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Hello,

I need to assess the impact of adding waste to a concrete mixture.
For example, instead of landfilling waste glass, it can be used in the concrete mixture. How can I model it?
I added it in the input section by negative amount. Also I added it by the same amount in the output section and checked "avoided product".

Kindly, can you tell me if I am wrong?.

I'm using OpenLCA 1.9. I edited an exist process in econivent 3.5 as shown in the screenshot.
Regards,
Isl Atta

in openLCA by (480 points)

1 Answer

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by (5.2k points)
First, there are a number of ways you could do this in openLCA - get some sort of negative credit for an avoided emission. In this case avoided emissions from landfilling (?) glass. I'll speak mostly to what you have setup already. I can't tell if those are separate providers for that waste glass flow, but I imagine the only thing you would be avoiding are whatever waste treatment exists for that waste glass, now replaced by putting it concrete.

I would have the input "waste glass" as a positive flow. Here you want to connect to any upstream processes that account for the glass actually making it to your concrete facility.

On the output flow, I think you can also keep that as a positive flow and mark it as an avoided product as you've done. openLCA will calculate the impacts of the provider as a negative amount or credit.

I suspect the credit you ultimately get for this will be really small - I don't think glass is going to breakdown and emit anything at the landfill. And landfilling operations are pretty efficiency. Good luck!
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