Lca of Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems: Case Studies of Torino & Cuneo (italy)

The paper summarises the main results gathered from two extensive applications of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to the integrated municipal solid waste management systems of Torino and Cuneo Districts in northern Italy. Scenarios with substantial differences in terms of amount of waste, percentage of SC and strategies for the disposal of residual waste are used in order to discuss on strategies to boost adoption of LCA and increase the credibility and acceptability of the results, which are adversely affected by the large influence of methodological assumptions and the local socio-economic constraints. The use of site-specific data on full scale waste treatment facilities and the adoption of a participatory approach for the definition of the most sensible LCA assumptions are used to assist local public administrators and stakeholders showing them that LCA can be operational to waste management at local scale.