Comparative evaluation of life cycle assessment models for solid waste management

• Published in: Waste management (Elmsford) 2007-01, Vol.27 (8), p.1021-1031
• Main Authors: Winkler, Jörg, Bilitewski, Bernd
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carbon Dioxide - analysis; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COMPUTER CODES; Conservation of Natural Resources; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Exact sciences and technology; FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY; General treatment and storage processes; Germany; Greenhouse Effect; Humans; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; Models, Theoretical; Other wastes and particular components of wastes; Pollution; Refuse Disposal - methods; Reproducibility of Results; SIMULATION; SOLID WASTES; WASTE MANAGEMENT; Wastes
• ISSN: 0956-053X; 1879-2456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2007.02.023

This publication compares a selection of six different models developed in Europe and America by research organisations, industry associations and governmental institutions. The comparison of the models reveals the variations in the results and the differences in the conclusions of an LCA study done with these models. The models are compared by modelling a specific case – the waste management system of Dresden, Germany – with each model and an in-detail comparison of the life cycle inventory results. Moreover, a life cycle impact assessment shows if the LCA results of each model allows for comparable and consecutive conclusions, which do not contradict the conclusions derived from the other models’ results. Furthermore, the influence of different level of detail in the life cycle inventory of the life cycle assessment is demonstrated. The model comparison revealed that the variations in the LCA results calculated by the models for the case show high variations and are not negligible. In some cases the high variations in results lead to contradictory conclusions concerning the environmental performance of the waste management processes. The static, linear modelling approach chosen by all models analysed is inappropriate for reflecting actual conditions. Moreover, it was found that although the models’ approach to LCA is comparable on a general level, the level of detail implemented in the software tools is very different.