Biowaste to Product (BW2Pro)

Ecological assessment

Authors: Joachim Reinhardt, Corvin Veith

The ecological assessment was carried out using a life cycle assessment with consideration of the usual indicators. The biowaste enters the system without ecological burdens. The various process steps require energy and operating resources (especially chemicals), the provision of which is associated with loads. The products produced can be substituted for their conventional counterparts, with the resulting savings being credited to the system. Furthermore, the final disposal of the products plant pots and bioplastics as well as the fossil plastics and peat substituted by them is also mapped in order to capture the advantages of biogenic products in this respect (fossil carbon dioxide emissions are saved during incineration, Figure 1). The net values from loads and credits can be compared with other biowaste treatment systems.