Personal Information
- 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.
2021Assistant Professor "senior", Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
2019-2021Visiting professor, National Institute of Technology of Warangal (India).
Feb 2017Visiting professor, University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia).
Sep – Nov 2015Assistant Professor "junior", Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
2015-2018Assistant professor, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
2011-2014Visiting researcher, research institute Scion (Rotorua, New Zealand).
Aug-Oct 2013Research fellow, Politecnico di Milano.
2007-2010Doctoral degree in Sanitary Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano.
2007Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano.
2003Research
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).
23
57
212
Co-coordinator of the research group AWARE (aware.polimi.it) since its constitution
Since 2016Associate editor of Journal of Cleaner Production
Since 2021Member of the Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on Environmental Footprint of the European Commission (DG Environment)
Since 2020Co-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 2010Member of the management board of the Italian Network on LCA
Since 2019Member of the working group n. 3 “Tools to measure the circular economy” inside ICESP (Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform)
Since 2019Member 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 2019Stakeholder 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 2019Member of the working group n. 5 “Legislative issues” inside SUN (Symbiosis Users Network)
Since 2018Co-coordinator of the working group “Management and treatment of waste” of the Italian Network on LCA
Since 2016Member of the scientific committee and of the editorial board of the national journal "Ingegneria dell'ambiente"
Since 2014Member of the scientific board of the Research Centre MatER (Material & Energy from Refuse) (mater.polimi.it)
Since 2011Member 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 - 2019Member of working group 1 “Resource potential of construction & demolition waste” of the COST Action “Mining the European Anthroposphere”
2018 - 2019Member 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
2019-2022Title: “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
2017-2021Title: “FReSMe - From residual steel gases to methanol”, grant number 727504. Role: Task leader of WP 6.2 (Life Cycle Assessment)
European Commission Horizon2020
2016-2018Title: “Greenrail, innovative and sustainable railway sleepers: the greener solution for railway sector. Role: Scientific leader of the Environmental Assessment
- Fondazione Cariplo
2015Title: “Integration of microalgal based processes in wastewater treatment (IMAP)”.Role: Task leader (task 5: Life Cycle Assessment)
Other Projects
ARERA
2020- 2021Supporting activities to the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment, aimed at regulating gate fees for municipal waste treatment plants.
Federchimica – Assogasliquidi
2020 - 2021Evaluation 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- 2021LCA of glass packaging and comparison with other packaging materials
Regione Lombardia
2020-2021Supporting activities for updating the contents of the regional waste management program.
Liquigas S.p.A.
2020Assessment of the environmental impacts of the life cycle of different types of fuels.
Unioncamere Lombardia
2019Supporting activities for the "Innovation of circular economy supply chains in Lombardy" call.
CiAl
2018-2019Recovery of aluminium from incineration bottom ashes.
Syndial Servizi Ambientali SpA
2018-2019LCA of contaminated site remediation alternatives.
CONAI
2018Development of an indicator to measure the packaging circularity
CONAI
2018LCA of the reuse of some types of packaging in Italy.
Reno de Medici
2018LCA for maintaining the environmental product declaration (EPD®) of some cartonboards produced in Santa Giustina plant.
A2A Ambiente S.p.A.
2018LCA of the incineration of sewage sludge.
Unicalce
2017 - 2018LCA of the recovery of the white slag produced in steel plants.
Suez Trattamento Acque S.p.A.
2017LCA to support the revamping of Acqua dei Corsari waste water treatment plant.
Cap Holding Spa
2017LCA 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 - 2018Life Cycle Costing of energy production from the residual waste based on mechanical biological pretreatment.
COREPLA
2016 - 2017LCA to evaluate the recovery of the organic fraction from municipal waste.
Regione Lombardia
2016 - 2017LCA 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
2013Cost-Benefit Analysis of the recycling of packaging waste (in collaboration with Istituto Superior Tecnico of Lisboa).