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Isabel Garcia-Herrero
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain

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Journal article
Published: 06 July 2021 in Sustainability
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The availability of freshwater is one of the biggest limitations and challenges of food production, as freshwater is an increasingly scarce and overexploited resource in many parts of the world. Therefore, the concept of water footprint (WF) has gained increasing interest, in the same way that the generation of food loss and waste (FLW) in food production and consumption has become a social and political concern. Along this line, the number of studies on the WF of the food production sector is currently increasing all over the world, analyzing water scarcity and water degradation as a single WF indicator or as a so-called WF profile. In Spain, there is no study assessing the influence of FLW generation along the whole food supply chain nor is there a study assessing the different FLW management options regarding the food supply chain’s WF. This study aimed to assess the spatially differentiated WF profile for 17 Spanish regions over time, analyzing the potential linkages of FLW management and water scarcity and water degradation. The assessment considered compliance and non-compliance with the Paris Agreement targets and was based on the life cycle assessment approach. Results are highlighted in a compliance framework; the scenarios found that anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting (to a lesser extent) had the lowest burdens, while scenarios with thermal treatment had the highest impact. Additionally, the regions in the north of Spain and the islands were less influenced by the type of FLW management and by compliance with the Paris Agreement targets.

ACS Style

Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Jara Laso; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Ana Fernández-Ríos; Cristina Campos; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Rubén Aldaco; Paula Quinteiro. Water Footprint Assessment of Food Loss and Waste Management Strategies in Spanish Regions. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7538 .

AMA Style

Daniel Hoehn, María Margallo, Jara Laso, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, Ana Fernández-Ríos, Cristina Campos, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Rubén Aldaco, Paula Quinteiro. Water Footprint Assessment of Food Loss and Waste Management Strategies in Spanish Regions. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7538.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Jara Laso; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Ana Fernández-Ríos; Cristina Campos; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Rubén Aldaco; Paula Quinteiro. 2021. "Water Footprint Assessment of Food Loss and Waste Management Strategies in Spanish Regions." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7538.

Journal article
Published: 18 March 2021 in Sustainability
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There is a growing debate surrounding the contradiction between an unremitting increase in the use of resources and the search for environmental sustainability. Therefore, the concept of sustainable degrowth is emerging aiming to introduce in our societies new social values and new policies, capable of satisfying human requirements whilst reducing environmental impacts and consumption of resources. In this framework, circular economy strategies for food production and food loss and waste management systems, following the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, are being developed based on a search for circularity, but without setting limits to the continual increase in environmental impacts and resource use. This work presents a methodology for determining the percentage of degrowth needed in any food supply chain, by analyzing four scenarios in a life cycle assessment approach over time between 2020 and 2040. Results for the Spanish case study suggested a degrowth need of 26.8% in 2015 and 58.9% in 2040 in order to achieve compliance with the Paris Agreement targets, highlighting the reduction of meat and fish and seafood consumption as the most useful path.

ACS Style

Daniel Hoehn; Jara Laso; María Margallo; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Francisco Amo-Setién; Rebeca Abajas-Bustillo; Carmen Sarabia; Ainoa Quiñones; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Alba Bala; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. Introducing a Degrowth Approach to the Circular Economy Policies of Food Production, and Food Loss and Waste Management: Towards a Circular Bioeconomy. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3379 .

AMA Style

Daniel Hoehn, Jara Laso, María Margallo, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, Francisco Amo-Setién, Rebeca Abajas-Bustillo, Carmen Sarabia, Ainoa Quiñones, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Alba Bala, Laura Batlle-Bayer, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Rubén Aldaco. Introducing a Degrowth Approach to the Circular Economy Policies of Food Production, and Food Loss and Waste Management: Towards a Circular Bioeconomy. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (6):3379.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Hoehn; Jara Laso; María Margallo; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Francisco Amo-Setién; Rebeca Abajas-Bustillo; Carmen Sarabia; Ainoa Quiñones; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Alba Bala; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. 2021. "Introducing a Degrowth Approach to the Circular Economy Policies of Food Production, and Food Loss and Waste Management: Towards a Circular Bioeconomy." Sustainability 13, no. 6: 3379.

Journal article
Published: 05 March 2021 in Sustainability
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The United Nations has adopted 17 sustainable development goals for 2030 with environmental sustainability being one of the main pillars. A key point to address this pillar is the proper management of waste generation. Within the broad spectrum of waste types, food loss and waste is produced worldwide in large quantities. In this framework, the development of composite indexes is recommended to measure the level of compliance of any context with Sustainable Development Goals. This work presents a novel composite index for food loss and waste generation and management systems, the so-called sustainable development goals-food (SDG-Food) index, aiming to determine the level of compliance of any concrete national, regional, or local context regarding five different sustainable development goals with a water-climate-food nexus thinking. The pilot case study of Spain is presented by analyzing the environmental performance between 2015 and 2040 in a context of (i) compliance and (ii) non-compliance with the Paris Agreement targets. Additionally, four different diets are assessed. Results suggested a numerical index score of 13.79, highlighting the categories of eggs, cereals, meat, and vegetables, and the stages of agricultural production and consumption, as the furthers ones for compliance with the five SDG assessed. Moreover, the scenario of compliance with the Paris agreement targets presented better values for all stages, and a vegan diet was highlighted as the one with the best index score.

ACS Style

Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Jara Laso; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. A Novel Composite Index for the Development of Decentralized Food Production, Food Loss, and Waste Management Policies: A Water-Climate-Food Nexus Approach. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2839 .

AMA Style

Daniel Hoehn, María Margallo, Jara Laso, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, Laura Batlle-Bayer, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Rubén Aldaco. A Novel Composite Index for the Development of Decentralized Food Production, Food Loss, and Waste Management Policies: A Water-Climate-Food Nexus Approach. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2839.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Jara Laso; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. 2021. "A Novel Composite Index for the Development of Decentralized Food Production, Food Loss, and Waste Management Policies: A Water-Climate-Food Nexus Approach." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2839.

Journal article
Published: 28 November 2020 in Foods
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Food loss and waste (FLW) has become a central concern in the social and political debate. Simultaneously, using FLW as a bioenergy source could significantly contribute to closing the carbon cycle by reintroducing energy into the food supply chain. This study aims to identify best strategies for FLW management in each of the 17 regions in Spain, through the application of a Life Cycle Assessment. To this end, an evaluation of the environmental performance over time between 2015 and 2040 of five different FLW management scenarios implemented in a framework of (i) compliance and (ii) non-compliance with the targets of the Paris Agreement was performed. Results revealed savings in the consumption of abiotic resources in those regions in which thermal treatment has a strong presence, although their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a scenario of compliance with climate change targets are higher. In contrast, scenarios that include anaerobic digestion and, to a lesser extent those applying aerobic composting, present lower impacts, including climate change, suggesting improvements of 20–60% in non-compliance and 20–80% in compliance with Paris Agreement targets, compared to the current scenarios.

ACS Style

Daniel Hoehn; Jara Laso; Jorge Cristóbal; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Isabela Butnar; Aiduan Borrion; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Rubén Aldaco; María Margallo. Regionalized Strategies for Food Loss and Waste Management in Spain under a Life Cycle Thinking Approach. Foods 2020, 9, 1765 .

AMA Style

Daniel Hoehn, Jara Laso, Jorge Cristóbal, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, Isabela Butnar, Aiduan Borrion, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Rubén Aldaco, María Margallo. Regionalized Strategies for Food Loss and Waste Management in Spain under a Life Cycle Thinking Approach. Foods. 2020; 9 (12):1765.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Hoehn; Jara Laso; Jorge Cristóbal; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Isabela Butnar; Aiduan Borrion; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Rubén Aldaco; María Margallo. 2020. "Regionalized Strategies for Food Loss and Waste Management in Spain under a Life Cycle Thinking Approach." Foods 9, no. 12: 1765.

Journal article
Published: 16 November 2020 in Foods
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Current food consumption patterns must be revised in order to improve their sustainability. The nutritional, environmental, and economic consequences of these dietary patterns must be taken into consideration when diet guidelines are proposed. This study applied a systematic optimization methodology to define sustainable dietary patterns complying with nutritional, environmental, and economic issues. The methodology was based on a multi-objective optimization model that considered a distance-to-target approach. Although the three simultaneous objectives (maximal nutritional contribution, minimal greenhouse gas emissions, and minimal costs) could be divergent, the proposed model identified the optimal intake of each food product to achieve the maximal level of nutritional, environmental, and economic diets. This model was applied to six different eating patterns within the Spanish context: one based on current food consumption and five alternative diets. The results revealed that dietary patterns with improved nutritional profiles and reduced environmental impacts could be defined without additional costs just by increasing the consumption of vegetables, fruits, and legumes, while reducing the intake of meat and fish.

ACS Style

Ricardo Abejón; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Jara Laso; Alba Bala; Ian Vazquez-Rowe; Gustavo Larrea-Gallegos; María Margallo; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Jorge Cristobal; Rita Puig; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. Multi-Objective Optimization of Nutritional, Environmental and Economic Aspects of Diets Applied to the Spanish Context. Foods 2020, 9, 1677 .

AMA Style

Ricardo Abejón, Laura Batlle-Bayer, Jara Laso, Alba Bala, Ian Vazquez-Rowe, Gustavo Larrea-Gallegos, María Margallo, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, Jorge Cristobal, Rita Puig, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Rubén Aldaco. Multi-Objective Optimization of Nutritional, Environmental and Economic Aspects of Diets Applied to the Spanish Context. Foods. 2020; 9 (11):1677.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ricardo Abejón; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Jara Laso; Alba Bala; Ian Vazquez-Rowe; Gustavo Larrea-Gallegos; María Margallo; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Jorge Cristobal; Rita Puig; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. 2020. "Multi-Objective Optimization of Nutritional, Environmental and Economic Aspects of Diets Applied to the Spanish Context." Foods 9, no. 11: 1677.

Journal article
Published: 23 October 2020 in Applied Sciences
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Fossil fuels are being progressively substituted by a cleaner and more environmentally friendly form of energy, where hydrogen fuel cells stand out. However, the implementation of a competitive hydrogen economy still presents several challenges related to economic costs, required infrastructures, and environmental performance. In this context, the objective of this work is to determine the environmental performance of the recovery of hydrogen from industrial waste gas streams to feed high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells for stationary applications. The life-cycle assessment (LCA) analyzed alternative scenarios with different process configurations, considering as functional unit 1 kg of hydrogen produced, 1 kWh of energy obtained, and 1 kg of inlet flow. The results make the recovery of hydrogen from waste streams environmentally preferable over alternative processes like methane reforming or coal gasification. The production of the fuel cell device resulted in high contributions in the abiotic depletion potential and acidification potential, mainly due to the presence of platinum metal in the anode and cathode. The design and operation conditions that defined a more favorable scenario are the availability of a pressurized waste gas stream, the use of photovoltaic electricity, and the implementation of an energy recovery system for the residual methane stream.

ACS Style

Ricardo Abejón; Ana Fernández-Ríos; Antonio Domínguez-Ramos; Jara Laso; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; María Yáñez; Alfredo Ortiz; Daniel Gorri; Nicolas Donzel; Deborah Jones; Angel Irabien; Inmaculada Ortiz; Rubén Aldaco; María Margallo. Hydrogen Recovery from Waste Gas Streams to Feed (High-Temperature PEM) Fuel Cells: Environmental Performance under a Life-Cycle Thinking Approach. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 7461 .

AMA Style

Ricardo Abejón, Ana Fernández-Ríos, Antonio Domínguez-Ramos, Jara Laso, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, María Yáñez, Alfredo Ortiz, Daniel Gorri, Nicolas Donzel, Deborah Jones, Angel Irabien, Inmaculada Ortiz, Rubén Aldaco, María Margallo. Hydrogen Recovery from Waste Gas Streams to Feed (High-Temperature PEM) Fuel Cells: Environmental Performance under a Life-Cycle Thinking Approach. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (21):7461.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ricardo Abejón; Ana Fernández-Ríos; Antonio Domínguez-Ramos; Jara Laso; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; María Yáñez; Alfredo Ortiz; Daniel Gorri; Nicolas Donzel; Deborah Jones; Angel Irabien; Inmaculada Ortiz; Rubén Aldaco; María Margallo. 2020. "Hydrogen Recovery from Waste Gas Streams to Feed (High-Temperature PEM) Fuel Cells: Environmental Performance under a Life-Cycle Thinking Approach." Applied Sciences 10, no. 21: 7461.

Journal article
Published: 26 June 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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Improving the food supply chain efficiency has been identified as an essential means to enhance food security, while reducing pressure on natural resources. Adequate food loss and waste (FLW) management has been proposed as an approach to meet these objectives. The main hypothesis of this study is to consider that the “strong fluctuations and short-term changes” on eating habits may have major consequences on potential FLW generation and management, as well as on GHG emissions, all taking into account the nutritional and the economic cost. Due to the exceptional lockdown measures imposed by the Spanish government, as a consequence of the emerging coronavirus disease, COVID-19, food production and consumption systems have undergone significant changes, which must be properly studied in order to propose strategies from the lessons learned. Taking Spain as a case study, the methodological approach included a deep analysis of the inputs and outputs of the Spanish food basket, the supply chain by means of a Material Flow Analysis, as well as an economic and comprehensive nutritional assessment, all under a life cycle thinking approach. The results reveal that during the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown, there was no significant adjustment in overall FLW generation, but a partial reallocation from extra-domestic consumption to households occurred (12% increase in household FLW). Moreover, the economic impact (+11%), GHG emissions (+10%), and the nutritional content (−8%) complete the multivariable impact profile that the COVID-19 outbreak had on FLW generation and management. Accordingly, this study once again highlights that measures aimed at reducing FLW, particularly in the household sector, are critical to make better use of food surpluses and FLW prevention and control, allowing us to confront future unforeseen scenarios.

ACS Style

R. Aldaco; D. Hoehn; J. Laso; M. Margallo; J. Ruiz-Salmón; J. Cristobal; Ramzy Kahhat; P. Villanueva-Rey; A. Bala; L. Batlle-Bayer; P. Fullana-I-Palmer; A Irabien; I. Vazquez-Rowe. Food waste management during the COVID-19 outbreak: a holistic climate, economic and nutritional approach. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 742, 140524 -140524.

AMA Style

R. Aldaco, D. Hoehn, J. Laso, M. Margallo, J. Ruiz-Salmón, J. Cristobal, Ramzy Kahhat, P. Villanueva-Rey, A. Bala, L. Batlle-Bayer, P. Fullana-I-Palmer, A Irabien, I. Vazquez-Rowe. Food waste management during the COVID-19 outbreak: a holistic climate, economic and nutritional approach. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 742 ():140524-140524.

Chicago/Turabian Style

R. Aldaco; D. Hoehn; J. Laso; M. Margallo; J. Ruiz-Salmón; J. Cristobal; Ramzy Kahhat; P. Villanueva-Rey; A. Bala; L. Batlle-Bayer; P. Fullana-I-Palmer; A Irabien; I. Vazquez-Rowe. 2020. "Food waste management during the COVID-19 outbreak: a holistic climate, economic and nutritional approach." Science of The Total Environment 742, no. : 140524-140524.

Journal article
Published: 26 February 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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The energy-water nexus is a concept widely established but rarely applied to product and, in particular, to food and beverage products, which have a great influence on greenhouse gases emissions. The proposed method considers the main nexus aspects in addition to other relevant aspects such as climate change, which is deeply linked with energy and water systems, and assessing process as well as product. In this framework, this study develops an integrated index (IWECN) that combines life cycle assessment (LCA) and linear programming (LP) to assess energetic, water and climate systems, enabling the identification of those products with minors energetic and water intensity and climate change effects and helping to the decision-making process and to the development of eco-innovation measures. In this case, the product assessed was one bottle (70 cl) of gin and two main hotspots were identified: the production of the glass bottle and the energy requirements of the distillation stage. Based on that, several eco-innovation strategies were proposed: the use of photovoltaic solar energy as energy source and the substitution of the glass bottle by a plastic one and by a tetra brick. The nexus results indicated that the use of solar photovoltaic energy and plastic as bottle material was the best alternative decreasing 58% the IWECN value of the production of one bottle of gin. The sensitivity analysis presented a strong preference for photovoltaic solar energy in comparison with electric power and for the reduction of the glass bottle weight or its substitution by a plastic bottle. The use of the IWECN index is extendable to any product with the aim of facilitating the decision-making process in the development of more sustainable products to introduce them in new green markets.

ACS Style

R. Leivas; J. Laso; R. Abejón; M. Margallo; R. Aldaco. Environmental assessment of food and beverage under a NEXUS Water-Energy-Climate approach: Application to the spirit drinks. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 720, 137576 .

AMA Style

R. Leivas, J. Laso, R. Abejón, M. Margallo, R. Aldaco. Environmental assessment of food and beverage under a NEXUS Water-Energy-Climate approach: Application to the spirit drinks. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 720 ():137576.

Chicago/Turabian Style

R. Leivas; J. Laso; R. Abejón; M. Margallo; R. Aldaco. 2020. "Environmental assessment of food and beverage under a NEXUS Water-Energy-Climate approach: Application to the spirit drinks." Science of The Total Environment 720, no. : 137576.

Journal article
Published: 07 January 2020 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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Food packaging is an important industrial sector that has great influence on food loss and waste. The search of optimal conditions to minimize the negative impacts of food packaging on the environment must promote the selection of the best available packages. This work has evaluated the environmental impact of the distribution of fruit and vegetables in the Spanish peninsular context using reusable plastic crates and single-use cardboard boxes. Discussion and decision at each phase and step of the methodology were provided, being an example to follow for similar studies in the future. For the analysis, five different impact categories were considered: global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential and photochemical oxidant creation potential. In addition, energy and water consumption were taken into account. According to the results of the analysis, the use of reusable plastic crates should be selected, since the values of all impact categories and energy consumption indicators were higher in the case of single-use cardboard boxes. The sensitivity analysis revealed a robust preference for plastic crates in comparison with cardboard boxes even in alternative scenarios, and only the hypothetic reduction of the quality of the cardboard resulted in significant lower impacts for cardboard boxes in comparison to plastic crates in photochemical oxidant creation potential, acidification potential, and energy consumption. This work demonstrates that plastic packaging should not be totally excluded or banned, since it can be the most environmentally friendly option in certain applications.

ACS Style

R. Abejón; A. Bala; I. Vázquez-Rowe; R. Aldaco; P. Fullana-I-Palmer. When plastic packaging should be preferred: Life cycle analysis of packages for fruit and vegetable distribution in the Spanish peninsular market. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2020, 155, 104666 .

AMA Style

R. Abejón, A. Bala, I. Vázquez-Rowe, R. Aldaco, P. Fullana-I-Palmer. When plastic packaging should be preferred: Life cycle analysis of packages for fruit and vegetable distribution in the Spanish peninsular market. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2020; 155 ():104666.

Chicago/Turabian Style

R. Abejón; A. Bala; I. Vázquez-Rowe; R. Aldaco; P. Fullana-I-Palmer. 2020. "When plastic packaging should be preferred: Life cycle analysis of packages for fruit and vegetable distribution in the Spanish peninsular market." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 155, no. : 104666.

Sustainable food production and consumption
Published: 27 June 2019 in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment
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The main purpose of this article is to assess the nutritional and economic efficiency of food loss and waste (FLW) along the supply of 13 food categories included in the Spanish food basket by means of the definition of a new method which combines two indexes. The nutrient-rich foods index and the economic food loss and waste (EFLW) index were combined by means of linear programming to obtain the nutritional cost footprint (NCF) indicator under a life cycle perspective. The functional unit used was the daily supply of food for a Spanish citizen in year 2015. Results showed that vegetables and cereals were the food categories most affected by the inefficiencies in the food supply chain under a nutritional perspective, being agricultural production and household consumption the main stages in which the nutritional content of food is lost or wasted. Moreover, according to the NCF index, vegetables represented 27% of total nutritional-economic wastage throughout the entire Spanish agri-food chain. They are followed by fruits, which add up to 19%. Hence, specific food waste management strategies should be established for these specific products and supply stages. Finally, the sensitivity analysis performed highlighted that results were mostly independent from the importance attributed to either nutritional or economic variables. The methodology described in this study proposes an indicator quantifying the nutritional-economic cost of different food categories in the Spanish food basket. This NCF indicator makes it possible to define reduction strategies to promote the use of food waste fractions for waste-to-energy valorization approaches or the extraction of different types of pharmacological, chemical, or cosmetic compounds.

ACS Style

Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Jara Laso; María Margallo; Ruben Aldaco Garcia; Daniel Hoehn; Francisco Amo-Setién; Alba Bala; Rebeca Abajas; Carmen Sarabia; María Jesús Durá; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. Food loss and waste metrics: a proposed nutritional cost footprint linking linear programming and life cycle assessment. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 2019, 25, 1197 -1209.

AMA Style

Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Jara Laso, María Margallo, Ruben Aldaco Garcia, Daniel Hoehn, Francisco Amo-Setién, Alba Bala, Rebeca Abajas, Carmen Sarabia, María Jesús Durá, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Rubén Aldaco. Food loss and waste metrics: a proposed nutritional cost footprint linking linear programming and life cycle assessment. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 2019; 25 (7):1197-1209.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Jara Laso; María Margallo; Ruben Aldaco Garcia; Daniel Hoehn; Francisco Amo-Setién; Alba Bala; Rebeca Abajas; Carmen Sarabia; María Jesús Durá; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rubén Aldaco. 2019. "Food loss and waste metrics: a proposed nutritional cost footprint linking linear programming and life cycle assessment." The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 25, no. 7: 1197-1209.

Journal article
Published: 15 June 2019 in Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
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Food losses and waste (FLW) tend to be referred to in terms of mass, occasionally in economic terms, disregarding the nutritional-cost nexus of such losses. This work aims to estimate the nutritional food losses and waste (NFLW) of the Spanish agri-food system in terms of energy, macronutrients, fibre, and vitamins and minerals along the entire supply chain. Nutritional food losses (NFL) occurring prior to the distribution level, and nutritional food waste (NFW) at the retail and consumption stages, were distinguished, and 48 representative food commodities and 32 nutrients were characterised. To provide insight into the extent of these values, the results are compared to the equivalent recommended daily intake. In addition, the NFLW for an average Spanish citizen is compared to that for other representative diets: Mediterranean, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and vegan along with the Spanish recommended guidelines. Finally, a nutritional cost footprint (NCF) indicator combining nutritional and economic variables is proposed to define recovery strategies. The results suggest that 4251 kj (1016 kcal), 70.7 g proteins, 22 g dietary fibre, 975 μg vitamin A, 117 mg vitamin C and 332 mg calcium daily per capita are embedded within Spanish FLW. Agricultural production accounts for 40% of NFLW, and fruits and vegetables are the categories with the largest potential for nutritional and economic food wastage mitigation. Results from this paper provide NFLW data and analysis to strengthen and simplify the decision-making process of FLW management strategies.

ACS Style

I. Garcia-Herrero; M. Margallo; J. Laso; L. Batlle-Bayer; A. Bala; P. Fullana-I-Palmer; I. Vazquez-Rowe; M.J. Gonzalez; F. Amo-Setien; M.J. Durá; C. Sarabia; R. Abajas; A. Quiñones; A. Irabien; R. Aldaco. Nutritional data management of food losses and waste under a life cycle approach: Case study of the Spanish agri-food system. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2019, 82, 103223 .

AMA Style

I. Garcia-Herrero, M. Margallo, J. Laso, L. Batlle-Bayer, A. Bala, P. Fullana-I-Palmer, I. Vazquez-Rowe, M.J. Gonzalez, F. Amo-Setien, M.J. Durá, C. Sarabia, R. Abajas, A. Quiñones, A. Irabien, R. Aldaco. Nutritional data management of food losses and waste under a life cycle approach: Case study of the Spanish agri-food system. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2019; 82 ():103223.

Chicago/Turabian Style

I. Garcia-Herrero; M. Margallo; J. Laso; L. Batlle-Bayer; A. Bala; P. Fullana-I-Palmer; I. Vazquez-Rowe; M.J. Gonzalez; F. Amo-Setien; M.J. Durá; C. Sarabia; R. Abajas; A. Quiñones; A. Irabien; R. Aldaco. 2019. "Nutritional data management of food losses and waste under a life cycle approach: Case study of the Spanish agri-food system." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 82, no. : 103223.

Journal article
Published: 11 April 2019 in Energies
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Municipal solid waste (MSW) collection is an important issue in the development and management of smart cities, having a significant influence on environmental sustainability. Door-to-door and pneumatic collection are two systems that represent a way of arranging waste collection in city´s historic areas in Spain where conventional street-side container collection is not feasible. Since door-to-door collection generates significant direct greenhouse gas emissions from trucks, pneumatic collection emerges as an alternative to the trucking system. While this technology apparently reduces local direct air emissions, it suffers from a large energy demand derived from vacuum production for waste suction. The introduction of new normative frameworks regarding the selective collection of the biodegradable fraction makes necessary a comprehensive analysis to assess the influence of this fraction collection and its subsequent recycling by anaerobic digestion. As a novelty, this work compares both conventional door-to-door and pneumatic collection systems from a life cycle approach focusing on the biodegradable waste. Results indicate that, in spite of the fact electricity production and consumption have a significant influence on the results, the energy savings from the recycling of the organic fraction are higher than the energy requirements. Therefore, the pneumatic collection could be an environmentally-friendly option for MSW management under a circular economy approach in Spanish city´s historic areas, since wastes could be a material or energy source opportunity.

ACS Style

Jara Laso; Isabel García-Herrero; María Margallo; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Angel Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. LCA-based Comparison of Two Organic Fraction Municipal Solid Waste Collection Systems in Historical Centres in Spain. Energies 2019, 12, 1407 .

AMA Style

Jara Laso, Isabel García-Herrero, María Margallo, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Angel Irabien, Rubén Aldaco. LCA-based Comparison of Two Organic Fraction Municipal Solid Waste Collection Systems in Historical Centres in Spain. Energies. 2019; 12 (7):1407.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jara Laso; Isabel García-Herrero; María Margallo; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Angel Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. 2019. "LCA-based Comparison of Two Organic Fraction Municipal Solid Waste Collection Systems in Historical Centres in Spain." Energies 12, no. 7: 1407.

Short communication
Published: 23 March 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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Dietary choices, a main driver of food production, play a significant role within the climate change arena. Consequently, there is a growing trend on publishing research assessing the environmental impacts of diets and dietary shifts, mainly following the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. However, several methodological issues still bring a challenge, especially in the definition of the function and the quantification of the functional unit (FU). The FU is the reference unit of an LCA study, and it is the basis for allowing comparison among different systems. This short communication defines the function of diets as the supply of the daily required amount of calories and nutrients, and it proposes a novel FU that accounts for the energy intake and the nutritional quality of the diet. In order to compare the performance of the proposed FU to the most commonly ones used for diet LCAs (mass-based and isocaloric), dietary scenarios within the Spanish context are assessed. On the one hand, using a mass-based FU, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are underestimated, since the nutrition properties of food are not considered, and, on the other hand, the isocaloric substitution does not allow comparison among diets with different levels of energy intake. In contrast, the proposed caloric- and nutrient-corrected FU allows to compare diets that differ in energy and nutritional quality in a fairer way. Finally, it is recommended to use this FU for future diet LCAs.

ACS Style

Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Elodie Lemaire; Jaume Albertí; Isabel García-Herrero; Rubén Aldaco; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. An energy- and nutrient-corrected functional unit to compare LCAs of diets. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 671, 175 -179.

AMA Style

Laura Batlle-Bayer, Alba Bala, Elodie Lemaire, Jaume Albertí, Isabel García-Herrero, Rubén Aldaco, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. An energy- and nutrient-corrected functional unit to compare LCAs of diets. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 671 ():175-179.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Elodie Lemaire; Jaume Albertí; Isabel García-Herrero; Rubén Aldaco; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. 2019. "An energy- and nutrient-corrected functional unit to compare LCAs of diets." Science of The Total Environment 671, no. : 175-179.

Journal article
Published: 25 February 2019 in Energies
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Recently, important efforts have been made to define food loss management strategies. Most strategies have mainly been focused on mass and energy recovery through mixed food loss in centralised recovery models. This work aims to highlight the need to address a decentralised food loss management, in order to manage the different fractions and on each of the different stages of the food supply chain. For this purpose, an energy flow analysis is made, through the calculation of the primary energy demand of four stages and 11 food categories of the Spanish food supply chain in 2015. The energy efficiency assessment is conducted under a resource use perspective, using the energy return on investment (EROI) ratio, and a circular economy perspective, developing an Energy return on investment – Circular economy index (EROIce), based on a food waste-to-energy-to-food approach. Results suggest that the embodied energy loss consist of 17% of the total primary energy demand, and related to the food categories, the vegetarian diet appears to be the most efficient, followed by the pescetarian diet. Comparing food energy loss values with the estimated energy provided for one consumer, it is highlighted the fact that the food energy loss generated by two to three persons amounts to one person's total daily intake. Moreover, cereals is the category responsible for the highest percentage on the total food energy loss (44%); following by meat, fish and seafood and vegetables. When the results of food energy loss and embodied energy loss are related, it is observed that categories such as meat and fish and seafood have a very high primary energy demand to produce less food, besides that the parts of the food supply chain with more energy recovery potential are the beginning and the end. Finally, the EROIce analysis shows that in the categories of meat, fish and seafood and cereals, anaerobic digestion and composting is the best option for energy recovery. From the results, it is discussed the possibility to developed local digesters at the beginning and end of the food supply chain, as well as to developed double digesters installations for hydrogen recovery from cereals loss, and methane recovery from mixed food loss.

ACS Style

Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Jara Laso; Isabel García-Herrero; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Angel Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway. Energies 2019, 12, 767 .

AMA Style

Daniel Hoehn, María Margallo, Jara Laso, Isabel García-Herrero, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Angel Irabien, Rubén Aldaco. Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway. Energies. 2019; 12 (4):767.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Jara Laso; Isabel García-Herrero; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Angel Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. 2019. "Energy Embedded in Food Loss Management and in the Production of Uneaten Food: Seeking a Sustainable Pathway." Energies 12, no. 4: 767.

Journal article
Published: 21 December 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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This study assesses the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and the nutritional quality of the current food consumption and losses of an average Spanish adult citizen, and compares them with two alternative diets: one following the Spanish dietary guidelines (The NAOS Strategy; NAOS), and another one based on the Mediterranean (MED) diet. The diet-related GHG emissions of current eating patterns would be reduced by 17% and 11%, when shifting to the NAOS and MED diets, respectively, and even more (42% and 35%) when diets' nutritional qualities are considered within the functional unit. In addition, food losses contribute 20% to diet's emissions. Our results suggest that national dietary guidelines (NDGs) can be a good policy tool, not only to lead to a healthier condition, but also to promote a shift towards a lower-carbon diets. Finally, it is recommended that life cycle-based indicators are added within the NDGs, to better communicate the environmental impacts of dietary choices, and ultimately enhance knowledge and awareness of consumers.

ACS Style

Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Isabel García-Herrero; Elodie Lemaire; Guobao Song; Rubén Aldaco; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. The Spanish Dietary Guidelines: A potential tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of current dietary patterns. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 213, 588 -598.

AMA Style

Laura Batlle-Bayer, Alba Bala, Isabel García-Herrero, Elodie Lemaire, Guobao Song, Rubén Aldaco, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. The Spanish Dietary Guidelines: A potential tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of current dietary patterns. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 213 ():588-598.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Isabel García-Herrero; Elodie Lemaire; Guobao Song; Rubén Aldaco; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. 2018. "The Spanish Dietary Guidelines: A potential tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of current dietary patterns." Journal of Cleaner Production 213, no. : 588-598.

Journal article
Published: 04 December 2018 in Energies
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Feeding the world’s population sustainably is a major challenge of our society, and was stated as one of the key priorities for development cooperation by the European Union (EU) policy framework on food security. However, with the current trend of natural resource exploitation, food systems consume around 30% of final energy use, generating up to 30% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Given the expected increase of global population (nine billion people by 2050) and the amount of food losses and waste generated (one-third of global food production), improving the efficiency of food systems along the supply chain is essential to ensure food security. This study combines life-cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the efficiency of Spanish agri-food system and to propose improvement actions in order to reduce energy usage and GHG emissions. An average energy saving of approximately 70% is estimated for the Spanish agri-food system in order to be efficient. This study highlights the importance of the DEA method as a tool for energy optimization, identifying efficient and inefficient food systems. This approach could be adopted by administrations, policy-makers, and producers as a helpful instrument to support decision-making and improve the sustainability of agri-food systems.

ACS Style

Jara Laso; Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Isabel García-Herrero; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Angel Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. Assessing Energy and Environmental Efficiency of the Spanish Agri-Food System Using the LCA/DEA Methodology. Energies 2018, 11, 3395 .

AMA Style

Jara Laso, Daniel Hoehn, María Margallo, Isabel García-Herrero, Laura Batlle-Bayer, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Angel Irabien, Rubén Aldaco. Assessing Energy and Environmental Efficiency of the Spanish Agri-Food System Using the LCA/DEA Methodology. Energies. 2018; 11 (12):3395.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jara Laso; Daniel Hoehn; María Margallo; Isabel García-Herrero; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Angel Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. 2018. "Assessing Energy and Environmental Efficiency of the Spanish Agri-Food System Using the LCA/DEA Methodology." Energies 11, no. 12: 3395.

Journal article
Published: 14 September 2018 in Waste Management
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The great concern regarding food loss (FL) has been studied previously, but in an isolated way, disregarding interdependencies with other areas. This paper aims to go a step further by proposing a new procedure to assess different waste management alternatives based on the nexus approach by means of an integrated Water-Energy-Food-Climate Nexus Index (WEFCNI). The environmental profile of the waste management techniques is determined using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which, in combination with Linear Programming (LP), explores the optimal aggregation of weighting factors that lead to an aggregated nexus index. The management of residues from the anchovy canning industry in Cantabria (Spain) has been used as a case study, considering the three current applied alternatives: (i) valorisation of FL as animal feed in aquaculture (food waste-to-food approach), (ii) incineration of FL with energy recovery, and (iii) landfilling with biogas recovery. The last two considered the use of energy recovered to produce a new aquaculture product (food waste-to-energy-to-food scenarios). The results indicate that incineration is the best performing scenario when the nutritional energy provided by the valorisation alternative is not high enough and the valorisation technology presents the highest water consumption. Therefore, a minimisation in the consumption of natural resources is suggested in order to improve the application of circular economy within the sector. The use of the nexus index as an environmental management tool is extendable to any food system with the aim of facilitating the decision-making process in the development of more sustainable products.

ACS Style

J. Laso; M. Margallo; Ruben Aldaco Garcia; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; A. Bala; Cristina Gazulla; A. Polettini; Ramzy Kahhat; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; A Irabien; R. Aldaco. Combined application of Life Cycle Assessment and linear programming to evaluate food waste-to-food strategies: Seeking for answers in the nexus approach. Waste Management 2018, 80, 186 -197.

AMA Style

J. Laso, M. Margallo, Ruben Aldaco Garcia, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, A. Bala, Cristina Gazulla, A. Polettini, Ramzy Kahhat, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, A Irabien, R. Aldaco. Combined application of Life Cycle Assessment and linear programming to evaluate food waste-to-food strategies: Seeking for answers in the nexus approach. Waste Management. 2018; 80 ():186-197.

Chicago/Turabian Style

J. Laso; M. Margallo; Ruben Aldaco Garcia; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; A. Bala; Cristina Gazulla; A. Polettini; Ramzy Kahhat; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; A Irabien; R. Aldaco. 2018. "Combined application of Life Cycle Assessment and linear programming to evaluate food waste-to-food strategies: Seeking for answers in the nexus approach." Waste Management 80, no. : 186-197.

Journal article
Published: 07 September 2018 in Food Policy
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Reducing food losses (FL) has been identified as an essential means of increasing food security, while reducing pressure on natural resources. To assess the reliability of future strategies to reduce and manage FL along the food supply chain (FSC), not only their quantification but also the ‘qualification’ in both economic and nutritional terms must be considered. The methodology proposed in this work allows to quantify FL at the distinct stages of the FSC (agricultural production, postharvest and storage, processing, distribution, households and extradomestic consumption). In addition, economic and nutritional FL are estimated. A Nutritional Food Losses Footprint (NFLF) index is proposed to assess and balance the variables described. This index is used to define food recovery strategies focused on those food categories and stages of the FSC with lesser efficiency. NFLF distinguishes between food losses from cradle to gate (FL-ctog) and food losses from gate to grave (FL-gtog) depending on the scope of the analysis. The former provides information to producers, while the latter creates awareness among consumers. Furthermore, the potential for FL reduction is estimated through the quantification of avoidable and unavoidable FL. Our study is focused on the Mediterranean region, in particular on Spain. Almost 20% of the national food production is estimated to be lost or wasted. Vegetables, fruits and meat result the food categories less efficient. Household consumption is the main responsible of FL generation, followed by agricultural production. Each Spanish citizen is estimated to throw away around 180€ per year, while a 76% could be saved.

ACS Style

Ruben Aldaco Garcia; Daniel Hoehn; M. Margallo; J. Laso; A. Bala; L. Batlle-Bayer; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; M.J. Gonzalez; M.J. Durá; C. Sarabia; R. Abajas; F.J. Amo-Setien; A. Quiñones; A Irabien; R. Aldaco. On the estimation of potential food waste reduction to support sustainable production and consumption policies. Food Policy 2018, 80, 24 -38.

AMA Style

Ruben Aldaco Garcia, Daniel Hoehn, M. Margallo, J. Laso, A. Bala, L. Batlle-Bayer, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, M.J. Gonzalez, M.J. Durá, C. Sarabia, R. Abajas, F.J. Amo-Setien, A. Quiñones, A Irabien, R. Aldaco. On the estimation of potential food waste reduction to support sustainable production and consumption policies. Food Policy. 2018; 80 ():24-38.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ruben Aldaco Garcia; Daniel Hoehn; M. Margallo; J. Laso; A. Bala; L. Batlle-Bayer; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; M.J. Gonzalez; M.J. Durá; C. Sarabia; R. Abajas; F.J. Amo-Setien; A. Quiñones; A Irabien; R. Aldaco. 2018. "On the estimation of potential food waste reduction to support sustainable production and consumption policies." Food Policy 80, no. : 24-38.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2018 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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Jara Laso; Ruben Aldaco Garcia; María Margallo; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Alba Bala; Cristina Gazulla; A Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. Finding an economic and environmental balance in value chains based on circular economy thinking: An eco-efficiency methodology applied to the fish canning industry. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2018, 133, 428 -437.

AMA Style

Jara Laso, Ruben Aldaco Garcia, María Margallo, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Alba Bala, Cristina Gazulla, A Irabien, Rubén Aldaco. Finding an economic and environmental balance in value chains based on circular economy thinking: An eco-efficiency methodology applied to the fish canning industry. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2018; 133 ():428-437.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jara Laso; Ruben Aldaco Garcia; María Margallo; Ian Vázquez-Rowe; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Alba Bala; Cristina Gazulla; A Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. 2018. "Finding an economic and environmental balance in value chains based on circular economy thinking: An eco-efficiency methodology applied to the fish canning industry." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 133, no. : 428-437.

Original paper
Published: 21 July 2017 in Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy
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Our current economic model is experiencing increasing demand and increasing pressure on resource utilisation, as valuable materials are lost as waste. Moving towards a circular economy and supporting efficient resource utilisation is essential for protecting the environment. The chlor-alkali industry is one of the largest consumers of salt, and efforts have been made to reduce its electricity use. Furthermore, KCl mining wastes have received increasing attention because they can be transformed into value-added resources. This work studies the influence of using different salt sources on the environmental sustainability of the chlor-alkali industry to identify further improvement opportunities. Rock salt, solar salt, KCl waste salt, vacuum salt and solution-mined salt were studied. Membrane cells in both bipolar and monopolar configurations were studied and compared to the emergent oxygen-depolarised cathode (ODC) technology. Life cycle assessment was applied to estimate the cradle-to-gate environmental impacts. The natural resource (NR) requirements and the environmental burdens (EBs) to the air and water environments were assessed. The total NR and EB requirements were reduced by 20% when vacuum salt was replaced with KCl. Moreover, the environmental impacts estimated for the monopolar membrane using KCl were comparable to those generated for the bipolar membrane using VS. The difference between the monopolar and bipolar scenarios (17%) was slightly higher than that between the bipolar and ODC technologies (12%). This work demonstrates the importance of studying every life cycle stage in a chemical process and the environmental benefit of applying a circular economy, even in energy intensive industries such as the chlor-alkali industry.

ACS Style

Isabel Garcia-Herrero; María Margallo; Raquel Onandía; Rubén Aldaco; Angel Irabien. Connecting wastes to resources for clean technologies in the chlor-alkali industry: a life cycle approach. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 2017, 20, 229 -242.

AMA Style

Isabel Garcia-Herrero, María Margallo, Raquel Onandía, Rubén Aldaco, Angel Irabien. Connecting wastes to resources for clean technologies in the chlor-alkali industry: a life cycle approach. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. 2017; 20 (2):229-242.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Garcia-Herrero; María Margallo; Raquel Onandía; Rubén Aldaco; Angel Irabien. 2017. "Connecting wastes to resources for clean technologies in the chlor-alkali industry: a life cycle approach." Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 20, no. 2: 229-242.