Developed from chemical engineering principles and energy analysis, the life cycle assessment is an internationally standardized method that is able to account for upstream and downstream inputs and emissions related to the life cycle of a product or a service. It is generally considered the best environmental management tool that can be used to obtain an objective quantification of all the environmental impacts related with different solid waste management scenarios. In this study, it is used to assess the environmental performance of alternative solid waste management options that could be used in an area of the South of Italy suffering from a situation of weighty solid waste emergency. The extreme delicacy of the decision-making process to which the results have to contribute suggested increasing the reliability of the assessment conclusions by using a high quality of data and a deepened analysis of technical processes. An analytical comparison between three selected scenarios is reported with reference to some crucial environmental impact categories. The results quantify the relative advantages and disadvantages of different management schemes and suggest some possible improvements in design and operating criteria. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.