TY - JOUR
AU - Lara-Guillén, Andrés J.
AB - The cultivation of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) generates significant quantities of spent mushroom substrate (SMS), a byproduct traditionally treated as waste despite its nutrient- and organic-carbon-rich composition. The EU-funded project FER-PLAY identified SMS as one of the most promising circular fertilizers (i.e., those produced from waste streams, transforming them into value-added products). Within the project, a life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) analysis of SMS were conducted with a cradle-to-gate-to-grave scope across three European regions, comparing it to a non-renewable mix with equivalent N, P, K, and C inputs. The LCA results reveal substantial environmental benefits of SMS over the non-renewable baseline, particularly in land use, fossil resource depletion, freshwater ecotoxicity and climate change, which together account for 98% of total impacts. Although SMS exhibits higher water consumption, it represents only 2% of total impacts. LCC highlights the critical effects of fresh mushroom substrate composition on yield, economies of scale, and revenue generation. Overall, this study highlights the significant environmental and economic potential of repurposing SMS as a soil improver, offering a compelling case for its integration into agricultural systems as part of a sustainable, circular economy.
TI - Environmental and Economic Life Cycle Impacts of Using Spent Mushroom Substrate as a Soil Improver
JO - Environments
DO - 10.3390/environments12010031
DA - 2025-01-20
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/multidisciplinary-digital-publishing-institute/environmental-and-economic-life-cycle-impacts-of-using-spent-mushroom-uQIpDSfe6X
SP - 31
VL - 12
IS - 1
DP - DeepDyve
ER -