Life-Cycle Analysis of Biobased Products

Introduction Why Life-Cyde Analysis of Biobased Products  

Renewable Raw Materials New Feedstocks for the Chemical Industry, First Edition. 

Edited by Roland Ulber, Dieter Sell, Thomas Hirth. 

Talking of environmental impacts of biobased products, there are also other relevant issues apart from climate change. During agriculture, herbicides and pesticides may be used during production processes, emissions of diverse substances in air or water may take place, and if energetic conversion is the ultimate use, release of fine particulate matter may occur. Aiming at a holistic view on the environment, these possible impacts have to be taken into account as well. 

This chapter will enlighten the framework and scope of LCA as well as present major findings from LCA studies on biobased products. 

---

A focus area for this meeting was a discussion of new approaches to life cycle analyses of biobased processes is described in three papers. Anex reports an evaluation of processes for the production of 1,3-propanediol. Niederl describes an analysis of biodiesel production from tallow, while the paper from Bohimann reports on life cycle issues surrounding polyhydroxylalkanoate production. 

The use of RRM, however, is not by itself a guarantee of low environmental impact. Aspects such as the production processes, the technical performance and the weight of each final product, and its disposal options, have to be carefully considered along all the steps of the product s life. The engineering of biobased materials for specific applications using life cycle analysis in a cradle-to-grave approach is therefore a critical aspect. 

While the potential benefits of biobased products are certainly real, so are their limitations and possible problems. One way of achieving the benefits of biomass processing to biobased products is to do careful, system-level studies of specific products in order to anticipate and resolve potential problems before large industries are launched and the damage is done. Life cycle analysis is suited to such system studies. For example, there is an obvious potential for biomass production for biobased products to conflict with food production. Careful studies are required to anticipate and resolve such conflicts before they occur. 

---