Supporting Environmentally Sound Decisions for Bio-waste Management - A practical guide to Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

It is crucial to establish priority actions to optimise the management of the large quantities of bio-waste produced yearly in Europe. These efforts are expected to generate environmental benefits as well as financial savings and social advantages. This guidance document provides anyone involved in bio-waste management with the key principles to improve their decision-making process in the management of bio-waste by using Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The main focus is on the environmental pillar of sustainability. In particular, a number of different options for bio-waste management are considered (e.g., composting, anaerobic digestion, incineration) and guidance is given on how to assess and compare their environmental performance using a life cycle approach. How to obtain EU publications Our priced publications are available from EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu), where you can place an order with the sales agent of your choice. The Publications Office has a worldwide network of sales agents. You can obtain their contact details by sending a fax to (352) 29 29-42758. The mission of the JRC is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policymaking process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national. LB -N A -2417-EN -N