Page 32 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

2.4.1.2 Minerals and glass The development of life cycle assessment methods and applications 19
Data on non-metalliferous minerals is largely limited to studies by CSIRO Minerals and the
University of Sydney, although the focus of these has not been public LCI data. Hence, there is
considerable scope to improve data provision for LCA; for example, for lime, gypsum and soda
ash – all important components of building materials. Pilkington (Australia) (a flat glass
producer) has undertaken some LCI development in Australia while more detailed work has
been undertaken by the parent company in the United Kingdom. Bottle glass data was devel-
oped as part of the original LCI project in 1998 by University of New South Wales/RMIT, with
some input from ACI Glass Packaging.

2.4.1.3 Building products
Brick and tiles industry associations have undertaken LCA studies with the University of New-
castle and have provided this data for specific projects. The Concrete Industry Association has
developed inventories for Australian cement and concrete – not publicly released, but released
for specific projects. The Cement Industry Federation has also produced data relating to energy
and materials used in cement production. Also, Independent Cement and Lime (ICL) has
undertaken some LCA work on its blended cement products incorporating blast furnace slag.
Older data on concrete and cement production was established in the original 1998 University
of New South Wales/RMIT LCI project. The LCA Design project (developed by the CRC for
Construction and Innovation) has developed cement and concrete data for individual states.
For timber, hardwood and softwood data was developed as part of the 1998 LCI project by
University of New South Wales/RMIT, with some input from the University of Tasmania, and
an industry-wide LCI project has been undertaken (2007–08).

2.4.1.4 Liquid and gaseous fuels
There has been significant industry activity in LCI development related to liquid and gaseous
fuels. For example, BP has produced an LCA for Greenhouse Friendly™ certification, and
other producers have been or are participating in LCA projects. These are unpublished and
often originally government-supported studies, then followed up by industry-funded work to
support, refine or refute the original studies. Much of the LCA emphasis on fuels production
has focused on greenhouse gas emissions, so additional work is required to cover other emis-
sions and environmental impacts.

2.5 Conclusions
From piecemeal origins, LCA has matured rapidly as a technique in Australia. Clearly, data
remains a key challenge for LCA development, and the efforts and issues summarised above
indicate the need for the development of a more comprehensive National LCI Database. In
parallel, the ‘professionalisation’ of LCA is an increasingly widespread phenomenon. For example,
ALCAS now has the status of a not-for-profit professional association. Such developments are
driving the maturation of LCA practice and uptake. In relation to theoretical and methodologi-
cal development, there remains a tension between the need for standardisation of approaches in
line with ISO standards (and beyond) and the competing need for flexibility in approach. The
former aids the ability to compare results across studies, while the latter helps maintain a critical
and experimental focus that is essential in research, innovation and development.
Against the backdrop of LCA maturation is the ongoing need to link LCA practice in
Australia with international developments. The importance of initiatives to create interna-
tional consistency sits alongside national or more localised projects, data development and
research. A major task that remains largely incomplete in Australia is the development of a set

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