Chapter 13: LCA for Composting and Its Comparison with Other Organic Waste Treatment Options Check Access

Composting is one of the most widely applied methods for recycling organic waste. This process has been proposed as one option that facilitates the reincorporation of materials into the production cycle. However, composting also generates environmental impacts. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the most common approach to evaluate the environmental impacts of a process at different system stages. Nevertheless, applying LCA in composting facilities is challenging due to the extensive information required, the lack of standardization on the initial assumptions, the definition of system boundaries, and the high diversity of existing composting technologies. This chapter shows the general concepts of LCA and its application in the composting of organic waste. In addition, a comparison with other solid waste management options is presented. Finally, the challenges to improve the application of LCA tools in composting are highlighted.