomes more apparent. Many home appliances we use today are recyclable, and recyclable materials from the waste home appliances can be used to create new or refurbishing products. To do that, first of all, we have to know and consider the recyclable materials' recycling potential with environmental and economic information. In this study, an evaluation method to assess recycling potential considering both the environmental and economic factors was suggested for the materials recovered from waste home appliances. Life cycle assessment (LCA) method was applied to obtain the environmental score (S_Env) and an actual value and a static economic model was used to obtain the economic score (S_Eco). The recycling potential for recyclable materials was calculated by using the S_Env and S_Eco along with weighting factors derived from an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method. With the calculated data and evaluation method for the recycling materials, this study could provide useful information for decision makers and product designers in the design for environment (DfE).     

废铅酸电池回收制取再生铅合金技术的生命周期评价

废铅酸电池的回收利用已成为铅酸电池行业实现健康持续发展的关键一环.本文采用生命周期评价方法,分析了废铅酸电池回收制取铅合金技术及末端污染控制全过程的环境影响,并与废铅酸电池回收制铅锭再制电池材料和利用原生材料生产电池材料的过程进行了对比研究.结论表明废铅酸电池回收直接制取铅合金过程中铅膏熔炼和合金配制环节在各环境影响指标中的贡献较大(其中全球变暖潜值中占60%和33%,酸化潜值中占33%和54%,人体毒性潜值中占28%和57%),主要为辅助材料及能源动力带来的间接影响;利用原生材料生产电池材料过程的环境影响相对另两个过程更大,归一化的环境影响指标结果中人体毒性潜值、富营养化潜值及酸化潜值最大(分别为2.42×10~(-11)、1.26×10~(-11)和1.08×10~(-11)),其中铅原料生产的贡献比例占绝大部分.废电池回收直接制取再生铅合金与废电池回收制铅锭再制电池材料相比,环境影响表现更优,有利于形成电池生产企业的闭环循环过程,值得应用推广.未来应鼓励以废铅酸电池回收代替相应原生材料生产新电池,同时进一步减少回收过程中使用的资源能源环境影响,以带来更大的环境效益.     

Development of a life cycle assessment tool for construction and maintenance of asphalt pavements

The increasing use of recycled materials in asphalt pavements calls for environmental assessment of such impacts as the energy input and CO₂ footprint. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is being accepted by the road industry for such purpose. It aims to quantify and collate all the environmental impacts from the life time of the product or process. This paper reviews relevant LCA resources worldwide, identifies the knowledge gap for the road industry, and describes the development of an LCA model for pavement construction and maintenance that accommodates recycling and up-to-date research findings. Details are provided of both the methodology and data acquisition. This is followed by a discussion of the challenges of applying LCA to the pavement construction practice, and recommendations for further work. In the case study, the model is applied to an asphalt paving project at London Heathrow Terminal-5 (LHR), in which natural aggregates were replaced with waste glass, incinerator bottom ash (IBA) and recycled asphalt pavements (RAP). Production of hot mix asphalt and bitumen was found to represent the energy intensive processes. This is followed by data analysis and sensitivity check. Further development of the model includes expanding the database to accommodate the recycling and maintenance practice in the UK, and taking into account the effect that roadwork has on traffic emissions. The LCA model can be further tested and calibrated as a decision support tool for sustainable construction in the road industry.     

2nd Generation biofuels a sure bet? A life cycle assessment of how things could go wrong

Biofuels are heavily debated as to their potential to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. Life cycle thinking gave rise to formal evaluations of the energy balance of such fuels, which led to the vigorously conducted “corn to ethanol” debates. Just as consensus was building on such evaluations came the “carbon debt” insights, a result of applying consequential Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) backed by advanced economic modeling. Increasingly, hopes have shifted to the 2nd generation biofuels, viewed as a “technological home run”. Could this also backfire? We investigate a simple South African case in which there might not be improvements in environmental performance: a sugar mill sells its bagasse, currently used at low efficiency to provide process heat, to an advanced biofuels producer, and buys an equivalent amount of coal without investing in efficiency improvements. Seven scenarios are generated, ranging from the status quo, where no bagasse is diverted, to 100% bagasse diversion, with one scenario including an energy efficiency improvement in the sugar mill. A consequential LCA is applied to the seven scenarios, covering global warming potential (GWP), non-renewable energy use, aquatic eutrophication and terrestrial acidification. A basic financial analysis of the proposed scenarios shows that they are realistic, with potentially lucrative returns. Results show that diverting bagasse without efficiency improvements from its current use to an ethanol bio-refinery would indeed backfire for all environmental impacts studied. The base case outperforms all the other scenarios, with the 100% bagasse diversion scenario emerging the worst. Investments into energy efficiency are therefore a precondition for diverting cellulosic residues into biofuel production.     

LCA of spent fluorescent lamps in Thailand at various rates of recycling

This paper presents environmental impact of a fluorescent lamp (a long straight tube 36 watts, 200 g and 13,600 h for mean time before failure) when considering different disposal methods (recycle and non-recycle) of its spent fluorescent lamp (SFL). The study was applied for the case in Thailand using life cycle assessment (LCA) as a tool. All materials, energy use, and pollutant emissions to the environment from each related process were identified and analyzed. Impact assessment was conducted for 10 environmental impact potentials: carcinogens, respiratory organics, respiratory inorganics, climate change, radiation, ozone layer, ecotoxicity, acidification/eutrophication, land use and minerals. The analysis followed Eco-Indicator 99 method, individualist version 2.1. The main focus of the study was to compare the impact of SFL recycling with non-recycling before landfilling. The impact intermittent activities, production of raw material and energy used in all the concerned processes were taken into account. However, transportation activities were excluded. The results showed that for all recycling rates, cement production is the main contributor to the environmental impacts, while sodium sulfide production is second and electrical production, the third. Mercury vapor emission showed a small contribution in carcinogens and ecotoxicity. The impacts are reduced when recycling rate is increased. The reduction of cement consumption in disposal processes or the process improvement of cement production may also help to reduce environmental impacts.     

纸塑铝复合包装处置方式的生命周期评价

采用生命周期评价(LCA)法研究了纸塑铝复合包装的全生命周期环境影响,并在处置阶段对不同处置方式的环境影响进行评价. 通过现场和资料调研的方式,获得所有生命周期阶段能量物质的输入/输出和环境外排数据. 结果表明:纸塑铝复合包装生命周期阶段中环境影响比重最大的是原料获取阶段,占75%以上. 纸塑铝复合包装的全生命周期环境影响主要集中在化石燃料、土地占用和无机物对人体损害3个方面,在矿产资源、气候变化、酸化富营养化和生态毒性方面影响稍小. 3种处置方式对环境影响由大到小依次为填埋＞焚烧＞再生,其中填埋和焚烧处置分别比纸塑铝复合包装处置阶段前的环境影响增加11%和7%,再生可降低23%,而进一步降低环境影响的方式为发展铝塑分离技术.      

基于生命周期评价的城市固体废弃物处理模式研究进展

通过回顾2003-2010年国内外不同城市固体废弃物管理体系生命周期评价结果,列举比较了不同固体废弃物处理模式下的全球变暖潜力、酸化潜力和净能源效用等影响评价因子的大小,得出城市固体废弃物处理模式环境影响等级:填埋的环境影响潜值最大,焚烧的环境影响潜值小于填埋,而结合堆肥后环境影响潜值降低;此外,将固体废弃物资源化引入到处理模式后,特别是垃圾源头分类回收后,环境影响潜值大大降低。结合我国城市固体废弃物处理现状,提出单一的处理模式应转变为综合处理模式,多种生活垃圾处理方式适当的有机结合,因地制宜地开展固体废弃物资源化管理,以及餐厨垃圾源头分类收集处理等建议,为政府能有效利用城市固体废弃物处理设施的能力提供参考。     

加氢脱硫废金属催化剂回收生产过程生命周期评价

基于生命周期评价法(LCA)评价加氢脱硫废金属催化剂回收生产过程的环境影响,将回收生产过程分为6个阶段,选取了12种关键环境影响类型,通过建立物质投入及排放清单,基于eBalance软件进行建模和计算。结果表明:回收1 t废催化剂的总环境影响为1.11E-08,其中,全球变暖效应潜值(GWP)是废催化剂回收生产过程中最大的环境影响贡献类型。焙烧阶段的环境影响贡献最大,其次为提取钴镍阶段、浓缩蒸发阶段、提取钼钒阶段,预处理阶段、运输阶段的环境影响贡献很小。基于生命周期评价法提出能源替代方案,清洁能源替代方案的环境影响为4.98E-09,较回收工艺环境影响削减了55.16%的环境影响。     

中国废纸回收系统物质流分析与评价

构建了2017年中国废纸回收决策系统的基准模型,其中重点关注废纸非规范回收对中国国内废纸回收系统的经济效益和环境（GHG排放量）的影响.其次,对影响废纸回收系统效益的相关参数进行了灵敏度分析,最后在整合非规范回收商贩情境下对系统经济效益和GHG排放量进行了预测.结果表明：2017年中国废纸回收的经济效益约为458.3元/t,GHG排放量为901.1kgCO_2eq;规范回收率和非规范回收接受率都会对系统经济效益和改善GHG排放结构有显著影响;整合非规范回收企业以及个体回收商的情境下2030年经济效益将上升至3312.5元/t,而GHG排放量上升至942.9kgCO_2eq.并且通过情境预测发现整合非规范回收能提升规范回收率,这能有效的规范中国的废纸回收市场.     

Development and environmental improvements of plastics for hydrophilic catheters in medical care: an environmental evaluation

Single-use medical devices have been under close scrutiny for several years, especially the choice of plastic materials. Many different requirements such as medical safety, treatment functionality and efficiency, environmental performance, etc. have to be fulfilled. Today, the most commonly used materials for hydrophilic urinary catheters are polyvinylchloride (PVC) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). In this research study, these two materials' environmental performance was evaluated. In light of the knowledge gained in that study a new plastic material for use in urinary catheters was developed. The aim of the development of this new material was to design a high performance material with superior environmental performance. The newly developed plastic material is a polyolefin-based elastomer. The ecological environmental performance of the new material was evaluated and compared to the existing plastic materials. The study focused exclusively on the choice of plastic materials and their ecological environmental performance.The analysis has been performed using a system perspective and a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The functional unit has been set to the treatment of one patient during one year. The results from the LCA models have been presented both in terms of direct inventory data, such as energy use and formed emissions, and in terms of the results from four different impact assessment methods. Analysis of the results based on direct inventory data, i.e. common inventory results such as energy resource uses and emissions of CO₂, NO_x and SO₂ show an overall better environmental performance for the new polyolefin-based elastomer compared to the existing PVC and TPU plastic materials. The normalization and weighting steps in the analyzes have indicated the importance of energy resource uses and global warming as indicator for the environmental performance even if other impact categories also can play a role. In the environmental impact assessment, the polyolefin-based elastomer showed a clearly better environmental performance than the TPU material. Compared to PVC plastic material the new polyolefin-based elastomer showed an almost equivalent environmental performance. This can be mainly explained by the different materials' energy use. The new material has thus also shown to be an environmentally good alternative to PVC if a PVC-free material is requested. Basing the plastic formula, on simple bulk plastics with low energy use in the production of single-use medical devices, has been shown to be a successful method of producing high quality products with superior environmental performance.     

关于土壤环境污染及控制指导值制订问题的探讨

《土壤污染防治行动计划》是国家系统开展土壤污染预防、保护、管控和治理的重大战略部署。文章从污染物来源和土壤污染判断依据两方面探讨了"土壤污染"的概念;提出了我国的"土壤环境污染控制指导值"包括3套指导值,分别为"土壤环境风险筛选值"、"土壤环境修复指导值"和"土壤环境修复启动值",并分析了3套指导值的目标定位、制订策略和执行策略。     

Techno-economic assessment of recycling practices of municipal solid wastes in Cyprus

In this study, the application of modern recycling technologies in accordance with the European and Cyprus legislation, aiming at the recovery of paper, glass, plastics, aluminium and non-ferrous metals from municipal solid waste (MSW) is presented. The international situation was reviewed, the general trends are marked and the main recycling practices treatments are reported. The paper presents also an overview of the current practices and their environmental implications in Cyprus, and discusses the design and feasibility of a recycling plant located in Pafos area. Three recycling practices for recyclables that were separated at source, varied by their level of automation (0%, 50%, 100%), have been studied from the technical and economic aspect. It was considered that source segregation of organic part from the MSW takes place and no organic matter reaches the recycling plant. A sensitivity analysis was carried out in order to define the most significant parameters affecting the viability of a recycling scheme. It is proved that a fully automated recycling plant with a capacity of 6 tn/h of recyclables located in the industrial area of Pafos, seems to be conditionally feasible and economically profitable solution.     

Resources and waste management in Turin (Italy): the role of recycled aggregates in the sustainable supply mix

The ever increasing quantity of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) in Italy is presently challenging public administrators, which strive to ensure that collection and recycling are sustainably managed and need to understand whether and to what extent recycled aggregates can complement natural aggregates in a sustainable supply mix (SSM) for the construction industry. The paper presents a research aimed at analysing energy and environmental implications of the C&DW recycling chain in the administrative territory of Provincia di Torino in Northern Italy, with 2.25 million inhabitants and yearly generation of 1.8 million tons of C&DW. A combined Geographical Information System (GIS) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model was developed using site-specific data and paying particular attention to land use, transportation and avoided landfill: crucial issues for sustainable planning and management. A GIS was used to handle data and information about 89 recycling plants, including technological features, output and physical–mechanical characteristics of recycled aggregate. The LCA methodology was used to identify and quantify energy and environmental loads, under different assumptions relevant to delivery distances, quality of recycled aggregates, local availability of natural aggregates and geographical coverage of market demand. The C&DW recycling chain was proved to be eco-efficient, as avoided impacts were found to be higher than the induced impacts for 13 out of 14 environmental indicators. It was also estimated that the transportation distance of recycled aggregate should increase 2–3 times before the induced impacts outweigh the avoided impacts.