| 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. |
- 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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| 3. |
- 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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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Berlin, Johanna, 1971, et al.
(författare)
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A life cycle based method to minimise environmental impact of dairy production through product sequencing
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 15:4, s. 347-356
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The trend of increasing the number of dairy products for sale affects their environmental impact in a life cycle perspective. During dairy processing, the production schedule is affected by more frequent product changes, hence also cleaning operations. This causes more milk waste, use of cleaning agents and water. The amount of milk waste depends on the product change technique used, which is determined by the characteristics of the product. A method was designed to calculate the sequence, which, for a given set of yoghurt products, minimises milk waste. A heuristic method, based on the strive to minimise production waste combined with production rules, was worked out. To determine whether the heuristic solution gives the best possible sequence from an environmental perspective, an optimisation was also made. The analytical method used for optimisation was able to handle 21 products and verified the heuristic method for a waste minimised sequence up to that level. It is also highly probable that for sequences including a greater number of items waste can be minimised with the same heuristic method. A successful demonstration of the possibility to make a more complete environmental assessment was fulfilled by connecting the sequencing model to conventional life cycle assessment methodology.
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| 7. |
- Berlin, Johanna, 1971, et al.
(författare)
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Environmental improvement actions by retailers
- 2013
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Ingår i: LCM 2013. ; , s. 4-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- As retailers´ decisions give environmental consequences both upstream and downstream the value chain, there is need of a tool for valuation of decisions and actions. This project has further developed and tested an actor based LCA methodology for retailers in case studies of egg and pork. Retailers improvement actions has been change in storage practice as well as transport practise e.g. home delivery. The result showed no environmental difference in longer storage, while there is a high environmental potential in offering home delivery. The actor based LCA methodology gives retailers better knowledge of their own environmental actions in the life cycle, as well as gives ideas for collaboration along the chain.
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| 8. |
- Berlin, Johanna, 1971
(författare)
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Environmental Improvments of the Post-Farm Dairy Chain: Production Management by Systems Analysis Methods
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The production of dairy products is becoming more centralised at the same time as the number of different products is steadily increasing. In this thesis. the environmental impact of such ongoing development trends in the post-farm dairy chain was evaluated and improvements were suggested. Methods for production management and environmental systems analysis (life cycle assessment, material flow analysis and substance flow analysis) were combined and used in the evaluations. A first assessment of potential future developments in the dairy chain showed that the least preferable scenario from an environmental point of view was the one most similar to trends in the dairy chain of today. Subsequent investigations revealed the same result. Large dairy units with long distance transports lead to a higher environmental impact than small dairy units. On the other hand, small dairy units are those for which the environmental impact is affected the most by the rising variety of cultured products. The changed consumption patterns towards more cultured products and cheese, instead of milk, cause an increased environmental impact with regard to the cultured products, whereas for cheese no clear effect was found. To enable counteraction of negative environmental effects of increased product variety, a method to sequence the production of cultured dairy products with as little environmental impact as possible was developed. The method combines production management methods and environmental systems analysis. A heuristic solution to the sequencing problem was developed and, to the extent possible, validated with an optimisation. The method was used in a case study which revealed not only the importance of a waste minimised sequence but also that of a low production frequency. Life cycle assessment was combined with an actor analysis to examine the potential of the actors in the post-farm chain (dairy, retailer and consumer) to decrease the environmental impact of dairy products. Cutting down waste of product proved to be an effective way to reduce environmental consequences. Saving energy and improving transport patterns gave in general smaller reductions. Choosing organic products decreased most environmental categories at the expense of increased eutrophication.
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| 9. |
- Berlin, Johanna, 1971
(författare)
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Environmental systems analysis of industrial dairy production
- 2004
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Ingår i: The Food 21 Symposium, Extended abstracts. - 9157666261 ; 2004:2, s. 150-154
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The offering of the number of milk products for sale has increased during recent years. In fact the dairy sector leads Europe in terms of innovative markets of the food sector, followed by ready made meals (1). This development is driven both by the industry and by customer demand. The milk produced at the farms has to be processed promptly into products at the dairy. Since changing the volume of milk production at a dairy farm is a slow process, it is not possible to adjust the amount of incoming milk to rapidly changing market requirements, nor can milk be stored for long periods of time. As the volume of incoming milk to the dairy cannot easily be adjusted, the mix of outgoing products is changed instead. A larger variety of products makes it easier to balance the outflow from the dairy with the inflow. In addition, increased dairy product diversity is driven by the industrys strive to create greater demand for its produce, and consumers demand for new types of products. At the same time environmental concern in society has grown strong. Increased product diversity potentially affects the life cycle environmental impact of dairy products in several different ways. Examples include the risk for increased waste of milk, both in dairies and in households, and consequently increased raw milk production. Another consequence with potential environmental implications is changed transportation patterns. This paper does not address all environmental changes of increased product diversity, but is focused on how adverse environmental effects may be counteracted at the dairy production unit level. The production scheduling then becomes a key activity, influencing a wide range of issues with environmental implications, such as waste of product, need for cleaning of production equipment and packaging waste. The aim of this study was to construct a model that can support dairy production units to schedule their production of multiple products with minimal environmental impact. Production of cultured products (yoghurt) was chosen as a case study.
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| 10. |
- Berlin, Johanna, 1971, et al.
(författare)
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Metod för utvärdering av miljöåtgärder realiserbara genom styrmedel
- 2006
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Ingår i: Styrmedelsanalys med livscykel- och innovationssystemperspektiv. Metod och fallstudier. Naturvårdsverkets rapport nr 2295, Stockholm. - Göteborg, Sverige : SIK Institutet för livsmedel och bioteknik.
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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