The application of life cycle assessment (LCA) in municipal solid waste management: A comparative study on street sweeping services

Street sweeping services are integral to municipal solid waste management systems. The environmental impact of municipal solid waste management has been widely debated in the literature, but the specific impact of street sweeping services has not been fully studied. The aim of this study is to fill this literature gap by applying the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to compare the effects of different types of street sweeping services provided in two medium-sized Italian cities. The results show that fuel consumption is by far the largest contributor in all environmental impact categories, followed by the material consumption of the equipment. The study provides managerial and policy implications. The results can enable managers to lessen the environmental impact of sweeping services, and the findings can be applied by policy makers through Green Public Procurement procedures.