Estimating the Environmental Impacts Associated with Manufacturing Dehydrated Poultry Manure in Eastern Canada through a Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract

Dehydrated poultry manure (DPM) is a pelleted form of poultry manure used as an organic fertilizer. The environmental impacts associated with its manufacturing have not been estimated. This research estimates the environmental impacts of manufacturing DPM through a life cycle assessment (LCA) from ‘cradle-to-facility gate’. Overall, the average global warming potential associated with manufacturing was estimated to be 299 kg CO2-eq per tonne of packaged DPM. These impacts primarily derived from upstream impacts associated with poultry manure and manure drying. Two key assumptions including the accounting for upstream impacts of manure as a resource flow with a 50/50 Recycling Approach and accounting for the biogenic carbon of a residual wood biomass, significantly contributed to global warming potential. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated these assumptions highly impact the baseline results. Further studies will better estimate the impacts of DPM as a value-added product and its impacts within the circular economy.