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Environmental Life Cycle AssessmentEnvironmental Life Cycle Assessment – Principles, challenges and application
Shaping and Transformation in the Engineering of Polysaccharides (STEP)Polysaccharides (STEP)
Ecole des Mines de Paris / Cemef,Sophia Antipolis, France, 28 September 2010
Dr. Martin Patel
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Copernicus InstituteDepartment of Science, Technology & SocietyUtrecht University, [email protected]
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Outline
1. What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?2. Why LCA?3 What is the difference between LCA and3. What is the difference between LCA and
Green Chemistry principles?4. How to prepare an LCA?5. What are critical issues in LCA?
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1.) What is Life Cycle Assessment?• Assessment of Environmental impacts• of Products/Processes or Services• throughout the Life Cycle: resource extraction,
manufacturing, product use, waste managementg, p , g
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1.) What is Life Cycle Assessment?• Assessment of Environmental impacts• of Products/Processes or Services• throughout the Life Cycle: resource extraction,
manufacturing, product use, waste managementg, p , g
Typical types of use:Compare new product with conventional productCompare design alternatives
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Compare design alternatives
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2.) Why LCA?
Objectives
• Understand: Overview of environmental impacts by process stepimpacts by process step
• Reduce: Identify possibilities for reducing environmental impacts (industrial process, R&D)
• Communicate: Towards clients and
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Communicate: Towards clients and stakeholders
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EU-27 production of bulk materials in 2004 (920 Mt in total)
Aluminum
1%Plastics
6% Bricks & Tiles21%
Wood10%
Paper & board11%
CementGlass
4%
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Cement25%
Crude steel22%
4%
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Non-renewable energy
Energy for producing bulk materials
Non renewable energy use (NREU),
cradle-to-factory gate, GJ/t
Cement 3 - 6Steel
*) Examples: HDPE: 77 LDPE: 78 LLDPE: 73 PP: 73
PET: 81
Steel - Primary 20 - 25 - Secondary 7 - 8.5 Paper/board 10 - 20 Plastics*) <70 - >85 Glass 6 - 8Al i i
9Sources: various; for plastics: PlasticsEurope, see http://lca.plasticseurope.org/main2.htm
PET: 81 PS: 86 PVC: 56 PA: 120 - 140
Aluminium - Primary 180 - Secondary 25
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OECD, Total
Energy use by the industrial sector
400
500
600
700
equi
vale
nts
(Mto
e)
Fossil fuels - Processenergy and Feedstocks
Primary energyequivalents*)s
0
100
200
300
Chem & Iron & steel Paper pulp Non metallic Non ferrous All othersMill
ion
tonn
es o
f oil
Feed
stoc
kP
roce
ssen
ergy
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Chem. &pchem.
Iron & steel Paper, pulp,printing
Non-metallicminerals
Non-ferrousmetals
All others
*) Including primary energy equivalents of electricity; assumed efficiency of power generation: 35%Source: Energy Balances of OECD Countries 2006, IEA/OECD, Paris, 2008
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“Bioplastics are becoming a burden for the environment”
“Bioplastik wird zur Belastung für die Umwelt”
• “So far, we are skeptical or even negative towards bioplastics.”
Kireev, M. in “Welt am Sonntag”, 12. Oktober 2008 http://www.welt.de/wams_print/article2564545/Bioplastik-wird-zur-Belastung-fuer-die-Umwelt.html
Wolfgang Beier, German Federal Ministry of the Environment (Umweltbundesamt):
• “Nobody has so far presented an LCA which complies with all requirements and standards.”
• “Claims according to which bioplastics offer CO2 savings are biased.”
• Other aspects mentioned:
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- Land requirements- Experience made with PHB, by BASF, Siemens and partners- CO2 savings only possible if green power is used- Waste management
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3.) What is the difference between LCA and Green Chemistry principles?
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Green Chemistry principles
Prevent WastesPrevent WastesRenewable materialsOmit derivatization stepsDegradable chemical productsUse safe synthetic methodsCatalytic reagentsCatalytic reagentsTemperature, pressure ambientIn-process monitoringVery few auxiliary substancesE-factor [and atom economy]Low toxicity of chemical products
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Low toxicity of chemical productsYes, it is safe.Anastas, P.T. and Warner, J.C.: Green Chemistry – Theory and Practice, 2000
Poliakoff, M. and Licence, P.: Green Chemistry. Nature, 2007
Sheldon et al., 2007
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Green Chemistry principlesPrevent WastesRenewable materialsOmit derivatization stepsDegradable chemical productsUse safe synthetic methodsCatalytic reagentsTemperature, pressure ambientIn-process monitoringVery few auxiliary substancesE-factor [and atom economy]Low toxicity of chemical productsYes, it is safe.
Limited data Extensive data
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availability availability
Early R&D stage Commercial plant
Sugiyama, Ph.D. thesis, ETHZ (2007) Anastas (2000)
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Green Chemistry principlesPrevent WastesRenewable materialsOmit derivatization stepsDegradable chemical productsUse safe synthetic methodsCatalytic reagentsTemperature, pressure ambientIn-process monitoringVery few auxiliary substancesE-factor [and atom economy]Low toxicity of chemical productsYes, it is safe.
Limited data Extensive data
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availability availability
Early R&D stage Commercial plant
Sugiyama, Ph.D. thesis, ETHZ (2007) Anastas (2000)
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Green Chemistry principlesPrevent WastesRenewable materialsOmit derivatization steps
LCAEnvironmental Life Cycle Assessment
• Provides quantitative Degradable chemical productsUse safe synthetic methodsCatalytic reagentsTemperature, pressure ambientIn-process monitoringVery few auxiliary substancesE-factor [and atom economy]Low toxicity of chemical productsYes, it is safe.
qenvironmental indicators
• Based on flowsheet and considers all stages of process chain
Limited data Extensive data
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availability availability
Early R&D stage Commercial plant
Sugiyama, Ph.D. thesis, ETHZ (2007) Anastas (2000)
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Green Chemistry principlesPrevent WastesRenewable materialsOmit derivatization steps
LCAEnvironmental Life Cycle Assessment
• Provides quantitative Degradable chemical productsUse safe synthetic methodsCatalytic reagentsTemperature, pressure ambientIn-process monitoringVery few auxiliary substancesE-factor [and atom economy]Low toxicity of chemical productsYes, it is safe.
qenvironmental indicators
• Based on flowsheet and considers all stages of process chain
Limited data Extensive data
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availability availability
Early R&D stage Commercial plant
Sugiyama, Ph.D. thesis, ETHZ (2007) Anastas (2000) ISO standards
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Emiss.
System boundaries
Naturalresources Emiss.
ProductPost-consumer
t
ProcessingMining/ Extraction
Use WasteM'mt
waste
Land Emiss.
Emiss.Process waste
Agriculture,Forestry Landfill
Sewage Treatment
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Cradle-to-Factory Gate
Cradle-to-Grave
Treatment
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Green Chemistry principles LCAEnvironmental Life Cycle Assessment
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Henrikke Baumann, Anne-Marie Tillman, The Hitch Hikers Guide to LCA. Studentlitteratur, Lund, 2004, 543 pages
Paul T. Anastas, John C. Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, 2000, 135 pages
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4.) How to prepare an LCA?
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Steps of an LCA (1/2)* Functional unit* System boundaries
Goal & scopedefinition
Life cycle assessment framework
Direct applications
Product development& innovationStrategic planning
New: * ISO 14040 (Principles & Framework)
Inventoryanalysis
Impact
Interpretationg p g
Public policy makingOther
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( p )* ISO 14044 (Requirements & Guidelines)
Old:ISO 14040, 14041, 14042 and 14043
Impact assessment
“Inventory table”
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How to conduct an inventory analysis and an impact assessment?
1. Make a flowsheet
2. Determine the mass flows of all compounds (massbalance)
3. For commodity products (e.g., PE): Extract fromdatabases impact per tonne product, e.g. CO2/t.
4. For unknown/new products or process steps (e.g.,nanoparticle production): Investigate data.
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5. Multiply each mass flow (from 2) with impact per tonneproduct (from 4 and 5)
Inventory table
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Steps of an LCA (2/2)
Goal & scopedefinition
Life cycle assessment framework
Direct applications
Product development& innovationStrategic planning
Inventoryanalysis
Impact
Interpretationg p g
Public policy makingOther
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Impact assessment
Envir./health impact
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From Environmental intervention toEnvironmental/health impact
CO2
NOx
SO2
(Enhanced) greenhouse gas effect
Summer smog
Acidification
Emissions Impact category
ParticulateMatter (PM)
CO
NMVOC
Acidification
Human toxicity
Ecotoxicity
Eutrophication
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CH4
N2OStratospheric ozone depletion
Winter smog
Source: E. Nieuwlaar, Lecture “Analyse Energie en Materiaal-ketens”, course “Chemie en Duurzame Ontwikkeling (CDO)”, Utrecht University
Characterization factors
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Characterization factors for climate change
Compounds contributing to ClimateChange (100 year time period):
CO CO / CO– CO2 : 1.0 kg CO2 equivalents/kg CO2
– N2O : 296 kg CO2 equivalents/kg N2O– CH4 : 25 kg CO2 equivalents/kg CH4
– etc
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etc.
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1. Climate change (CC)2. Ozone depletion (OD)
Environmental Impact Categories (ReCiPe method)Damage to1. Human health (HH)ev
el2. Ozone depletion (OD)3. Terrestrial acidification (TA)4. Freshwater eutrophication (FE)5. Marine eutrophication (ME)6. Human toxicity (HT)7. Photochemical oxidant formation (POF)8 Particulate matter formation (PMF)po
int l
evel
1. Human health (HH)2. Ecosystem diversity (ED)3. Resource availability (RD)
End
poin
t le
8. Particulate matter formation (PMF)9. Terrestrial ecotoxicity (TET)10. Freshwater ecotoxicity (FET)11. Marine ecotoxicity (MET)12. Ionising radiation (IR)13. Agricultural land occupation (ALO)14 Urban land occupation (ULO)
Mid
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14. Urban land occupation (ULO)15. Natural land transformation (NLT)16. Water depletion (WD)17. Mineral resource depletion (MRD)18. Fossil fuel depletion (FD)Goedkoop, Heijungs, Huijbregts, De Schryver, Struijs, van Zelm: ReCiPe method, 2009
Environmental Science & Technology, No. 3, 2006, pp. 641-648Environmental Science & Technology, No. 3, 2006, pp. 641-648Environmental Science & Technology, No. 3, 2006, pp. 641-648
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Experience from LCA studiesC t ib ti f t t ll i i t- Contribution of steps to overall envir. impact
Production of bulk materials often dominantAssembly often minorFor products using energy during use phase: Use phase often dominates, otherwiseproduction usually dominates Transportation: often small contribution
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The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to LCA, p. 278 (extended: waste)
Waste management: usually rather small contribution
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http://lca.plasticseurope.org/main2.htm
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Discussion and interpretation of the results
Di i
CO2
NOx
SO2
Emissie Impact category Conventio-neel
Nieuw
20 kg CO2/f.e. 10 kg CO2/f.e.
40 eenh./f.e. 20 eenh. /f.e.
Discussion:• For how many impact
categories is new product/process better?
• By how much (in %)?• Is this a lot or little in view of
th t i ti ?
Climate change.
Photochem. smog2
stof
CO
NMVOC
20 eenh./f.e. 20 eenh./f.e.
20 eenh./ f.e. 30 eenh./ f.e.
20 eenh./f.e. 40 eenh./f.e.
20 eenh./f.e. 60 eenh./f.e
the uncertainties?
Further questions:• What to conclude in the case
of a mixed overall picture?• Is a 50% reduction for one
impact category as meaningful
Acidification
Human toxicity
Ecotoxicity
Eutrophication
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CH4
N2O20 eenh./f.e. 5 eenh./f.e.
20 eenh./f.e. 20 eenh./f.e.
impact category as meaningful as a 50% reduction for another?
Normalisation
Eutrophication
Ozone depletion
Winter smog
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Normalisation (LCA)
• = Optional step in an LCA
• Main aim: Better understand the relative importanceof a value (or a Δ) for a given impact category
• Approach: Divide result by reference value, e.g.- total emissions or resource use for a given region - per capita emissions or resource use for a givenregion
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Data for normalization
31Sleeswijk et al.: Normalisation in product life cycle assessment: An LCA of the global and European economic systems in the year 2000. Science of the Total Environment, 2008
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Environmental impact categories (CML)Cradle-to-factory gate, 1 tonne fibre (cotton = 100)
300%
200%
250%
CottonPETPPLenzing Viscose AsiaLenzing Viscose AustriaLenzing ModalTencel AustriaTencel Austria 2012
50%
100%
150%
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abiotic depletion
ozone layer depletion
human toxicity
fresh water aquatic ecotox.
terrestrial ecotoxicity
photochemical oxidant formation
acidification
eutrophication0%
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120Global warming
Single-score result (I) - Equally weighted, Cotton = 100 1 tonne fibre, cradle-to-factory gate
s, e
qual
wei
ghtin
gon
, Cot
ton
=100
)
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80
100
Global warmingAbiotic depletionOzone layer depletionHuman toxicityFresh water ecotoxicityTerrestrial ecotoxicityPhotochemical oxidationAcidificationEutrophicationLand use
Sing
le s
core
poi
nts
(no
norm
alis
atio
0
20
40Water use
33Lenzing Viscose Asia
Cotton (US&CN)
PET fibre (W
.EU)
PP fibre (W
.EU)
Tencel, Austria
Lenzing Modal
Lenzing Viscose Austria
Tencel, Austria
2012-20
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100
Single-score result (II)Equally weighted, normalised to World 20001 tonne fibre, from cradle to factory gate, Cotton = 100
ual w
eigh
ting
poin
tso
Wor
ld 2
000)
70
80
90
100
Global warmingAbiotic depletionOzone layer depletionHuman toxicityFresh water ecotoxicityTerrestrial ecotoxicityPhotochemical oxidationAcidification
gle-
scor
e re
sult,
equ
(firs
t nor
mal
ised
to
5
1050
60
Eutrophication
34Cotto
n (US&CN)
Lenzing Viscose Asia
PET fibre (W
.EU)
PP fibre (W
.EU)
Tencel, Austria
Lenzing Modal
Lenzing Viscose Austria
Tencel, Austria
2012
Sing
0
5
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100
Single-score result (III)NOGEPA weighting factors (normalised to world)1 tonne fibre, cradle-to-factory gate, Cotton = 100
Weighting factors (NOGEPA)Weighting factors (NOGEPA)
e-sc
ore
poin
tsd
to W
orld
200
0)
70
80
90Global warmingAbiotic depletionOzone layer depletionHuman toxicityFresh water ecotoxicityTerrestrial ecotoxicityPhotochemical oxidationAcidificationE t hi ti
5Ozone layer depletion
5Terrestrial ecotoxicity
6Fresh water ecotoxicity
16Human toxicity
8Abiotic depletion*
32Climate Change
Weighting factors (NOGEPA)
5Ozone layer depletion
5Terrestrial ecotoxicity
6Fresh water ecotoxicity
16Human toxicity
8Abiotic depletion*
32Climate Change
Weighting factors (NOGEPA)
NO
GEP
A Si
ngle
(Firs
t nor
mal
ised
10
2060
70 Eutrophication
Source: Huppes et al (2003), except for abiotic depletion (marked with *), which is not excluded by Huppes et al. and is determined based on own
99Total
13Eutrophication
6Acidification
8Photochemical oxidation
y
99Total
13Eutrophication
6Acidification
8Photochemical oxidation
y
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Cotton (U
S&CN)
PET fibre (W
.EU)
Lenzing Viscose Asia
PP fibre (W
.EU)
Tencel, Austria
Lenzing Modal
Lenzing Viscose Austria
Tencel, Austria
20120
estimation.
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Klicken Sie, um das Titelformat zu bearbeiten
BASF
High eco efficiencyed)
0.4
In the ecoefficiency portfolio, the environmental impact is plotted against the costs
• Klicken Sie, um die Formate des Vorlagentextes zu bearbeiten– Zweite Ebene
High eco-efficiency
ct (n
orm
aliz
e 0.4
Solution
Electro-chemical
Benefit: 1000 The electrochemicindigo variant is th– Zweite Ebene
• Dritte Ebene– Vierte Ebene
» Fünfte Ebene
viro
n. im
pac 1.0
Plants
GranulesBiotechno-logical
jeans dyed with indigo
gmost eco-efficientone
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Low eco-efficiencyEnv
1.60.41.6 1.0
Total costs (normalized)
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5.) What are critical issues in LCA?
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Critical issues in LCAs - GeneralWeighting ( single score)
ISO: Weighting […] shall not be used in LCA studies intended to be used in
Phase Problem
Goal and Scope Definition
Functional unit defini tion Boundary selection
Social and economic impacts
A S
urve
y of
nt
erna
tiona
l Jou
rnal
( single score) LCA studies intended to be used in comparative assertions intended to be disclosed to the public.
Alternative scenario considerations
Li fe Cycle Inventory analysis Allocation Negligible contribution ('cutoff cri teria')
Local technical uniqueness
Impact category and methodology selection
Spatial variation Dun
can,
S.,
Bra
s, B
., 20
08a,
“As
in L
ife C
ycle
Ass
essm
ent”,
Inm
ent 1
3(4)
: 290
-300
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Li fe Cycle Impact Assessment Local environmental uniqueness Dynamics of the environment
Time horizons
All phases Data availability and quality Rea
p J.
, Rom
an, F
., U
nres
olve
d P
robl
emof
Life
Cyc
le A
sses
s
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What is allocation?1 tonne chemical A
Process
1 tonne chemical A
0.2 tonnes chemical B
50 GJ power
16 GJ fuels
150 GJ fuelspRelevant options
a) Partitioning:• Mass• Economic value
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b) System expansion:• Credits for chemical B and for power
Economic value• Energy content (calorific value)
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Critical issues in LCAs for Bio-based products
• Allocation
• Valuation of embedded bio-based carbon
• Default datasets for bio-based feedstocks• Default datasets for bio-based feedstocks
• Land use efficiency
• Soil carbon
• Land use change (e.g. LUC in PAS 2050; ILUC)
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• Other
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How can you check whether/ensure that an LCA leads to robust results?Check• Suitable functional unit• Allocation (judgment; test & present alternative approaches)• System boundaries
- C2F vs. C2G- Carbon storage in products - Factor in land use- Clean distinction between Technology perspective and Company perspective
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p y p p- etc.
• Environmental impact categories • Availability and quality of LCA data
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What this presentation aimed to answer
1. What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), also in comparison to Green Chemistry principles?
2. Why do LCA?y
3. How does it roughly work?
4. What are critical issues in LCA?
5 Would it make sense to conduct an LCA
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5. Would it make sense to conduct an LCA in your project?
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