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Number of results: 8
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Abstract

The transition to circular economy requires diversifying material sources, improving secondary raw materials management, including recycling, and finally finding sustainable alternative materials. Both recycled and bio-based plastics are often regarded as promising

alternatives to conventional fossil-based plastics. Their broad application instead of fossilbased plastics is, however, frequently the subject of criticism because of offering limited

environmental benefits. The study presents a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of

fossil-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) versus its recycled and bio-based counterparts. The system boundary covers the plastics manufacturing and end-of-life plastic management stages (cradle-to-cradle/grave variant). Based on the data and assumptions set

out in the research, recycled PET (rPET) demonstrates the best environmental profile out

of the evaluated plastics in all impact categories. The study contributes to circular economy in plastics by providing transparent and consistent knowledge on their environmental

portfolio.

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Authors and Affiliations

Magdalena Rybaczewska-Błażejowska
Angel Mena-Nieto
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Abstract

In this study, the environmental impacts of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) treatment and its conversion in anaerobic digestion to glycerol tertiary butyl ether (GTBE) were assessed. The production process is a part of the innovative project of a municipal waste treatment plant. The BioRen project is funded by the EU’s research and innovation program H2020. A consortium has been set up to implement the project and to undertake specific activities to achieve the expected results. The project develops the production of GTBE which is a promising fuel additive for both diesel and gasoline. It improves engine performance and reduces harmful exhaust emissions. At the same time, the project focuses on using non-recyclable residual organic waste to produce this ether additive.

The aim of this paper is the evaluation through Life Cycle Assessment of the environmental impact GTBE production in comparison with a production of other fuels. To quantify the environmental impacts of GTBE production, the ILCD 2011 Midpoint+ v.1.10 method was considered. The study models the production of GTBE, including the sorting and separation of municipal solid waste (MSW), pre-treatment of organic content, anaerobic fermentation, distillation, catalytic dehydration of isobutanol to isobutene, etherification of GTBE with isobutene and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC).

The results indicate that unit processes: sorting and hydrothermal carbonization mostly affect the environment. Moreover, GTBE production resulted in higher environmental impact than the production of conventional fuels.

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Authors and Affiliations

Magdalena Muradin
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Abstract

The paper presents an application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method for the environmental evaluation of the technologies for the fertilizers production. LCA has been used because it enables the most comprehensive identifi cation, documentation and quantifi cation of the potential impacts on the environment and the evaluation and comparison of all signifi cant environmental aspects. The main objective of the study was to assess and compare two technologies for the production of phosphorus (P) fertilizers coming from primary and secondary sources. In order to calculate the potential environmental impact the IMPACT 2002+ method was used. The fi rst part of the LCA included an inventory of all the materials used and emissions released by the system under investigation. In the following step, the inventory data were analyzed and aggregated in order to calculate one index representing the total environmental burden. In the scenario 1, fertilizers were produced with use of an integrated technology for the phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge ash (SSA) and P fertilizer production. Samples of SSA collected from two Polish mono-incineration plants were evaluated (Scenario 1a and Scenario 1b). In the scenario 2, P-based fertilizer (reference fertilizer – triple superphosphate) was produced from primary sources – phosphate rock.

The results of the LCA showed that both processes contribute to a potential environmental impact. The overall results showed that the production process of P-based fertilizer aff ects the environment primarily through the use of the P raw materials. The specifi c results showed that the highest impact on the environment was obtained for the Scenario 2 (1.94899 Pt). Scenario 1a and 1b showed the environmental benefi ts associated with the avoiding of SSA storage and its emissions, reaching -1.3475 Pt and -3.82062 Pt, respectively. Comparing results of LCA of P-based fertilizer production from diff erent waste streams, it was indicated that the better environmental performance was achieved in the scenario 1b, in which SSA had the higher content of P (52.5%) in the precipitate. In this case the lower amount of the energy and materials, including phosphoric acid, was needed for the production of fertilizer, calculated as 1 Mg P2O5. The results of the LCA may play a strategic role for the decision-makers in the aspect of searching and selection of the production and recovery technologies. By the environmental evaluation of diff erent alternatives of P-based fertilizers it is possible to recognize and implement the most sustainable solutions.

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Authors and Affiliations

Marzena Smol
1
ORCID: ORCID
Joanna Kulczycka
2
ORCID: ORCID
Łukasz Lelek
1
Katarzyna Gorazda
3
Zbigniew Wzorek
3

  1. Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences
  2. AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland
  3. Cracow University of Technology, Poland
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Abstract

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an important tool of Circular Economy (CE), which performs the analysis in a closed loop (“cradle-to-cradle”) of any product, process or technology. LCA assesses the environmental threats (climate change, ozone layer depletion, eutrophication, biodiversity loss, etc.), searches for solutions to minimize environmental burdens and together with CE contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emission, counteracts global climate crisis. The CE is a strategy for creating value for the economy, society and business while minimizing resource use and environmental impacts through reducing, re-using and recycling. In contrast, life cycle assessment is a robust and science-based tool to measure the environmental impacts of products, services and business models. Combining both the robustness of the LCA methodology and the principles of circular economy one will get a holistic approach for innovation. After a presentation of the LCA framework and methods used, 27 examples of case studies of comparative LCA analysis for replacement materials to reduce environmental load and their challenges as assessment methods for CE strategies are presented. It was concluded that there is a need for improvement of existing solutions, developing the intersection between the CE and LCA. Suggestions for developing a sustainable future were also made.
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Authors and Affiliations

Stanisław Ledakowicz
1
ORCID: ORCID
Aleksandra Ziemińska-Stolarska
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, 213 Wólczańska Street, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
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Abstract

This paper attempts to conduct a comparative life cycle environmental analysis of alternative versions of a product that was manufactured with the use of additive technologies. The aim of the paper was to compare the environmental assessment of an additive-manufactured product using two approaches: a traditional one, based on the use of SimaPro software, and the authors’ own concept of a newly developed artificial intelligence (AI) based approach. The structure of the product was identical and the research experiments consisted in changing the materials used in additive manufacturing (from polylactic acid (PLA) to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)). The effects of these changes on the environmental factors were observed and a direct comparison of the effects in the different factors was made. SimaPro software with implemented databases was used for the analysis. Missing information on the environmental impact of additive manufacturing of PLA and ABS parts was taken from the literature for the purpose of the study. The novelty of the work lies in the results of a developing concurrent approach based on AI. The results showed that the artificial intelligence approach can be an effective way to analyze life cycle assessment (LCA) even in such complex cases as a 3D printed medical exoskeleton. This approach, which is becoming increasingly useful as the complexity of manufactured products increases, will be developed in future studies.
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Authors and Affiliations

Ewa Dostatni
1
ORCID: ORCID
Anna Dudkowiak
1
ORCID: ORCID
Izabela Rojek
2
ORCID: ORCID
Dariusz Mikołajewski
2
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Material Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
  2. Institute of Computer Science, Kazimierz Wielki University, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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Abstract

Occurrences associated with the phenomena of climate change are increasingly visible. Effects of progressive environmental pollution are monitored with growing concern. Still, in the construction sector, the choice of sustainable materials and the knowledge concerning them is insignificant. Studies have shown that single-family residential buildings form the largest share of new buildings in Central European countries. It should be assumed that it is the improvement of this particular section of the construction sector to be the goal of further development of societies. This paper presents a case study of the construction of a house using straw - a material that, on the one hand, is a product associated with local tradition, while significantly reducing carbon footprint of its production and use, on the other. The construction of a prototypical house with the application of composite technology, i.e. timber framing with straw bale infill, was compared with a conventional method (ceramic masonry units) which is currently the most popular choice for building single-family houses in Poland. The study is based on the building’s life cycle assessment (LCA) over its consecutive phases as a tested and reliable method of the verification of a material’s impact on the environment.
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Authors and Affiliations

Magdalena Kozień-Woźniak
1
ORCID: ORCID
Marta Fąfara
2
ORCID: ORCID
Łukasz Łukaszewski
3
ORCID: ORCID
Eliza Owczarek
4
ORCID: ORCID
Marcin Gierbienis
4
ORCID: ORCID

  1. DSc., PhD., Eng., Arch., Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-115 Cracow, Poland
  2. PhD., Eng., Arch., Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-115 Cracow, Poland
  3. PhD., Eng., Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-115 Cracow, Poland
  4. MSc., Eng., Arch., Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-115 Cracow, Poland
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Abstract

Popular, traditional building materials typically exhibit a high energy intensity and a detrimental effect on the environment. Only a negligible part of them are recovered and recycled, re-used in the building trade or other branches of industry. However, the technology of building detached houses based on ceramic blocks is still most often favored by investors due to its price and high availability (in terms of materials and workmanship). The research indicates that 25–30% of CO2 emissions generated by buildings originate from materials and their manufacturing process. In contrast, 70–75% can be attributed to the use of buildings over a longer period of time. As a result, the importance of alternative materials with minimal environmental impacts is growing year by year. Eco-friendly housing, using natural products, pollutes the environment less significantly compared to conventional construction. Its key element is the use of materials characterized by the lowest possible degree of processing, and thus by the lowest possible embodied energy. A type of material that perfectly fits into the above assumptions is straw bale. The purpose of the article focus on, four variants of a construction of detached house have been compared by means of the LCA method. Variant I – the reference one, presents the technology utilizing ceramic hollow bricks, variants II, III and IV are eco-friendly technologies employing wood and straw. The study presents the amount of energy required for construction and carbon footprint that remains in the environment following the construction of the buildings.
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Authors and Affiliations

Marta Fąfara
1
ORCID: ORCID
Łukasz Łukaszewski
2
ORCID: ORCID
Eliza Owczarek
1
ORCID: ORCID
Izabela Źrebiec
2
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
  2. Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
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Abstract

In the developing countries, to build earthquake resistance construction along with seismic retrofit technology, the focus towards global warming problems along with sustainable society, production utilizing natural material, Bamboo lower-cost faster-growing and broad distribution of growth is promoted crucially. To get knowledge about the Bamboo Reinforced Concrete’s (BRC) mechanical behavior along with to verify the variations of structural properties betwixt Steel Reinforced Concrete (SRC) and BRC, researches have been made by several authors. BRC beams are simple, effective, along with cost-effective for rural construction and for which the trials are made in these studies. There is a huge concern over the lifespan of bamboo as it is employed as a substitute for steel; thus, it is enhanced by undergoing certain mechanical along with chemical treatments. The parametric study displays that regarding the robustness along with stability, bamboo is utilized in Reinforced Concrete (RC). Here, the Bamboo Reinforcement’s (BR) performance together with its durability is illustrated by assessing the laboratory determinations as of the available literature.
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Authors and Affiliations

Amogh Ajay Malokar
1
ORCID: ORCID
Premanand L. Naktode
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. School of Engineering & Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Sandip University, Nashik, Maharashtra, India

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