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Full Name : Lucia Rigamonti
Date of birth : 13 March 1979
Role : Associate Professor
Email : lucia.rigamonti@polimi.it
Office : via Golgi 39, Milan
Telephone : +39-02-23994249

Professor at Politecnico di Milano of Sanitary - environmental engineering since 2012 and of Methodologies for Life Cycle Thinking since 2021. Main research activity is related to Life Cycle Thinking methodologies (Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing, Social LCA), in terms both of methodological developments and applications for sustainability assessments, especially in the field of environmental remediation treatments and technologies and circular economy strategies (more than 50 ISI publications; h-index = 23). Co-coordinator of the research group AWARE (Assessment on Waste and Resources – www.aware.polimi.it/) and co-coordinator of the working group “Management and treatment of waste” of the Italian Network on LCA. Member of the scientific board of the Research Centre MatER (Material & Energy from Refuse - www.mater.polimi.it/) and of the management board of the Italian Network on LCA. Associated Editor of the Journal of Cleaner Production and member of the scientific and editorial board of IDA (Ingegneria dell’Ambiente). Visiting researcher at different institutions (e.g. Columbia University, University of Queensland, Scion research institute, National Institute of Technology of Warangal). Winner of the Young Researcher Award LCA 2009 from the LCA Italian network.

Education and Professional Career

Associate Professor, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

2021

Assistant Professor "senior", Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

2019-2021

Visiting professor, National Institute of Technology of Warangal (India).

Feb 2017

Visiting professor, University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia).

Sep – Nov 2015

Assistant Professor "junior", Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

2015-2018

Assistant professor, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

2011-2014

Visiting researcher, research institute Scion (Rotorua, New Zealand).

Aug-Oct 2013

Research fellow, Politecnico di Milano.

2007-2010

Doctoral degree in Sanitary Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano.

2007

Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano.

2003

Research

Main research activity is related to Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) methodologies (Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing, Social LCA), in terms both of methodological developments and applications for sustainability assessments. LCT approach is applied for the evaluation of environmental remediation technologies (e.g. treatment of solid waste, contaminated soils, waste water, and sludge), waste prevention activities, potentially sustainable consumption choices, management strategies and recovery of resources and energy from civil and industrial residues, and complex systems such as those related to the capture and utilisation of CO2. She co-coordinates the research group AWARE (aware.polimi.it).

H-index

Publications on International Journal

Number of Publications

212

Co-coordinator of the research group AWARE (aware.polimi.it) since its constitution

Since 2016

Associate editor of Journal of Cleaner Production

Since 2021

Member of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on Environmental Footprint of the European Commission (DG Environment)

Since 2020

Co-coordinator of the working group DIRE (Development and Improvement of LCA methodology: Research and Exchange of Experiences) of the Italian Network on LCA, since its constitution

Since 2010

Member of the management board of the Italian Network on LCA

Since 2019

Member of the working group n. 3 “Tools to measure the circular economy” inside ICESP (Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform)

Since 2019

Member of the working groups "Construction and demolition waste” and “Plastics” inside the Observatory for the circular economy and the energy transition by Regione Lombardia.

Since 2019

Stakeholder in the project INTERREG “LCA4Regions Improved environment and resource efficiency through use of life cycle instruments for implementation of regional policies of the European Union”

Since 2019

Member of the working group n. 5 “Legislative issues” inside SUN (Symbiosis Users Network)

Since 2018

Co-coordinator of the working group “Management and treatment of waste” of the Italian Network on LCA

Since 2016

Member of the scientific committee and of the editorial board of the national journal "Ingegneria dell'ambiente"

Since 2014

Member of the scientific board of the Research Centre MatER (Material & Energy from Refuse) (mater.polimi.it)

Since 2011

Member of the Technical Secretariat for the development of the Product Environmental Footprint -Category Rules (PEFCR) for intermediate paper products in the context of the European Commission project "Environmental Footprint Pilot Phase"

2014 - 2019

Member of working group 1 “Resource potential of construction & demolition waste” of the COST Action “Mining the European Anthroposphere”

2018 - 2019

Member of the working group “Circular Economy” coordinated by ASTER

2018 - 2021

2021

Tua C., Ficara E., Mezzanotte V., Rigamonti L. (2021). “Integration of a side-stream microalgae process into a municipal wastewater treatment plant: a life cycle analysis”. Journal of Environmental Management 279, 111605.

2020

Vargas F., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Environmental evaluation of treated tailing as Supplementary Cementitious Material”. Procedia CIRP 90, 280–284.

Tua C., Grosso M., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Reusing glass bottles in Italy: A life cycle assessment evaluation”. Procedia CIRP 90, 192–197.

Rigamonti L., Taelman S.E., Huysveld S., Sfez S., Ragaert K., Dewulf J. (2020). “A step forward in quantifying the substitutability of secondary materials in waste management life cycle assessment studies”. Waste Management, 114, 331-340.

Dolci G., Rigamonti L., Grosso M. (2020). “Potential for improving the environmental performance of railway sleepers with an outer shell made of recycled materials”. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 6, 100160, 1-11.

Vargas F., Lopez M., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Environmental impacts evaluation of treated copper tailings as supplementary cementitious materials”. Resources, Conservation & Recycling 160 – 104890, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104890.

Pantini S., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Is selective demolition always a sustainable choice?”. Waste Management, 103, 169-176.

2019

Rigamonti L., Borghi G., Martignon G., Grosso M. (2019). “Life cycle costing of energy recovery from solid recovered fuel produced in MBT plants in Italy”. Waste Management, 99, 154-162.

Tua C., Biganzoli L., Grosso M., Rigamonti L. (2019). “Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable Plastic Crates (RPCs)”. Resources, 8, 110, 1-15. doi:10.3390/resources8020110.

Pantini S., Giurato M., Rigamonti L. (2019). “A LCA study to investigate resource-efficient strategies for managing post-consumer gypsum waste in Lombardy region (Italy)”. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 147, 157-168.

Biganzoli L., Rigamonti L., Grosso M. (2019). “LCA evaluation of packaging re-use: the steel drums case study”. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 21, 67-78. 10.1007/s10163-018-00817-x.

Zhang H., Rigamonti L., Visigalli S., Turolla A., Gronchi P., Canziani R. (2019). “Environmental and economic assessment of electro-dewatering application to sewage sludge: a case study of an Italian wastewater treatment plant”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 210, 1180-1192.

Rigamonti L., Biganzoli L., Grosso M. (2019). “Packaging re-use: a starting point for its quantification”. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 21, 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-018-0747-0.

2018

Pantini S., Borghi G., Rigamonti L. (2018). “Towards resource-efficient management of asphalt waste in Lombardy region (Italy): Identification of effective strategies based on the LCA methodology”. Waste Management, 80, 423-434.

Rigamonti L., Niero M., Haupt M., Grosso M., Judl J. (2018). “Recycling processes and quality of secondary materials: Food for thought for waste-management-oriented life cycle assessment studies”. Waste Management, 76, 261-265.

Biganzoli L., Rigamonti L., Grosso M. (2018). “Intermediate bulk containers re-use in the circular economy: an LCA evaluation”. Procedia CIRP, 69, 827-832. 25th CIRP Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) Conference, 30 April – 2 May 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Borghi G., Pantini S., Rigamonti L. (2018). “Life cycle assessment of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste (CDW) management in Lombardy region (Italy)”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 815-825.

Teaching

Professor at Politecnico di Milano of Sanitary - environmental engineering since 2012 and of Methodologies for Life Cycle Thinking since 2021. She has given invited lectures about LCA and waste management for the following university courses: Waste Management, University College Dublin, February 2014; Bio-Energy and Waste-To-Energy technologies, Politecnico di Milano, since the academic year 2011-2012; Management and treatment of solid waste, Politecnico di Milano, since the academic year 2011-2012. She gave the two-weeks course “The Life Cycle Assessment methodology” at the Department of Civil Engineering of the National Institute of Technology di Warangal (India), (February 2017). Supervisor and co-supervisor of master’s degree theses and PhD theses mainly about waste management and life cycle assessment. page on Politecnico website.

Competitive Projects

European Commission Horizon2020

2019-2022

Title: “FineFuture - Innovative technologies and concepts for fine particle flotation: unlocking future fine-grained deposits and Critical Raw Materials resources for the EU”, grant number 821265. Role: Scientific leader of WP7 (Sustainability assessment of the FineFuture Technologies)

European Commission Horizon2020

2017-2021

Title: “FReSMe - From residual steel gases to methanol”, grant number 727504. Role: Task leader of WP 6.2 (Life Cycle Assessment)

European Commission Horizon2020

2016-2018

Title: “Greenrail, innovative and sustainable railway sleepers: the greener solution for railway sector. Role: Scientific leader of the Environmental Assessment

- Fondazione Cariplo

2015

Title: “Integration of microalgal based processes in wastewater treatment (IMAP)”.Role: Task leader (task 5: Life Cycle Assessment)

Other Projects

ARERA

2020- 2021

Supporting activities to the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment, aimed at regulating gate fees for municipal waste treatment plants.

Federchimica – Assogasliquidi

2020 - 2021

Evaluation of the environmental impacts of the life cycle of LPG for uses as a fuel, in comparison with other types of energy sources / carriers.

Assovetro

2020- 2021

LCA of glass packaging and comparison with other packaging materials

Regione Lombardia

2020-2021

Supporting activities for updating the contents of the regional waste management program.

Liquigas S.p.A.

2020

Assessment of the environmental impacts of the life cycle of different types of fuels.

Unioncamere Lombardia

2019

Supporting activities for the "Innovation of circular economy supply chains in Lombardy" call.

CiAl

2018-2019

Recovery of aluminium from incineration bottom ashes.

Syndial Servizi Ambientali SpA

2018-2019

LCA of contaminated site remediation alternatives.

CONAI

2018

Development of an indicator to measure the packaging circularity

CONAI

2018

LCA of the reuse of some types of packaging in Italy.

Reno de Medici

2018

LCA for maintaining the environmental product declaration (EPD®) of some cartonboards produced in Santa Giustina plant.

A2A Ambiente S.p.A.

2018

LCA of the incineration of sewage sludge.

Unicalce

2017 - 2018

LCA of the recovery of the white slag produced in steel plants.

Suez Trattamento Acque S.p.A.

2017

LCA to support the revamping of Acqua dei Corsari waste water treatment plant.

Cap Holding Spa

2017

LCA applied to evaluate an integrated system to manage sewage sludge, the organic fraction from municipal waste, and the residual municipal waste.

Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico

2016 - 2018

Life Cycle Costing of energy production from the residual waste based on mechanical biological pretreatment.

COREPLA

2016 - 2017

LCA to evaluate the recovery of the organic fraction from municipal waste.

Regione Lombardia

2016 - 2017

LCA of the construction and demolition waste management system implemented in Lombardy Region.

Fondazione Footprint

2014

- Environmental and economic evaluation of potentially sustainable consumption choices.

European Investment Bank

2013

Cost-Benefit Analysis of the recycling of packaging waste (in collaboration with Istituto Superior Tecnico of Lisboa).

Awards

Winner in 2018 of an Erasmus + grant for Staff mobility for teaching (hosting university: Ghent University)

2018

“Excellence in Review Award 2016” by Resources, Conservation & Recycling journal

2016

Winner in 2016 of an Erasmus + grant for Staff mobility for teaching (hosting university: Vienna University of Technology)

2016

Winner in 2015 of the University of Queensland Travel Award for International Collaborative Research

2015

Nomination as “Top reviewer of 2011” by Waste Management journal

2011

Winner of the Young Researcher Award LCA 2009 from the LCA Italian network

2009

First prize in the competition Best thesis 2008 organized by ORSA (Scuola di Alta Formazione Ambientale in Palermo) for the PhD thesis

2008

Lucia Rigamonti

Personal Information

Education and Professional Career

Associate Professor, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Assistant Professor "senior", Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Visiting professor, National Institute of Technology of Warangal (India).

Visiting professor, University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia).

Assistant Professor "junior", Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Assistant professor, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Visiting researcher, research institute Scion (Rotorua, New Zealand).

Research fellow, Politecnico di Milano.

Doctoral degree in Sanitary Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano.

Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano.

Research

Co-coordinator of the research group AWARE (aware.polimi.it) since its constitution

Associate editor of Journal of Cleaner Production

Member of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on Environmental Footprint of the European Commission (DG Environment)

Co-coordinator of the working group DIRE (Development and Improvement of LCA methodology: Research and Exchange of Experiences) of the Italian Network on LCA, since its constitution

Member of the management board of the Italian Network on LCA

Member of the working group n. 3 “Tools to measure the circular economy” inside ICESP (Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform)

Member of the working groups "Construction and demolition waste” and “Plastics” inside the Observatory for the circular economy and the energy transition by Regione Lombardia.

Stakeholder in the project INTERREG “LCA4Regions Improved environment and resource efficiency through use of life cycle instruments for implementation of regional policies of the European Union”

Member of the working group n. 5 “Legislative issues” inside SUN (Symbiosis Users Network)

Co-coordinator of the working group “Management and treatment of waste” of the Italian Network on LCA

Member of the scientific committee and of the editorial board of the national journal "Ingegneria dell'ambiente"

Member of the scientific board of the Research Centre MatER (Material & Energy from Refuse) (mater.polimi.it)

Member of the Technical Secretariat for the development of the Product Environmental Footprint -Category Rules (PEFCR) for intermediate paper products in the context of the European Commission project "Environmental Footprint Pilot Phase"

Member of working group 1 “Resource potential of construction & demolition waste” of the COST Action “Mining the European Anthroposphere”

Member of the working group “Circular Economy” coordinated by ASTER

2021

Tua C., Ficara E., Mezzanotte V., Rigamonti L. (2021). “Integration of a side-stream microalgae process into a municipal wastewater treatment plant: a life cycle analysis”. Journal of Environmental Management 279, 111605.

2020

Vargas F., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Environmental evaluation of treated tailing as Supplementary Cementitious Material”. Procedia CIRP 90, 280–284.

Tua C., Grosso M., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Reusing glass bottles in Italy: A life cycle assessment evaluation”. Procedia CIRP 90, 192–197.

Rigamonti L., Taelman S.E., Huysveld S., Sfez S., Ragaert K., Dewulf J. (2020). “A step forward in quantifying the substitutability of secondary materials in waste management life cycle assessment studies”. Waste Management, 114, 331-340.

Dolci G., Rigamonti L., Grosso M. (2020). “Potential for improving the environmental performance of railway sleepers with an outer shell made of recycled materials”. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives 6, 100160, 1-11.

Vargas F., Lopez M., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Environmental impacts evaluation of treated copper tailings as supplementary cementitious materials”. Resources, Conservation & Recycling 160 – 104890, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104890.

Pantini S., Rigamonti L. (2020). “Is selective demolition always a sustainable choice?”. Waste Management, 103, 169-176.

2019

Rigamonti L., Borghi G., Martignon G., Grosso M. (2019). “Life cycle costing of energy recovery from solid recovered fuel produced in MBT plants in Italy”. Waste Management, 99, 154-162.

Tua C., Biganzoli L., Grosso M., Rigamonti L. (2019). “Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable Plastic Crates (RPCs)”. Resources, 8, 110, 1-15. doi:10.3390/resources8020110.

Pantini S., Giurato M., Rigamonti L. (2019). “A LCA study to investigate resource-efficient strategies for managing post-consumer gypsum waste in Lombardy region (Italy)”. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 147, 157-168.

Biganzoli L., Rigamonti L., Grosso M. (2019). “LCA evaluation of packaging re-use: the steel drums case study”. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 21, 67-78. 10.1007/s10163-018-00817-x.

Zhang H., Rigamonti L., Visigalli S., Turolla A., Gronchi P., Canziani R. (2019). “Environmental and economic assessment of electro-dewatering application to sewage sludge: a case study of an Italian wastewater treatment plant”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 210, 1180-1192.

Rigamonti L., Biganzoli L., Grosso M. (2019). “Packaging re-use: a starting point for its quantification”. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 21, 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-018-0747-0.

2018

Pantini S., Borghi G., Rigamonti L. (2018). “Towards resource-efficient management of asphalt waste in Lombardy region (Italy): Identification of effective strategies based on the LCA methodology”. Waste Management, 80, 423-434.

Rigamonti L., Niero M., Haupt M., Grosso M., Judl J. (2018). “Recycling processes and quality of secondary materials: Food for thought for waste-management-oriented life cycle assessment studies”. Waste Management, 76, 261-265.

Biganzoli L., Rigamonti L., Grosso M. (2018). “Intermediate bulk containers re-use in the circular economy: an LCA evaluation”. Procedia CIRP, 69, 827-832. 25th CIRP Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) Conference, 30 April – 2 May 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Borghi G., Pantini S., Rigamonti L. (2018). “Life cycle assessment of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste (CDW) management in Lombardy region (Italy)”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 815-825.

Teaching

Competitive Projects

European Commission Horizon2020

European Commission Horizon2020

European Commission Horizon2020

- Fondazione Cariplo

Other Projects

ARERA

Federchimica – Assogasliquidi

Assovetro

Regione Lombardia

Liquigas S.p.A.

Unioncamere Lombardia

CiAl

Syndial Servizi Ambientali SpA

CONAI

CONAI

Reno de Medici

A2A Ambiente S.p.A.

Unicalce

Suez Trattamento Acque S.p.A.

Cap Holding Spa

Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico

COREPLA

Regione Lombardia

Fondazione Footprint

European Investment Bank

Awards

Winner in 2018 of an Erasmus + grant for Staff mobility for teaching (hosting university: Ghent University)

“Excellence in Review Award 2016” by Resources, Conservation & Recycling journal