3. Life cycle assessment
Obtaining energy from waste requires an investigation of the
environmental performance and costs of alternative waste conversion
methods. Life cycle assessment or LCA is applied in waste-toenergy
conversion to compare the environmental consequences of
each option. LCA for waste management has gained importance in
comparing the many parameters within the different treatment
options and generation of by-products, and has become the principal
decision support tool for decision and policy makers at all levels
for waste management strategies (Christensen et al., 2007). One
of the benefits of LCA is the identification and quantification of the
potential environmental impacts of different waste management
technologies (Buttol et al., 2007). This can help minimize the risks
of making the wrong decisions that may result in creating other