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Looking beyond the banning of lightweight bags: analysing the role of plastic (and fuel) impacts in waste collection at a Portuguese city

2019Journal article Restricted access
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dc.contributor.authorFernández Braña, Álvaro
dc.contributor.authorFeijoo, Gumersindo
dc.contributor.authorFerreira, Célia
dc.date.accessioned2020-03-04T19:47:32Z
dc.date.available2020-03-04T19:47:32Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.date.updated2020-02-29T11:05:34Z
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this work is to assess the environmental impacts of the collection of mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) in a selected neighbourhood of the Portuguese city of Aveiro. To this purpose, the main elements necessary for the collection process (carrier bags, dustbins, street containers and vehicles) were analysed applying the life cycle assessment methodology, making use of locally gathered data. The main impacts associated with this activity are mostly related to the use of polyethylene plastic bags to carry the waste from the household to the waste container, and to the fuel consumption of collection vehicle that picks MSW from street containers and transports it to the treatment facility. The impacts associated with the plastic bags were primarily due to their disposal in a sanitary landfill after use and secondarily to the consumption of fossil raw materials required for their production. Given the relative high impact of the plastic bags, alternative scenarios were tested: using bags entirely produced with recycled polyethylene and bags produced with bio-based plastics derived from starch (TPS) and from wastewater (PHA). PHA bio-based bags were found to perform slightly better than conventional high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags, but HDPE bags with 100% recycled content remained as the environmentally best option. A sensitivity analysis was performed to check the influence of bag size. Regarding the fuel consumption by collection vehicles, a comparison was performed to check how sitespecific conditions can influence the impact of this activity, resulting in remarkably higher consumptions when local data were used instead of reference databases.pt_PT
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work received financial support from LIFE+, the financial instrument of the EU for the environment, for funding the LIFE PAYT project (LIFE 15/ENV/PT/000609). C. Dias-Ferreira received support through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – of POCH – Programa Operacional Capital Humano – within ESF – European Social Fund – and of national funds from MCTES – Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (SFRH/BPD/ 100717/2014).pt_PT
dc.description.sponsorshipLIFE15 ENV/PT/000609
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionpt_PT
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s11356-019-05938-wpt_PT
dc.identifier.eid2-s2.0-85069709499
dc.identifier.eissn1614-7499
dc.identifier.issn0944-1344
dc.identifier.slugcv-prod-784405
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/9436
dc.language.isoporpt_PT
dc.peerreviewedyespt_PT
dc.relationRAW - Recovering nutrients from wastes: eco-innovative solutions to transform waste into resources
dc.subjectMunicipal waste collectionpt_PT
dc.subjectLife cycle assessmentpt_PT
dc.subjectEnvironmental performancept_PT
dc.subjectBioplasticpt_PT
dc.subjectPolyhydroxyalkanoatespt_PT
dc.subjectThermoplastic starchpt_PT
dc.subjectRecycled polyethylenept_PT
dc.subjectFuel consumptionpt_PT
dc.titleLooking beyond the banning of lightweight bags: analysing the role of plastic (and fuel) impacts in waste collection at a Portuguese citypt_PT
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.awardTitleRAW - Recovering nutrients from wastes: eco-innovative solutions to transform waste into resources
oaire.awardURIinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT//SFRH%2FBPD%2F100717%2F2014/PT
oaire.citation.titleEnvironmental Science and Pollution Researchpt_PT
person.familyNameFernández Braña
person.familyNameFeijoo
person.familyNameFerreira
person.givenNameÁlvaro
person.givenNameGumersindo
person.givenNameCélia
person.identifier2099871
person.identifier.ciencia-id931E-FBDE-2098
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0351-2664
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-6231-3887
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-7456-2538
person.identifier.scopus-author-id7003967670
project.funder.identifierhttp://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
project.funder.nameFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
rcaap.cv.cienciaid931E-FBDE-2098 | Célia Maria Dias Ferreira
rcaap.rightsrestrictedAccesspt_PT
rcaap.typearticlept_PT
relation.isAuthorOfPublication51c08f79-5b4e-4482-9dbd-651866a1e2a4
relation.isAuthorOfPublicatione61dca3b-b97c-4899-b8be-3a994fcd3c13
relation.isAuthorOfPublicatione30010dd-0512-4da6-a0c9-910b47f18b4f
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoverye30010dd-0512-4da6-a0c9-910b47f18b4f
relation.isProjectOfPublicationbfc45dda-8ea4-41eb-a77f-052f571a7454
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