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LCA

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique used to assess environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling. The main phases of LCA include: goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. LCA can help identify opportunities to reduce a product or service's environmental impacts and is used by organizations to minimize their operations' effects on the environment and comply with regulations.

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129 views20 pages

LCA

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique used to assess environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling. The main phases of LCA include: goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. LCA can help identify opportunities to reduce a product or service's environmental impacts and is used by organizations to minimize their operations' effects on the environment and comply with regulations.

Uploaded by

Juan Miguel de Jesus
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Life Cycle Analysis and Assessment

Malcolm C. Mediana BSECE III

Models the complex interaction between a product and the environment from cradle to grave Also known as life cycle analysis or ecobalance

What is LCA?

Main Phases of LCA

The product or service to be assessed is defined, a functional basis for comparison is chosen and the required level of detail is defined

Goal and Scope Definiton

The goal and scope definition is a guide that ensures the LCA is performed consistently. Most important choices of the study are described in detail particularly with regards to the following issues:
System Boundaries Multiple Output Processes/Allocation Avoided impacts

An inventory list of all the inputs and outputs of a service.

Inventory Analysis

Includes information on all of the environmental inputs and outputs associated with a product or service. In practice, it is subject to a number of practical issues
Geographical variations Data quality Choice of technology

The effects of the resource use and emissions generated are grouped and quantified into a limited number of impact categories which may then be weighted for importance

Impact Assessment

An LCIA consists of 4 steps:


Classification: all substances are sorted in classes according to the effect they have on the environment. Characterization: all the substances are multiplied by a factor which reflects their relative contribution to the environmental impact. Normalization: the quantified impact is compared to a certain reference value. * Weighting: different value choices are given to impact categories to generate a single score.

A impact category indicator result can be chosen either at the midpoint or endpoint level.
Midpoint: translates impacts into environmental themes. Endpoint: translates environmental impacts into issues of concern. Endpoint results have a higher level of uncertainty compared to midpoint results but are easier to understand by decision makers.

The results are reported in the most informative way as possible and the need and opportunities to reduce the impact of the product or service on the environment are evaluated

Interpretation

Interpretation according to ISO 14044 describes a number of checks need to make to ensure the conclusions are adequately supported by the data and procedures used in the study. The following checks are recommended:
Uncertainty Sensitivity Analysis Contribution Analysis

Environmental standards exist to help organizations:


Minimize how their operations negatively affect the environment Comply with applicable laws, regualtions, and other environmentally oriented requirements Continually improve in the above

ISO 14000

Unit process data is derived from direct surveys of companies or plants producing the product of interest, carried out at a unit process level defined by the system boundaries for the study. Environmental input-output data based on national economic input-output data

LCA Data

Dedicated software packages intended for practitioners Tools with the LCA in the background intended for people who want LCA-based results without have to actually develop the LCA data and impact measures.

Basic Types of LCA

Diagram of LCA

Why perform LCA?

Identify areas where improvements can be made To provide environmental data for the public Identify those products which are most harmful Identify those stages in production processes which cause pollution

Based on a survey of LCA practitioners carried out in 2006 LCA is mostly used to support business strategy (18%) and R&D (18%), as input to product or process design (15%), in education (13%) and for labeling or product declarations (11%).

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