Regionalized life-cycle monetization can support the transition to sustainable rural food waste management in China
- 18 September 2023
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Food
- Vol. 4 (9), 797-809
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00842-6
Abstract
Innovative recycling technologies can help curb food waste, yet their implementation often involves trade-offs among different environmental issues and among environmental, economic and social issues. Monetization can provide a solution to integrate all environmental impacts across the life cycle of food waste and to enable a normalized evaluation with economic accounting. Herein, a Chinese regionalized monetization model was applied to various indicators related to the environment, resource depletion and human health to assess ten typical rural food waste recycling technologies in Zhejiang province. The results reveal that biodrying and maturity and two bioconversion options are promising solutions, considering both environmental and economic impacts as well as the shifting of environmental impacts among different compartments as hidden risks. The monetization method proposed here could be applied to other sectors to support decision-making towards more sustainable development.Funding Information
- Westlake Education Foundation, the Research Center for Industries of the Future (RCIF) at Westlake University, Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology
- the foundation of Key Research and Development Project of Zhejiang Province, China
This publication has 33 references indexed in Scilit:
- Choice of mineral fertilizer substitution principle strongly influences LCA environmental benefits of nutrient cycling in the agri-food systemScience of The Total Environment, 2018
- Rural Solid Waste Management in China: Status, Problems and ChallengesSustainability, 2017
- Evaluation of Externality Costs in Life-Cycle Optimization of Municipal Solid Waste Management SystemsEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2017
- Calculation of Monetary Values of Environmental Impacts from Emissions and Resource Use The Case of Using the EPS 2015d Impact Assessment MethodJournal of Sustainable Development, 2016
- Land use impacts on biodiversity in LCA: a global approachThe International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2012
- Ecovalue08–A new valuation set for environmental systems analysis toolsJournal of Cleaner Production, 2011
- TRACI 2.0: the tool for the reduction and assessment of chemical and other environmental impacts 2.0Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 2011
- Using the budget constraint to monetarise impact assessment resultsEcological Economics, 2009
- Weighting in LCA Based on Ecotaxes - Development of a Mid-point Method and Experiences from Case StudiesThe International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2006
- The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capitalNature, 1997