Report: the use of Life Cycle Inventory tools to support an integrated approach to solid waste management

Solid waste management needs to be environmentally sustainable to reduce overall environmental burdens. It also needs to be economically sustainable to be affordable for all sectors of the community served. Integrated waste management (IWM) takes an overall approach to this, involves the use of a range of different treatment options and deals with the entire waste stream. The tool of Life Cycle Inventory (the goal definition and inventory stages of a Life Cycle Assessment) can successfully be applied to integrated waste management systems to assess their environmental burdens. Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) tools for solid waste management have been available for some time. Several models have been developed and applied to both theoretical and actual waste management strategies. This report reviews a case study where a Life Cycle Inventory model was applied in the development of an integrated approach to waste management.