Life Cycle Assessment: Principles and Practice

Four Components of the LCA process

1) goal definition and scoping, 2) inventory analysis, 3) impact assessment, 4) interpretation

Impact Assessment

3rd step in creating an LCA. assess potential human and ecological effects of energy, water, and material usage along with the environmental releases identified in the previous step (inventory analysis)

Who created the first LCA?

Harold Smith reported his calculations of cumulative energy requirements for the production of chemical intermediates and products at the World Energy Conference in 1963

When and why were LCA methods standardized?

In 1991 fear of false marketing claims through the use of LCAs pushed 11 State Attorney Generals to ban their usage until a method that focused entirely on environmental impacts and could not be used deceptively was developed and standardized. This was accomplished by the ISO (International Standards Organization) due to high pressure from environmental organizations between 1997 and 2002.

What is the Life Cycle Initiative?

Introduced in 2002 by the collaboration of UNEP and SETAC, their purpose is to provide better data and indicators necessary for a successful LCA. It contains 3 programs: LCM, LCI, and LCIA

What company laid the foundation for the process in which current LCAs (back then titled REPA) are completed today?

The Coca-Cola Company in 1969 performed an analysis that compared the production of different beverage containers to discover which option produced the lowest amount of environmental releases. This was called a "REPA".

What is the LCIA?

The Life Cycle Impact Assessment program promotes the exchange of views among experts whose work results in a set of widely accepted recommendations.

What is the LCI?

The Life Cycle Inventory program provides clear, quality data by organizing expert groups whose work results in web-based information systems.

What is the LCM?

The Life Cycle Management program creates awareness, improves skills of decision-makers by producing information materials, establishing forums, and providing training programs.

What is REPA?

a Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis. it quantifies the resource use and environmental releases of products in the U.S. in Europe it became known as Ecobalance. To perform these required a lot of assumptions that were intently analyzed by the EPA

Examples of Environmental Releases Identified in Inventory Analysis

air emissions, solid waste disposal, waste water discharges

Interpretation

fourth and final factor in composing an LCA. compare inventory analysis and impact assessment to select the preferred product/process with a clear understanding of the uncertainty and the assumptions used to generate results

Why did REPAs spike in the 1970s?

oil crisis, but the use of REPAs began to wane in the late '70s due to this influence dying off

After the oil crisis scare died down, why were LCAs still prevalent?

solid waste became a worldwide issue in 1988, which pushed the need beyond simply an inventory assessment to needing an impact assessment as well, paving the way for current LCA methodology.

Goal Definition and Scoping

the first component to creating an effective and successful LCA. describe the product/process, define the situation, identify the boundaries and environmental impacts

Inventory Analysis

the second part of creating an LCA. identify and quantify the energy, water, and materials needed as well as the environmental releases

An LCA Allows Analysts to... (7 Items)

this is in no specific order. 1) evaluate systematically the environmental consequences caused by the production of a product 2) analyze the environmental trade-offs between two products to gain stakeholder (state, community, etc.) approval for a planned action 3) quantify environmental releases (air, water, land) in relation to each life cycle 4) identify significant shifts in environmental impacts between life cycle stages and environmental media 5) assess human and ecological effects of material consumption and environmental releases to the local community, region, and world 6) compare health and ecological impacts between two or more rival products, or identify those of a single specific product 7) identify impacts to one or more specific environmental areas of concern