Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
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Shivananda Shetty
Applications
Identifying, Quantifying and Reporting various environmental impacts for reporting. EMS (ISO 14000) implementation. ISO 14064, WBCSD -GHG accounting ISO 50000- Energy
Scope
Farm to Fork(cradle to grave) Approach Cradle to Gate : Raw material extraction until manufacturing and dispatch of the product Gate to Gate: Receipt of raw material until the dispatch of the finished goods from the factory.
Background
LCAs started in the early 1970s, initially to investigate the energy requirements for different processes. Emissions and raw materials were added later. LCAs are considered to be the most comprehensive approach to assessing environmental impact.
It is used by the organization to identify, quantify and report the impact of various environmental aspect during the production or the service process. Complements ISO 14000, 14064, PAS 2050, ISO 50000.
LCA approach
Initially, numerous variants of LCA methods were developed/investigated, but today there is consensus that there is only one basic method with a large number of variants The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), an international platform for toxicologists, published a Code of Practice, a widely accepted series of guidelines and definitions. Nowadays, IS0 14040-14043 is considered to be the LCA standard.
Establish (correct) material and energy balance(s) for each process stage and event.
Energy
Product Material Inputs (including reuse & recycle from another stage)
Reuse/Recycle Single Stage or Unit Operation Primary Product Useful Co-product Waste
Reuse/Recycle
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extrusion
forming
as sembly + transport packaging electricity us e w ater disposal of filters + c offee in org. w as te disposal in municipal w aste
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extrusion
forming
as sembly + transport packaging 375 kWh electricity use w ater disposal of filters + coffee in org. w as te disposal in municipal w aste
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Mass and energy balances are not correct and defy laws of thermodynamics. Results are generalized improperly.
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Environmental effect
depletion of biotic resources depletion of abiotic resources greenhouse effect ozone layer depletion acidification eutrophication (summer) smog human toxicity eco-toxicity
Weighting of effect?
(example)
odour
There are different ways to assess and weigh the environmental effects.
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effect greenhouse
acidification
pest icides
The paper bag causes more winter smog and acidification, but scores better on the other environmental effects. The classification does not reveal which is the better bag. What is missing is the mutual weighting of the effects.
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Weightings
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A single figure is needed for comparison purposes Several methods exists, but it is still a controversial issue and no singular widely accepted method exists.
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Eco-Points Method
The eco-points method was developed in Switzerland and is based on the use of national government policy objectives. Environmental impacts are evaluated directly and there is no classification step. The evaluation principle is the distance to target principle, or the difference between the total impact in a specific area and the target value.
The target values in the original Ecopunkten method were derived from target values of the Swiss government. A Dutch variant has been developed on the basis of the Dutch policy objectives.
The use of policy objectives is controversial given that a policy does not express the true seriousness of a problem.
Various political, economic, and social considerations also play a role when formulating these objectives.
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Result
Out:
1 / target value 1 / target value 1 / target value 1 / target value 1 / target value
current / target value current / target value current / target value current / target value current / target value
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CO2 SO2
Ecopoints
lead
CFC waste
The Eco-Points method is not so much an environmental indicator as an indicator in conformity with policy
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The EPS system was used first for Volvo in Sweden. It is not based on governmental policy, but on estimated financial consequences of environmental problems. It attempts to translate environmental impact into a sort of social expenditure.
The first step is to establish the damage caused to a number of safeguard objects - objects that a community considers valuable. The next step is to identify how much the community is prepared to pay for these things, i.e., the social costs of the safeguard objects are established. The resulting costs are added up to a single figure.
Safeguard objects
stocks production health
Evaluation
future costs for extraction direct losses willingness to pay
Result
zinc
Out:
value in ECU
CO2
SO2 lead
biodiversity aesthetics
CFC
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Eco-Indicator 95
The evaluation method for calculating the Eco-Indicator 95 strongly focuses on the effects of emissions on the ecosystem.
For the valuation, the distance to target principle is used, but the targets are based on scientific data on environmental damage and not on policy statements. The targets values are related to three types of environmental damage:
deterioration of ecosystems (a target level has been chosen at which 5% ecosystem degradation will still occur over several decades) deterioration of human health (this refers in particular to winter and summer smog and the acceptable level set is that smog periods should hardly ever occur again) human deaths (the level chosen as acceptable is 1 fatality per million inhabitants per year)
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Effect
Ozone layer depl. Heavy metals Carcinogenics Summer smog Winter smog Pesticides Greenhouse effect Acidification Eutrophication
Damage
Valuation
Result
Fatalities Health impairment Ecosystem impairment Subjective damage assessment Eco-indicator value
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Envi ronmental effect Greenhouse effect Ozone layer depletion Acidification Eutrophication Summer smog
Cri teri on 0.1C rise every 10 years, 5% ecosystem degradation Probability of 1 fatality per year per million inhabitants 5% ecosystem degradation Rivers and lakes, degradation of an unknown number of aquatic ecosystems (5% degradation) Occurrence of smog periods, health complaints, particularly amongst asthma patients and the elderly, prevention of agricultural damage Occurrence of smog periods, health complaints, particularly amongst asthma patients and the elderly 5% ecosystem degradation Lead content in childrens blood, reduced life expectancy and learning performance in an unknown number of people Cadmium content in rivers, ultimately also impacts on people (see airborne) Probability of 1 fatality per year per million people
Winter smog Pesticides Airborne heavy metals Waterborne heavy metals Carcinogenic substances
5 25 5 5 10
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Some Comments
The preceding table reveals that
High priority must be given to limiting substances causing ozone layer damage and the use of pesticides. The latter is becoming a very serious problem in The Netherlands in particular. Furthermore, a great deal of consideration must be given to the diffusion of acidifying and carcinogenic substances.
A number of effects that are generally regarded as environmental problems have not been included:
Toxic substances that are only a problem in the workplace. Exhaustion (depletion) of raw materials. Waste.
As a result of these differences the Eco-indicator can be seen as an indicator of emissions. Raw materials depletion and the use of space by waste must be evaluated separately at present.
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Value-sphere
See: http://www.pre.nl/ecoindicator99/
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LCA use
Product design stage in the design process to determine which of several designs may leave a smaller footprint on the environment, Eco-effecient product after the fact to identify environmentally preferred products in government procurement or eco-labeling programs. Benchmarking the study of reference or benchmark LCAs provides insight into the main causes of the environmental impact of a certain kind of product and design priorities and product design guidelines can be established based on the LCA data.
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Closing Remarks
It is not the product, but the life-cycle of the product that determines its environmental impact. Even if the life-cycle is mapped out, there still exist many uncertainties as to the environmental impact of the processes involved. There is still an immense lack of reliable data.
Also consider uncertainties caused by customer behavior and (unknown) future process technologies.
Knowledge about environmental systems is often highly uncertain. The LCA is generally a compromise between practicality and completeness
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