Life Cycle Assessment Standards

For plastics manufacturing, the LCI database provides LCI information for all major plastics. The database provides references of LCI data from the ACC. 

The third step in the LCA process is to assess the environmental impacts from the inventory collection of Step 2. The assessment step typically normalizes the input and outputs to the LCI as per the normalized unit. 

the environmental effects can be viewed as per a grouping of the product, for example, 1000 grocery bags, 10,000 cellular phones, and 100,000 vehicles. For example, the environmental impacts can be viewed as 10,000 cellular phone cases made from Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) versus 10,000 cellular phone cases made from PP. Then, the amount of energy required to produce 10,000 cellular phone cases from ABS can be compared to the amount of energy required to produce 10,000 cellular phones from PP. Likewise, the carbon footprint, solid waste, and pollution can be calculated as per the common grouping. 

The fourth step is the interpretation of the data and is involved in aU of the previous three steps. The data should be analyzed in each of the three steps for consistency and accuracy. The scope and assumptions should be reviewed in each of the steps of the LCA process to ensure thoroughness. The last step interprets the results from the LCA and provides conclusions and recommendations for minimizing environmental impacts of products, processes, and services. 

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published standards for LCA. LCA compares environmental performance of products in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution generation, waste generation, energy consumption, water consumption, and other resource consumption. LCA compares these items in terms of a measurable quantity of the products. 

---

Advisory Group are considering different facets of LCA. In 1993, they developed the Code of Practice ,the first worldwide accepted technical framework for LCA. This was an important step towards the harmonisation of the method and has initiated and supported the standardisation process by ISO. Between 1997 and 2000, ISO produced the international series of standard defining the different stages of the LCA methodology (ISO 14040 1997, ISO 14041 1998, ISO 14042 2000 ° as well as ISO 14043 2000° ). As mentioned above, these standards were replaced by two improved editions of life cycle assessment standards in 2006 (ISO 14040 2006 and ISO 14044 2006°). 

Standardization (ISO), 9 227 15 741, 755. See also International Standards Organization (ISO) ISO entries in fine chemical production, 11 433-435 flame retardants and, 11 449 life cycle assessment standards of, 14 805, 807... 

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a compilation and evaluation of inputs, outputs, and the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle. The LCA methodology is comprehensively described based on the ISO 14000 series standards. References are also given to I.CA information sources. 

Several tools can be used to evaluate the environmental consequences of an industrial ventilation project. Some of the most common methods used are covered in this chapter. The life cycle assessment tool is considered in detail, as it is a comprehensive and product-oriented approach that is covered by international standardization. Other tools, such as risk assessment, cost-benefit... 

Guinde, J.B., Gorrde, M., Heijnngs, R. etal. (2001) Life Cycle Assessment An Operational Guide to the ISO Standards. Centre of Environmental Science (CML), Leiden University, The Netherlands. 

During the life cycle assessment, the study authors are very often confronted with the fact that the product system has at its end more than one output. In these cases, we use the allocation. Allocation means the assignment of the share of total environmental burden to particular outputs [32]. The Standard recommends to avoid the allocation whenever possible, e.g. by extending systems or sub-division processes [36]. 

ISO. ISO 14040 Environmental Management - Life Cycle Assessment - Principles and Framework. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2006a. 

Abstract Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to assess impacts of cradle-to-grave chains of products/services. In the Riskcycle framework, the focus is on additives. Additives are usually minor constituents of products, but depending on their specific properties they can be important in the total scope of impacts of such products. In the LCA literature, additives are hardly visible. Most case studies of products containing additives do not mention them. The reasons for this are unclear, but are at least partly due to the fact that information on additives is not included in standard LCA databases. This is true for both life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) databases. Therefore, it is difficult to conclude whether or not additives indeed are important contributors to environmental impacts over the life cycle. 

The ISO has also produced a set of quality standards specifically for environmental management. This is the ISO 14000 series. The areas addressed by ISO 14000 are Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Performance Evaluations, Environmental Auditing, Life Cycle Assessment, and Environmental Labeling. 

Low-iemperature Ti02 film fabrication based on an understanding of tne electron transpor1 will also open up the possibility for further reduction in production costs. Study of the environmental aspects of dye-sensitized solar ceds revealed that DSC is a suitaole alternative for the electric generator because of its earth-friendliness.105) Based on a Life Cycle Assessment in ISO 14040 standard, carbon dioxiae emission of the cell is estimated to be 19-47 g C02/kWh, whicn is 1/10 that of the gas power plant (450 g C02/kWh). " oxicity of Dye 3 is negligible because of its negative Ames test.106 ... 

Saiz, S., Kennedy, C., Bass, B. and Pressnail, K. (2006) Comparative life cycle assessment of standard and green roofs. Environ. Sci. Technol., 40, 4312. 

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a relatively new tool for environmental management, which is becoming more and more important owing to the globalization of the world economy, where there is a need to develop standards in protecting the environment. 

ISO International Standard 14041, 1999E. Environmental management—life cycle assessment—goal and scope, definition and inventory analysis. International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva. 

The focus of this program was to evaluate the environmental impacts of the current standard material formulations and alternative formulations.95 The partnership used a life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach to examine the impacts of heat stabilizers, polymer systems, and flame-retardants used in insulation and jacketing for selected wire and cable products. The project began in March 2004 and the report was issued in May 2008.96... 

International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 1997. Environmental management - Life cycle assessment -Principles and framework. International Organization of Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland (International Standard ISO 14040 1997(E)). 

ISO ISO 14040 Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Principles and framework, ISO 14040 1997(E) International Standardization Organization Geneva, 6/15/97, 1997. 

ISO ISO/TR 14049 Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Examples of Application of ISO 14041 to Goal and Scope Definition and Inventory Analysis ISO/TR 14049 International Organization for Standardization Geneva, March 15, 2000, 2000. 

ISO ISO 14041 Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Goal and Scope Definition and Inventory analysis ISO 14041 1998(E) International Organization for Standardization Geneva, October 1, 1998, 1998. 

The ISO 14000 series of standards, known informally as Environmental ISO, is a set of generic standards developed by the ISO to provide organizations with a framework for managing the environmental impact of their activities. Environmental disciplines including the basic environmental management system, product labeling, criteria for auditing, and life-cycle assessment are included. 

ISO 14040 (2006) Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Principles and Eramework. 2nd ed. (International Organization for Standardization). 

---