Title: Integrated life cycle management of aggregates quarrying, processing and recycling: definition of a common LCA methodology in the SARMa project

Authors: Gian Andrea Blengini, Elena Garbarino

Addresses: Department of Production Systems and Business Economics, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129, Italy; CNR – IGAG, Institute of Environmental Geology and Geo-Engineering of the Italian National Research Council, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino 10129, Italy. ' Department of Sustainable Development and Environmental Planning, Torino Province, Corso Inghilterra 7, Torino 10138, Italy

Abstract: Most of the environmental knowledge, presently used to understand or design sustainable industrial systems, is derived from an application of life cycle assessment (LCA). The mining/quarrying industry is probably one of the sectors where there has been relatively less use of LCA tools, or where LCA has received less consensus. A key issue is the integration between three interdependent life cycles: project, asset and product life cycles. Given the unique features of mining LCAs, this paper presents a common methodology implemented within the EU sustainable aggregates resource management project in order to boost adoption of LCA in the aggregate industry in South Eastern Europe.

Keywords: mining; minerals; mineral processing; recycling; C&DW; construction and demolition waste; natural aggregates; recycled aggregates; LCA; life cycle assessment; life cycle management; LCM; quarrying; sustainable development; sustainability; asset life cycles; product life cycles; project life cycles; resource management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2011.041271

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2011 Vol.3 No.3, pp.327 - 344

Published online: 08 Apr 2015 *

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