social and environmental assessment of solid waste management scenarios in cali

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Social and Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management Scenarios in Cali: From Landfilling towards Integrated Recycling Schemes

Andrea Díaz | Supervisor. Casper Boks | Co-supervisor. Venkatesh Govindarajan

Industrial Ecology – Master Thesis

09.2011

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: : index : :

1. Introduction

2. Aim and Research Questions

3. Methodology

4. Results

5. Discussion and conclusion

Social and Environmental Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management Scenarios in Cali: From Landfilling towards Integrated Recycling Schemes

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: : summary : :

The environmental and social challenges of Solid Waste Management (SWM) in developing economies have become an increasingly pressing issue. Disparities between the rich and poor continues to worsen in many of these regions where growing urban areas often witness the worst signs of maltreatment of human labour and misallocation of waste as a resource. This is a case study of the municipality of Cali in Colombia (Latin America), where city managers and the stakeholders involved are wrestling with the challenges referred to. Unsustainable patters of waste production inefficient collection processes, unorganized and poor conditions in human labour, insufficient waste treatment methods, lack of awareness and absence of civic culture on waste handling in concert with lack of knowledge and laxity of compliance to policies, are the foremost common threats to human health and the environment in Cali. This case focuses on the assessment of environmental and social impacts of solid waste management in this city, based on the comparison of four scenarios: 1) landfilling with no further treatment, 2) landfilling with a social-inclusive recycling system for the inorganic fraction, 3) technical sorting of inorganic and organic fraction with compost production and 4)Recycling hubs (segregated and decentralized recycling) with biogas combustion to generate electricity. Key social aspects for evaluating improvements in the system are child labour, job creation, freedom of association, fair salary, social security, local employment, corruption and public commitment to sustainability issues.

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1. Introduction

Municipal Solid Waste

Urban System

Threat or opportunity? Resources management

By-product of human activities

“useless remains” (to whom?)

Environmental, social and economic impact?

unavoidable

Problem x waste generators Business x companies Income x recyclers

Protection to human health and environment Conservation of resources (EC 1992)

One of the urban systems attempting to provide and improve healthy conditions for humans and the environment is the Solid waste management systems of cities. The system deals with unavoidable by-products of human activities , that in developing economies, represents the most unsustainable use of resources in terms of natural, man-made and humans. If well managed, the system stands for an opportunity of creating good social, economic and environmental conditions for development of cities.

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1. Introduction2

threats to human health and environmental quality in Cali

.Unsustainable patterns of waste production

.Insufficient treatment methods

.Disorganized/poor conditions of human labour

.Lack of awareness on sorting/waste handling

.Lack of knowledge

.Weak compliance of policies

Quantities, types of waste, sectors

Formal landfilling and informal recycling

Displaced recyclers – recycling chain

Waste producers are not “responsible”

Advanced strategies and methodologies

lack of control, follow-up, corruption

The problem in developing economies

(Diaz,1999)(PGIRS, 2006)

Common factors regarding the SWM around the world include rising quantities and increasing types of waste produced by current patterns of consumption at all economic sectors, but special conditions are encountered in Cali which are same problems faced along all developing economies.

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1. Introduction3 : : SWM in Cali : :

Population: 2.222.646 inhab. 3rd. Largest city in Colombia Waste Generation: 1.836ton/day (2010) = 594.864ton/year PPC of waste: 0,75Kg/cap/day (2nd city in Colombia) Population below poverty line: 46,8% (2009) Population involved in the recycling chain: + 10.000 people (+2500 recyclers) Recycling rate: 2,2% (2010)

This developing city produces waste at a ratio of developed economies but performs as a regular developing region. The unique formal treatment taken place nowadays is landfilling while at a very informal level the recycling activity is carried out, where some people struggle to make a living from the waste they can recover from streets. A waste management system controlled by a weak government that monopolizes processes and activities while retains investments and promotes the economic growth of big companies is the solution for handling discarded materials.

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Solid Waste Management System in Cali

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Provide a general overview of the Municipal Solid Waste Management System (SWMS) in Cali, outlining the social and environmental perspectives of some stages of the municipal solid waste life cycle.

The intention apply SLCA and ELCA to the SWM system in Cali and

evaluate its relevance and applicability

2. Aim


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2. Research Questions

Evaluation of SWM scenarios in Cali

What are the most influential factors and main

impediments for improving the current Solid Waste Management System in Cali?

1 How effective and appropriate is the LCA methodology for measuring social and environmental impacts and risks of the solid waste management in Cali according to the availability and relevance of collected data?

What are the main

challenges for the application of SLCA and ELCA on the evaluation of SWM systems under the sustainability paradigm?

2 3

To summarize this case study is developed to enquire about Research Questions:

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This case looks to discuss how the social and environmental issues of The Solid Waste Management System in Cali can be measured using current and available tools under the sustainability paradigm and how these measurements can lead to the implementation of specific strategies and targets in order to improve the system´s design towards more sustainable options. Specific Objectives are pointed: Application of Sustainability tools that consider the social and environmental perspective and allow the assessment of several processes of urban systems through the value chain. Definition of the main drivers and challenges of the Solid Waste Management System in Cali in order to propose potential improvements through Design for Sustainability. Redesign of the System by creation of different scenarios where new settings and processes contribute to social and environmental benefits.

2. Aim


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3. Methodologies

Availability, Relevance, Specificity

SWM in Cali | State-of-the-art

Starting Point

Environmental and Social Measuring DxS

Aim

Sustainability – Industrial Ecology

Methods

SLCA+ELCA | DxS | Scenarios Application - Assumptions

Relevance and suitability Desired outcome/ achievements

Applicability Conclusions

Data collection

The case study has been developed following the specific scheme defined below. Special attention is given to the Social-LCA methodology which represents a new and potential field of research.

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3. S-LCA Methodology

SOCIALSOCIAL--LCALCA

Objective

To assess social and socio and socio-economic performance of products/systems and their potential positive or negative impacts along their life cycle while considering stakeholders

Ultimate objective

Promote improvement of social conditions

LCA methodology. ISO Standards

social and socio-economic assessment of social aspects (and potential impact) of products/systems and their potential positive or negative along their life cycle. Social-LCA allows identification of key issues (hotspots), assessing and telling the story of social conditions where diverse stakeholders are involved: workers, consumers, local community, society and other value chain actors. These impacts may be linked to companies' performance and behaviour of different actors involved across the processes. Recognizing the need for the integration of social criteria into LCA, in 2009 the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative published the Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products.

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3. S-LCA: Framework1

SLCA and ELCA = ISO STANDARDSSLCA and ELCA = ISO STANDARDSSLCA and ELCA = ISO STANDARDSSLCA and ELCA = ISO STANDARDS

Same framework established by

ISO 14040 and ISO 14043

Different considerations

goal and scope definition

inventory analysis

impact assessment

inte

rpretatio

n


The UNEP/SETAC guidelines propose an S-LCA conforms to the ISO 14040 framework – however, with some adaptations, but based on the assessment of potential impacts on the basis of a chosen functional unit (measure of the function of the studied system and references of the inputs and outputs related to).

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GOAL AND SCOPE GOAL AND SCOPE DEFINITION DEFINITION

SLCA


ELCA

Highly site-specific Even sector specific? Political attributes?

Country/region-specific

Company conduct on people / process

Processes> exchanges

with the environment

Stakeholders categories / impact categories

Impact categories

For this

CASE STUDY

Cut-off criteria? (follow ELCA, social significance)

ISO 14044

Service suppliers>process

City and sector specific

selected >case specific

Waste PN stage Post-treatment

Consists of the definition of goal and scope. This phase includes also a description of the functional unit, a more detailed description of the product utility, and the reasons to carry out the intended study. Modeling approaches are defined as well.

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SLCA


ELCA

SHDB – New earth (under development) country/sector specific

Diverse databases

Inventory - Case specific? Company based?

based on flows model

country specific

Quantitative and qualitative / Objective and subjective data

Objective data

CASE STUDY

Created inventory Sector specific

Scoring system

LIFE CYCLE INVENTORYLIFE CYCLE INVENTORY

Created inventory Sector specific

The product system (or systems) and its constituent unit processes are described, and exchanges between the product system and the environment are compiled and evaluated. First classification of sub-categories is carried out. Identification of hotspots (both social and environmental) along processes. For the S-LCA, Inclusion of stakeholders and topics of concern are relevant for getting and building the inventory.

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3. S-LCA: Framework

IMPACT ASSESSMENTIMPACT ASSESSMENT

SLCA ELCA

AREA OF PROTECTION Human dignity and Well-

being

Value of a good and decent life

AREA OF PROTECTION Human health

Natural environment Natural resources

Man-made environment

Morbidity mortality

IDENTIFY SOCIAL HOTSPOTS

the magnitude and significance of impacts associated with the elementary flows compiled during the previous phase are evaluated. This is done by associating the life cycle inventory results with impact categories and category indicators. LCI results, other than elementary flows are identified and their relationship to corresponding category indicators is determined.

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3. S-LCA: Framework

SS--LCA LCA

For the Impact Assessment step, mandatory elements include selection of impact categories, category indicators and characterization models (still to develop in S-LCA). Another optional elements can be considered: normalization, weighting and aggregation (not proposed in the guidelines for S-LCA).

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3. S-LCA: Specific-case Framework

SS--LCA LCA -- SOCIAL HOTSPOTS SOCIAL HOTSPOTS

Formal Collection Transfer Station

Informal Collection

Transportation Landfilling

informal disposal-dumping, burning

informal recycling WH (300)

uncollected waste

Waste Generation Households Commerce+ Industries Hospitals Markets

Public areas D&C

Rural Areas others

Child labour, forced labour, unfair salaries, poor and

unhealthy conditions

Where and how to address the social impact of policies and laws?

Government should be treated as another company/stakeholder?

Where to focus the attention? Unit processes along the supply chains where companies/stakeholders may want to take action to improve or highlight their social responsibility. Issues that need to be considered when doing business in a certain sector and at a specific region Risks of violations or opportunities to improve performance

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Waste Collection

Waste Treatment Alternatives (TS, Recycling, Material recovery, etc)

Waste Disposal

Waste Generation

Commercialization, Biogas Pn

S-LCA + E-LCA | SWM

3. Application of LCA

SYSTEM DEFINITION AND ASSESSMENTSYSTEM DEFINITION AND ASSESSMENT

1

en

viro

nm

en

tal Abiotic Depletion Potential

2 Global Warming Potential

3 Human Toxicity Potential

4 Acidification Potential

5 Waste Generation

6 Waste Recycling

7

soci

al

Freedom of association

8 Child Labour

9 Fair salary

10 Health and Safety

11 social security

12 job generation

13 Public commitment to sustainability issues

14 corruption

Functional unit : 1836Ton/day of municipal solid waste treated in Cali

Social and environmental indicators to be considered, after literature review and experts opinion. The system is defined to the relevance of each processes to the methodology (waste generation and commercialization would require the application of different methods and techniques of evaluation)

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HOW TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL CONCERNS?HOW TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL CONCERNS?

A specific Inventory for this case study has been created after selecting relevant impact categories and assuming from literature review what the main stressors for the solid waste management system in Cali are. Site-specific data as well as qualitative and quantitative values are gathered.

S-LCA + E-LCA | SWM

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Scoring system for qualitative and quantitative data

Scoring factor according to characterization of the indicator

Relevance(+) 0,33 0 0,33- (-)Relevance

Specificity(+) 0,33 0 0,33- (+)General

Accesibility(+) 0,33 0 0,33- (-) Accesibility

After defining the specific impact categories , subcategories and indicators to be assessed, is necessary to define a way to convert this information into comparable data.

For analysis of the different impact categories and indicators, three factors have been defined for scoring data versus processes along the life cycle: 1) Relevance, 2) Specificity and 3) Accessibility. The reason why these factors have been chosen follows the validity of data for obtaining more appropriate and specific results that can be applied directly to this case study.

Each factor represents a percentage of a whole unit (1 point), when summed up can be multiplied into the number of sub-indicators for attainment of scores on each impact category.

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Scoring system for qualitative and quantitative data

For obtaining the impact of one specific process or a subcategory, each of the scores are multiplied into the weighting factor, and then summed up horizontally or vertically according to the desire point of view. This weighting factor is defined according to the number of stressors established in the inventory. Contrary to E-LCA, negative values are undesired performance and positive values are positive impacts on the subcategory.

Matrix of the different impacts related to each process when managing the functional unit

SCENARIO 0 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN CALI

weighting factor

Formal Collection

Informal Collection

TS Transport to landfill

Dumping / burning

Informal Recycling

Ware-housing

Landfill TOTAL

soci

al

Freedom of association 2 0,33 0,33 0 0 0 1 0 0,33 3,98

Child Labour 2 0 -1 0 0 -0,33 -1 0 0 -4,66

Fair salary 1 0,33 -1 0,33 0,33 0 -1 0,33 0,33 -0,35 Equal opportunities /

discrimination 2 0,33 -1 0,33 0,33 0 -1 0,33 0,33 -0,7

Health and Safety 3 0,33 -1 0,33 0,33 -1 -1 0 0,33 -5,04

job generation 4 0,66 -1 0,33 0,33 0 -1 -0,33 0,33 -2,72 Public commitment to

sustainability 2 1 1 0,33 0,33 -0,33 0,33 0 0,33 5,98

corruption 2 -0,33 -0,33 -0,33 -0,33 0 -0,33 0 -0,33 -3,96

TOTAL 0,66 -1 13 -5 -1 13 -7 -3

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Scenario-based Methodology

3. Methodologies

SYSTEMS TO BE ASSESSEDSYSTEMS TO BE ASSESSED Four scenarios have been set, according to the tendency: if the system follows a technological solution for development of the processes or the solution is an attempt of social innovation where the human factor as the core element is desired improvement.

The expected future highlights the importance of following the Hierarchical Waste Scheme as it looks out for an integrated system with preventive solutions in both up-stream and down-stream processes, rather than just corrective solutions.

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SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE DISPOSAL. Current

3. Methodologies

0


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SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE RECYCLING

3. Methodologies

1


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SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE TREATMENT

3. Methodologies7

2


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SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE MINIMIZATION

3. Methodologies

3


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Social Assessment of the four scenarios

4. Results

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SWM scenarios in Cali

4. Results

Climate change 3,52E+10 kg CO2-Eq

Fossil depletion 2,11E+10 kg oil-Eq

2,38E+10(68%) 1,72E+10(81%)

8,14E+09(23%)

3,26E+09(23%)

Human toxicity 8,70E+09 kg oil-Eq

1,37E+09(6,34%)

2,56E+09(12%)

2,60E+09(30%)

3,82E+09(44%)

2,27E+09(26%)

Scenario 0. Waste Disposal. Baseline

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4. Results

Public Commitment to sustainability issues

3.3 points (positive impact)

Child labour and Corruption

all negative points

Processes with negative impact: Informal collection and informal

recycling

Scenario 0. Waste Disposal. Baseline

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4. Results


Reduction of 1%


Reduction of 1%

2,38E+10(68%) 1,72E+10(81%)

8,14E+09(23%)

3,19E+09(23%)


Reduction of 1%

1,34E+09(6,34%)

2,56E+09(12%)

2,60E+09(30%)

3,82E+09(44%)

2,27E+09(26%)

Scenario 1. Waste Recycling

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4. Results



Child labour and Corruption

all negative points

Processes with negative impact: Informal collection and informal

recycling

Scenario 1. Waste Recycling

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4. Results


Reduction of 19%


Reduction of 21%

1,76E+10(62%) 1,29E+10(77%)

8,14E+09(23%)

2,46E+09(8,6%)


Reduction of 19%

1,03E+09(6,18%)

2,56E+09(12%)

1,97E+09(28%)

3,82E+09(38%)

2,27E+09(26%)

Scenario 2. Waste Processing

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4. Results



Job generation and Corruption

Most negative points

Important improvements at all processes

Scenario 2. Waste Processing

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4. Results


Reduction of 31%


Reduction of 35%

1,38E+10(56%) 1,29E+10(74%)

8,14E+09(23%)

2,46E+09(7,9%)


Reduction of 29%

1,03E+09(5,9%)

2,56E+09(12%)

1,97E+09(24%)

3,82E+09(32%)

2,27E+09(26%)

Scenario 3. Waste Minimization

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4. Results

Health and safety 3.9 points (positive impact)

Corruption Most negative points

Almost all of the processes would bring possitiveimpacts


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4. Results


Reduction of 31%


Reduction of 35%


Reduction of 29%

Comparing Scenarios | summarizing results

(1%)

(1%)

(19%)

(19%) (31%)

(21%) (35%)

(29%)

(1%)

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4. Results

Health and safety 3.9 points (positive impact)

Corruption Most negative points

Almost all of the processes would bring possitiveimpacts


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4. Results

social and environmental perspectives of SWM in Cali

• The processes highest impact over the environment, across all of the

scenarios are: landfilling and transportation of waste from transfer station

to landfill. The sensitivity of these processes is addressed to the climate

change (mainly due to CH4), fossil depletion (fuels consumption) and

human toxicity (manganese, arsenic, mercury, selenium, lead)

• Mixed strategies as best solution: technological and social solutions

(scenario 3). mitigation of negative impacts over environment and society

Efficiency on transportation and waste treatment, recycling rate (creation of

jobs), involvement of the private sector (formalization of jobs,

improvements on health, etc) and follow-up of policies

•Integration of the informal sector to the SWM system – formal recycling

scheme and decentralization

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5. Discussion and conclusion


What are the most influential factors and main impediments for improving the current Solid Waste Management System in Cali?

1 • Disarticulation and lack of planning for a long-term perspective (change of plans every 4 years)

• Lack of transparent processes and commitment from governmental authorities

• Lack of integrative projects – stakeholder disconnection

• Lack of knowledge about sustainable waste management practices

• Lack of control or regulation and follow-up actions

• Integration of the informal sector to the SWM system – formal recycling scheme

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5. Discussion and conclusion2


How effective are the methods SLCA and ELCA for measuring social and environmental impacts of the solid waste management in Cali according to the availability and relevance of collected data?

2 • Despite original data gathering difficulties, ELCA is currently practiced at a relatively high level of development and flexibility. •SLCA as a truthful tool but still requires extensive improvements. For future scenarios SLCA high level of uncertainty, difficulties for measuring future social factors and trends.

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5. Discussion and conclusion3


Is the application of these methods a realistic path to improve the system under the sustainability paradigm?

3 • LCA should be applied to its full extension (sustainability LCA) including social and economic factors in order to understand the holistic impacts between scenarios.

•Still, ELCA and SLCA were useful methods for evaluating the given scenarios. These tools allowed for a greater understanding of the hotspots, environmental sinks, and most pertinent processes/stressors to consider along the life cycle.

•SLCA is not realistic for potential scenarios development; this tool is useful as a more explorative method for understanding and setting paths towards greater social performance.

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Challenges for the application of S-LCA


•Operationalisation with normalisation, weighting and aggregation has not been accomplished.

•Agreement on the impact categories

•Inventory (country/region/sector specific)

•Development of pathways – causal links

• Value choices to be made: “corruption” can be a priority for one sector (public services) while not for other (phones production). Different perspectives as ELCA? (egalitarian, hierarchist, individualist appr.)

This methodology is in its infancy and needs further development at different sectors and countries.

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Thanks for your attention

social and environmental assessment of solid waste management scenarios in cali

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