Social and Environmental Assessment of Solid Waste Management Scenarios in Cali

Solid Waste Management in Cali | 1
Industrial Ecology – Master Thesis
Social and Environmental Assessment of
Municipal Solid Waste Management Scenarios in Cali:
From Landfilling towards Integrated Recycling Schemes

Andrea Díaz | Supervisor. Casper Boks | Co-supervisor. Venkatesh Govindarajan 09.2011

1. Introduction

2. Aim and Research Questions
3. Methodology
4. Results
5. Discussion and conclusion

: : index : :

Social and Environmental Assessment of
Municipal Solid Waste Management Scenarios in Cali:
From Landfilling towards Integrated Recycling Schemes

The environmental and social challenges of Solid Waste Management (SWM) in developing
economies have become an increasingly pressing issue. Disparities between the rich and poor
continues to worsen in many of these regions where growing urban areas often witness the worst
signs of maltreatment of human labour and misallocation of waste as a resource. This is a case

study of the municipality of Cali in Colombia (Latin America), where city managers and the
stakeholders involved are wrestling with the challenges referred to.

Unsustainable patters of waste production inefficient collection processes, unorganized and poor
conditions in human labour, insufficient waste treatment methods, lack of awareness and absence
of civic culture on waste handling in concert with lack of knowledge and laxity of compliance to
policies, are the foremost common threats to human health and the environment in Cali.

This case focuses on the assessment of environmental and social impacts of solid waste
management in this city, based on the comparison of four scenarios: 1) landfilling with no further
treatment, 2) landfilling with a social-inclusive recycling system for the inorganic fraction, 3)
technical sorting of inorganic and organic fraction with compost production and 4)Recycling hubs
(segregated and decentralized recycling) with biogas combustion to generate electricity.

Key social aspects for evaluating improvements in the system are child labour, job creation, freedom
of association, fair salary, social security, local employment, corruption and public commitment to
sustainability issues.

: : summary : :

1. Introduction
Municipal Solid Waste

Urban System

By-product of human activities unavoidable

Problem x waste generators
“useless remains” (to whom?) Business x companies
Income x recyclers

Environmental, social and Protection to human health and
economic impact? environment
Conservation of resources
(EC 1992)

Threat or opportunity? Resources management
One of the urban systems attempting to provide and improve healthy conditions for
humans and the environment is the Solid waste management systems of cities. The
system deals with unavoidable by-products of human activities , that in developing
economies, represents the most unsustainable use of resources in terms of natural,
man-made and humans. If well managed, the system stands for an opportunity of
creating good social, economic and environmental conditions for development of cities.

1. Introduction2

The problem in developing economies
.Unsustainable patterns of waste production Quantities, types of waste, sectors

.Insufficient treatment methods Formal landfilling and informal recycling

.Disorganized/poor conditions of human labour Displaced recyclers – recycling chain

.Lack of awareness on sorting/waste handling Waste producers are not “responsible”

.Lack of knowledge Advanced strategies and methodologies

.Weak compliance of policies lack of control, follow-up, corruption
(Diaz,1999)(PGIRS, 2006)
threats to human health and environmental quality in Cali
Common factors regarding the SWM around the world include rising quantities and increasing types
of waste produced by current patterns of consumption at all economic sectors, but special
conditions are encountered in Cali which are same problems faced along all developing economies.

1. Introduction3 : : SWM in Cali : :
Population: 2.222.646 inhab.

3rd. Largest city in Colombia

Waste Generation: 1.836ton/day
(2010) = 594.864ton/year

PPC of waste: 0,75Kg/cap/day (2nd city in
Colombia)

Population below poverty line: 46,8%
(2009)

Population involved in the recycling chain:
+ 10.000 people (+2500 recyclers)

Recycling rate: 2,2% (2010)

This developing city produces waste at a ratio of developed economies but performs as a regular
developing region. The unique formal treatment taken place nowadays is landfilling while at a very
informal level the recycling activity is carried out, where some people struggle to make a living from the
waste they can recover from streets. A waste management system controlled by a weak government
that monopolizes processes and activities while retains investments and promotes the economic growth
of big companies is the solution for handling discarded materials.

Waste production

Waste collection

landfilling

Waste transportation

Solid Waste Management System in Cali

Waste transportation


2. Aim

Provide a general overview of the Municipal Solid Waste
Management System (SWMS) in Cali, outlining the social and
environmental perspectives of some stages of the municipal
solid waste life cycle.

The intention
apply SLCA and ELCA to the SWM system in Cali and
evaluate its relevance and applicability


2. Research Questions

To summarize this case study is developed to enquire about Research
Questions:
1 What are the most 2 3 What are the main
How effective and
influential factors appropriate is the LCA challenges for the
and main methodology for application of SLCA
impediments for measuring social and and ELCA on the
improving the environmental impacts evaluation of SWM
current Solid Waste and risks of the solid systems under the
Management waste management in sustainability
System in Cali? Cali according to the paradigm?
availability and
relevance of collected
data?

Evaluation of SWM scenarios in Cali

2. Aim

This case looks to discuss how the social and environmental issues of The
Solid Waste Management System in Cali can be measured using current and
available tools under the sustainability paradigm and how these
measurements can lead to the implementation of specific strategies and
targets in order to improve the system´s design towards more sustainable
options.

Specific Objectives are pointed:

 Application of Sustainability tools that consider the social and
environmental perspective and allow the assessment of several processes of
urban systems through the value chain.
 Definition of the main drivers and challenges of the Solid Waste
Management System in Cali in order to propose potential improvements
through Design for Sustainability.
 Redesign of the System by creation of different scenarios where new
settings and processes contribute to social and environmental benefits.


3. Methodologies
The case study has been developed following the specific scheme defined below. Special attention

is given to the Social-LCA methodology which represents a new and potential field of research.

Starting Point
SWM in Cali | State-of-the-art

Aim
Environmental and Social Measuring DxS

Methods Data collection

Sustainability – Industrial Ecology Availability, Relevance, Specificity

SLCA+ELCA | DxS | Scenarios Application - Assumptions

Relevance and suitability Desired outcome/ achievements

Applicability Conclusions

3. S-LCA Methodology
SOCIAL-
SOCIAL-LCA

social and socio-economic assessment of social aspects (and potential impact) of
products/systems and their potential positive or negative along their life cycle. Social-LCA
allows identification of key issues (hotspots), assessing and telling the story of social
conditions where diverse stakeholders are involved: workers, consumers, local community,
society and other value chain actors. These impacts may be linked to companies'
performance and behaviour of different actors involved across the processes.

Recognizing the need for the integration of social criteria into LCA, in 2009 the UNEP/SETAC
Life Cycle Initiative published the Guidelines for Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products.

Objective
To assess social and socio and socio-economic performance
of products/systems and their potential positive or negative
impacts along their life cycle while considering stakeholders

Ultimate objective
Promote improvement of social conditions
LCA methodology. ISO Standards

3. S-LCA: Framework1

The UNEP/SETAC guidelines propose an S-LCA conforms to the ISO 14040 framework – however,
with some adaptations, but based on the assessment of potential impacts on the basis of a
chosen functional unit (measure of the function of the studied system and references of the
inputs and outputs related to).

SLCA and ELCA = ISO STANDARDS

Same framework established by
goal and scope definition
ISO 14040 and ISO 14043
interpretation
inventory analysis
Different considerations

impact assessment


Consists of the definition of goal and scope. This phase includes also a description of the

functional unit, a more detailed description of the product utility, and the reasons to carry out
the intended study. Modeling approaches are defined as well.

GOAL AND SCOPE DEFINITION
SLCA For this ELCA
CASE STUDY

Company conduct Service Processes> exchanges
on people / process suppliers>process with the environment
Highly site-specific
City and sector
Even sector specific? specific Country/region-specific
Political attributes?
Stakeholders categories selected >case Impact categories
/ impact categories specific

Cut-off criteria?
Waste PN stage ISO 14044
(follow ELCA, social
Post-treatment
significance)


The product system (or systems) and its constituent unit processes are described, and exchanges

between the product system and the environment are compiled and evaluated. First classification
of sub-categories is carried out. Identification of hotspots (both social and environmental) along
processes.
For the S-LCA, Inclusion of stakeholders and topics of concern are relevant for getting and
building the inventory.
LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY
SLCA ELCA
CASE STUDY

SHDB – New earth
(under development) Created inventory Diverse databases
Sector specific
country/sector specific

Inventory - Case based on flows model
specific? Created inventory
Sector specific country specific
Company based?

Quantitative and
Objective data
qualitative / Objective Scoring system
and subjective data

3. S-LCA: Framework
the magnitude and significance of impacts associated with the elementary flows compiled

during the previous phase are evaluated. This is done by associating the life cycle inventory
results with impact categories and category indicators. LCI results, other than elementary
flows are identified and their relationship to corresponding category indicators is determined.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT
SLCA ELCA

AREA OF PROTECTION AREA OF PROTECTION
Human dignity and Well- Morbidity
Human health
being mortality
Natural environment
Natural resources
Value of a good and Man-made environment
decent life

IDENTIFY SOCIAL HOTSPOTS

3. S-LCA: Framework
For the Impact Assessment step, mandatory elements include selection of impact categories, category

indicators and characterization models (still to develop in S-LCA). Another optional elements can be
considered: normalization, weighting and aggregation (not proposed in the guidelines for S-LCA).
S-LCA

3. S-LCA: Specific-case Framework
Where to focus the attention?

 Unit processes along the supply chains where companies/stakeholders may want to take action to
improve or highlight their social responsibility.
 Issues that need to be considered when doing business in a certain sector and at a specific region
 Risks of violations or opportunities to improve performance

S-LCA - SOCIAL HOTSPOTS
Waste
Generation
Households
Formal Collection Transfer Station Transportation Landfilling
Commerce+
Industries
Hospitals
Markets informal disposal-
uncollected waste
Public areas dumping, burning
D&C
Rural Areas informal
Informal Collection recycling WH (300)
others

Child labour, forced labour,
unfair salaries, poor and
unhealthy conditions

Where and how to address the social impact of policies and laws?
Government should be treated as another company/stakeholder?

3. Application of LCA
Social and environmental indicators to be considered, after literature review and experts opinion. The

system is defined to the relevance of each processes to the methodology (waste generation and
commercialization would require the application of different methods and techniques of evaluation)

SYSTEM DEFINITION AND ASSESSMENT
Functional unit : 1836Ton/day of municipal solid waste treated in Cali

1 Abiotic Depletion Potential Waste Generation
environmental

2 Global Warming Potential
3 Human Toxicity Potential
4 Acidification Potential Waste Collection
5 Waste Generation
6 Waste Recycling

Waste Treatment Alternatives
7 Freedom of association
(TS, Recycling, Material recovery, etc)
8 Child Labour
9 Fair salary
social

10 Health and Safety
Waste Disposal
11 social security
12 job generation
13 Public commitment to sustainability issues
corruption Commercialization, Biogas Pn
14

S-LCA + E-LCA | SWM

HOW TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL CONCERNS?

A specific Inventory for this case study has been created after selecting relevant impact categories
and assuming from literature review what the main stressors for the solid waste management
system in Cali are. Site-specific data as well as qualitative and quantitative values are gathered.

S-LCA + E-LCA | SWM


Scoring system for qualitative and quantitative data
After defining the specific impact categories , subcategories and indicators to be assessed, is
necessary to define a way to convert this information into comparable data.

For analysis of the different impact categories and indicators, three factors have been defined for
scoring data versus processes along the life cycle: 1) Relevance, 2) Specificity and 3) Accessibility.
The reason why these factors have been chosen follows the validity of data for obtaining more
appropriate and specific results that can be applied directly to this case study.
Each factor represents a percentage of a whole unit (1 point), when summed up can be multiplied
into the number of sub-indicators for attainment of scores on each impact category.

Scoring factor according to characterization of the indicator
Relevance(+) 0,33 0 0,33- (-)Relevance
Specificity(+) 0,33 0 0,33- (+)General
Accesibility(+) 0,33 0 0,33- (-) Accesibility


Scoring system for qualitative and quantitative data
For obtaining the impact of one specific process or a subcategory, each of the scores are multiplied
into the weighting factor, and then summed up horizontally or vertically according to the desire
point of view. This weighting factor is defined according to the number of stressors established in
the inventory. Contrary to E-LCA, negative values are undesired performance and positive values
are positive impacts on the subcategory.

Matrix of the different impacts related to each process when managing the functional unit
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN CALI
SCENARIO 0
weighting Formal Informal Transport Dumping / Informal Ware-
TS Landfill TOTAL
factor Collection Collection to landfill burning Recycling housing
Freedom of association 2 0,33 0,33 0 0 0 1 0 0,33 3,98
Child Labour 2 0 -1 0 0 -0,33 -1 0 0 -4,66
Fair salary 1 0,33 -1 0,33 0,33 0 -1 0,33 0,33 -0,35
Equal opportunities /
0,33 -1 0,33 0,33 0 -1 0,33 0,33 -0,7
social

discrimination 2
Health and Safety 3 0,33 -1 0,33 0,33 -1 -1 0 0,33 -5,04
job generation 4 0,66 -1 0,33 0,33 0 -1 -0,33 0,33 -2,72
Public commitment to
sustainability 2
1 1 0,33 0,33 -0,33 0,33 0 0,33 5,98
corruption 2 -0,33 -0,33 -0,33 -0,33 0 -0,33 0 -0,33 -3,96
TOTAL 0,66 -1 13 -5 -1 13 -7 -3

3. Methodologies

Four scenarios have been SYSTEMS TO BE ASSESSED
set, according to the
tendency: if the system
follows a technological
solution for development
of the processes or the
solution is an attempt of
social innovation where
the human factor as the
core element is desired
improvement.
The expected future
highlights the importance
of following the
Hierarchical Waste
Scheme as it looks out for
an integrated system with
preventive solutions in
both up-stream and
down-stream processes,
rather than just
corrective solutions.

Scenario-based Methodology

3. Methodologies

SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE DISPOSAL. Current 0


3. Methodologies

1 SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE RECYCLING


3. Methodologies7

SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE TREATMENT 2


3. Methodologies

3 SWM in Cali – SCENARIO WASTE MINIMIZATION


4. Results
Social Assessment of the four scenarios

4. Results

Scenario 0. Waste Disposal. Baseline

2,38E+10(68%) 1,72E+10(81%) 3,82E+09(44%)

3,26E+09(23%)
2,60E+09(30%)
1,37E+09(6,34%)

8,14E+09(23%) 2,27E+09(26%)

2,56E+09(12%)

Climate change Fossil depletion Human toxicity
3,52E+10 kg CO2-Eq 2,11E+10 kg oil-Eq 8,70E+09 kg oil-Eq

SWM scenarios in Cali

4. Results

Scenario 0. Waste Disposal. Baseline

Public Commitment to Child labour and Processes with negative impact:
sustainability issues Corruption Informal collection and informal
3.3 points (positive impact) all negative points recycling


4. Results

Scenario 1. Waste Recycling

2,38E+10(68%) 1,72E+10(81%) 3,82E+09(44%)

3,19E+09(23%)
2,60E+09(30%)
1,34E+09(6,34%)

8,14E+09(23%)
2,27E+09(26%)
2,56E+09(12%)

Reduction of 1% Reduction of 1% Reduction of 1%


4. Results

Scenario 1. Waste Recycling

Public Commitment to Child labour and Processes with negative impact:
sustainability issues Corruption Informal collection and informal
3.3 points (positive impact) all negative points recycling


4. Results

Scenario 2. Waste Processing

1,76E+10(62%) 1,29E+10(77%) 3,82E+09(38%)

2,46E+09(8,6%)
1,97E+09(28%)
1,03E+09(6,18%)

8,14E+09(23%)
2,27E+09(26%)
2,56E+09(12%)



4. Results

Scenario 2. Waste Processing

Public Commitment to Job generation and
sustainability issues Important improvements at all
Corruption
processes
3.7 points (positive impact) Most negative points


4. Results

Scenario 3. Waste Minimization

1,38E+10(56%) 1,29E+10(74%) 3,82E+09(32%)

2,46E+09(7,9%)
1,97E+09(24%)
1,03E+09(5,9%)

8,14E+09(23%)
2,27E+09(26%)
2,56E+09(12%)



4. Results


Health and safety Corruption Almost all of the processes
3.9 points (positive impact) Most negative points would bring possitiveimpacts


4. Results

Comparing Scenarios | summarizing results

(1%)

(19%) (29%)
(1%) (21%) (35%)

(1%) (19%) (31%)



4. Results


Health and safety Corruption Almost all of the processes
3.9 points (positive impact) Most negative points would bring possitiveimpacts


4. Results

• The processes highest impact over the environment, across all of the
scenarios are: landfilling and transportation of waste from transfer station
to landfill. The sensitivity of these processes is addressed to the climate
change (mainly due to CH4), fossil depletion (fuels consumption) and
human toxicity (manganese, arsenic, mercury, selenium, lead)
• Mixed strategies as best solution: technological and social solutions
(scenario 3). mitigation of negative impacts over environment and society
Efficiency on transportation and waste treatment, recycling rate (creation of
jobs), involvement of the private sector (formalization of jobs,
improvements on health, etc) and follow-up of policies
•Integration of the informal sector to the SWM system – formal recycling
scheme and decentralization

social and environmental perspectives of SWM in Cali

5. Discussion and conclusion

• Disarticulation and lack of planning for a long-
1
term perspective (change of plans every 4 years)
What are the most
influential factors • Lack of transparent processes and commitment
and main from governmental authorities
impediments for • Lack of integrative projects – stakeholder
improving the disconnection
current Solid Waste • Lack of knowledge about sustainable waste
Management management practices
System in Cali?
• Lack of control or regulation and follow-up
actions
• Integration of the informal sector to the SWM
system – formal recycling scheme


5. Discussion and conclusion2

2
• Despite original data gathering difficulties,
ELCA is currently practiced at a relatively high How effective are the
level of development and flexibility. methods SLCA and
ELCA for measuring
•SLCA as a truthful tool but still requires social and
extensive improvements. environmental impacts
For future scenarios SLCA high level of of the solid waste
uncertainty, difficulties for measuring future management in Cali
social factors and trends. according to the
availability and
relevance of collected
data?


5. Discussion and conclusion3

3 Is the application of
• LCA should be applied to its full extension
(sustainability LCA) including social and economic
these methods a
factors in order to understand the holistic impacts
realistic path to
between scenarios.
improve the system
under the •Still, ELCA and SLCA were useful methods for
sustainability evaluating the given scenarios. These tools allowed
paradigm? for a greater understanding of the hotspots,
environmental sinks, and most pertinent
processes/stressors to consider along the life cycle.
•SLCA is not realistic for potential scenarios
development; this tool is useful as a more
explorative method for understanding and setting
paths towards greater social performance.


Challenges for the application of S-LCA

•Operationalisation with normalisation, weighting and aggregation has not
been accomplished.
•Agreement on the impact categories
•Inventory (country/region/sector specific)
•Development of pathways – causal links
• Value choices to be made: “corruption” can be a priority for one sector
(public services) while not for other (phones production). Different
perspectives as ELCA? (egalitarian, hierarchist, individualist appr.)

This methodology is in its infancy and needs further development at different
sectors and countries.


Thanks for your attention


Social and Environmental Assessment of Solid Waste Management Scenarios in Cali

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