Title: Managing the end-of-life of railway vehicles for resource recovery

Authors: Giovanni Lagioia; Annarita Paiano; Filippo Alberto Tresca; Leonarda Lobefaro

Addresses: Department of Business and Law Studies, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Largo Abbazia Santa Scolastica 53, 70124 Bari, Italy ' Department of Business and Law Studies, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Largo Abbazia Santa Scolastica 53, 70124 Bari, Italy ' Department of Business and Law Studies, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Largo Abbazia Santa Scolastica 53, 70124 Bari, Italy ' Department of Business and Law Studies, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Largo Abbazia Santa Scolastica 53, 70124 Bari, Italy

Abstract: The railways transport has to be further implemented in the medium and long term to reduce traffic on the road and greenhouse gases emissions. The aim of the paper was the analysis of the end-of-life (EOL) of rolling stock and the evaluation of its management taking into account the sustainable use of resources and the reduction of waste. Considering that, at present, the EOL of this sector has been not much investigated, this case study was an attempt to show as the information regarding the flows on the material composition of railway vehicles and the material basis of the EOL are helpful for decision makers to carry out profitable, as well as, sustainable strategies of EOL in the medium and long term. In this way, the case study allowed to verify the feasibility of a practically application of the industrial ecology theory and the closed loop concepts.

Keywords: railway vehicles; EOL management; dismantling process; material recovery; ferrous materials; non-ferrous materials; waste disposal; resource conservation; sustainable economy; industrial ecology; materials composition; end-of-life vehicles; resource recovery; rolling stock; waste reduction; railways; recycling; reuse.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSE.2013.056793

International Journal of Sustainable Economy, 2013 Vol.5 No.4, pp.419 - 437

Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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