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Using life cycle assessment to assess and identify improvements of the environmental impacts of the vehicle leaf spring

  • Authors: Mbohwa, Charles , Ganyo, Biggie
  • Date: 2008
  • Subjects: Life cycle assessment , Environmental impact assessment , Vehicle leaf springs
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5174 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14415
  • Description: This paper discusses an application of the LCA methodology on the vehicle leaf spring, used on trucks, buses and trailers in Zimbabwe. A look at the whole life cycle of the spring from raw material extraction throug manufacturing, use, reuse and final disposal emphasizing the resource consumption, human health and ecosystem quality is done using standard LCA assessment methodology outlined in the ISO 14000 series. SIMAPRO 7 was used to assist in the LCA and also to reduce the complicated and rigorous manual calculations thus eliminating unnecessary errors and enhancing the quality of results obtained.
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Environmental impact assessment of the silician artichokes

Life cycle assessment as a tool for evaluating and enhancing the environmental sustainability of Sicilian artistic and traditional ceramics

  • Authors: Giudice, Agata Lo , Mbohwa, Charles , Clasadonte, Maria T.
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Ceramics production - Environmental aspects , Life cycle assessment
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:6157 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13761
  • Description: An environmental assessment of ornamental ceramics plates was conducted to evaluate the possible improvement solutions. The study was developed following the standards ISO 14040 – 14044 (2006), choosing as functional unit 1 kg of plates and with the system boundaries being the phases: production of the plates, end of life of the plates, and transport of the used plates to the landfill for disposal at the end of their life. Collected data were processed using Simapro 7.0 (Impact 2002+ method). The study results show that the most environmental impacts are due to the production phase. Most environmental impact damages are from the category “Climate Change”. The most significant impact categories for the environmental assessment are: Global Warming (GW); Respiratory Inorganics (RI) and Non-Renewable Energy (NRE) use. Efforts to reduce the environmental impacts should concentrate on the use of renewable energy or on the possible use of recycled raw materials to improve environmental performance.
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Life cycle assessment of a coal-fired old thermal power plant

  • Authors: Mbohwa, Charles
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Greenhouse gas reduction , Life cycle assessment , Thermal power plants - Environmental aspects , Environmental impact assessments
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:4870 , ISBN 978-988-19251-0-7 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12546
  • Description: This paper discusses a life cycle analysis of a thermal power plant to quantify environmental impacts of thermal power production at an old power plant. Coal is used in electricity generation worldwide and many power plants in developing countries are very old. Knowing the life cycle environmental impacts of such power plants is very important since they produce a lot of greenhouse gases. This paper develops life cycle inventories for an old power plant in Africa and identifies ways to minimize coal consumption for the same capacity of power output. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was done for the power plant. The emitted carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides and solid waste have adverse effects on flora, fauna, water bodies and humans. A number of environmental metrics were obtained for the thermal power plant and these form the basis for future comparative and extended studies.
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Life cycle assessment of newsprint production at a board and paper production company in Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Mbohwa, Charles , Mashoko, Livison
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Paper industry - Environmental aspects - Zimbabwe , Life cycle assessment
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:6177 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13784
  • Description: The pulp and paper industry is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emission and environmental pollution. This paper therefore discusses the Life Cycle Assessment of newsprint paper in Zimbabwe with a view to contributing to decision making, taking and implementation about the sector in developing a path towards sustainability. The study identifies options for improving environmental performance of producing writing and printing paper in Zimbabwe, improving material and energy consumption and promoting environmental awareness and sustainability. The international standards ISO 14040 – 14044 (2006) guidelines were used. The product system considered covers the production of raw materials, the pre-combustion effects of coal and electricity production. The data from the production of newsprint at a Board and Paper Mills company, the largest paper mill in Zimbabwe, was used. Data were collected by reviewing company documents, observation, during study visits and industrial attachments, interviews with the company’s employees, use of questionnaires, from literature and from existing databases used by SIMAPRO. The functional unit for this study was taken as 53gsm newsprint paper produced in Zimbabwe from the pulping of pinewood. Data collected were on energy consumption, water emissions and air emissions to develop life cycle inventories. These were used for mid-point impact assessment using SIMAPRO software. Environmental impacts were assessed under the following impact categories: global warming, acidification, human toxicity, eutrophication, ozone depletion, eco-toxicity and cumulative energy demand. Main air emissions are from the burning of fossil fuel for the production of steam and from electricity production.
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Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) analysis of the Sicilian artistic and traditional ceramics as a tool for sustainable manufacturing

  • Authors: Giudice, A. Lo , Mbohwa, Charles , Clasadonte, M. T.
  • Date: 2013
  • Subjects: Ceramics production - Environmental aspects - Italy - Caltagirone , Life cycle assessment , Life cycle inventory
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:4942 , ISSN 978-3-7983-2609-5 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13042
  • Description: In the last few decades, greater attention is being paid by the Italian industrial ceramics sector to the environmental impacts related to ceramics production cycle and many companies have acquired voluntary environmental certifications (ISO 14001 or EMAS) or labeling (Ecolabel or EPD). This is not the case with the artistic ceramics sector in which few companies are certified. One of the most common and used tool for evaluating the environmental impact of products is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. This paper presents the preliminary results from a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) analysis of the artistic ceramics sector in Caltagirone (Italy). Representative life cycle inventories are essential for any good quality LCA. They represent the fundamental blocks for compiling the full LCA of the ceramics production process, hence promoting environmental sustainability.
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Environmental assessment of a multilayer polymer bag for food packaging and preservation : an LCA approach

  • Authors: Siracusa, Valentina , Ingrao, Carlo , Giudice, Agata Lo , Mbohwa, Charles , Rosa, Marco Dalla
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Life cycle assessment , Environmental sustainability , Food packaging , Multilayer polymer film
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/390104 , uj:4810 , ISSN 0963-9969 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12208
  • Description: A screening of LCA for the evaluation of the damage arising from the life cycle of a bi-layer film bag for food packaging was carried out. Such packages are made of films obtained matching a layer of PA (Polyamide) with one of LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) and are mainly used for vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging and preservation of food. The study was conducted in accordance with the ISO standards 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 choosing, as the functional unit, 1 m2 of plastic film delivered to the food production and packaging firms. The system boundaries go from cradle to factory-gate and include the phases of: the raw materials production and processing for the bag manufacturing; and the bag delivering to the food production and packaging plant. The damage assessment showed that the most impacting phases are the production of the Polyamide (PA6) and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) granules due to the consumption of primary resources, such as natural gas and crude oil, in the amount of 53.55 dm3 and 132.42 g respectively, and to the emission in air of 295.73 g of carbon dioxide, 617 mg of nitrogen oxides, 12.1 mg of particulates, 349 mg of sulphur dioxide and 2.51 mg of aromatic hydrocarbons. The most affected damage category is Resources, followed by Climate Change, Human Health, and Ecosystem Quality. For minimising the total damage associated with the life cycle of the examined bag, the film thickness thinning and the use of a recycled PA granule were considered: the assessment showed that the two proposals allowed a reduction of about 25% and 15% (respectively) of the damage assessed.
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LCA as a tool for the environmental assessment of a pre-cast concrete shed : part 1 : Input data inventory analysis

  • Authors: Ingrao, Carlo , Lo Giudice, Agata , Mbohwa, Charles , Clasadonte, Maria Teresa
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Precast reinforced concrete , Life cycle assessment , Environmental impact assessments , Pre-cast concrete sheds
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:4802 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12056
  • Description: The buildings and construction sector is one the most important economic sectors all over the world but, at the same time, one of the most pollutant emitting and resource demanding. This study focuses on the analysis of the entire main input inventory data used for assessing the environmental impacts linked to the life cycle of a pre-cast concrete shed: great importance was given to the use of on-site collected specific data which was carefully verified for assuring its quality and reliability. The study was conducted in accordance with the ISO standards 14040 and 14044 (2006), with the aim of qualifying and quantifying the resources, the materials and the energy demand for the shed construction, use and end of life phases. The study results show that for the four phases taken into account in the system boundaries (production of the raw materials, construction of the shed, use of the shed and end-of-life of the shed) the most inventories are in the shed construction phase because of the huge amount of materials, fuels and resources such as concrete, steel, electrical energy and water. Other inventories are related: to the use phase, for the huge consumption of electrical energy for indoor heating and cooling; to the maintenance phase, for the number of units, such as fixtures and power plant, which are to be replaced; and to the end-of-life phase for the number of data needed for modelling the shed disassembly.
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Life cycle assessment interpretation and improvement of the Sicilian artichokes production

  • Authors: Lo Giudice, A. , Mbohwa, Charles , Clasadonte, M.T. , Ingrao, C.
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Life cycle assessment , Sicilian artichokes , Cynara scolymus
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:4797 , ISSN 1735-6865 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12051
  • Description: This paper presents the results obtained from the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the production of Sicilian artichokes (Cynara scolymus) with the aim of reducing impacts, interpreting the results, suggesting possible improvements and enriching the sustainability knowledge already existing in the agro food field. Artichokes represent one of the excellent Italian agricultural products even if still not well-known and not appreciated despite their nutritional and functional quality. According to FAOSTAT (2013) data, Italy is the world leader in artichokes production, grown mainly in the central and southern regions of Italy, in particular in Sicily, Apulia and Sardinia. In particular, among all the Italian regions, Sicily, which is highly suited for this type of cultivation, is ranked first in terms of quantity produced: the reason for this lies in the excellent combination of climate and geological conformation of the soils. The study was conducted in accordance with the ISO standards 14040 and 14044 (2006), with the functional unit of 1 ha of land and, as the system boundaries being the phases of: pre-implantation preparation of the field; artichoke implantation; and harvesting. The most impacting phases are those related with the consumption of fuel and fertilizers as well as with the use of the PVC pipes for irrigation. Possible improvements could be the use of methanol instead of the naphtha (reduction of the total damage of about 13%) and the possibility of recycling the PVC pipes once the field is dismantled (furthermore reduction of the damage of about 3%).
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Life cycle inventory analysis of a precast reinforced concrete shed for goods storage

  • Authors: Ingrao, Carlo , Giudice, Agata Lo , Mbohwa, Charles , Clasadonte, Maria Teresa
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Precast reinforced concrete , Life cycle assessment , Environmental impact assessments , Pre-cast concrete sheds
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:4806 , ISSN 0959-6526 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12063
  • Description: The buildings and construction sector is one the most important economic sectors all over the world but, at the same time, one of the most pollutant emitting and resource demanding. This study focuses on the analysis of the entire main input inventory data used for assessing the environmental impacts linked to the life cycle of a pre-cast concrete shed: great importance was given to the use of on-site collected specific data which was carefully verified for assuring its quality and reliability. The study was conducted in accordance with the ISO standards 14040 and 14044 (2006), with the aim of qualifying and quantifying the resources, the materials and the energy demand for the shed construction, use and end of life phases. The study results show that for the four phases taken into account in the system boundaries (production of the raw materials, construction of the shed, use of the shed and end-of-life of the shed) the most inventories are in the shed construction phase because of the huge amount of materials, fuels and resources such as concrete, steel, electrical energy and water. Other inventories are related: to the use phase, for the huge consumption of electrical energy for indoor heating and cooling; to the maintenance phase, for the number of units, such as fixtures and power plant, which are to be replaced; and to the end-of-life phase for the number of data needed for modelling the shed disassembly.
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Recycled-PET fibre based panels for building thermal insulation : environmental impact and improvement potential assessment for a greener production

  • Authors: Ingrao, Carlo , Giudice, Agata Lo , Tricase, Caterina , Rana, Roberto , Mbohwa, Charles , Siracusa, Valentina
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Life cycle assessment , Thermal insulation , Environmental sustainability , Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:4817 , ISSN 0048-9697 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12258
  • Description: A screening of Life Cycle Assessment for the evaluation of the damage arising from the production of 1 kg of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (RPET) fibre-based panel for building heat insulation was carried out according to the ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006. All data used were collected on site based on observations during site visits, review of documents and interviews with technical personnel and management. These data were processed by using SimaPro 7.3.3, accessing the Ecoinvent v.2.2 database and using the Impact 2002+ method. The study showed damage to be equal to 0.000299 points mostly due to the: 1) PET thermo-bonding fibre supply fromChina bymeans of a freight-equipped intercontinental aircraft; 2) production of bottle-grade granulate PET; 3) mediumvoltage electricity consumption during the manufacturing of RPET fibre panel. Itwas also highlighted that there were environmental benefits due to recycling through mainly avoiding significant emissions and reduced resource consumption. An improvement assessment was carried out to find solutions aimed at reducing the damage coming from the most impacting phases. Furthermore, the environmental impacts due to the production of the analysed RPET fibre-based panelwere compared to other materials with the same insulating function, such as polystyrene foam, rockwool and cork slab. Finally, the environmental benefits of the recycling of PET
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The use of basalt aggregates in the production of concrete for the prefabrication industry: environmental impact assessment, interpretation and improvement

  • Authors: Ingrao, Carlo , Giudice, Agata Lo , Tricase, Caterina , Mbohwa, Charles , Rana, Roberto
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Basalt aggregates , Environmental impact assessments , Life cycle assessment
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:4794 , ISSN 0959-6526 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/12046
  • Description: This study aims at environmentally assessing the most significant input and output flows related to the production of concrete using basalt aggregates. For this purpose, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied according to the ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006. All data used were collected on site based on observations during site visits, review of documents and interviews with technical personnel and management. They were processed by using SimaPro 7.3.3, accessing the Ecoinvent v.2.2 database and using the Impact 2002þ method. The LCIA results show that the most impacting phase is the production of the basalt aggregates, with “Human Health” being the most affected damage category because of the emissions to air, of 2.7 kg of particulates (grain size <2.5 mm). In addition to this, the concrete production causes, mainly, the emission, in air, of 465 kg of Carbon Dioxide and the consumption of 37.37 kg of crude oil, per cubic metre of concrete, affecting, the damage categories “Climate Change” and “Resources” also. Regarding “Ecosystem Quality”, the occurred damage is due to the emission to air, of 29.6 g of Aluminium and of 251 mg of Zinc into the soil per cubic metre of concrete. Based on the obtained results, the increase of the amount of water used for particulates removal during the basalt extraction phase was assessed. Furthermore, the alternative use of limestone aggregates was assessed from both technical and environmental perspectives. The analysis developed highlighted a total damage decrease of 67%.
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Data validation in life cycle assessment review

Life cycle assessment – a review

Determination of the least impactful municipal solid waste management option in Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Authors: Nhubu, Trust , Muzenda, Edison
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Municipal solid waste management , Life cycle assessment , Life cycle impacts
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/404136 , uj:33879 , Citation: Nhubu, T. & Muzenda, E. 2019. Determination of the least impactful municipal solid waste management option in Harare, Zimbabwe. Processes 2019, 7, 785; doi:10.3390/pr7110785
  • Description: Abstract: Six municipal solid waste management (MSWM) options (A1–A6) in Harare were developed and analyzed for their global warming, acidification, eutrophication and human health impact potentials using life cycle assessment methodology to determine the least impactful option in Harare. Study findings will aid the development of future MSWM systems in Harare. A1 and A2 considered the landfilling and incineration, respectively, of indiscriminately collected MSW with energy recovery and byproduct treatment. Source-separated biodegradables were anaerobically treated with the remaining non-biodegradable fraction being incinerated in A3 and landfilled in A4. A5 and A6 had the same processes as in A3 and A4, respectively, except the inclusion of the recovery of 20% of the recoverable materials. The life cycle stages considered were collection and transportation, materials recovery, anaerobic digestion, landfilling and incineration. A5 emerged as the best option. Materials recovery contributed to impact potential reductions across the four impact categories. Sensitivity analysis revealed that doubling materials recovery and increasing it to 28% under A5 resulted in zero eutrophication and acidification, respectively. Increasing material recovery to 24% and 26% under A6 leads to zero acidification and eutrophication, respectively. Zero global warming and human health impacts under A6 are realised at 6% and 9% materials recovery levels, respectively.
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Life cycle assessment of single-use and reusable plastic bottles in the city of Johannesburg.

  • Authors: Olatayo, Kunle I. , Mativenga, Paul T. , Marnewick, Annlizé L.
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: Plastic , Life cycle assessment , PET
  • Language: English
  • Type: Journal article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/490475 , uj:44756 , Citation: Olatayo KI, Mativenga PT, Marnewick AL. Life cycle assessment of single-use and reusable plastic bottles in the city of Johannesburg. S Afr J Sci. 2021;117(11/12), Art. #8908. https://doi.org/10.17159/ sajs.2021/8908 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2021/8908
  • Description: Abstract: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of water have experienced huge growth in demand and sales in South Africa. This expansion in use creates challenges as well as opportunities for managing the life cycle impact. The properties that make PET desirable for fluid-containing bottles have also made it highly resistant to environmental biodegradation. Reusable plastic bottles are now marketed as a solution to reduce the impact of single-use plastic bottles. We assessed the life cycle impact of single-use PET bottles and an alternative, reusable PET bottle based on consumption patterns in South Africa and the material flow and supply chain in the urban environment. This robust consideration of local conditions is important in evaluating the life cycle impact. In an examination of 13 impact categories, the reusable PET bottle had lower impact than the single-use bottle in all the impact categories examined. The mass of PET bottle material required to deliver the water needs at any given time is a dominant factor on the environmental burden. Extending the life of reusable bottles and designing lighter weight bottles would reduce their life cycle impact. Information obtained in evaluating alternatives to plastic water bottles can be valuable for providing a foundation assessment for policymakers and plastic bottle manufacturers to make informed choices and to focus on improvements in life cycle impact. Significance: • The significant impact of the production phase in the life cycle of both single-use and reusable PET bottles confirms the need to design a much more lightweight bottle to reduce the mass of materials used in production. • Another key consideration was the long transportation distance covered during the production phase, and the negative impact of current vehicular emissions. Municipalities and waste collectors should consider the use of low-carbon transport. • This study highlights the value of extending the life of plastic bottles, as well as recycling for material recovery, remanufacturing and repurposing these bottles within the City. • The use of fewer, larger single-use bottles compared with a greater number of smaller single-use bottles is discussed.
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