IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecomod/v492y2024ics0304380024001133.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unlocking the potential of municipal solid waste: Emergy accounting applied in a novel biorefinery

Author

Listed:
  • Clasen, Arno P.
  • Agostinho, Feni
  • Sulis, Federico
  • Almeida, Cecília M.V.B
  • Giannetti, Biagio F.

Abstract

The rampant municipal solid waste (MSW) generation caused mainly by people's lifestyle has required technological solutions to deal with this global issue. This paper assess an innovative and integrated biorefinery (2IB) to manage MSW. The 2IB is rooted in the circular economy concept, and it differs from any other currently existing technological route in managing MSW due to its integrated processes that receives both inorganic and organic fractions at the same time, besides unveiling an innovative aspect related to thermoplastic production. Due to its scientific-based advantages, the emergy accounting (withy ‘m’) is considered as method to quantify the 2IB environmental performance, comparing the results with alternatives MSW management facilities. Results show that 2IB has similar performance for the three traditional emergy indicators (m-EYR of 1.17, m-ELR of 5.73 and m-ESI of 0.20) compared to incineration and landfilling, indicating low yield, moderate load on the environment, and unsustainable. On the other hand, the emergy return indicator (ERI of 20.33) indicates higher performance for the 2IB, in which for each solar emjoule (sej) – the measure unit of emergy – invested it generates a return of about 20 sej that becomes available as benefits for societal development. From an emergy perspective, results support that 2IB should be considered as a powerful technological alternative to manage MSW. This study contributes from a theoretical perspective with discussions on the emergy accounting procedures applied on systems located at far right side of energy hierarchy, while contributing from a practical perspective by providing technical information about the 2IB that supports decision makers towards more sustainable MSW management systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Clasen, Arno P. & Agostinho, Feni & Sulis, Federico & Almeida, Cecília M.V.B & Giannetti, Biagio F., 2024. "Unlocking the potential of municipal solid waste: Emergy accounting applied in a novel biorefinery," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 492(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:492:y:2024:i:c:s0304380024001133
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110725
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380024001133
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110725?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brown, Mark T. & Campbell, Daniel E. & De Vilbiss, Christopher & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2016. "The geobiosphere emergy baseline: A synthesis," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 339(C), pages 92-95.
    2. Abel, Thomas, 2013. "Emergy evaluation of DNA and culture in ‘information cycles’," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 251(C), pages 85-98.
    3. Agostinho, Feni & Almeida, Cecília M.V.B. & Bonilla, Silvia H. & Sacomano, José B. & Giannetti, Biagio F., 2013. "Urban solid waste plant treatment in Brazil: Is there a net emergy yield on the recovered materials?," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 143-155.
    4. Claudio Cordoba Correoso & Feni Agostinho & James Rodrigo Smaniotto & Mari Carissimi Boff & Pedro Boff, 2022. "Sustainability Assessment of Family Agricultural Properties: The Importance of Homeopathy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-22, May.
    5. Xin-gang, Zhao & Gui-wu, Jiang & Ang, Li & Yun, Li, 2016. "Technology, cost, a performance of waste-to-energy incineration industry in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 115-130.
    6. Agostinho, F. & Oliveira, M.W. & Pulselli, F.M. & Almeida, C.M.V.B. & Giannetti, B.F., 2019. "Emergy accounting as a support for a strategic planning towards a regional sustainable milk production," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    7. Tamara Fonseca & Wagner C. Valenti & Biagio F. Giannetti & Fernando H. Gonçalves & Feni Agostinho, 2022. "Environmental Accounting of the Yellow-Tail Lambari Aquaculture: Sustainability of Rural Freshwater Pond Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-22, February.
    8. Fartout Enayat, Fatemeh & Ghanbari, Seyed Ahmad & Asgharipour, Mohammad Reza & Seyedabadi, Esmaeel, 2023. "Emergy ecological footprint analysis of Yaghooti grape production in the Sistan region of Iran," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 481(C).
    9. Eyni-Nargeseh, Hamed & Asgharipour, Mohammad Reza & Rahimi-Moghaddam, Sajjad & Gilani, Abdolali & Damghani, Abdolmajid Mahdavi & Azizi, Khosro, 2023. "Which rice farming system is more environmentally friendly in Khuzestan province, Iran? A study based on emergy analysis," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 481(C).
    10. Conteratto, Caroline & Artuzo, Felipe Dalzotto & Benedetti Santos, Omar Inácio & Talamini, Edson, 2021. "Biorefinery: A comprehensive concept for the sociotechnical transition toward bioeconomy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    11. Pan, Hengyu & Geng, Yong & Jiang, Ping & Dong, Huijuan & Sun, Lu & Wu, Rui, 2018. "An emergy based sustainability evaluation on a combined landfill and LFG power generation system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 310-322.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giannetti, Biagio F. & Marcilio, Maria De Fatima D.F.B. & Coscieme, Luca & Agostinho, Feni & Liu, Gengyuan & Almeida, Cecilia M.V.B., 2019. "Howard Odum’s “Self-organization, transformity and information”: Three decades of empirical evidence," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 407(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Oliveira, M. & Zucaro, A. & Santagata, R. & Ulgiati, S., 2022. "Environmental assessment of milk production from local to regional scales," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 463(C).
    3. Oliveira, Mariana & Cocozza, Annalisa & Zucaro, Amalia & Santagata, Remo & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2021. "Circular economy in the agro-industry: Integrated environmental assessment of dairy products," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    4. Liu, Gengyuan & Hao, Yan & Dong, Liang & Yang, Zhifeng & Zhang, Yan & Ulgiati, Sergio, 2017. "An emergy-LCA analysis of municipal solid waste management," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 131-143.
    5. Sun, Lu & Fujii, Minoru & Li, Zhaoling & Dong, Huijuan & Geng, Yong & Liu, Zhe & Fujita, Tsuyoshi & Yu, Xiaoman & Zhang, Yuepeng, 2020. "Energy-saving and carbon emission reduction effect of urban-industrial symbiosis implementation with feasibility analysis in the city," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    6. Zeke Marshall & Paul E. Brockway, 2020. "A Net Energy Analysis of the Global Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fishing and Forestry System," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 1-27, June.
    7. Eyni-Nargeseh, Hamed & Asgharipour, Mohammad Reza & Rahimi-Moghaddam, Sajjad & Gilani, Abdolali & Damghani, Abdolmajid Mahdavi & Azizi, Khosro, 2023. "Which rice farming system is more environmentally friendly in Khuzestan province, Iran? A study based on emergy analysis," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 481(C).
    8. Chen, Yuhong & Lyu, Yanfeng & Yang, Xiangdong & Zhang, Xiaohong & Pan, Hengyu & Wu, Jun & Lei, Yongjia & Zhang, Yanzong & Wang, Guiyin & Xu, Min & Luo, Hongbin, 2022. "Performance comparison of urea production using one set of integrated indicators considering energy use, economic cost and emissions’ impacts: A case from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PC).
    9. Wang, Xueqi & Liu, Gengyuan & Coscieme, Luca & Giannetti, Biagio F. & Hao, Yan & Zhang, Yan & Brown, Mark T., 2019. "Study on the emergy-based thermodynamic geography of the Jing-Jin-Ji region: Combined multivariate statistical data with DMSP-OLS nighttime lights data," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 397(C), pages 1-15.
    10. Xingguo Gu & Qixian Lai & Moucheng Liu & Ziqun He & Qingyang Zhang & Qingwen Min, 2019. "Sustainability Assessment of a Qingyuan Mushroom Culture System Based on Emergy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-13, September.
    11. Dianfa Wu & Zhiping Yang & Ningling Wang & Chengzhou Li & Yongping Yang, 2018. "An Integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Making Model and AHP Weighting Uncertainty Analysis for Sustainability Assessment of Coal-Fired Power Units," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-27, May.
    12. Rodrigo Luiz Morais-da-Silva & Eduardo Guedes Villar & Germano Glufke Reis & Hermes Sanctorum & Carla Forte Maiolino Molento, 2022. "The expected impact of cultivated and plant-based meats on jobs: the views of experts from Brazil, the United States and Europe," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Parras, Rafael & de Mendonça, Gislaine Costa & da Costa, Luis Miguel & Rocha, Juan Ricardo & Costa, Renata Cristina Araújo & Valera, Carlos Alberto & Fernandes, Luís Filipe Sanches & Pacheco, Fernando, 2024. "Land use footprints and policies in Brazil," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    14. Paolo Vassallo & Claudia Turcato & Ilaria Rigo & Claudia Scopesi & Andrea Costa & Matteo Barcella & Giulia Dapueto & Mauro Mariotti & Chiara Paoli, 2021. "Biophysical Accounting of Forests’ Value under Different Management Regimes: Conservation vs. Exploitation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    15. Chen, Qiuwen & Ma, Xiaohan & Hu, Jiayu & Zhang, Xiaohong, 2023. "Comparison of comprehensive performance of kiwifruit production in China, Iran, and Italy based on emergy and carbon emissions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 483(C).
    16. Vitória Toffolo Luiz & Rafael Araújo Nacimento & Vanessa Theodoro Rezende & Taynara Freitas Avelar de Almeida & Juliana Vieira Paz & Biagio Fernando Giannetti & Augusto Hauber Gameiro, 2023. "Sustainability Assessment of Intensification Levels of Brazilian Smallholder Integrated Dairy-Crop Production Systems: An Emergy and Economic-Based Decision Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, March.
    17. Bin Hu & Cong Chen & Shouxi Jiang & Xiaosong Liu & Qianjin Dai, 2022. "Investigating the Optimization Design of Internal Flow Fields Using a Selective Catalytic Reduction Device and Computational Fluid Dynamics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-17, February.
    18. Stan Selbonne & Loïc Guindé & François Causeret & Pierre Chopin & Jorge Sierra & Régis Tournebize & Jean-Marc Blazy, 2023. "How to Measure the Performance of Farms with Regard to Climate-Smart Agriculture Goals? A Set of Indicators and Its Application in Guadeloupe," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, January.
    19. Wang, Xiaolong & Li, Zhejin & Long, Pan & Yan, Lingling & Gao, Wangsheng & Chen, Yuanquan & Sui, Peng, 2017. "Sustainability evaluation of recycling in agricultural systems by emergy accounting," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 117(PB), pages 114-124.
    20. Anwar, Ahsan & Sharif, Arshian & Fatima, Saba & Ahmad, Paiman & Sinha, Avik & Khan, Syed Abdul Rehman & Jermsittiparsert, Kittisak, 2021. "The asymmetric effect of public private partnership investment on transport CO2 emission in China: Evidence from quantile ARDL approach," MPRA Paper 108160, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2021.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:492:y:2024:i:c:s0304380024001133. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-modelling .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.