Climate change impact of the life cycle of wooden pallets made in the Northern Huetar region in Costa Rica
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| Autores: | , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo original |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de Publicación: | 2021 |
| Descripción: | [Introduction]: Life Cycle Analysis is a powerful and well-recognized methodology to determine a product’s environmental impact [Objective]: The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of wooden pallets on climate change. [Methodology]: The scope of the system ranges from land preparation to establish the plantations to the arrival gate at the fruit packing house. Two functional units were assessed: a) a pallet with commercial dimensions for handling of agricultural products and b) a cubic meter of wood to produce pallets. The study included data from the 2014-2017 period, and life cycle results included a whole rotation equivalent to 12 years for the gmelina (Gmelina arborea Roxb) plantations. Two product systems were evaluated: using biomass in the heat treatment and using LP gas. [Results]: The former presented a slightly smaller potential impact. In both cases, the diesel combustion associated with roundwood transport was the most emissions intense stage, releasing approximately 1.61 kg CO2-eq pallet-1 and 43.22 kg CO2-eq m-3. Diesel is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in all life cycle stages, releasing 2.31 kg CO2-eq pallet-1 and 86.57 kg CO2-eq m-3. [Conclusions]: Opportunities to improve the product’s environmental performance include using more efficient loading vehicles and reducing the distance between forest plantations and the sawmill. |
| País: | Portal de Revistas UNA |
| Institución: | Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UNA |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ojs.www.una.ac.cr:article/14817 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/ambientales/article/view/14817 |
| Palabra clave: | Biogenic products; climate change; forest products; Harvested Wood Products (HWP); Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA); Life Cycle Inventory (LCI); Product Carbon Footprint (PCF). Cambio climático; Evaluación de Impacto de Ciclo de Vida (EICV); huella de carbono de producto (HCP); Inventario de Ciclo de Vida (ICV); productos biogénicos; productos de madera recolectada (PMR); productos forestales. Mudança climática; Avaliação do Impacto do Ciclo de Vida (AICV); pegada de carbono do produto (HCP); Inventário de Ciclo de Vida (ICV); produtos biogênicos; produtos de madeira coletada (PMR); produtos florestais |