A holistic framework for the integrated assessment of urban waste management systems
Chifari, Rosaria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Lo Piano, Samuele (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Bukkens, Sandra (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Giampietro, Mario (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)

Date:	2018
Abstract:	We report on the development of a holistic framework to organize and integrate quantitative information characterizing the performance of Urban Waste Management Systems (UWMS) across dimensions and scales. The framework builds on the theory of metabolic networks and the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) accounting method. We perceive the UWMS as an organ of a socio-ecological system that modulates the interaction between the metabolic processes of the urban area and those of the embedding ecosystems providing inputs and local sink capacity. Building on these premises, we can define: (i) the flow of wastes produced by the urban system in quantity and quality; (ii) the mix of inputs required for the operation of the different stages of the waste management process, such as technology, labor, energy, water and material flows; (iii) the degree of openness of the system, that is, the imports and exports of urban waste flows in the different stages of its operation; (iv) the final outputs released into the local environment. The proposed framework can accommodate various indicators referring to the socio-economic performance of the UWMS (viability and desirability) and those related to environmental impact/stress (feasibility). Theoretical considerations are illustrated with preliminary data from a case study on the Metropolitan Area of Naples, Italy.
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552
Note:	Altres ajuts: LIFE11 ENV/DE/343
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Urban waste management system ; Metabolic network ; Socio-ecological system ; Performance indicators ; MuSIASEM ; Naples
Published in:	Ecological indicators, Vol. 94, Part 3 (November 2018) , p. 24-36, ISSN 1470-160X

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.03.006

Post-print 33 p, 1.3 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA) > Integrated Assessment: Sociology, Technology and the Environment (IASTE)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles