Abstract
Despite that the resource depletion problem affects the European society, insufficient measures to preserve natural resources are proposed by recent developed policies. In particular few attentions are devoted to wastes and by-products recovery strategies and incentives. More legislative efforts must be devoted to promote raw materials substitution and support industries that are working in this direction, to achieve a circular Europe. The aim of this chapter is to introduce a simplified route to quantify the environmental sustainability of raw materials substitution. A SUB-RAW index is defined, based on the use of two parameters accounting the energies and the emissions involved in the formation of a material (i.e. embodied energy and CO2 footprint). The proposed index is used in three practical examples to evaluate the possibility of some raw materials substitution. It concerns the partial substitution of Portland cement with coal fly ash (CFA), the reuse of CFA to replace activated carbon in some adsorption processes and the use of a new stabilized filler (COSMOS) instead of natural fillers in polypropylene plastic composites. The SUB-RAW index represents a simplified and valuable approach for the quantification of the sustainability of a material substitution. The simplicity of the chosen parameters makes this evaluation method very simple and low onerous; then it can be used by industries to select suitable materials for future investments in the green economy. A knowledge-based decision support system can increase the capability and flexibility in the materials selection. Additionally it is demonstrated that SUB-RAW index can be used to design new materials, based on wastes and by-products, with increased sustainability in respect to the corresponding natural resources. This can be considered an additional strategy to incentivate materials eco-design.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Almlund P, Jespersen PH, Riis S (2012) Rethinking climate change research: clean technology, culture and communication. Ashgate Publishing
Arfaoui N, Brouillat E, Saint Jean M (2014) Policy design and technological substitution: Investigating the REACH regulation in an agent-based model. Ecol Econ 107:347–365. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.08.013
Ashby MF (2012) Materials and the environment: eco-informed material choice, 2nd edn. Elsevier Science
Attari M, Bukhari SS, Kazemian H, Rohani S (2017) A low-cost adsorbent from coal fly ash for mercury removal from industrial wastewater. J Environ Chem Eng 5:391–399. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2016.12.014
Benassi L, Dalipi R, Consigli V, Pasquali M, Borgese L, Depero LE, Clegg F, Bingham PA, Bontempi E (2017) Integrated management of ash from industrial and domestic combustion: a new sustainable approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy conversion. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:14834–14846. doi:10.1007/s11356-017-9037-y
Benassi L, Franchi F, Catina D, Cioffi F, Rodella N, Borgese L, Pasquali M, Depero L, Bontempi E (2015) Rice husk ash to stabilize heavy metals contained in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash: first results by applying new pre-treatment technology. Materials (Basel) 8:6868–6879. doi:10.3390/ma8105346
Benassi L, Pasquali M, Zanoletti A, Dalipi R, Borgese L, Depero LE, Vassura I, Quina MJ, Bontempi E (2016) Chemical stabilization of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash without any commercial chemicals: first pilot-plant scaling up. ACS Sustain Chem Eng 4:5561–5569. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01294
Besco S, Bosio A, Brisotto M, Depero L, Lorenzetti A, Bontempi E, Bonora R, Modesti M (2014) Structural and mechanical characterization of sustainable composites based on recycled and stabilized fly ash. Materials (Basel) 7:5920–5933. doi:10.3390/ma7085920
Besco S, Brisotto M, Gianoncelli A, Depero LE, Bontempi E, Lorenzetti A, Modesti M (2013) Processing and properties of polypropylene-based composites containing inertized fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration. J Appl Polym Sci 130:4157–4164. doi:10.1002/app.39692
BIS (1991) IS 1489-1: Specification for Portland pozzolana cement, Part 1: Fly ash based, Amendment no. 3, Bureau of Indian Standards
Bonomo L (2008) Wastewater treatment. McGraw Hill Education, Italy
Bontempi E (2017) A new approach for evaluating the sustainability of raw materials substitution based on embodied energy and the CO2 footprint. J Clean Prod 162:162–169. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.028
Bontempi E, Zacco A, Borgese L, Gianoncelli A, Ardesi R, Depero LE, Tenini S, Depero LE (2010) A new method for municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash inertization, based on colloidal silica. J Environ Monit 12:2093–2099. doi:10.1039/c0em00168f
Bosio A, Rodella N, Gianoncelli A, Zacco A, Borgese L, Depero LE, Bingham PA, Bontempi E (2013) A new method to inertize incinerator toxic fly ash with silica from rice husk ash. Environ Chem Lett 11:329–333. doi:10.1007/s10311-013-0411-9
Bosio A, Zacco A, Borgese L, Rodella N, Colombi P, Benassi L, Depero LE, Bontempi E (2014) A sustainable technology for Pb and Zn stabilization based on the use of only waste materials: a green chemistry approach to avoid chemicals and promote CO2 sequestration. Chem Eng J 253:377–384. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2014.04.080
Cai J, Shen B, Li Z, Chen J, He C (2014) Removal of elemental mercury by clays impregnated with KI and KBr. Chem Eng J 241:19–27. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2013.11.072
Callan S, Thomas JM (2013) Environmental economics & management: theory, policy, and applications, 6th edn. South-Western College Pub
De Gisi S, Lofrano G, Grassi M, Notarnicola M (2016) Characteristics and adsorption capacities of low-cost sorbents for wastewater treatment: a review. Sustain Mater Technol 9:10–40. doi:10.1016/j.susmat.2016.06.002
EC (2005) Taking sustainable use of resources forward: a thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste, COM (2005) 666 final. Brussels
EC (2006) Regulation (EC) n°1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
EC (2008) Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain directives. Off J Eur Union L312:3–30
EC (2011) Council Regulation (EU) No 333/2011 of 31 March 2011 establishing criteria determining when certain types of scrap metal cease to be waste under Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. Off J Eur Union L94/2-L94/11
EC (2013) Strategic implementation plan for the european innovation partnership on raw materials—Part II. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/eip-raw-materials/en/content/strategic-implementation-plan-part-ii#II.7 Optimised
EC (2014) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament on the review of the list of critical raw materials for the EU and the implementation of the Raw Material Initiative
EC (2016) Raw Materials Scoreboard. https://bookshop.europa.eu/en/raw-materials-scoreboard-pbET0416759/
EIT (2016) Raw materials business ideas competition. European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). https://eit.europa.eu/newsroom/eit-raw-materials-business-ideas-competition. Accessed 11 Jun 2017
Eurostat Eurostat-Your key to European statistics. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat. Accessed 21 May 2017
Eurostat (2009) The REACH baseline study, a tool to monitor the new EU policy on chemicals-REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals)
Gautam RK, Mudhoo A, Lofrano G, Chattopadhyaya MC (2014) Biomass-derived biosorbents for metal ions sequestration: adsorbent modification and activation methods and adsorbent regeneration. J Environ Chem Eng 2:239–259. doi:10.1016/j.jece.2013.12.019
GRANTA CES Selector 2016. https://www.grantadesign.com/it/products/ces/. Accessed 21 May 2017
Guarienti M, Cardozo SM, Borgese L, Lira GR, Depero LE, Bontempi E, Presta M (2016) COSMOS-rice technology abrogates the biotoxic effects of municipal solid waste incinerator residues. Environ Pollut 214:713–721. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.053
Guarienti M, Gianoncelli A, Bontempi E, Moscoso Cardozo S, Borgese L, Zizioli D, Mitola S, Depero LE, Presta M (2014) Biosafe inertization of municipal solid waste incinerator residues by COSMOS technology. J Hazard Mater 279:311–321. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.07.017
Hemalatha T, Ramaswamy A (2017) A review on fly ash characteristics – Towards promoting high volume utilization in developing sustainable concrete. J Clean Prod 147:546–559. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.114
Hukari S, Hermann L, Nättorp A (2016) From wastewater to fertilisers? Technical overview and critical review of European legislation governing phosphorus recycling. Sci Total Environ 542:1127–1135. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.064
Jamieson E, McLellan B, van Riessen A, Nikraz H (2015) Comparison of embodied energies of ordinary Portland Cement with Bayer-derived geopolymer products. J Clean Prod 99:112–118. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.03.008
Jänicke M (2012) Dynamic governance of clean-energy markets: how technical innovation could accelerate climate policies. J Clean Prod 22:50–59. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.09.006
JRC (2008) End of Waste Criteria, Final Report
Koppelaar RHEM, Weikard HP (2013) Assessing phosphate rock depletion and phosphorus recycling options. Glob Environ Chang 23:1454–1466. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.09.002
Li J, Maroto-Valer MM (2012) Computational and experimental studies of mercury adsorption on unburned carbon present in fly ash. Carbon N Y 50:1913–1924. doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2011.12.042
Liu M, Hou L-A, Xi B, Zhao Y, Xia X (2013) Synthesis, characterization, and mercury adsorption properties of hybrid mesoporous aluminosilicate sieve prepared with fly ash. Appl Surf Sci 273:706–716. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.02.116
Liu R, Durham SA, Rens KL, Ramaswami A (2012) Optimization of cementitious material content for sustainable concrete mixtures. J Mater Civ Eng 24:745–753. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000444
Marjaba GE, Chidiac SE (2016) Sustainability and resiliency metrics for buildings—critical review. Build Environ 101:116–125. doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.03.002
Peters K (2016) Methodological issues in life cycle assessment for remanufactured products: a critical review of existing studies and an illustrative case study. J Clean Prod 126:21–37. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.03.050
Piccinelli E, Lasagni M, Collina E, Bonaiti S, Bontempi E (2017) Effect of COSMOS technologies in detoxifying municipal solid waste incineration fly ash, preliminary results. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci 64:12068. doi:10.1088/1755-1315/64/1/012068
Ponsot I, Bernardo E, Bontempi E, Depero L, Detsch R, Chinnam RK, Boccaccini AR (2015) Recycling of pre-stabilized municipal waste incinerator fly ash and soda-lime glass into sintered glass-ceramics. J Clean Prod 89:224–230. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.10.091
Quale J, Eckelman MJ, Williams KW, Sloditskie G, Zimmerman JB (2012) Construction matters: comparing environmental impacts of building modular and conventional homes in the United States. J Ind Ecol 16:243–253. doi:10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00424.x
Reap J, Roman F, Duncan S, Bras B (2008) A survey of unresolved problems in life cycle assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess 13:290–300. doi:10.1007/s11367-008-0008-x
Rodella N, Bosio A, Dalipi R, Zacco A, Borgese L, Depero LE, Bontempi E (2014) Waste silica sources as heavy metal stabilizers for municipal solid waste incineration fly ash. Arab J Chem. doi:10.1016/j.arabjc.2014.04.006
Rodella N, Pasquali M, Zacco A, Bilo F, Borgese L, Bontempi N, Tomasoni G, Depero LE, Bontempi E (2016) Beyond waste: new sustainable fillers from fly ashes stabilization, obtained by low cost raw materials. Heliyon. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2016.e00163
Struis RPWJ, Pasquali M, Borgese L, Gianoncelli A, Gelfi M, Colombi P, Thiaudière D, Depero LE, Rizzo G, Bontempi E (2013) Inertisation of heavy metals in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash by means of colloidal silica—a synchrotron X-ray diffraction and absorption study. RSC Adv 3:14339–14351. doi:10.1039/c3ra41792a
Tojo N, Fischer C (2011) Europe as a recycling society. European Recycling Policies in relation to the actual recycling achieved
Toller S, Carlsson A, Wadeskog A, Miliutenko S, Finnveden G (2013) Indicators for environmental monitoring of the Swedish building and real estate management sector. Build Res Inf 41:146–155. doi:10.1080/09613218.2012.749747
Unterweger C, Brüggemann O, Fürst C (2014) Synthetic fibers and thermoplastic short-fiber-reinforced polymers: properties and characterization. Polym Compos 35:227–236. doi:10.1002/pc.22654
Valderrama C, Granados R, Cortina JL, Gasol CM, Guillem M, Josa A (2013) Comparative LCA of sewage sludge valorisation as both fuel and raw material substitute in clinker production. J Clean Prod 51:205–213. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.01.026
Wang C, Li J, Sun X, Wang L, Sun X (2009) Evaluation of zeolites synthesized from fly ash as potential adsorbents for wastewater containing heavy metals. J Environ Sci 21:127–136. doi:10.1016/S1001-0742(09)60022-X
WBCSD, IEA (2009) Cement technology roadmap 2009, Carbon emissions reductions up to 2050, World Business Council for Sustainable Development and International Energy Agency
Zacco A, Gianoncelli A, Ardesi R, Sacrato S, Guerini L, Bontempi E, Tomasoni G, Alberti M, Depero LE (2012) Use of colloidal silica to obtain a new inert from municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash: first results about reuse. Clean Technol Environ Policy 14:291–297. doi:10.1007/s10098-011-0401-1
Zanoletti A, Federici S, Borgese L, Bergese P, Ferroni M, Depero LE, Bontempi E (2017) Embodied energy as key parameter for sustainable materials selection: the case of reusing coal fly ash for removing anionic surfactants. J Clean Prod 141:230–236. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.070
Zorpas AA (2016) Sustainable waste management through end-of-waste criteria development. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:7376–7389. doi:10.1007/s11356-015-5990-5
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bontempi, E. (2017). A New Approach to Evaluate the Sustainability of Raw Materials Substitution. In: Raw Materials Substitution Sustainability. SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60831-0_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60831-0_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60830-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60831-0
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)