Life Cycle Assessment - An

Introduction
Dr. Sandy Smith
Sustain
www.sustain.co.uk
Sustain Ltd
Sustainability Consultancy
Started 1997
Three offices in the South West
Specialism in LCA
Scope of Presentation
Provide an overview of LCA
What is LCA?
Overview of History and Method
Overview of Applications
Case Study
Overview of Software
Opportunities
Definition
LCA is a tool that can be used to evaluate
the environmental effects of a product,
process, or activity, identifying the
environmentally optimal solution from
the viewpoint of the whole system,
irrespective of what is environmentally
optimal for an individual process.
What Is LCA?
From Cradle To Grave / Cradle To Gate
Objective?
Sate-of-the-art
Decision supporting tool not a decision
making tool
Stages
Raw material
acquis it ion
Product
Manufact ure
Cons truction and
fitting out
Demolition
Procurement
Operation and
use
History of LCA
Developed from energy analysis early 1960s.
Environmental criteria added during 70s and 80s due to continued
Green movement.
A rose by any other name.
Life Cycle Analysis
Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis
Product Life Cycle Assessment
Eco-balancing
Cradle-to-Grave assessments
*Life Cycle Thinking a qualitative approach
*Life Cycle Management the management of products to reduce whole life
impacts
*Whole Life Assessment LCA and LCC
It is not Ecological footprinting or Whole Life Costing
LCA Objectives
1) To provide as complete a picture as
possible of the interactions of an activity with
the environment.
2) To contribute to the understanding of the
overall and interdependent nature of the
environmental consequences of human
activities.
3) To provide decision-makers with the
information which defines the environmental
effects of these activities and identifies
opportunities for environmental improvement.
LCA applications
Internal
Identifying hotspots for products/processes
Product comparison in the development stage
Product/process design (short term operational)
Product/process design (long term strategic)
Educational
External
Marketing final product comparison
Lobbying
Information and education
Eco-labelling
LCA Standardisation
SETCA developed first standard Code of
Practice - 1993
1995 work started on International Standards
four different ISO documents, ISO 14040
ISO 14043
Revised in 2006 ISO 14040, ISO 14044 (47,
48 and 49)
LCA Stages
As defined by ISO 14040 (2006)
Goal and
Scope
definition
Inventory
Analysis
Impact
Assessment
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Life cycle assessment
framework
LCA Stages Goal and
Scope definition
Goal application (attributive,
comparative), audience, reasons for
study
Scope FU, system boundary, impact
assessment method(s), data
requirements, assumptions etc
LCA Stages Goal and
Scope definition
Functional Unit example:
the production of a hot cup of coffee
the production of 1000 hot cups of coffee
Time
Another example LCA of a boiler or LCA of a heating
system to provide hot water and domestic heating to set
standards
System boundary issues
Cradle-to-Gate, operation exclusions, production exclusions
Data requirements
Cut off rules 5%
Exclude capital equipment
DQI
Inventory stage
Data collection for each unit
Energy, raw materials, ancillary inputs
Product, co-products and waste
Emissions to air, water and soil
LCA are data intensive!!
Allocation procedures -eg if a process
produces a product and a co-product
Economic
Mass
Environmental
Impact Assessment
Compulsory elements (ISO 14040)
Classification
Characterization
CO
2
CH
4
Impact Assessment
Optional elements (ISO 14040)
Normalization
Grouping (Human Health, EcoSystem
Quality etc)
Weighting (distance to target, panel
procedure)
Impact Assessment
A number of different impact assessment
methods key ones:
Eco-Indicator 95
Eco-Indicator 99 (H, I, E)
Impact Assessment
Eco-Indicator 95
Problem oriented approach
Potential impacts
Linear damage function
Impact data skewed to air emissions
11 impact categories (problems) GWP,
ODP, Acidification, Eutrophication, Heavy
Metals, Carcinogens, Summer and Winter
Smog, Pesticides, Energy and Solids.
Impact Assessment
Eco-Indicator 99
Move to damage oriented approach
Greater emphasis to model actual impacts
Cultural Theory to manage subjectivity
Viewed as state of the art complexity has
lead to some data gaps
Grouping Human Health, Ecosystem
Quality and Resources
Impact Assessment
Cultural Theory
Individualist risk seeking class 1
carcinogens (Proven damage)
Egalitarians risk averse all classes may
cause cancer so include them all.
Hierarchists risk accepting use class 1
and 2 striking a balance.
Impact Assessment
Eco-Indicator 99
HH Carcinogens, HH Respiratory Organic,
HH Respiratory Inorganic, HH Climate
Change, HH Radiation, HH Ozone layer
EQ Ecotoxicity, EQ
Acidification/Eutrophicaiton, EQ Land-use
R Minerals and R Fossil Fuels
Impact Assessment
Characterisation
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
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greenh. ozone acidif . eutroph. h.metals carcin. w.smog s.smog pesticid energy solid
Construction Operation Maintenance
Impact Assessment
Characterisation EI95
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
k
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greenh. ozone acidif. eutroph. h.metals carcin. w.smog s.smog pesticid energy solid
Diesel Portland cement Sand CBM aggregate
Granular limestone 6C rock blanket Class 2 borrow material Class 3 chalk
Exisitng topsoil Gritstone Imported topsoil Asphalt
Hot rolled asphalt SMA wearing course Land take Plastic
Oil Construction operations Temp. site Batch plant
Construction waste
Impact Assessment EI99
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
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HH
Carcinogen.
HH Resp.
org.
HH Resp.
inorg.
HH Clim.
change
HH
Radiation
HH
Ozone
layer
EQ
Ecotox.
EQ
Acid/Eutroph
EQ Land-
use
R
Minerals
R Fossil
f uels
Diesel Portland cement Sand CBM aggregate
Granular limestone 6c rock blanket Class 2 borrow material Class 3 chalk
Existing topsoil Gritsone Imported topsoil Asphalt
Hot rolled asphalt SMA wearing course Land take Plastic
Oil Construction processes Temp. site Batch plant
Construction waste
LCA Comparison for Wastewater
Treatment Works EI95
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
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AS PFR PFV
LCA Comparison for Wastewater
Treatment Work EI99
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50
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150
200
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Interpretation
Here the findings of either the inventory
assessment or the impact assessment
are evaluated in relation to the goal and
scope in order to reach conclusions and
recommendations
Interpretation
Hot spot identification
Data quality assessments
Sensitivity Analysis
Scenario Analysis
Limitations & reflections on study
The concept of the Toolbox
Toolbox
When to use LCA
To compare environmental impacts of different products with
the same function
To compare the environmental impact of a product with
reference to a standard
To identify the most environmentally most dominant stage in
a product life cycle and hence indicate the main routes for
environmental improvements of existing improvements
To help in the design of new products or services
To strategically indicate the direction of development
Input into marketing e.g Environmental Product
Declarations
Can be used to provide relevant company environmental
indicators for an organisation
Toolbox
When not to use LCA
Not to use for risk related questions. Instead use
environmental risk assessments.
Not to use for specific environmental questions
regarding locations. Instead use Environmental
Impact Assessment.
Not to use to assess economic information.
Instead use Whole Life Costing.
Do not use for local site specific impacts. Instead
use risk assessments in conjunction with an EMS.
Limitations and criticisms of
LCA
Not a triple bottom line approach
Time
Snap Shot
LCA have led to contradictions in assessment of the BPEO
Nappies!
Subjective aspects
Not good with local site specific issues
Relatively costly
Complexity leads to problems with communication
Lack of experienced LCA practitioners in the UK
LCA software allows easy access
Data quality inventory and impact assessment
Significant load for the supply chain (often not too happy to accurately
complete data without a big stick)
Advantages
Holistic view
Prevents burden shift
It deals with complexity rather than ignoring it
Very good at assessing global and regional
environmental impacts
Brings objectivity to impact assessments
Manages subjectivity
Identifying and monitoring improvements
Still developing
LCA software
SimaPro 7.0.2
GaBi 4
Team (Ecobilan)