Assessment of the Possibility of Implementing a Circular Economy by Environmental Evaluating the Life Cycle of Products Derived from Bulky Municipal Waste

Abstract

Current wood waste recycling processes need to be improved to prioritize ma- terial recovery over energy recovery by cascading the use of wood waste and limiting as much as possible non-recyclable batches that may contain even partially highly contam- inated grade C wood and/or Medium Density Fiberboard. In the presented research, a life cycle assessment has been carried out for a new product recovered from bulky waste. The Environmental Footprint 3.1 (adapted) method has been used to assess the potential environmental impact. The results may support a quality assessment of new products undertaken from the perspective of the circular economy and environmental management in the waste sector. The study aimed at the identification of environmental hotspots in the life cycle of the secondary wooden blocks (from cradle to market analysis). Bulky waste was subjected to recovery and recycling processes (a laboratory scale), and by adding starch and water a new product was obtained. The study has demonstrated that the production of blocks has the greatest impact on the life cycle in the following categories: Resource use, fossils (24%), Climate change (23.9%), Eutrophication, freshwater (13.3%), and Resource use, minerals and metals (11.8%). This is due to the high electricity consumption of electric- ity by equipment and machinery used for the processing of waste and the fabrication of the blocks.