Application of LCA for the Environmental Optimisation of an Integrated Waste Management System: a Case Study

A recent Italian law on solid waste management enforces strongly increased material recycling and energy recovery and it only allows for landfill disposal of inert materials and residues from recovery and recycling. This requires the establishment of an integrated management plan, i.e. the use of all the available techniques. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is regarded by this law, first case in Italy, as a possible way to optimise the overall waste management system through an environmental perspective. Provincia di Ravenna (district authority) has recently revised its waste management plan (WMP) in order to fullfill the new requirements. Ecobilan has developed a software tool based on LCA (WISARD) to manage urban solid waste collection, disposal and recovery on behalf of the Environmental Agency of England and Wales. ENEA has decided to test the applicability of WISARD to the Italian situation, with a view to assess the environmental benefits deriving from the new WMP.