title: A cumulative energy demand indicator (CED), life cycle based, for industrial waste management decision making.
abstract: Life cycle thinking is a good approach to be used for environmental decision-support, although the complexity of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies sometimes prevents their wide use. The purpose of this paper is to show how LCA methodology can be simplified to be more useful for certain applications. In order to improve waste management in Catalonia (Spain), a Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (LCA-based) has been used to obtain four mathematical models to help the government in the decision of preventing or allowing a specific waste from going out of the borders. The conceptual equations and all the subsequent developments and assumptions made to obtain the simplified models are presented. One of the four models is discussed in detail, presenting the final simplified equation to be subsequently used by the government in decision making. The resulting model has been found to be scientifically robust, simple to implement and, above all, fulfilling its purpose: the limitation of waste transport out of Catalonia unless the waste recovery operations are significantly better and justify this transport.
authors.affiliation: Escola d'Enginyeria d'Igualada (EEI), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Plaça del Rei, 15, 08700 Igualada, Spain. Electronic address: rita.puig@eei.upc.edu.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fullana-I-Palmer
authors.forename: Grau
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baquero
authors.forename: Jordi-Roger
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Riba
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bala
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010150:Paint; D012997:Solvents; D013030:Spain; D014186:Transportation; D018505:Waste Management
chemical_list: D012997:Solvents
keywords: Cumulative Energy Demand indicator; Industrial waste management; Life cycle management (LCM); Limitations to waste transport; Paint waste; Simplified LCA; Solvent waste