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Dr. Alba Bala
UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change. School of International Studies (ESCI). University Pompeu Fabra. Passeig Pujades, 1, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

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0 Life Cycle Assessment
0 Waste Management
0 sustainability assessment
0 circular economy
0 Eco-desing

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Life Cycle Assessment
Waste Management
circular economy
Food Production and Consumption
sustainability assessment
Packaging Waste

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Journal article
Published: 16 August 2021 in Polymers
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One of the most promising expectations in the design of new materials for food packaging is focused on the development of biodegradable systems with improved barrier character. In this sense PLA reinforced with nanoclay is a potential alternative to the use of conventional oil-derivative polymers due to the synergetic effect of the biodegradable character of PLA and the barrier-induced effect derived from the dispersion of nanoparticles. In this work, composite materials based on PLA and reinforced with bentonite nanoparticles (up to 4% w/w) (NC) have been prepared to produce films with improved barrier character against water vapor transportation. Additionally, the biodegradable character of the composites depending on the crystallinity of the polymer and percentage of NC have been evaluated in the presence of an enzymatic active medium (proteinase K). Finally, a study of the capacity to film production of the composites has been performed to determine the viability of the proposals. The dispersion of the nanoparticles induced a tortuous pathway of water vapor crossing, reducing this diffusion by more than 22%. Moreover, the nanoclays materials were in all the cases acceptable for food packing in terms of migration. A migration lower than 1 mg/m2 was obtained in all the materials. Nonetheless, the presence of the nanoclays in decreased biodegradable capacity was observed. The time was enlarged to more than 15 days for the maximum content (4% w/w). On the other hand, the incorporation of NC does not avoid the processability of the material to obtain film-shaped processed materials.

ACS Style

Helena Oliver-Ortega; Victor Vandemoortele; Alba Bala; Fernando Julian; José Alberto Méndez; Francesc Xavier Espinach. Nanoclay Effect into the Biodegradation and Processability of Poly(lactic acid) Nanocomposites for Food Packaging. Polymers 2021, 13, 2741 .

AMA Style

Helena Oliver-Ortega, Victor Vandemoortele, Alba Bala, Fernando Julian, José Alberto Méndez, Francesc Xavier Espinach. Nanoclay Effect into the Biodegradation and Processability of Poly(lactic acid) Nanocomposites for Food Packaging. Polymers. 2021; 13 (16):2741.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Helena Oliver-Ortega; Victor Vandemoortele; Alba Bala; Fernando Julian; José Alberto Méndez; Francesc Xavier Espinach. 2021. "Nanoclay Effect into the Biodegradation and Processability of Poly(lactic acid) Nanocomposites for Food Packaging." Polymers 13, no. 16: 2741.

Review
Published: 13 August 2021 in Sustainability
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This paper gives an overview of main food supply chain stakeholders and their role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As this supply chain is global, playing a significant role in feeding the world, a deeper analysis of 17 SDGs, their targets and indicators reveals numerous direct and indirect connections with various SDGs. To perform such an overview, the authors investigated the link between the main stakeholders of the chain (farmers, food processors, food traders and consumers) with UN SDGs. In parallel, the authors explored the roles of policymakers, inspection services, certification bodies and academia in supporting these SDGs. In spite of numerous papers, calculations and estimations, discussion and media coverage, the authors believe that only the tip of the iceberg has been revealed. Based on this overview, the authors emphasize SDG 2—Zero Hunger and SDG 12—Responsible Consumption and Production as the most dominant for the food supply chain. In parallel, the achievement of SDG 17—Partnerships for the Goals will enable deeper intertwining of the goals and all stakeholders in the food supply chain continuum. Additional efforts are needed to pave the way for fulfilling the targets of the UN SDGs and exceeding expectations of all stakeholders.

ACS Style

Ilija Djekic; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Anet Režek Jambrak. Role of the Food Supply Chain Stakeholders in Achieving UN SDGs. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9095 .

AMA Style

Ilija Djekic, Laura Batlle-Bayer, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Anet Režek Jambrak. Role of the Food Supply Chain Stakeholders in Achieving UN SDGs. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):9095.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ilija Djekic; Laura Batlle-Bayer; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Anet Režek Jambrak. 2021. "Role of the Food Supply Chain Stakeholders in Achieving UN SDGs." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9095.

Journal article
Published: 29 June 2021 in Polymers
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Packaging consumes around 40% of the total plastic production. One of the most important fields with high requirements is food packaging. Food packaging products have been commonly produced with petrol polymers, but due to environmental concerns, the market is being moved to biopolymers. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is the most promising biopolymer, as it is bio-based and biodegradable, and it is well established in the market. Nonetheless, its barrier properties need to be enhanced to be competitive with other polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Nanoclays improve the barrier properties of polymeric materials if correct dispersion and exfoliation are obtained. Thus, it marks a milestone to obtain an appropriate dispersion. A predispersed methodology is proposed as a compounding process to improve the dispersion of these composites instead of common melt procedures. Afterwards, the effect of the polarity of the matrix was analyzing using polar and surface modified nanoclays with contents ranging from 2 to 8% w/w. The results showed the suitability of the predispersed and concentrated compound, technically named masterbatch, to obtain intercalated structures and the higher dispersion of polar nanoclays. Finally, the mechanical performance and sustainability of the prepared materials were simulated in a food tray, showing the best assessment of these materials and their lower fingerprint.

ACS Style

Helena Oliver-Ortega; Josep Tresserras; Fernando Julian; Manel Alcalà; Alba Bala; Francesc Espinach; José Méndez. Nanocomposites Materials of PLA Reinforced with Nanoclays Using a Masterbatch Technology: A Study of the Mechanical Performance and Its Sustainability. Polymers 2021, 13, 2133 .

AMA Style

Helena Oliver-Ortega, Josep Tresserras, Fernando Julian, Manel Alcalà, Alba Bala, Francesc Espinach, José Méndez. Nanocomposites Materials of PLA Reinforced with Nanoclays Using a Masterbatch Technology: A Study of the Mechanical Performance and Its Sustainability. Polymers. 2021; 13 (13):2133.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Helena Oliver-Ortega; Josep Tresserras; Fernando Julian; Manel Alcalà; Alba Bala; Francesc Espinach; José Méndez. 2021. "Nanocomposites Materials of PLA Reinforced with Nanoclays Using a Masterbatch Technology: A Study of the Mechanical Performance and Its Sustainability." Polymers 13, no. 13: 2133.

Journal article
Published: 21 May 2021 in Sustainability
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Most existing life cycle assessment models of waste management have so far underplayed the importance of the waste collection phase, addressing it only in a simplified fashion, either by requesting the total amount of fuel used as a direct user input or by calculating it based on a set of input parameters and fixed diesel consumption factors. However, if the main purpose of the study is to improve the efficiency of the collection system itself, a more detailed analysis of the collection phase is required, avoiding oversimplified and potentially misleading conclusions. The new LCA collection model presented here relies on a large number of parameters (number and type of containers, collection frequency, distances for the various legs of transport, etc.) and allows the detailed predictive analysis of alternative collection scenarios. The results of applying this newly developed model to a number of experimental case studies in Portugal are analyzed, discussed, and compared to those produced by a selection of pre-existing, more simplified models such as ORWARE and MSW-DST. The new model is confirmed as being the most accurate and, importantly, as the only one capable of predicting the consequences of a range of possible changes in the collection parameters.

ACS Style

Alba Bala; Marco Raugei; Carlos Teixeira; Alberto Fernández; Francisco Pan-Montojo; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. Assessing the Environmental Performance of Municipal Solid Waste Collection: A New Predictive LCA Model. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5810 .

AMA Style

Alba Bala, Marco Raugei, Carlos Teixeira, Alberto Fernández, Francisco Pan-Montojo, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. Assessing the Environmental Performance of Municipal Solid Waste Collection: A New Predictive LCA Model. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):5810.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alba Bala; Marco Raugei; Carlos Teixeira; Alberto Fernández; Francisco Pan-Montojo; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. 2021. "Assessing the Environmental Performance of Municipal Solid Waste Collection: A New Predictive LCA Model." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 5810.

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.

Review
Published: 23 January 2021 in Science of The Total Environment
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The ever-increasing volume of packaging waste is widely recognised as a key global environmental challenge. Packaging is thus a central concern for advocates and analysts of circular economy (CEc), who often apply the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology when measuring the environmental impacts of products and packaging. We undertook a systematic literature review as a research method, and in-depth analysis to ascertain the extent to which the new CEc paradigm has been integrated in LCA methodology applied to beverage packaging and reported in scientific papers. Carefully developed search strings returned 866 articles relevant to our enquiry from the databases of SCOPUS and Web of Science. Applying our selected eligibility criteria, we extracted a subset of 51 articles for in-depth analysis. The analysed literature shows the links between the quality of packaging material for recycling and the profoundness of the LCA studies. The paper provides the following set of recommendations for enhancing the future practice in development of the scientific LCAs for beverage packaging: (i) taking all direct and indirect factors into account when assessing the refillable beverage packaging system and conducting break-even analysis in order to achieve impartial comparative assessments of single-use and refillable systems; (ii) developing proxies in cases when actual data is lacking with which to model the recycling scenarios for exported secondary materials and hence improving the accuracy of recycling rate assessments in LCA models; (iii) improving the definition of the LCA function by introducing multiple loops of the packaging material and assessing qualitative changes in the material resulting from the multiple-recycling process. Thus improved practice of LCAs could better inform and improve the design of new packaging strategies aimed at prolonging the life of packaging materials in the technosphere, equally fulfilling the principles of the CEc.

ACS Style

Ilija Sazdovski; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. Linking LCA literature with circular economy value creation: A review on beverage packaging. Science of The Total Environment 2021, 771, 145322 .

AMA Style

Ilija Sazdovski, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. Linking LCA literature with circular economy value creation: A review on beverage packaging. Science of The Total Environment. 2021; 771 ():145322.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ilija Sazdovski; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer. 2021. "Linking LCA literature with circular economy value creation: A review on beverage packaging." Science of The Total Environment 771, no. : 145322.

Journal article
Published: 24 December 2020 in Sustainability
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The generation of food loss and waste (FLW) is a global problem for worldwide politics. About one-third of the food produced ends up in the rubbish before it is consumed. For this reason, it is essential to design and implement new strategies along the food supply chain (FSC) with the aim of reducing this FLW at each stage. However, not only mass quantification should be considered, but also economic and nutritional performance. The novelty of this study is the definition of a methodology based on the “distance to target” approach by means of multi-objective optimization to evaluate the economic and nutritional cost produced by this FLW. This methodology was applied to the Spanish food basket in 2015. The results revealed that 80% of the total FLW generated in economic and nutritional terms is concentrated in the agricultural production (53.3%) and consumption (26.3%) stages. In the first stages of the FSC, fruits (Dn eq.= 0.7), cereals (Dn eq.= 0.61), and vegetables (Dn eq.= 0.57) were the furthest from the distance target due to the great amount of FLW generated. Moreover, according to the normalized weighted distances obtained from the minimization of economic and nutritional cost, pulses (Dn eq. = 0.05–0.03) and eggs (Dn eq. = 0.02) were the more efficient food categories. The methodology described in this study proposes a single index to quantify the economic and nutritional cost of different food categories to facilitate the decision-making process. This index makes possible the definition of reduction strategies focused on specific food categories and depending on the FSC stage.

ACS Style

Jara Laso; Cristina Campos; Ana Fernández-Ríos; Daniel Hoehn; Andrea del Río; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Jorge Cristobal; Ainoa Quiñones; Francisco Amo-Setién; María Ortego; Sergio Tezanos; Rebeca Abajas; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rita Puig; María Margallo; Rubén Aldaco; Ricardo Abejón. Looking for Answers to Food Loss and Waste Management in Spain from a Holistic Nutritional and Economic Approach. Sustainability 2020, 13, 125 .

AMA Style

Jara Laso, Cristina Campos, Ana Fernández-Ríos, Daniel Hoehn, Andrea del Río, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, Jorge Cristobal, Ainoa Quiñones, Francisco Amo-Setién, María Ortego, Sergio Tezanos, Rebeca Abajas, Alba Bala, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Rita Puig, María Margallo, Rubén Aldaco, Ricardo Abejón. Looking for Answers to Food Loss and Waste Management in Spain from a Holistic Nutritional and Economic Approach. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):125.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jara Laso; Cristina Campos; Ana Fernández-Ríos; Daniel Hoehn; Andrea del Río; Israel Ruiz-Salmón; Jorge Cristobal; Ainoa Quiñones; Francisco Amo-Setién; María Ortego; Sergio Tezanos; Rebeca Abajas; Alba Bala; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Rita Puig; María Margallo; Rubén Aldaco; Ricardo Abejón. 2020. "Looking for Answers to Food Loss and Waste Management in Spain from a Holistic Nutritional and Economic Approach." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 125.

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: 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.

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: 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: 01 March 2017 in Science of The Total Environment
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The anchovy canning industry is one of the most important economic resources of the Cantabria region in Spain. However, environmental, economic and social problems over the past years have forced companies to apply marketing strategies, develop product diversification, create new products and introduce them in new "green markets". Launching Cantabrian canned anchovies into more sustainable markets requires measuring the environmental performance using Product Category Rules (PCRs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). EPDs and PCRS include the environmental profile of a range of similar products, such as all of the available canned anchovy products. The great variety of anchovy canned products depends on three process variables: the origin of the anchovy (Cantabria, Argentina and Chile or Peru), the type of oil (refined olive oil, extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil) and the packaging (aluminum, tinplate, glass and plastic). This work aims to assess the environmental impact from cradle to grave of canned anchovies in oil using the life cycle assessment methodology (LCA). Moreover, the paper evaluates the influence of the above-mentioned three product variables in the LCA results. The results show that out of all of the alternatives, Chilean and Peruvian anchovies have the highest environmental burdens due to the transportation by ship. The production of anchovies in sunflower oil is a less environmentally friendly oil process due to the low yield per hectare of sunflower cultivation. Finally, the use of aluminum as the packaging material has the largest environmental impact out of almost all of the impact categories. Moreover, because the LCA results can be significantly affected by the allocation procedure, a sensitivity analysis comparing system expansion, mass and economic allocation is performed. In this case, the system expansion approach presents the highest environmental impacts followed by the mass allocation.

ACS Style

Jara Laso; María Margallo; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Alba Bala; Cristina Gazulla; A Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. When product diversification influences life cycle impact assessment: A case study of canned anchovy. Science of The Total Environment 2017, 581-582, 629 -639.

AMA Style

Jara Laso, María Margallo, Pere Fullana-I-Palmer, Alba Bala, Cristina Gazulla, A Irabien, Rubén Aldaco. When product diversification influences life cycle impact assessment: A case study of canned anchovy. Science of The Total Environment. 2017; 581-582 ():629-639.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jara Laso; María Margallo; Pere Fullana-I-Palmer; Alba Bala; Cristina Gazulla; A Irabien; Rubén Aldaco. 2017. "When product diversification influences life cycle impact assessment: A case study of canned anchovy." Science of The Total Environment 581-582, no. : 629-639.

Book chapter
Published: 01 January 2017 in Computer Aided Chemical Engineering
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ACS Style

Isabel Garcia-Herrero; Jara Laso; Maria Margallo; Kefah Hjaila; Alba Bala; Cristina Gazulla; Pere Fullana; Ian Vazquez-Rowe; Angel Irabien; Ruben Aldaco. Addressing decision-making in the process industry using life cycle approach coupled to Linear Programming: A case study on anchovy canning industry in Cantabria Region (Northern Spain). Computer Aided Chemical Engineering 2017, 40, 2023 -2028.

AMA Style

Isabel Garcia-Herrero, Jara Laso, Maria Margallo, Kefah Hjaila, Alba Bala, Cristina Gazulla, Pere Fullana, Ian Vazquez-Rowe, Angel Irabien, Ruben Aldaco. Addressing decision-making in the process industry using life cycle approach coupled to Linear Programming: A case study on anchovy canning industry in Cantabria Region (Northern Spain). Computer Aided Chemical Engineering. 2017; 40 ():2023-2028.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Garcia-Herrero; Jara Laso; Maria Margallo; Kefah Hjaila; Alba Bala; Cristina Gazulla; Pere Fullana; Ian Vazquez-Rowe; Angel Irabien; Ruben Aldaco. 2017. "Addressing decision-making in the process industry using life cycle approach coupled to Linear Programming: A case study on anchovy canning industry in Cantabria Region (Northern Spain)." Computer Aided Chemical Engineering 40, no. : 2023-2028.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2014 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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ACS Style

M. Margallo; A. Dominguez-Ramos; R. Aldaco; A. Bala; P. Fullana; A. Irabien. Environmental sustainability assessment in the process industry: A case study of waste-to-energy plants in Spain. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2014, 93, 144 -155.

AMA Style

M. Margallo, A. Dominguez-Ramos, R. Aldaco, A. Bala, P. Fullana, A. Irabien. Environmental sustainability assessment in the process industry: A case study of waste-to-energy plants in Spain. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2014; 93 ():144-155.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Margallo; A. Dominguez-Ramos; R. Aldaco; A. Bala; P. Fullana; A. Irabien. 2014. "Environmental sustainability assessment in the process industry: A case study of waste-to-energy plants in Spain." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 93, no. : 144-155.