Life cycle assessment capture

All useful methods attempt to capture and describe all of the impacts during the entire life of the product or service from cradle to grave . This is the basis of the cluster of measurement tools known collectively as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). 

The authors highlighted the importance of metrics in the subject of green chemistry by pointing out that (a) a set of metrics should be developed to address all 12 green chemistry principles, (b) such a set of metrics should be easy to apply, (c) the metrics should measure progress as well as point chemists in the green direction, (d) the metrics should inform and provide momentum for both chemists and corporate managers, and (e) sustainability metrics are valuable since they focus on life cycle assessment and are thus better able to capture a broad evaluation of sustainability. 

Figure 13.2 Generic flowsheet for the solvent-based postcombustion CO2 capture processes including the main life cycle assessment-related issues.

As biopolymers capture a larger market share, the measurement of their life cycle environmental impacts will be important to enable consumers and producers to identify more sustainable methods of use, production and disposal for such products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that quantifies the environmental sustainability of biobased polymers from cradle to grave. ... 

An important decision that must be made at the beginning of a life cycle assessment is determination of the scope of the assessment. Evaluation of the scope includes the time period to be considered the area (space) to be considered and the kinds of materials, processes, and products that will go into the assessment. As an example, consider the chemical synthesis of an insecticide that releases harmful vapors and generates significant quantities of waste material. A narrowly focused life cycle assessment might take into account control measures in the synthesis process to capture released vapors and the best means of disposal of the waste by-products. A broader scope would consider a different synthetic process that might not cause the problems mentioned. An even broader scope might consider whether or not the insecticide even needs to be made and used perhaps there are more acceptable alternatives to its use. 

The second life-cycle phase addresses the capture of requirements and the selection of suppliers. It entails the following main activities, usually conducted sequentially User Requirements Specification (URS), GxP Assessment, Supplier Selection, and Supplier Audits. Getting this phase right is crucial to ultimate success. The issues that have to be managed can be summarized as follows ... 

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