Environmental footprint assessment of China's ceramic tile production from energy-carbon-water nexus insight. (20th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ma, Xiaotian; Zhang, Tianzuo; Shen, Xiaoqin; Zhai, Yijie; Hong, Jinglan
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 337(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02-20
• Subjects: Life cycle assessment -- Water degradation footprint -- Integrated quantification -- Nexus characteristics -- System optimization -- Coal-to-gas and clean energy promotion; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130606
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: For the pressure of industrial activities on energy, carbon, and water, their sustainable management has been receiving increasing attention. This study conduct an impact-oriented environmental footprint assessment of one industrial activity (i.e., ceramic tile) under a life cycle assessment framework and energy-carbon-water nexus insight. Moreover, key factors exploration, nexus characteristics, and optimization pathway analysis are applied. Results showed that damage from energy, carbon, and water footprints on human health, ecosystem quality, and resources during 1 m 2 ceramic tile production was 1.25 × 10 −5 -1.63 × 10 −5 DALY, 1.05 × 10 −7 -4.61 × 10 −7 Species*yr, and 0.79–1.23 $, respectively. The carbon, water degradation (especially freshwater ecotoxicity), and energy footprints dominated the damage on the aforementioned protection targets, respectively. Furthermore, the embodied impacts from soil and air pollutant emissions provided more than 40% contribution for water degradation footprint. Direct processes played significant roles in the carbon (38.5%), acidification (61.1%), and water scarcity (28.3%) footprints, whereas other categories were dominated by the impact in the supply chain, including electricity generation, transportation, glaze production, coal mining, and solid waste disposal. Nexus analysis also showed that optimizing the energy system is the most urgent. In addition to a reasonable consumption of the aforementioned inputs, adopting clean energy and transportation (e.g., natural gas, hydropower, and shipping) and reducing CO2, methane, and heavy metals emissions are necessary. Additionally, the coal-to-gas policy needs a gradual and selective process, and it should choose preferential industries and boilers and ensure stable supply and reasonable prices. Highlights: Impact-oriented environmental footprint of ceramic tile production is analyzed. Energy-carbon-water nexus insight and life cycle assessment methodology is applied. Carbon, freshwater ecotoxicity, and energy footprints plays important roles. Direct emission, power, transport, glaze, coal, and solid waste exert high impact. Promoting clean energy and stabilizing natural gas supply and price is needed.