Advancing communication in solid waste management: leveraging life cycle thinking for environmental sustainability

ABSTRACT

Communication is often taken for granted, yet its importance in solid waste management cannot be underestimated. This article explores the importance of effective communication in the field and delves into how Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) can enhance communication and decision-making. It provides a departure from the traditional technical approach, introducing novel perspectives. Through a systematic review of the literature studies published on the topic, the paper examines key aspects of communication and emphasises its critical role in promoting sustainable waste management practices, highlighting the need for competent and well-prepared communication across all sectors. It concludes with compelling recommendations on utilising LCT as a powerful tool to improve communication, enabling stakeholders to gain a holistic understanding of the environmental impacts of their decisions and facilitating informed choices. Through the integration of LCT and effective communication, solid waste management can move closer to achieving sustainable production and consumption practices, reducing environmental impact, and embracing circular economy principles. This article contributes to the literature on solid waste management by shedding light on the crucial link between LCT and communication. LCT, integrated into communication strategies, is instrumental in comprehensively conveying the environmental and social impacts of waste management, fostering understanding and engagement among stakeholders. Collaborative involvement of experts in solid waste management and communication is vital for effective communication. The study recommends investigating LCT and awareness campaigns, communication channels, multi-sector collaboration, technology, cross-cultural communication, policy integration, public-private partnerships, and communication scalability.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Communication
• life cycle thinking
• solid waste
• sustainable management
• waste practices

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Giovanni De Feo

Giovanni De Feo teaches Industrial Ecology at the Master Degree Programs in Chemical Engineering and Management Engineering within the Department of Industrial Engineering (DIIn) at the University of Salerno, in Italy. He engages in research activities at DIIn, focusing on the following main topics: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); management, treatment, and disposal of solid waste; and management, treatment, and disposal of wastewater. He serves as Editor for the journal “Water Supply” and has been an editor for “Water, Science and Technology”. He is a member of the Editorial Board for journals such as Sustainability, Recycling, and Standards. He is the initiator and promoter of the environmental education project Greenopoli (www.greenopoli.it), which has involved over 600 schools and approximately eighty thousand students since December 2014. He received the Environmentalist of the Year – Luisa Minazzi Award in 2018. In 2023, he was invited to conduct environmental education sessions in Spain and Bangladesh and received the “Giovanni Bozzini Award – Best Italian paper award” at the international conference Sardinia Symposium.

Carmen Ferrara

Carmen Ferrara graduated in Environmental Sciences and then obtained a PhD in Industrial Engineering at the University of Salerno with a thesis titled “Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Application to the Wine Sector Optimization”. Subsequently, she was a research fellow at the University of Salerno, focusing on the sustainability assessment of conventional and innovative packaging. She is currently an LCA analyst at RSE SpA in Milan, Lombardy, where she conducts research on the energy system.