Life cycle analysis in hazardous waste logistics in Türkiye: a case study

ABSTRACT

The collection and transportation activities engaged in waste management (WM) are known to have significant environmental impacts. This study assessed the current environmental situation regarding the use of diesel fuel in hazardous waste (HW) collection and transportation using a LCA methodology. The study utilized the actual transportation data of the HW collection and transportation activities of a WM company, IZAYDAS, for the year 2021. The functional unit (FU) chosen for analysis was the “environmental impact per annual total fuel consumption.” In addition, the study aimed to understand potential changes in environmental impact if electricity were used as a fuel alternative. The findings revealed that in the current scenario with diesel fuel, the Abiotic Depletion Potential (Fossil Fuel) (ADP Fossil) effect category had a dominant effect (3.92E + 06 MJ). The total Global Warming Potential (GWP100a) effect for HW transportation was determined to be 5.28E + 05 kg CO₂ eq in 2021. When electricity was considered a fuel alternative, a decrease was observed in the GWP100a and ADP impact categories. At the same time, Human Toxicity (HTP), Acidification (AP), and Eutrophication (EP) showed an increase due to fossil fuel-based energy production. Sensitivity analysis indicated that all effects are lower in countries that depend on clean energy sources for electricity production.

KEYWORDS:

• Hazardous waste
• fuel type
• life cycle assessment
• global warming
• abiotic depletion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15567036.2024.2314153

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ahsen Akbulut Uludag

Ahsen Akbulut Uludağ graduated from Sakarya University and has been working in the field of energy storage in batteries and life cycle assessment for many years. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Sakarya University. She has been working as an Assistant Professor at Sakarya University’s Environmental Engineering Department since 2012.

Onur Uludag

Onur Uludag graduated from Sakarya University Environmental Engineering Department and received his master’s degree from Gebze Technical University Environmental Engineering Department. He has been working as an Environmental Engineer at IZAYDAS since 2004.

Aliye Suna Erses Yay

Aliye Suna Erses Yay graduated from ITU Environmental Engineering Department in 1997 and received her master’s and doctoral degrees from Boğaziçi University Institute of Environmental Sciences in 2001 and 2008, respectively. She worked as a research assistant at Boğaziçi University between 2001 and 2008 and studied as a Postdoc at the European Union JRC-Energy Institute in Petten, the Netherlands, in 2009. She conducted academic studies on environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin, USA, in 2007 and at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, in 2015. She has been working as an Associate Professor at Sakarya University’s environmental engineering department since 2010. She has written 15 articles and 40 papers on solid waste, renewable energy, life cycle analysis, and zero waste.