Life cycle assessment and decision making support in integrated and sustainable municipal solid waste management

This study of the participation of different stakeholders through structured techniques to support decision making in building future alternatives or scenarios for the collection and treatment of municipal solid waste was applied to the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Using the life cycle assessment tool, eight different scenarios, constructed with the participation of social stakeholders and municipal technicians, were evaluated. Different collection alternatives (selective and containerized) and treatment (recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, thermal processes and landfill disposal) were considered. We conclude that the application of the life cycle assessment tool facilitates decision-making support systems in municipal solid waste management. In our case study, the most sustainable scenario was built by municipal waste management stakeholders.