Monetary evaluation in LCA of WM: Everything engineers always wanted to know about it (but were afraid to ask).

• Strengths and weaknesses of monetary valuation are discussed with reference to LCA. • Conceptual foundations of monetary valuation are investigated. • Usefulness of monetisation integrating LCA with financial and social dimensions. • Ecological economics provide a bridging approach for integrated assessment. • The optimal rate of recycling is used as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]