Browsing by Author "Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina"

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Análisis comparativo de metodologías de evaluación de impactos ambientales aplicadas en el sector de la construcción
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-11-11) Rodas Urgiles, María Isabel; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando; Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina
Buildings account the 19 % of global resource consumption, the construction sector consumes 40 % of energy and materials, and 16 % of water. In Ecuador this sector was the third economic activity generating environmental impact for three consecutive years, and more than 74 % of construction companies did not have any type of environmental permission for their operation until 2018. Ecuador's environmental regulations establish the maximum permissible limits and the variables that must be considered in an environmental evaluation. However, it does not detail a methodology or guidance for conducting an environmental assessment in the construction sector. The present research aims to establish guidelines that facilitate the selection of an appropriate environmental evaluation methodology for the construction sector. For this purpose, it was carried out a multi-criteria comparative analysis of methodologies such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Water Footprint, Carbon Footprint, Leopold matrix, Battelle Columbus Environmental Evaluation and Conesa Fernández method. The comparative analysis has a set of 7 criteria, 21 sub-criteria and 62 variables that determine the evaluation performance of each methodology in 100 points. Additionally, a construction section was defined that analyzes the performance of the methodologies in 18 impact categories and 19 impact activities throughout the life cycle of a building. The results showed that the LCA was the methodology with the best performance with a score of 100. The Conesa Fernández method showed the next best performance with 75. The Battelle Columbus and Leopold matrices scored 68 and 60 respectively. The Water Footprint scored 47, and the Carbon Footprint scored very low at 14 points. Finally, 50 guidelines were proposed and were validated with experts, reaching an acceptance level of 80 % without any major observations. It was concluded that the main difference between them is the level of analysis they allow when identifying, assessing, or evaluating environmental impacts, to select a methodology of environmental evaluation is important to consider several criteria, and guidelines support the evaluator in making informed decisions
Análisis de estrategias para el aprovechamiento de residuos sólidos orgánicos en el cantón Cuenca
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-03-23) Bustamante Montesdeoca, Jhonny Mauricio; Perez Rocano, Christian Vinicio; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando; Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina
The growing generation of Organic Solid Waste (OSW) has caused global, regional and local governments to adopt mitigation measures that promote the reduction of the impacts associated with inadequate management. The canton of Cuenca, through Municipal Sanitation Company of Cuenca (EMAC EP), has implemented composting and vermicomposting as measures for waste valorization; and the use of biogas produced in the Pichacay landfill as an energy recovery. However, the management continues to be a challenge due to the lack of data and baseline studies. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze OSW treatment strategies through an inventory and Material Flow Analyze of the management system for 2019, which includes all the flow identified in the composting Plant and Pichacay landfill. In addition, a literature review of processing technologies on management systems was carried out. The results showed that during 2019, 115 467,76 tons of OSW was generated from seven generators, being households the highest generation with 68%. In addition, it was identified that initial decomposition is the process that requires priority attention in the current management system because it loses about 50% of the organic material in the form of energy and mass. Finally, the analysis of strategies identified that the use of biodigesters favors the energy recovery of the composting Plant.
Análisis del flujo de materiales en la fase de fin de vida de botellas PET en el cantón Cuenca
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2022-09-28) Minchala Macas, Daniela Estefanía; Ullauri Balarezo, María Paz; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando; Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina
Worldwide, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), and particularly PET bottles, are part of our daily life, mainly due to the growing demand for bottled beverages. In Ecuador, as in many developing countries, the information about the input and output flows related to the PET bottle management system is scarce and scattered; therefore, knowing the current situation and operation from Manufacturing to Recycling and Marketing of recycled products helps identify the critical points and problems associated with the management of this material. The present study will be a first approach to the Ecuadorian reality to analyze and recommend improvements in the management of PET bottles, paying particular attention to the end-of-life phase with a case study in Cuenca. Material Flow Analysis (MFA) methodology was used in this study, to deliver a complete and consistent set of information about all flows and stocks of a particular material over time within a spatially defined system. Based on the balance of inputs and outputs through the principle of conservation of mass. The results showed that during 2019, 86,79 % of virgin raw material was used to make PET bottles and only the remaining 13,21 % was recycled PET material. The study also showed that bottled beverages cover 85 % of the market at the national level, while the remaining 15 % corresponds to the bottling of other products. In the end-of-life cycle phase, it was determined that Homes are the main generators of beverage bottle waste with 69,66 %, while Restaurants and Educational Institutions are responsible for 17,95 % and 12,39 % respectively. In addition, this study identified that base recyclers are responsible for approximately 95 % of the collection of this waste material, both at the national and cantonal levels. Also, the main problems in this study were identified, most notably the lack of data, the secrecy of information, and the lack of processes and record standardization. Finally, proposals for improvement were given to help manage the processes involved with the use and recycling of PET.
Análisis del flujo de materiales y evaluación del impacto ambiental de los residuos de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos. Caso de estudio: teléfonos celulares en el cantón Cuenca
(2019-01-11) Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina; Vidal Vidal, Iván Eduardo; Peñafiel Tenorio, María Eulalia
Discarded cell phones were used in this study in order to perform a first approximation of WEEE situation in canton Cuenca and Ecuador. For this purpose, an analysis of the average composition and the environmental and economic dimensions of a cell phone was carried out. Subsequently, using a normal distribution, the generation of waste was estimated and, through a Material Flow Analysis (MFA), their disposal channels were established. Furthermore, using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) an ideal recycling scenario was determined and, finally, different prediction models, used in Latino American realities, were compared applying them to the Ecuadorian context. From the obtained results, it was determined that an average of 2180470 units of cell phone are discarded every year in Ecuador, of which about 78709 belong to canton Cuenca. Of the total amount of waste, less than 7% are collected through formal channels, 10% are repaired or donated to a third party and around 83% are stored in households. The most important elements in this waste are gold and palladium, due to its economic and environmental value. Furthermore, the ideal scenario for recycling of cell phones results of combining a manual pre-processing in Ecuador with an end-processing for PCBs in industrialized countries. Finally, it was determined that it is appropriate to distribute the generation of waste over the time, considering that the amount of waste generated in a specific year is influenced by the contribution of previous years.
Conjunto de indicadores de economía circular sostenible para la gestión de fin de vida de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos, caso de estudio Ecuador
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2025-06-09) Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando
WEEE management is currently a topic of growing worldwide relevance. WEEE is one of the fastest growing waste streams, with an estimated annual generation of 2 million tons. This waste, classified as hazardous due to the presence of toxic elements, also has a notable potential for circularity and recovery. In Ecuador, WEEE management has increased relevance in recent years. Currently, the country has a specific regulatory framework, with a circular economy approach, which regulates its management and promotes the adoption of recovery strategies. However, significant challenges remain, including the lack of data and indicators to effectively monitor and evaluate the system. This research seeks to respond to this need by establishing a set of sustainable circular economy (SCE) indicators for WEEE management, taking the Ecuadorian context as a reference case. As a first step, a characterization of the WEEE management system in Ecuador is presented, addressing its main aspects, stages and actors involved. Subsequently, through a literature review and the definition of evaluation criteria, relevant circularity indicators are identified and prioritized for the characterized system. Finally, through the application of a pilot in a case study, the main requirements, challenges and benefits offered by the implementation of the proposed set of indicators are explored.
Toward a sustainability balanced scorecard for managing corporate social responsibility: a conceptual model
(Springer, 2021) Cabrera Barbecho, Fanny Narcisa; Sigüenza Guzmán, Lorena Catalina; Guamán Guachichullca, Noé Rodrigo; Sucozhañay Calle, Dolores Catalina; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando; Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina
The Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) allows companies to track organizational operations and measure their impact on company objectives. To monitor the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and ensure its alignment with the company’s strategy, CSR elements need to be integrated into the organization’s dashboards. The main goals of this study are threefold: (1) identify the main CSR elements and the proposal of an analysis scheme for CSR’s strategies; (2) assess local and regional CSR implementations using the previously identified elements, and (3) incorporate the identified CSR metrics into a management dashboard based on the findings of the previous steps. Both a systematic literature review and in-depth analysis of case studies were used in this study. The results show that four elements: principles, dimensions, stakeholders, and means can be applied to analyze CSR strategies consistently. In addition, a structure for a management dashboard that incorporates subcategories and indicators for the assessment of sustainable CSR strategies aligned with the company goals is proposed.
Towards a model for analyzing the circular economy in ecuadorian companies: a conceptual framework
(2022) Sucozhañay Idrovo, Gabriela Carolina; Vidal, Iván; Vanegas Peña, Paúl Fernando; Guamán Guachichullca, Noé Rodrigo
A successful implementation of a CE requires an appropriate comprehension of its conceptual framework and the identification of the elements that composed it. However, there is still no consensus on a unique CE definition, which makes it difficult for companies to adopt circular practices in their business models. In this context, this study proposes a CE framework based on four fundamental elements: principles, drivers, stakeholders and strategies, which was complemented by circular-organization-oriented metrics. Then, local case studies were used to assess the implementation of CE strategies in Ecuadorian companies. Among the identified elements, it was found that there are general action lines that facilitate the understanding of the CE. On the other hand, the majority of elements and metrics are oriented toward the production and end-of-life stages, while extraction, design, use, marketing and distribution are less considered. Furthermore, although environmental, economic and social aspects are considered, the latter are mostly limited to employment generation. Finally, for the local case studies it was observed that the current adoption of circular practices in companies derives from the incorporation of the sustainability approach instead of a structured and systematic implementation of CE strategies.