biostudies-literatureUnknown31(7)Bottausci SAlma Mater Studiorum - Università di BolognaThe study focuses on an Italian composting plant and aims to investigate the impact of the presence of plastic impurities in the collected biowaste on the environmental and economic performance of the plant. The study is divided into two main steps: firstly, a material flow analysis was conducted to quantify the number of impurities (e.g., conventional plastics and compostable plastics) before and after the composting process. Secondly, a life cycle assessment (LCA) and a complementary life cycle costing (LCC) of the composting process were conducted. The results of the material flow analysis confirmed the initial assumption that conventional plastic remains almost constant before and after the composting treatment, while compostable plastic almost disappears. As far as the life cycle analEnvironmental science and pollution research international9964-9980https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10850183biostudies-literaturePlastic impurities in biowaste treatment: environmental and economic life cycle assessment of a composting plant.PMC10850183Bottausci SMagrini CTuci GABonoli AfalsePlastic impurities in biowaste treatment: environmental and economic life cycle assessment of a composting plant.The study focuses on an Italian composting plant and aims to investigate the impact of the presence of plastic impurities in the collected biowaste on the environmental and economic performance of the plant. The study is divided into two main steps: firstly, a material flow analysis was conducted to quantify the number of impurities (e.g., conventional plastics and compostable plastics) before and after the composting process. Secondly, a life cycle assessment (LCA) and a complementary life cycle costing (LCC) of the composting process were conducted. The results of the material flow analysis confirmed the initial assumption that conventional plastic remains almost constant before and after the composting treatment, while compostable plastic almost disappears. As far as the life cycle anal2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Feb2026-06-03T20:00:13.623Z2025-04-04T10:39:28.347ZS-EPMC108501833740560510.1007/s11356-023-28353-8