Life Cycle Assessment for Municipal Solid Waste Management

摘要

The purpose of the article is to discuss where and how Life Cycle Assessment(LCA) can be a concept and approach for managing municipal solid waste (MSW). Current thinking trends focus strictly on the waste rather than on the product. MSW professionals generally follow the approach of diverting waste material from going to the landfill and only consider the wastestream. LCA consists of looking at products and materials through the production process, packaging or activity from its inception to its completion. The approach accounts for how wastes become wastes and looks for upstream solutions to reducing or eliminating wastestream problems. Integrated solid waste management (ISWM) with LCA is a combination that requires the waste professional to cooperate with the producer andconsumer in determining the best options for waste management at the local level.