Regional Pilot Studies on Municipal Waste Manangement - Application of Life Cycle Approaches

As highlighted in the European Commission Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste, the proposed revisions to the European Waste Framework Directive, and the Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, life cycle thinking is a key element for the sustainable management of wastes. This is also important with respect to the goals set by the European Heads of State and Government in the Lisbon Agenda, which aims to make the EU “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy by 2010”. To help achieve this objective, it is essential to move away from wastes, towards sustainable, high value end-of-life services that are supported by knowledge and education. In 2004, following its international workshop and conference on life cycle assessment and waste management , the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) of the European Commission’s Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) launched a series of regional pilot case studies in collaboration with representatives of the Union’s new member states and acceding countries. The representatives selected and provided data for nine waste management regions. These initial life cycle assessments took into account the situation around 2003 in each region and example management scenarios that achieve Directive compliance and beyond, focusing on some of the key emissions, wastes generated, and resources consumed. The pilot studies also highlight the potential for further benefits in terms of reducing at the same time both waste management costs and environmental burdens. The objective of this paper is to present the outcomes of these demonstration studies, extended by example comparison through monetisation, derived from second phase of the project, where the waste management options were considered only for two of selected regions, but with application of more detailed data and robust methodologies.

KONECZNY Karol;  PENNINGTON David; 

2007-09-20

KGHM Cuprum

JRC36130