Life Cycle
Assessment:
A Key to Driving
Sustainability
Outline
 What
is the Life Cycle Approach?
 How are LCAs Used?
 Life Cycle Thinking Exercise
 Case Studies: X
What’s IN a Life Cycle Approach?
Qualitative
Life Cycle Thinking
Quantitative
Life Cycle Assessment
Influenced by:
• Intended application/purpose
• Completeness of the life cycle stages and impacts to be
examined
• Amount of primary data to be collected versus use of
existing data bases
• Number of suppliers and complexity of the product system
• Critical review process
Present System


TAKE – MAKE – WASTE Economy
Cradle to Grave
Analysis of Resources & Risk
 What
is your company heavily
reliant on to provide your
products or services? (fossil fuels,
oil, metals, minerals, etc.)
 Sustainability requires thinking of
the present and future
 Questions:



What resources are we dependent on
for the sustainability of our company?
What will be the cost and availability
of these resources in the future?
What are alternative resources to
ensure we are competitive and can
supply the market in the future?
Life Cycle Approach
The consideration of Life Cycle impacts, without the
application of extensive data collection and
application of the ISO 14040 methodologies.
 Includes






concepts such as:
Product chemical exclusions (“black lists”)
Material selection / ranking tools
Product stewardship / life cycle management
Design for Environment
Environmental supply chain management
Industrial ecology
Life Cycle Approach: Applications
Market / Regulatory Drivers
Product
Stewardship
Technology
Assessment
Mandatory
Reporting
Voluntary
Reporting
Benchmarkin
g
Internal
Use
Cost
savings
Process
Optimization
Sales
Support
GHG
Measuremen
t
Product
Developmen
t
Choice of
suppliers
Regulatory
Affairs
Strategic Drivers
Product
Disclosure
External
Use
Marketing
Product
Branding
Life Cycle Approach Tool Box
 Eco-design
Checklists or “Scorecards”
 Green Procurement Guidelines or Scorecards
 Environmental performance indicators
 Social Sustainability Assessments
 Life Cycle Costing
 Ecological and Carbon Footprints
 Eco and Energy Labelling
 Life Cycle Assessment
 Environmental Product Declarations
What is a Life Cycle Assessment?
How LCA’s are Used

Helps a manufacturer to understand all impacts and
can be used along with economic analysis to make
products more sustainable

Evaluate product design or material changes






For example, recycled content vs. virgin materials
Transportation impact analysis
Analysis of chemicals including impacts of banned/restricted
substances of concern
Evaluate benefits of closed loop (cradle-to-cradle) design
A tool that architects, builders and homeowners use to
evaluate and select sustainable products and materials
for buildings
To satisfy green building standards (LEED, NGBS) and
sustainable purchasing/supply chain requirements
Class Exercise:
Example of Life
Cycle Thinking
Tire Manufacturing
Life Cycle Thinking
 True
sustainability of products and materials requires
a thorough understanding of the impacts in all life
cycle stages.
 It is important to use life cycle thinking as we design
and manufacture products.
Car Tire Life Cycle
Raw
Materials
Extraction
End of Life
Transportati
on/Distributi
on
Use
Manufacturing
What is a Tire Made From?
Rubber?
Fabric?
Steel?
What is a Tire Made From?













Natural rubber
Polyisoprene
Styrene-butadiene rubber
(SBR)
Polybutadiene
Halobutyl rubber
Carbon black
Silica
Sulphur
Zinc oxide
Complex organic
compounds
Antioxidants
Textile fabric
Steel
Material Considerations
 Which

How do you find out?
 What


of these might be hazardous?
alternate chemicals might be used?
Less toxic
Bio-based/Rapidly Renewable
 Are
any of these chemicals produced as
waste or by-product in another facility?
 Is future availability, supply limitations, or
market volatility a concern for any of
these?
 Can these materials be recycled?
Car Tire Life Cycle
End of Life
Raw Materials
Extraction
Transportation/
Distribution
Use
Manufacturing
How is a Tire Made?
Compounding/
Mixing
Extruder
Calendar
Tire Building
Machine
(assembly)
Curing
Finishing
Testing
Manufacturing Considerations
 Can
any process be made more efficient?
 Can waste heat be re-used elsewhere?
 How can the scrap rate be minimized?
 How can defect rates be minimized?
 Curing is one of the most energy-intensive
processes in making a tire. Can other
joining systems or chemicals be used that
require shorter or cooler curing?
 Other considerations?
Car Tire Life Cycle
Raw Materials
Extraction
End of Life
Transportation/
Distribution
Use
Manufacturing
Product Use
 What
stage of a tire’s life involves the most
energy consumption?


Manufacturing (~1036 MJ/tire)
Use (~51,155 MJ/tire)
 Tire
life cycle performance can be affected
more by focusing on reducing use phase
energy!



Reducing rolling resistance
Increasing life span
Reducing air leaks
 Designing
products for sustainability must
consider all cradle-to-grave product phases.
Car Tire Life Cycle
Raw Materials
Extraction
End of Life
Transportation/
Distribution
Use
Manufacturing
Typical End-of-Life
 54%
(~2.5 million tons/yr) are burned (some as fuel
alternative to coal).
 17% are ground up and used in other applications
(asphalt, playgrounds, etc.).
 12% are used as ground fill in civil engineering
projects.
 Remaining: exported, agricultural, punch/stamp,
arc furnace fuel.
End-of-Life Considerations
 How
can a tire be designed for easy
recycling?
 Can a tire be designed for re-treading and
still meet all safety regulations?
 How can a take-back program be
instituted?
 How can distributors and consumers be
incented to return used tires?
Real Tire Examples
 Goodyear/DuPont
initiative to replace isoprene
with bio-isoprene using soybean oil


Increase tread life 10%
Decrease annual petroleum oil usage by 7 million
gallons
 Bridgestone
developing gauyule shrub as
commercially viable source of rubber
 Ford may start using discarded tires for the seals
and gaskets of new vehicles
www.environmentalleader.com/2012/08/15/goodyear-uses-soybean-oil-to-reduce-petroleum-in-tires/
LCA Basics
The LCA Process
Life cycle assessment is conducted as defined by two International Standards
Organization (ISO) standards:
• ISO 14040, which lays out the principles and framework of LCA.
• ISO 14044, which describes requirements and guidelines.
LCA is an iterative process and requires an understanding of all inputs and
outputs throughout the life cycle. It consists of the four phases:
• Goal and Scope Definition. The product is described, the goal of the study and
the system boundaries are defined, and the functional unit is defined.
• Life Cycle Inventory. Data is collected. The manufacturing process is
evaluated and process and material flows diagrams are prepared and
analyzed. This data is integrated into the LCA software for conducting the
assessment.
• Life Cycle Impact Assessment. The significance of potential impacts is
evaluated using the data collected in the LCA analysis.
• Interpretation. The results of the study are reviewed and interpreted.
Steps for Conducting an LCA
(ISO 14040)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Goal and Scope of the Life Cycle Assessment
Modeling the Product System
Identification of Data Types and Boundaries
Data Collection
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)
Interpretation
Report
Critical Review (can be optional)
Goal and Scope vs. Level of Effort
Application
Audience
Corporate Strategy/
Internal Communication
Internal
Product Design/
Modification
Facility Siting/
Operations
Public Information/
External
Communication
External Policy-making/
Governmental
I
n
c
r
e
a
s
i
n
g
External
Scope
I
n
c
r
e
a
s
i
n
g
Quantification
I
n
c
r
e
a
s
i
n
g
Goal & Scope: The Functional Unit
≠
Example Functional Units for LCA Product Comparisons
Functional Unit
Product 1
Defined by
function, NOT
by mass
(which could
be different!)
Product 2
• One washload of
clean clothes
• Traditional laundry
detergent
• Concentrated
laundry detergent
• Packaging for 1 kg of
detergent
• Paperboard
packaging (box)
• Flexible polypropylene
packaging (Doypack)
• One “cleaned toilet”
• Traditional formula
and Nylon brush
• Removable head
brush w/ formula
impregnated
Functional Unit Example

Some marketing pieces will try to use the wrong units for
comparison or will not explain which units they are using
Comparison by weight, not functional unit
HH noncancer
0.1400
HH cancer
0.1200
Water intake
Smog
0.1000
Ozone depletion
Indoor air quality
0.0800
Habitat alteration
0.0600
Global warming
0.0400
Fossil Fuel depletion
0.0200
Ecotoxicity
0.0000
Eutrophication
Criteria air pollutants
Brick and Mortar
(1kg)
Source: BEES 4.0e
Vinyl Siding
(1kg)
Acidification
Brick siding weighs
almost 35 lbs per
square foot of wall
coverage, while vinyl
siding only weighs
half a pound per
square foot
Functional Units
 Comparisons of LCA results should always be made using
functional units
 Functional units are based on how the product is used
 For siding, the functional unit is area of wall covered
HH noncancer
HH cancer
0.3000
Water intake
0.2500
Smog
Ozone depletion
0.2000
Indoor air quality
Habitat alteration
0.1500
Global warming
0.1000
Fossil Fuel depletion
Eutrophication
0.0500
0.0000
Source: BEES 4.0e
Ecotoxicity
Brick and Mortar
(1 sq ft)
Vinyl Siding
(1 sqft)
Criteria air pollutants
Acidification
Goal & Scope: System Boundaries
 Cradle-to-Grave
 Cradle-to-Gate
• Gate-to-Gate
• Gate-to-Grave
Goal & Scope: Data Boundaries

Primary Data is collected wherever possible in the study




Recorded data
(usually a one-year average of actual production values)
Engineering data
(calculated data from equipment specifications)
Estimated data
(developed using process expectations)
Background data is used to represent “very hard to
get” data, usually on upstream raw material extraction
and primary processing


Available through a number of publicly available
databases
Often a “proxy” is used if there is a data gap
Geographic challenges
 Process technology challenges

Life Cycle Inventory
Electricity
Fuel
Energy
Employees and
Customers
Materials and
Resources
Combustion
Products
CO2
CO NOX
Jobs and Taxes
Money
Chemicals
Noise
Money
Satisfied Customers
Water
Stormwater Runoff
Products
Precipitation
Wastewater
Motor Vehicles
Food and Beverages
Products and
Packaging
Supplies, Chemicals and
Equipment
Recyclable Materials
Community Connections
Emissions
Light Pollution
Trash and Landfill
Waste
Case Studies
Case Study: Clif Bar
Problem Statement:
What is the most environmentally friendly packaging
for our product?
Solution
 LCA of material options
 Qualitative scoring of industry, existing/likely
suppliers, and potential for improved sustainability
performance
 Consideration of


Customer concerns
Corporate values
Case Study: Kimberly-Clark
Problem Statement:
How do we identify key Life Cycle issues related to our
product over time?
Solution
 Development of flexible LCA models that can be
updated annually with production data
Case Study: Colorep AirDye®
Problem Statement:
How do we demonstrate
our new technology is
environmentally preferable
to investors?
Solution
 Developing third-party
verified, comparative
quantitative process
information
 Using the information
publicly to demonstrate
commitment to
consumers
Case Study: Rio Tinto Kennecott
Problem Statement:
How do we engage customers
with a “green” differentiator for a
commodity product?
Solution
 Leading the metals and mining
industry by developing product
information & declarations



Cradle-to-gate studies of products
(copper, molybdenum, gold and
silver) and byproducts (sulfuric acid)
Using high-level profiles publicly
to demonstrate commitment
Providing additional, detailed
LCA inventory information to
customers via Non-Disclosure
Agreement
Case Study: NAIMA
Problem Statement:
How do we ensure correct data is being used to
represent fiberglass and rockwool products?
Solution
 Industry-wide study of common fiberglass and
rockwool insulation products


Multiple suppliers
Automotive sector
 Submit

data for use in common databases
Engage LCA industry
Environmental Claims and Declarations (ISO)
Type I
Type II
Type III
Environmental Labels
Environmental Claims
Environmental
Declarations
Selected criteria as
hurdles, demonstrating
environmental
excellence
Individual issues,
describing specific
environmental
characteristics
Life Cycle Thinking
•
•
Mandatory
Certification
Issued by a private or
public, accredited
institution
Like: GreenSeal, EPA
Design For Environment
Life Cycle Performance
data, aiming for
continuous improvement
Life Cycle Thinking
•
•
Certification possible
Issued by the
manufacturer
Like: water consumption
of a washing machine, or
energy use of a
computer.
Life Cycle Assessment
•
•
Mandatory 3rd party
validation certification
Issued by a private,
accredited institution
Like: UL Environmental
Product Declaration
What is an Environmental Product
Declaration?




An Environmental Product Declaration
(EPD) presents quantified
environmental data for products or
systems based on information from a
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Promote transparency to the public
Similar to a “food label” for building
products
EPDs are developed based on the
requirements of International
Standard Organization (ISO) 14025
Value of an EPD
 Environmental
Product Declarations
(EPDs) can contribute to earning
points in LEED v4 (future requirement
in Green Building Codes)
 Satisfy requirements of companies
and organizations with Sustainable
Supply Chain requirements (CB
Richard Ellis and GSA)
 Reflects continuous environmental
improvement of products
 Verified environmental attributes
Summary
Key Learnings
 Always
understand your goal!
 LCA requires expertise and experience in the
business context of the organization
 Data required for LCA cuts across the organization
 Learning curve associated with LCA – partner!
 Companies typically outsource LCA studies to
understand tool and value, then move to build
internal capacity
Selecting an LCA Consultant
 Demonstrable


Publicly available “example reports”
Client references
 Database


of background material
Does it include all materials in your system?
How will they handle material not in a database?
 Conformance


experience
to a standard (ISO 14040)
Are they knowledgeable about use if the standard?
Can they demonstrate and understanding of how to
bridge the ISO requirements related to how you
want to USE the results? (outcomes vs. deliverables)
Questions?
 Jeff
Yorzyk, PE, CEM, MBA
Cardno
[email protected]
 Tad
Radzinski, PE, LEED AP, SFP
Sustainable Solutions Corporation
[email protected]