Wastepaper in Mumbai (India): An approach for abridged life cycle assessment

In this study, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of wastepaper was conducted in Mumbai (India). The wastepaper cycle was divided into four main life stages - Generation, Collection, Utilisation and Disposal. A survey of major stakeholders involved in this cycle, namely informal waste-pickers, buyers, wholesalers and paper manufacturers, was carried out to determine the socio-economic and environmental aspect of each stage. The LCA Abridged Matrix Method was applied for Life Cycle Assessment. The resulting LCA matrix showed that, while there was a moderate environmental impact of wastepaper during generation, collection and disposal stages, the utilisation stage had a significant impact on the environment, especially during manufacturing in paper factories.