Comments on task 2 LCA Life cycle assessment

Comments on task 2

LCA – Life cycle assessment and open. LCA-software 10. 2019 D. Sc. (Tech. ) Tommi Kauppinen

Downloading materials database and LCIA database • Please take your laptop and go to nexus. openlca. org and log in with your username and password • Start downloading the following databases • ”NEEDS complete” (open. LCA ver. 1. 8) materials database • ”Open LCA LCIA methods v. 2. 0. 4” LCIA database • The mentioned databases can be found from the free downloads • Let me know if you have problems starting the download

Contents • What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)? • Four phases of LCA • • Goal and Scope Definition Inventory Analysis Impact Assessment Interpretation • We go through all the four phases using open. LCA-software using the example of plastic bottle production and logistics

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) technique to assess environmental impacts associated with a product's life: • raw material extraction and materials processing • manufacture, distribution, • use, repair and maintenance • disposal or recycling Image: Simon B. , Mourad Ben Amor, M. B. , Földényi, R. (2016). Life cycle impact assessment of beverage packaging systems: focus on the collection of post-consumer bottles. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 112, Part 1, pp. 238 -248.

Why to use LCA? To improve knowledge on the environmental impacts of a product • Inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases; • Evaluating the potential impacts associated with inputs and releases • Using the results for decision making https: //www 2. mst. dk/udgiv/publications/2018/02/978 -87 -93614 -73 -4. pdf https: //www. pre-sustainability. com/comparative-lca-study-of-traditional-leather-and-flyleather/ https: //medium. com/@tabitha. whiting/what-milk-shouldyou-buy-to-reduce-your-environmental-impacte 0489153 e 3 b 8

LCA is an iterative process Image: Simon B. , Mourad Ben Amor, M. B. , Földényi, R. (2016). Life cycle impact assessment of beverage packaging systems: focus on the collection of post-consumer bottles. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 112, Part 1, pp. 238 -248. Image: Wikipedia, Life Cycle Assessment

First phase, Goal and Scope Image: Wikipedia, Life Cycle Assessment

Goal and scope, and terminology associated • Sets the context of the study and explains how and to whom the results are to be communicated • The functional unit: defines and quantifies the service delivered by the product and provides a reference to which the inputs and outputs are related • The system boundaries: define which processes are included in the analysis • Any assumptions and limitations; • The impact categories chosen, for example human toxicity, smog, global warming, eutrophication. Image: Simon B. , Mourad Ben Amor, M. B. , Földényi, R. (2016). Life cycle impact assessment of beverage packaging systems: focus on the collection of post-consumer bottles. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 112, Part 1, pp. 238 -248.

Example of system boundaries, one end product System boundary Image: Simon B. , Mourad Ben Amor, M. B. , Földényi, R. (2016). Life cycle impact assessment of beverage packaging systems: focus on the collection of post-consumer bottles. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 112, Part 1, pp. 238 -248.

Discussion on the goal and scope of the plastic bottle LCA • Discussion on the goal and scope definition for the plastic bottle production and logistics • We will also demo how to connect open. LCA with the downloaded materials and LCIA databases

Second stage, Inventory analysis Image: Wikipedia, Life Cycle Assessment

Demo and group work • The shown demo will cover the inventory analysis for the plastic bottle production and logistics • After the demo, you can try doing the same steps on your own with open. LCA-software • See also: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=r 2 Xdh 5 LT 934 for a demo on the same topic

Third stage, Life cycle impact assessment Image: Wikipedia, Life Cycle Assessment

Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) • evaluates the significance of environmental impacts • selection of impact categories; e. g. greenhouse gases • the classification stage, where the inventory parameters are sorted and assigned to specific impact categories; and? • impact measurement, where the categorized LCI flows are characterized, using one of many possible LCIA methodologies, into common equivalence units that are then summed to provide an overall impact category total.

Demo and group work • The shown demo will cover one or few possible life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) for the plastic bottle production and logistics • After the demo, you can try doing the same steps on your own with open. LCA-software

Fourth stage (done continuously), Interpretation Image: Wikipedia, Life Cycle Assessment

Interpretation • systematic technique to identify, quantify, check, and evaluate information from the results • The results from the inventory analysis and impact assessment are summarized during the interpretation phase.

Why is interpretation important? • A key purpose of performing life cycle interpretation is to determine the level of confidence in the final results and communicate them in a fair, complete, and accurate manner. • Interpreting the results of an LCA is not as simple as "3 is better than 2, therefore Alternative A is the best choice"! • Interpreting the results of an LCA starts with understanding the accuracy of the results, and ensuring they meet the goal of the study.

Discussion on the interpretation of the results • We will discuss the interpretation of the results regarding production and logistics of the plastic bottle

Questions? • We will have guiding sessions if you run into problems or questions during your own LCA work • The timetable is provided at the front, please reserve atime slot for your own group from the indicated options (1 h each, 21. -23. 10. 2019) • Even if you know what you are doing, reserve a slot and show us your work so far • Both Tommi and Elina will be present in these sessions • However, if you have any questions straight away, there is now some time for those • There is also a specific task for you for the next session, this can be found from the my. Courses-page

What’s next? Questions?

References • Wikipedia, ”Life Cycle Assessment”. • Simon B. , Mourad Ben Amor, M. B. , Földényi, R. (2016). Life cycle impact assessment of beverage packaging systems: focus on the collection of post-consumer bottles. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 112, Part 1, pp. 238 -248. • Karvinen, H. , 2015. Life Cycle Assessment and Technical Performance of Recycled and Bio-based Plastics. Master’s thesis, Aalto University, School of Engineering, Department of Engineering Design and Production. (online resource)