Eco-efficiency analysis

For developed countries, environmental focus has shifted from pollution prevention to sustainable development BASF developed a so-called eco-efficiency analysis, as an internal decision making tool, to help in evaluating products and processes for 

PGNP = GNP/Capita in and paved roads in km/million inhabitants are plotted for 98 countries [30]. 

It has been reahzed that preventive maintenance of existing roadways is the most financially effective use of available resources [3, 31, 32]. The eco-effidency analysis was applied to compare three different paving methods of hot mix, polymer modified hot mix and asphalt emulsion based microsurfacing [33]. The study integrates environmental impact analysis and economical consideration. The base study assumes a 7-year Hfe for the microsurfadng treatment (8-12 mm thick), a 10-year fife for the thin (4 cm) hot mix overlay and a 13-year life for the polymer modified hot mix overlay. 

The environmental impact analysis is based on the hfe-cyde analysis [34], which evaluates environmental aspects and potential impacts throughout a product s life cyde (e.g., cradle-to-grave evaluation) from raw material acquisition through production, use and disposal. For asphalt emulsion based paving, this analysis includes not just for production of the asphalt emulsion and paving operations, it starts from the crude oil production, refinery process, chemical additives and aggregate production. 

It also includes waste production, recycling operation, and transportation and distribution of all these activities. 

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Shonnard, D.R., Kicherer, A., Saling, P. (2003) Industrial Applications Using BASF Eco-Efficiency Analysis Perspectives on Green Engineering Principles. Environmental Science and Technology, 37, 5340-5348. 

Vercalsteren A, Spirinckx C, Geerken T (2010) Life cycle assessment and eco-efficiency analysis of drinking cups used at public events. Int J Life Cycle Assess 15(2) 221-230... 

Ecclesiastical wines, 26 301 Ecdysone receptor agonists, 14 345 ECHIP JMP 4.0.4, features compared to other software, 8 398t ECLP tube press, 11 373 Eco-check Product excellence, 24 189 Eco-efficiency analysis, 24 189, 190 Eco-Efficiency program, 9 457 Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyestuffs and Organic Pigments Manufacturers (ETAD), 9 234, 238 19 452... 

Schrott, W. and Saling, P., Eco-efficiency analysis—Testing products for their value to the customer. Melliand Textilberichte 81(3), 190, 192-194, 2000. 

Landsiedel, R. and Saling, P. Assessment of toxicological risks for life cycle assessment and eco-efficiency analysis. Int. 1 Life Cycle Assess. 7(5), 261-268, 2002. 

Shonnard, D. R., Kichere, A., and Saling, P., industrial applications using BASF eco-efficiency analysis Perspectives on green engineering principles, Environ. Sci. Technol., 37, 5340-5348, 2003. 

Wall-Markcwski, C. A, Kicherer, A., and Saling, P., Using eco-efficiency analysis to assess renewable-resource-based technologies, Environ. Progress 23(4), 329-333, 2004. 

P. Saling, A. Kicherer, B. Dittrich-Kramer, R. Wittlinger, W. Zombik, I. Schmidt, W. Schrott, and S. Schmidt, Eco-Efficiency Analysis by BASF The Method, International Journal of Life-Cycle Assessment, 7(4), 203-218 (2002). 

Fifty percent of the eco-efficiency analyses conducted to date have been used for internal strategy and research decisions. The other half of the analyses has been carried out in cooperation with external partners such as customers, NGOs, and governmental institutions. Right from the beginning the eco-efficiency analysis was discussed in public. This has led to many valuable contributions from external parties and has put the method at a high level of acceptance throughout various industries and stakeholders. 

The eco-efficiency analysis focuses on each phase of a product s lifecycle from cradle to grave, beginning with the extraction of raw materials from the Earth and... 

Societal weighting factors (Fig. 6.5) account for the importance society attaches to the different forms of ecological impact. They are based on public opinion surveys. The relevance factors are based on actual data and indicate the relative importance of individual environmental impacts (e.g., emissions to air) for a particular eco-efficiency analysis. For each specific impact variable, first the impact due to the investigated product or process is divided by the total environmental impact of this variable in the country in question. These numbers are generally very small but the relation between them yields the necessary weighting and thus, the relevance... 

Figure 6.5. Societal weighting factors in eco-efficiency analysis.

The Value of Eco-Efficiency Analyses. The value of the eco-efiiciency analysis tool, apart from its description of the current state, results from the recognition of dominant influences and the illustration of what if... scenarios. The stability of the results is verified by means of sensitivity analyses in every project. Underlying assumptions as well as system boundaries and societal weighting factors are varied and checked within realistic ranges. The results of an eco-efficiency analysis make it possible to identify weaknesses in products and processes over the entire lifecycle. This allows us to identify factors with significant optimization potentials. 

Eco-efficiency analysis permits a condensed representation of complex interrelationships, which, as a result, are easier to grasp and to understand. Often, the facts and implications of a case are only vaguely understood. The results of an eco-efficiency analysis allow the visual presentation of these facts and provide a sound basis for discussion. Moreover, the detailed information gained from the investigations enables a more targeted technical, ecological, and economic development of the products and processes. From a user s perspective, the understanding of costs and various environmental aspects of a product is often of a relatively subjective nature. The eco-efficiency analysis illustrates these aspects and makes them more readily accessible for discussion. 

Managing Sustainability of Products and Processes with the Socio-Eco-Efficiency Analysis by BASF, Greener Management International, 2005, accepted for publication. 

I. Steenken-Richter, R. Wittlinger and U. Baus, Eco-Efficiency Analysis - A Tool for the... 

In the following, the implementation and practical handling of sustainable development within BASF is presented in more detail. Furthermore, an important instrument, the eco-efficiency analysis, is described. BASF was one of the first chemical companies to develop this method for use in its business activities. 

The Methodology. The eco-efficiency analysis starts with the definition of a specific customer benefit. The analysis then compares economic and ecological advantages and disadvantages across several product or process solutions, which can fulfill the same function for customers (Saling et al., 2002). This means that... 

In the first step of the partnership, BASF provided its eco-efficiency expertise (see Section 6.1.3 for detailed discussion of BASF eco-efficiency analysis) to help Moroccan textile dye works operate in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way. Based on the eco-efficiency analysis and the experience of many years with products and processes in the textile sector, BASF developed a software package, which was given to Moroccan companies free of charge. The software tool substantially simplifies the compilation of an eco-efficiency analysis. It uses key technical data to calculate how the manufacturing process can be improved. 

I. Schmidt, P. Sahng, W. Reuter, M. Meurer, A. Kicherer and C.-O. Gensch, SEEbalance -Managing Sustainability of Products and Processes with the Socio-Eco-Efficiency Analysis by BASF, Greener Management International, accepted 2004. 

BASF has also developed the tool of eco-efficiency analysis to address not only strategic issues but also issues posed by the marketplace, politics and research [22, 23]. The major elements of the environmental assessment include primary energy use, raw materials utilization, emissions to all media, toxicity, safety risk and land use. The basic preconditions in eco-efficiency analysis are [22] ... 

Eco-efficiency assessment focuses in principle on the entire life cycle, but then concentrates on specific events in a life cycle where the alternatives under consideration differ. Eco-efficiency analysis includes the cost data as well as the straight life cycle data. Eigure 5.3 shows that life cycle assessment is based on the environmental profile, which can be obtained, for example, from data provided by the plants and which includes the path from the cradle to the work-gate. On extending this approach to the entire life cycle, a life cycle assessment is obtained. Adding to these additional assessment criteria again, followed by an economic assessment, then leads to an eco-efficiency analysis (Figure 5.4). 

Figure 5.4 Eco-efficiency analysis includes life cycle assessment and environmental profile. Source adapted from Salingeto/. [22].

The different categories, after normalization, are then aggregated using weighting factors. For more details on the estimations of the different categories and methods of their aggregation, reference could be made to the work of Saling et al. [22] and to the BASF web site of eco-efficient analysis (http //www.corporate.basf.com/en/ sustainability). 

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