Page 133 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

3.3 Allocation 117

System A System B
100 kg carton for disposal 100 kg carton for disposal

Supply of Production
Material Waste
recovery + 14 MJ electricity 70 kg carton in
EU mix incineration + defined technology
Supply of 80 MJ
heat produced
+
in defined plant

14 MJ el 80 MJ heat
70 kg carton
70 kg carton 14 MJ el
80 MJ heat

Figure 3.24 Process pattern for a comparison of two disposal variants for cardboard
(‘basket of benefit’).

must be made on the complementary processes. The fU can now no more be
defined as the disposal of a specific mass waste but by disposal + supply of energy
x, y, and so on, for example, per tonne waste. The ‘winner’ will be the system
which provides the waste disposal and additional energy supply with the smallest
environmental loads. 121)

3.3.6
Summary on Allocation
Allocation can only partly be determined in a strictly objective, scientific mode,
with the exception of CLR which is clearly defined. This can already be seen in
the choice of words ‘fair, just, unjust’, which refers to scientifically not definable
issues.
Science and the international standards 122) require: Avoid allocations, expand or
reduce the system boundary, look for physical causes. That is it. These demands are
often unrealistic and in the case of system expansion may result in unmanageable,
extremely complex systems that can only be handled in large LCAs with national

121) With mixed waste, for example urban waste, the prehistory of the waste is not assessed. This is
permitted, if only the ecologically most favourable kind of disposal is concerned.
122) International Standard Organization (ISO), 1998a; ISO, 2006b.