Life-cycle costs of a resource-oriented sanitation system and implications for advancing a circular economy approach to sanitation

cg.contributor.crpWater, Land and Ecosystems
cg.contributor.donorDepartment of Education, Skills and Employment, Australiaen
cg.coverage.countrySri Lanka
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2LK
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Asia
cg.coverage.subregionBalangoda
cg.creator.identifierNilanthi Jayathilake: 0000-0002-0723-5457en
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127135en
cg.identifier.iwmilibraryH050437en
cg.identifier.wlethemeRural-Urban Linkagesen
cg.isijournalISI Journalen
cg.issn0959-6526en
cg.journalJournal of Cleaner Productionen
cg.reviewStatusPeer Reviewen
cg.volume307en
dc.contributor.authorCarrard, N.en
dc.contributor.authorJayathilake, Nilanthien
dc.contributor.authorWilletts, J.en
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-28T06:16:35Zen
dc.date.available2021-05-28T06:16:35Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/113817
dc.titleLife-cycle costs of a resource-oriented sanitation system and implications for advancing a circular economy approach to sanitationen
dcterms.abstractImplementing a circular economy approach to sanitation requires knowledge of the costs to construct, operate and maintain resource-oriented systems. Yet the dearth of data on costs of urban sanitation in general, and resource-oriented systems in particular, limit opportunities to progress sustainable sanitation in low- and middle-income countries. This paper contributes empirical data on the life-cycle costs of a resource-oriented sanitation system in urban Sri Lanka, addressing a gap in evidence about how much it costs, and who pays, for a system that integrates fecal sludge management with nutrient capture and reuse. Costs across the system life-cycle were analyzed according to: (i) cost type; (ii) phases of the sanitation chain; and (iii) distribution between actors. Over a 25-year lifespan, the system had an annualized cost of USD 2.8/person or USD 11/m3 of septage treated. Revenue from co-compost sales covered reuse-related costs plus 8% of present value costs for other phases of the sanitation chain. Findings affirm both the potential for resource-oriented sanitation to generate revenue, and the need for substantial complementary investment in the overall system. The system was found to be reliant on household investment, yet financially viable from the service provider perspective with revenue from desludging services (89%) and co-compost sales (11%) that exceeded costs over the system lifespan and in most years. The analysis of total costs, financial perspectives, and reuse specifics contributes critical evidence to inform policy and planning that supports a purposeful and equitable transition towards circular economy approaches to sanitation.en
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
dcterms.bibliographicCitationCarrard, N.; Jayathilake, Nilanthi; Willetts, J. 2021. Life-cycle costs of a resource-oriented sanitation system and implications for advancing a circular economy approach to sanitation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 307:127135. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127135]en
dcterms.extent307:127135en
dcterms.issued2021-07en
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
dcterms.publisherElsevieren
dcterms.subjectwaste managementen
dcterms.subjectsanitationen
dcterms.subjectcost analysisen
dcterms.subjecteconomic aspectsen
dcterms.subjectfinancial viabilityen
dcterms.subjectfaecal sludgeen
dcterms.subjectwaste treatmenten
dcterms.subjectresource recoveryen
dcterms.subjectreuseen
dcterms.subjectdesludgingen
dcterms.subjectcompostingen
dcterms.subjecturban areasen
dcterms.subjecthouseholdsen
dcterms.subjectlocal governmenten
dcterms.subjectinvestmenten
dcterms.subjectsustainable development goalsen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

Files

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: