Page 47 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

L1644_C01.fm Page 23 Monday, October 20, 2003 11:46 AM

3. Production technology assessment. LCA helps to ensure that overall
reductions are achieved and pollutants are not shifted elsewhere in the
life-cycle, although other tools are needed for the assessment of the actual
impacts of the technology.
4. Improving environmental program. LCA can be particularly effective
at identifying sensitive factors such as the number of times a reusable
must be returned, possible energy recovery, etc.
5. Strategic planning for a company’s product or service line. LCA can
assist the strategic planning process, especially when coupled with other
tools providing economic and risk information.
6. Public policy planning and legislation. LCA studies can be used to
assure that all relevant environmental information is considered. Because
of LCA’s restriction to potential impacts, the results should be integrated
with data from other tools.
7. Environmentally friendly purchasing support. LCA is obviously a
starting point for eco-labeling, but the current emissions and resource
indicators do not give the full picure of sustainable performance. LCA
information should be complemented with data from other tools.
8. Marketing strategies. By using LCA it is possible to develop an envi-
ronmental profile of a product or service that can be communicated to the
consumers.
9. Environmental performance and liability evaluation. The combination
of an environmental management system with LCA is an interesting topic
for the future. For this reason, it is necessary to use the same pressure
and management indicators.

By using the proposed guide in the form of a matrix (Figure 1.7), the environ-
mental practitioner should be able neither to overestimate the possibilities of LCA
nor to be discouraged from using it because of its inherent limitations.
Therefore, we can say that life-cycle thinking is the right concept to evaluate
the environmental impacts of a functional unit (product, service or activity) but that
LCA is often not the only tool to consider. The practical guide (Figure 1.7) for
environmental decision-makers helps select the tool that corresponds to a particular
application.

1.6 EXAMPLE: DECISION-MAKING SITUATION IN
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Political administration or business managers very often make decisions of environ-
mental relevance. As can be seen in Figure 1.8, their decisions may enhance or
worsen the environmental performance of a chemical substance, process, product or
whole region.

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