Life Cycle Assessment of a calcareous aggregates extraction and processing system

The Life Cycle Assessment methodology is increasingly used by companies to assess environmental loads connected to production processes. The objective of the present work is to apply this method, to assess the environmental impacts of a calcareous aggregates extraction and processing system of a multi-sector company in the Taranto Province. The study takes into account all the phases of the system life cycle starting from the extraction of raw materials up to the final treatment of the produced waste. The life cycle impact assessment highlights the system’s critical points, namely, the electricity consumption of the production plants, the diesel fuel use of machinery and the use of explosives in the quarry front cultivation phase