| 1. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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The value of assessing multiple perspectives and transdisciplinary approaches in the transition to a bio-based economy : The prospect for transforming mixed food waste into bio-based chemicals
- 2017
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Ingår i: Life Cycle Management Conference. - Luxemburg : Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In line with current political and industrial ambitions for a transition into a bio-based economy, food waste can be an alternative to agro- and forest-based resources. The amount of food waste generated every year is about 1.3 billion tons globally. The vast amounts cause problems related to climate change and resource depletion, as well as economic challenges related to waste disposal. These problems could be solved by transforming food waste into valuable products like bio-based chemicals. Succinic acid (SA) is one such chemical with high market potential in its bio-based version. It is already produced commercially based on cultivated biomass. Several initiatives also exist to examine the use of food waste as feedstock for SA production. Most of these initiatives are limited to homogenous industrial waste streams, but a research project in Sweden is looking also at mixed food waste (MFW) as an alternative feedstock.The purpose of this project is to evaluate the prospect for transforming mixed food waste into bio-based chemicals, such as SA. As the prospect depends on many factors, the examination is addressed with multiple perspectives: Technical and social system structures are explored, in addition to resource- and environmental implications. Several methods are thus involved in the different types of evaluations, such as the technical evaluation (including laboratory cultivation tests, and mechanical property testing), the social evaluation (including actors analysis, policy analysis, market analysis, and societal acceptance), the resources evaluation (including waste flow analysis and material flow analysis), and the environmental evaluation (including life cycle assessment of current and future valorization techniques for mixed food waste).The project uses a transdisciplinary approach and offers as such an arena where both research partners and industrial partners meet and discuss possible options for MFW-based SA production in Sweden. Here we present the results of one possible production route, where microbial production of SA from MFW in Sweden is used as a case study.Results of the case study show that even though, from a technical and resource system perspective, production seems possible, from a social system perspective it lacks institutional support and actor commitment and alignment for realizing development in Sweden. From an environmental and life cycle perspective, the framing of the question is decisive for the results: SA production from MFW is environmentally beneficial if compared with the SA production from corn, but from a pure waste handling perspective, it is environmentally better to produce biogas than SA from MFW.The findings thus indicate that different perspectives and different methods contribute with a useful holistic perspective to the evaluation. The case study is not providing a definite answer on whether the prospects for transforming MFW into bio-based chemicals are favorable or not, but gives a nuanced evaluation that offers a more firm foundation for decision than one perspective or method in isolation. The transdisciplinary approach can inform an arena of research and industrial partners with different perspectives to facilitate discussion and more well-informed decisions. The case clearly illustrates that an efficient and sustainable transition to a bio-based economy is supported by assessing multiple perspectives and applying a transdisciplinary approach.
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| 2. |
- Brunklaus, Birgit, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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The value of transdisciplinary perspectives duringtransition to a bio-based economy : The prospect for converting mixed food wasteinto bio-based chemicals
- 2018
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Ingår i: Designing Sustainable Technologies, Products andPolicies. - Cham : Spinger. - 9783319669809 - 9783319669816 ; , s. 327-335
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Within the current political and industrial transition to a bio-basedeconomy, food waste can be an alternative resource for biobased chemicals. Thischapter describes a case study that evaluates the prospect for Swedish production ofbiobased chemicals such as succinic acid from food waste. The evaluation isaddressed from multiple systems perspectives. From a technical and resourcesystem perspective, the results of the case study show that production seems possible.However, from a social system perspective succinic acid production currentlylacks institutional support and actor commitment and alignment for realizingdevelopment in Sweden. From an environmental and life cycle perspective, thescoping of the analysis is decisive for the results. The study shows that multipleperspectives complement each other when seeking a nuanced evaluation of technicalinnovation and give insights for the intended value chain.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Ahlgren, Serina, et al.
(författare)
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Review of methodological choices in LCA of biorefinery systems - key issues and recommendations
- 2015
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Ingår i: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. - : Wiley. - 1932-1031 .- 1932-104X. ; 9:5, s. 606-619
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The current trend in biomass conversion technologies is toward more efficient utilization of biomass feedstock in multiproduct biorefineries. Many life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies of biorefinery systems have been performed but differ in how they use the LCA methodology. Based on a review of existing LCA standards and guidelines, this paper provides recommendations on how to handle key methodological issues when performing LCA studies of biorefinery systems. Six key issues were identified: (i) goal definition, (ii) functional unit, (iii) allocation of biorefinery outputs, (iv) allocation of biomass feedstock, (v) land use, and (vi) biogenic carbon and timing of emissions. Many of the standards and guidelines reviewed here provide only general methodological recommendations. Some make more specific methodological recommendations, but these often differ between standards. In this paper we present some clarifications (e.g. examples of research questions and suitable functional units) and methodological recommendations (e.g. on allocation).
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Petra, et al.
(författare)
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DEROCA Project finished
- 2015
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Ingår i: Brandposten. ; :53, s. 25-
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Barletta, Ilaria Giovanna, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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Prerequisites for a high-level framework to design sustainable plants in the e-waste supply chain
- 2015
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Ingår i: Procedia CIRP. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-8271. ; 29, s. 633-638
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Currently few attempts to properly structure knowledge that specifically supports a fully sustainable e-waste treatment system design have been proposed in literature. As a result, this paper sets up the prerequisites for a high-level framework to design sustainable plants in the supply chain of e-waste. The framework addresses production and environmental engineers mainly. The methodology grows out of literature studies, research project’s outcomes and interviews with a group of sector experts. Stemming from this, a list of prerequisites was presented for the case study of an automated plant for e-waste sorting in order to design it while considering the triple-bottom-line of sustainability.
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| 8. |
- Baumann, Henrikke, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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The Usefulness of an Actor’s Perspective in LCA
- 2011
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Ingår i: Towards Life Cycle Sustainability Management. - Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands. - 9789400718982 ; , s. 73-83
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper is an argumentation for adding an actor’s perspective to lifecycleassessment (LCA). The need for this perspective stems from a criticismabout the usefulness of LCA interpretation methods comparing the relativecontribution of life-cycle phases of a product. Our argumentation is based on fourpreviously published studies providing practical examples of how value chainactors’ influence may be considered in an LCA and the benefit of doing so.Manufacturing sector examples show how one company's influence can beillustrated in results and how it may relate all relevant emissions to its ownprocesses. The food sector study shows how to assess several value chain actors’individual improvement potential. The final example, taken from building sector,explore how to consider the fact that actors in one part of the value chain caninfluence other actors to improve.
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