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Mainali, Brijesh, DrORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-0189-474x
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Publications (10 of 57) Show all publications
Sula, M., Mahapatra, K. & Mainali, B. (2025). Unveiling the perspectives of Swedish homeowners on embracing space sufficiency within the context of energy renovation. Energy and Buildings, 328, Article ID 114997.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Unveiling the perspectives of Swedish homeowners on embracing space sufficiency within the context of energy renovation
2025 (English)In: Energy and Buildings, ISSN 0378-7788, E-ISSN 1872-6178, Energy and Buildings, ISSN 0378-7788, Vol. 328, article id 114997Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Buildings have a significant impact on environmental sustainability and resource consumption, highlighting theurgent need for holistic and sustainable approaches within the built environment. This study employs a mixed methods approach, combining focus groups and online surveys to examine the willingness of Single-Family Housing (SFH) owners in Sweden’s Kronoberg Region to adopt space sufficiency interventions during energy renovations and using the Attitude-Behavior-Context (ABC) theoretical framework to identify the factors influencing these decisions. The interventions studied include downsizing, optimizing space use, and converting underutilized areas into smaller living units, aiming to reduce per-capita energy consumption, and decrease both operational and embodied carbon emissions.The findings reveal a low interest among SFH owners in adopting these measures, primarily due to concerns about lifestyle changes, reduced comfort, privacy, status, and property value depreciation. While personal and psychological factors affect adoption, external factors—such as regulatory policies, economic incentives, socialnorms, and technical solutions—create the broader landscape that can either facilitate or hinder the implementation of sufficiency measures. The study also highlights that homeowners with larger, child-free properties are more receptive to sufficiency interventions, suggesting that life stage significantly influences readiness for change.The study calls for a systemic approach that promotes behavioral, normative, and cultural shifts through comprehensive regulations, policies, and incentives, creating the necessary conditions for broad adoption. Tailored design proposals and support structures, such as One-Stop Shop (OSS) models, are crucial in guiding homeowners through the transition. Government involvement is essential in establishing the frameworks needed to drive sufficiency, transforming homes from static to dynamic structures that evolve with changing householdneeds. Promoting flexible design, innovative policies, and financial incentives is vital for increasing adoption,with early adopters playing a pivotal role in accelerating market acceptance.

Keywords
Space-sufficiency, Efficient space use, Space optimization, Energy renovation, Sustainable housing, System innovations, Mixed methods
National Category
Energy Systems Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Sustainable Built Environment
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-133813 (URN)10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114997 (DOI)
Projects
KK Hög 20:Scaling up energy renovation through smart design and one-stop-shop business model
Available from: 2024-12-07 Created: 2024-12-07 Last updated: 2024-12-09Bibliographically approved
Sula, M., Mahapatra, K. & Mainali, B. (2024). Building practices through the lens of sufficiency and adaptability. In: eceee Summer Study proceedings: . Paper presented at eceee 2024 Summer Study on energy efficiency: sustainable, safe & secure through demand reduction (pp. 893-904). France
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Building practices through the lens of sufficiency and adaptability
2024 (English)In: eceee Summer Study proceedings, France, 2024, p. 893-904Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

The increasing urbanization and influx of people into cities urge the need for sustainable living solutions, pressing on natural resources and environmental sustainability. This study explores how integrating principles of sufficiency and adaptability to varying occupant needs can enhance the adequacy and optimization of space and resource consumption. Building upon an integrative review of existing literature, it investigates these concepts' interconnectedness within the built environment, aiming to clarify adaptability's potential in facilitating space-sufficiency interventions.

A synergetic linkage of the principles of adaptability and sufficiency in buildings is needed to adapt to evolving needs and reduce environmental impacts. Such an approach stresses a user-focused strategy and views buildings as dynamic systems capable of adapting to technological changes, environment, and society. This manuscript leverages an integrative literature review to propose a conceptual framework to enhance building space utilization.

Drawing inspiration from the 5R Hierarchy, traditionally applied to waste management, it reimagines underutilized space as a form of waste, suggesting intervention steps such as rethinking, reducing, reusing, and repurposing. These steps target spatial rearrangements to tackle the complexities of space optimization.

Aligned with the "Intervention Steps," a series of Key "Intervention Parameters" are outlined to boost the effectiveness of interventions across Shearing Layers, considering the immediate and future needs of occupants. This framework provides a strategic approach to managing space and promoting environmental sustainability and occupant well-being effectively, with the potential to yield economic and social advantages in built environments. The proposed “Intervention” Framework is based on an extensive literature review, but real-world applications are needed to refine and validate this approach. Further exploration is necessary to identify regulatory and policy frameworks to facilitate and incentivize its implementation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
France: , 2024
Keywords
sufficiency, sustainable communities, climate change mitigation, climate policy, energy policy, flexibility, adaptability
National Category
Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Energy Systems
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Sustainable Built Environment; Design; Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Civil engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-133816 (URN)978-91-988270-3-3 (ISBN)978-91-988270-2-6 (ISBN)
Conference
eceee 2024 Summer Study on energy efficiency: sustainable, safe & secure through demand reduction
Projects
KK Hög 20: Scaling up energy renovation through smart design and one-stop-shop business model
Available from: 2024-12-07 Created: 2024-12-07 Last updated: 2025-02-04Bibliographically approved
Jha, N. K., Mainali, B. & Lohani, S. P. (2024). Strategy for Circularity Enhancement in Bioeconomy Sector: A Case Study from Biogas Sector of Nepal. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 4, 2531-2557
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Strategy for Circularity Enhancement in Bioeconomy Sector: A Case Study from Biogas Sector of Nepal
2024 (English)In: Circular Economy and Sustainability, ISSN 2730-597X, E-ISSN 2730-5988, Vol. 4, p. 2531-2557Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The circular bioeconomy (CBE) aims to enhance the value of renewable biowaste byrecovering resources, and the biogas sector, in particular, is a promising area within CBE. Despite the availability of diverse waste types, developing countries have mainly focused on circulating domestic waste. This study aims to formulate a strategy to enhance Nepal’s biogas-based circular bioeconomy (BGCBE) using the widely employed PEST-SWOT methodology. The biogas sector was analyzed from political, economic, social, and technical (PEST) perspectives, drawing from relevant literature, primary and secondary data, and international practices observed within the BGCBE. Key drivers and barriers in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) were identified to enhance circularity within the sector. Key drivers supporting the BGCBE include a state-sponsored regulatory body promoting the biogas sector through financial incentives, the availabilityof various waste resources, and the involvement of local elected bodies as facilitators for municipal solid waste (MSW)-based biogas plants. However, several barriers were identified, such as a lack of community awareness about the importance of waste segregation and the environmental benefits of BGCBE, limited technical skills among household biodigester (HBD) users, the unavailability of technically skilled manpower, and the underutilization of waste resources for valorization. Stakeholder perspectives were integrated to validate the SWOT analysis and develop comprehensive strategies. Key proposed strategies include incentivizing bio-based product competitiveness through premium pricing policies, extending carbon trading opportunities, and raising community awareness about the ecological benefits of waste-based products. Policy interventions such as mobilizing unused waste resources, strategically locating biogas plants, and fostering stakeholder collaboration are recommended to advance the BGCBE in Nepal.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2024
Keywords
Biogas, Circular Bioeconomy, Waste, PEST-SWOT, Strategy
National Category
Energy Systems
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Sustainable Built Environment
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-132638 (URN)10.1007/s43615-024-00402-5 (DOI)2-s2.0-85197882350 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council, VetenskapsrådetSwedish Research Council, 2021-04163
Note

Bilbiografiskt granskad

Available from: 2024-09-19 Created: 2024-09-19 Last updated: 2024-12-18Bibliographically approved
Sula, M., Mahapatra, K., Mainali, B., Rupar-Gadd, K. & Pardalis, G. (2023). Adopting Space Sufficiency Interventions as a Means for Accelerating Energy Renovation: Swedish Homeowners’ Perspective. In: Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”: . Paper presented at Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition,Linnaeus University, October 12-13, 2023, Växjö. Linnaeus University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Adopting Space Sufficiency Interventions as a Means for Accelerating Energy Renovation: Swedish Homeowners’ Perspective
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2023 (English)In: Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”, Linnaeus University Press , 2023Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Residential energy consumption remains a significant driver of CO2 emissions in European buildings, demanding urgent action in the face of the climate crisis. While prevailing efforts have predominantly concentrated on enhancing energy efficiency and integrating renewable sources, addressing the climate urgency and resource constraints necessitates a paradigm shift towards sufficiency principles. Swedish statistics on Single-Family Houses (SFH) show that more than a third of households inhabit oversized spaces in aging buildings needing renovation. Sufficiency-oriented renovation strategies—optimizing, or reducing living areas per capita— present a promising avenue to achieve substantial energy reductions. This approach also opens the potential for space rentals, yielding combined energy and space efficiency advantages. In addition, the literature highlights reduced maintenance costs and potential urban housing crisis mitigation. However, practical implementation faces multiple obstacles.This paper investigates SFH owners' attitudes towards space-sufficiency interventions, focusing on living size preferences and identifying barriers and opportunities for sustainable housing. Through focus group sessions with SFH owners in November-December 2022, qualitative content analysis revealed that reducing living space per capita faces multifaceted challenges, despite potential benefits.These challenges encompass not only personal and psychological considerations but extend to economic, infrastructural, and policy barriers, including issues such as the potential breach of privacy, disruptions due to noise, dilemmas related to ownership and independency, disruptions to work-life dynamics, inadequate familiarity with sufficiency principles, and uncertainty imposed by space constraints. Strategic integration of sufficiency principles into energy-renovation policy alternatives necessitates a holistic approach that addresses these barriers, and some form of incentives may be needed to catalyze the adoption of sufficiency principles effectively.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linnaeus University Press, 2023
Keywords
Sufficiency, climate mitigation, sustainable housing, energy renovations, single-family houses, homeowners, focus group
National Category
Engineering and Technology Environmental Engineering Other Environmental Engineering
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Sustainable Built Environment
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-125342 (URN)9789180820424 (ISBN)
Conference
Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition,Linnaeus University, October 12-13, 2023, Växjö
Projects
Scaling up energy renovation through smart design and one-stop-shop business model
Funder
Knowledge Foundation, Hög 20
Available from: 2023-10-27 Created: 2023-10-27 Last updated: 2025-02-04Bibliographically approved
Almeida, R., Mahapatra, K. & Mainali, B. (2023). Analytical review of methodological approaches for measuring circularity in building renovation. In: Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”: 12-13 October, Växjö. Paper presented at Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition October 12-13, 2023, Linnaeus University, Växjö. Växjö: Linnaeus University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Analytical review of methodological approaches for measuring circularity in building renovation
2023 (English)In: Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”: 12-13 October, Växjö, Växjö: Linnaeus University Press, 2023Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Circularity in construction industry requires understanding of the complex system dynamics, which are affected by various building layers and societal systems. While the existing building stock offers opportunities to enable re-looping of construction and demolition waste, the assessment of building circularity performance is not straightforward, due to lack of standard database, methods, and tools. This may lead to subjective interpretations by practitioners who rely on lifecycle assessment (LCA) approach complemented with circularity indicators (C-indicators) to know the level of circularity (LOC) of building materials, components, and elements. Thus, these C-indicators requires careful evaluation of the current methodological approaches. The aim of this paper is to map and evaluate the nexus between assessment methodologies highlighting their strengths, limitations, and areas of improvement. In this study, a complementary approach of systematic literature review and design research concept was used to classify seven primary aspects covering 18 key performance indicators, that impact the system thinking approach of the renovation project. The critical analysis of ten distinguished C-indicators show conditional, beneficial and trade-off relationships between various indicators. At the same time, the dynamic aspect of re-looping the resources is missing in these indicators and sustainability is accounted by complementing lifecycle impacts rather than coupling them. Results of this review highlight substantial gaps in C-indicators applicability for renovation projects with emphasis to formulate a practical guidance to assess recirculation of materials throughout the value chain. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Växjö: Linnaeus University Press, 2023
Keywords
system thinking, built-environment, resource efficiency, environment impact assessment, comparative analysis
National Category
Building Technologies
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Sustainable Built Environment
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-125391 (URN)9789180820424 (ISBN)
Conference
Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition October 12-13, 2023, Linnaeus University, Växjö
Available from: 2023-10-31 Created: 2023-10-31 Last updated: 2025-02-04Bibliographically approved
Jha, A. K., Andrae, A. S. G. & Mainali, B. (2023). Comparison of Methods for Calculating Indirect Upstream Carbon Emissions from Information and Communication Technology Manufacturing. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, 19, 1045-1057
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Comparison of Methods for Calculating Indirect Upstream Carbon Emissions from Information and Communication Technology Manufacturing
2023 (English)In: WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, ISSN 1790-5079, Vol. 19, p. 1045-1057Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The use of Information Communication technology (ICT) is rapidly increasing in an age ofdigitalization. Measurement of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from ICT is crucial for reducingthem. Most ICT organizations focus on Scope 1 and 2 emissions as they have greater control over them, commonly ignoring Scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 Category 1 (S3C1) emissions occur throughout the rawmaterial acquisition and manufacturing stages of an ICT product's life cycle accounting for a large portion ofthe sector's overall CO2e emissions and energy consumption. By not reporting Scope 3 emissions, companieslose the ability to reduce their overall CO2e corporate emissions. Although Category 1 and 11 under Scope 3account for 85% of ICT's worldwide CO2e emissions, the methodologies for calculating S3C1 emissions in ICTare understudied. This study focuses on these emissions in the framework of Sustainable Development Goals 9,12, and 13. Product life cycle assessment (PLCA) and Spend-based methods have been used to analyze S3C1emissions in the ICT sector with two case examples of laptop computers and smartphones. The ExcelManagement Life Cycle Assessment (EMLCA) tool has been used for the S3C1 emissions estimation. PLCAand Spend-based methods are compared on their ability to calculate CO2e emissions. It is concluded that theSpend-based is faster than PLCA for predicting ICT emissions with modest uncertainty for smartphone andlaptop components. Furthermore, this work explores the advantages and downsides of both methods. 

Keywords
CO2e emissions, GHG protocol, Information Communication Technology (ICT) Sector, Laptop computer, Product Life Cycle Assessment, Scope 3 Category 1 emissions, Spend-based.
National Category
Energy Systems Environmental Management
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-125349 (URN)10.37394/232015.2023.19.99 (DOI)2-s2.0-85177662651 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2023-10-28 Created: 2023-10-28 Last updated: 2025-02-10Bibliographically approved
Thapa, P., Mainali, B. & Dhakal, S. (2023). Focus on Climate Action: What Level of Synergy and Trade-Off Is There between SDG 13; Climate Action and Other SDGs in Nepal?. Energies, 16(1), Article ID 566.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Focus on Climate Action: What Level of Synergy and Trade-Off Is There between SDG 13; Climate Action and Other SDGs in Nepal?
2023 (English)In: Energies, E-ISSN 1996-1073, Vol. 16, no 1, article id 566Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The Sixth Assessment Report of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)has highlighted the urgency of accelerated climate actions harnessing synergies and minimizing trade-offs with various SDG. This calls for a clear understanding of linkages between climate goals and other SDGs at the national level for formulating synergistic policies and strategies and developing different sectoral programs and coherent cross-sectoral policies. This is even more important forleast developed countries such as Nepal where these linkages are less understood and development challenges are multifaceted. In this context, this paper aims to evaluate potential synergies and trade-offs among selected SDGs and their associated targets in Nepal in a linear pairwise comparison. Synergies and trade-offs related to climate action (SDG 13), access to energy (SDG 7), sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12), and life on land (SDG 15) have been evaluated using historical data for the period from 1990 to 2018 employing a mixed methods approach. Network analysis tomap the conceptual linkages between the SDGs and their targets was combined with the advanced sustainability analysis (ASA) to quantitatively evaluate the synergy and trade-offs between SDGs.The results illustrate the presences of a continual trade-off between the emission reduction targets of SDG 13 with per capita energy consumption and share of renewable energy of SDG 7, land use for agricultural production target of SDG 12, and forest area target of SDG 15. This indicates that climate action is strongly interlinked with GHG emissions from economic activities and energy consumption. The results of the study represent a valuable input for the policymakers, supporting coherent and sustainable development planning as Nepal plans to graduate to a middle-income country.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2023
National Category
Energy Systems Climate Science
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Bioenergy Technology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-118216 (URN)10.3390/en16010566 (DOI)000908702000001 ()2-s2.0-85145646275 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2023-01-10 Created: 2023-01-10 Last updated: 2025-02-01Bibliographically approved
Aarthi, A. D., Mainali, B., Khatiwada, D., Golzar, F. & Mahapatra, K. (2023). Implementation of GIS-AHP Framework for the Identification of Potential Landfill Sites in Bengaluru Metropolitan Region, India. In: Nídia S. Caetano; Manuel Carlos Felgueiras (Ed.), Caetano, N.S., Felgueiras, M.C. (Ed.), The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research. ICEER 2022.: . Paper presented at The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research. ICEER 2022.. Springer
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Implementation of GIS-AHP Framework for the Identification of Potential Landfill Sites in Bengaluru Metropolitan Region, India
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2023 (English)In: The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research. ICEER 2022. / [ed] Caetano, N.S., Felgueiras, M.C., Springer, 2023Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Uncontrolled open dumping and burning of municipal solid waste (MSW) has resulted in soil, water, and air pollution in many urban cities in India. Landfills are the most common cost-effective solution for MSW management in many developing countries like India. However, the identification of suitable landfill sites always remains a challenging task as it involves the selection of several environmental criteria set by the local authorities. The objective of this study is to identify the most potential landfill sites proposed by the Government in Bengaluru Metropolitan Region, Karnataka state, India using Geographic Information System enabled Analytical Hierarchy Process based multi-criteria evaluation technique. Several criteria and constraints as recommended by the local authorities along with the proximity to the solid waste processing plants are used to identify the potential landfill sites in the study region. The study identified three highly suitable sites (Neraluru, Gudhatti, Madivala) for landfills which are not only environmentally sustainable but also economically attractive as they are closer to the solid waste processing plants minimizing the transportation cost involved in the disposal of solid waste from the source to the final disposal sites in the study region.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2023
Series
Environmental Science and Engineering, ISSN 1863-5520, E-ISSN 1863-5539
Keywords
Municipal solid waste, Landfill site selection, Circular economy, GIS enabled AHP technique, Bengaluru Metropolitan region
National Category
Environmental Management Energy Systems
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Bioenergy Technology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-125925 (URN)10.1007/978-3-031-43559-1_77 (DOI)2-s2.0-85185558689 (Scopus ID)9783031435584 (ISBN)9783031435591 (ISBN)
Conference
The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research. ICEER 2022.
Available from: 2023-12-07 Created: 2023-12-07 Last updated: 2025-02-10Bibliographically approved
Sinha, S., Mainali, B., Mahapatra, K. & Mazaheri, A. (2023). Integrating Digital Tools in One-Stop-Shop Business Models for Climate-Smart Single-Family Home Renovation in the European Union. In: Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”: . Paper presented at Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition, 12-13 October, Växjö. Växjö, Sweden: Linnaeus University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Integrating Digital Tools in One-Stop-Shop Business Models for Climate-Smart Single-Family Home Renovation in the European Union
2023 (English)In: Proceedings of the International Conference “Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition”, Växjö, Sweden: Linnaeus University Press , 2023Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

The ageing building stock in the European Union (EU) is not adequately equipped to deal with the changing climate, posing a significant challenge for climate change mitigation and adaptation. This has driven governmental institutions and private firms to expedite their renovation efforts; integration of one-stop-shop (OSS) regimes for encouraging higher rates of renovation could stimulate the rate of renovation by up to 6% annually, the aimed rate for the 2030 Renovation Wave by the European Commission. While OSS solutions present a great opportunity for addressing the challenges posed by climate change by allowing older homes to become better prepared through climate-smart retrofitting, these solutions have had mixed results in the past. Given the urgency of the situation as predicted in various scenarios by the IPCC, it is imperative to assess the effectiveness of OSS solutions in accelerating the rate of renovation. This research aims to investigate how the digitalisation of aspects of the customer journey of an end user participating in an OSS home renovation platform can lead to overcoming challenges faced by previously implemented instances of it. 

To answer this question, first a systematic literature review of previous OSS schemes implemented in Europe, digital tools commonly applied for renovation, and state-of-the-art strategies and models to facilitate customer journeys were studied. Through the characterisation of these mechanisms, opportunities for the integration of digital tools were identified and suggested for each stage of the customer journey. It was found that through the utilisation of technologies such as application programming interfaces (API), for increased access and real-time updating; blockchain infrastructure for information transparency and symmetry, and urban building energy modelling for predictive assessment, some important pitfalls of OSS implementation can be addressed. This study is expected to contribute to the renovation sector, ultimately leading to improving buildings' adaptive capacity, which is critical for the EU's sustainable development objectives going forward.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Växjö, Sweden: Linnaeus University Press, 2023
Keywords
climate adaptation, retrofit, one-stop shop, blockchain, urban building energy modelling
National Category
Climate Science
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Sustainable Built Environment
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-125985 (URN)9789180820424 (ISBN)
Conference
Sustainable Built Environment and Urban Transition, 12-13 October, Växjö
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2021-02389
Available from: 2023-12-12 Created: 2023-12-12 Last updated: 2025-02-07Bibliographically approved
Devendran, A. A., Mainali, B., Khatiwada, D., Golzar, F., Mahapatra, K. & Toigo, C. H. (2023). Optimization of Municipal Waste Streams in Achieving Urban Circularity in the City of Curitiba, Brazil. Sustainability, 15(4), Article ID 3252.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Optimization of Municipal Waste Streams in Achieving Urban Circularity in the City of Curitiba, Brazil
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2023 (English)In: Sustainability, E-ISSN 2071-1050, Vol. 15, no 4, article id 3252Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The municipal solid waste (MSW) remains a great challenge in most cities of developing countries, as the majority of the generated waste is either not collected or is dumped in open uncontrolled non-engineered landfill sites, creating significant pollution due to the leakage of landfill leachate in the surrounding environment. In developing countries, a complete transition to a zero-landfill scenario is less likely to happen in the near future due to various socio-economic challenges. Therefore, the existing landfills in developing countries need holistic waste management thinking with more efforts on waste to energy conversions. This study highlights the challenges with existing MSW management practices of Curitiba, Brazil, and suggests some holistic and sustainable landfill management techniques. This is accomplished through the (i) identification of the suitable sites for setting up transfer stations (TSs), (ii) route optimization for MSW transportation, and (iii) analysis of the life expectancy of the existing landfill with waste valorization techniques for enhancing circularity of MSW of the city. The study has identified six potential TSs, making use of various geological criteria and constraints as suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency using GIS-based spatial analysis, which could save fuel cost of approximately 1.5 million Brazilian Real (BRL) per year for the solid waste transportation (from the source to the landfill site). This research has also made a value addition in this specific field with the preparation of a digitized road network map of the study region. Further, the sensitivity-based scenario analysis highlights that the lifespan of the existing landfill (until 2030) might be extended to 2058 if the city achieves the targeted recycling rate of 85% compared with the current rate of 23%. The results would be useful for policy-makers to adopt the crucial MSW scenario to achieve a circular economy in the waste management of the city of Curitiba.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2023
Keywords
municipal solid waste management; circular economy; GIS-based spatial analysis; landfill lifespan estimation; Curitiba
National Category
Environmental Engineering Energy Systems
Research subject
Technology (byts ev till Engineering), Bioenergy Technology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-119276 (URN)10.3390/su15043252 (DOI)000941408800001 ()2-s2.0-85149223148 (Scopus ID)
Projects
FORMAS
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2017-00266
Available from: 2023-02-12 Created: 2023-02-12 Last updated: 2025-02-04Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-0189-474x

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