Framework for the Development of Thai Normalisation Factors for Life Cycle Assessment in Thailand

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has become a widely recognized method for evaluating the environmental performance of a product or system along its supply chain. Nowadays, site-dependent Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods have been developed and LCA results could therefore potentially reflect the local, national, and/or regional environmental conditions. In Thailand, site-dependent normalisation factors (NFs) which could support the local decision context have not been developed yet. The objectives of this study are to review underlying methodologies of the NFs in existing LCIA methods; and to establish a framework for the development of Thai NFs. Depending upon the spatial scales, four LCIA methods (ReCiPe2016, EF 3.0, CML-IA baseline, and TRACI 2.1) were selected to be reviewed and considered when designing a framework. The theoretical approach for the NFs of the four selected LCIA methods is similar but the considered impact categories are different depending upon the spatial distribution and targeted environmental impacts. NFs from each LCIA method apply different reference inventory and year depending upon its spatial scale and data availability, and apply different approaches for data source selection. The selection of an appropriate reference system and representative year for the inventory, and data gap filling are essential criteria to develop NFs for life cycle assessment in Thailand. After the reference inventory is developed for the NFs of desired spatial scale (regional or national), the robustness of the inventory should be evaluated to reflect the actual impacts from each category. The developed framework could provide the required information for the future development of NFs and satisfy the required gap specific for Thailand. Besides, this framework is potentially applicable for other regions

The role of global waste management and circular economy towards carbon neutrality

Solid waste management is a cross-cutting issue that significantly influences multiple aspects of sustainable development globally. The waste sector is a major anthropogenic source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Most global GHG assessments of waste management rely on generic data due to limitations in available data. This research used reflective inventory data for municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment systems related to the income levels of countries, resulting in more context-specific and comprehensive assessments of GHG emissions. This study aims to assess life cycle GHG emissions from the global MSW management sector for the years 2023, 2030, and 2050 and then analyses the global and regional waste management goals set by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Union (EU) to identify hotspots in the MSW management systems and critical factors that influence GHG emissions from the waste sector. The study was conducted in accordance with the standards outlined in ISO 14067:2018. The results show that the average global GHG emissions from 1 tonne of MSW in 2023 based on the existing MSW management practices was approximately 89.7 kg CO2e. The major contributor was the open dumping of MSW, contributing almost 70 % of GHG emissions. The global MSW management sector emitted a total of 173.2 Mt CO2e GHG emissions in 2023. If no improvements are made to existing systems, GHG emissions from the waste sector are projected to increase to 203.4 Mt CO2e by 2030, and to 289.5 Mt CO2e by 2050. Achieving waste management goals can reduce GHG emissions by approximately 1 % to more than 160 %. The implementation of the circular economy in the waste sector has the potential to achieve net zero emissions from the global MSW management sector by 2030 and 2050. This study provides achievable MSW management targets for the world and highlights key factors to achieve carbon neutrality from the waste sector. Prioritising policies such as upgrading open dumps, standardising household-level waste separation procedures, minimising food waste, establishing national recycling targets, and promoting circular economy through a zero-waste approach could substantially reduce GHG emissions from the waste sector. These findings are important for the adoption of circular economy principles in MSW management systems to effectively support the pursuit of carbon neutrality goals

Energy production, nutrient recovery and greenhouse gas emission potentials from integrated pig manure management systems

Improper management of pig manure has resulted in environmental problems such as surface water eutrophication, ground water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. This study develops and compares 14 alternative manure management scenarios aiming at energy and nutrient extraction. The scenarios based on combinations of thermal pretreatment, anaerobic digestion, anaerobic co-digestion, liquid/solid separation, drying, incineration, and thermal gasification were compared with respect to their energy, nutrient and greenhouse gas balances. Both sole pig manure and pig manure mixed with other types of waste materials were considered. Data for the analyses were obtained from existing waste treatment facilities, experimental plants, laboratory measurements and literature. The assessment reveals that incineration combined with liquid/solid separation and drying of the solids is a promising management option yielding a high potential energy utilization rate and greenhouse gas savings. If maximum electricity production is desired, anaerobic digestion is advantageous as the biogas can be converted to electricity at high efficiency in a gas engine while allowing production of heat for operation of the digestion process. In conclusion, this study shows that the choice of technology has a strong influence on energy, nutrient and greenhouse gas balances. Thus, to get the most reliable results, it is important to consider the most representative (and up-to-date) technology combined with data representing the area or region in question. </jats:p

Carbon Footprint: Concept, Methodology and Calculation

Carbon footprint (CF) is nowadays one of the most widely used environmental indicators and calculations of CF have been recently in very high demand. Many approaches, methodologies and tools, from simplified online calculators to other more scientific and complex life-cycle based methods, have been developed and are available for estimations. CF evaluations are, in general, focused on products and organizations, but calculation approach have been developed also for specific themes/sectors, such as for instance cities, individuals, households, farms, etc. This chapter is aimed at giving an updated and comprehensive overview on the concept of CF, and also on methodologies, technical standards, protocols and tools for its calculation. Attention is focused on the two main and usual scopes of CF assessment, i.e. products and organizations, but also on other relevant specific study subjects, also discussing methodological differences and issues.5n