Page 165 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

162 8. Framework of life cycle sustainability assessment

FIG. 8.5 Life cycle impact assessment.

values with respect to the inventory data based on a database. The procedures of LCI assess-
ment include definition and classification of impact categories, characterization of category
indicator results, normalization, weighting, and grouping, as shown in Fig. 8.5.

6.2.4 Interpretation
Since data cannot provide decision maker a clear view of the sustainability performance of
the research object, interpretation plays an important role in evaluating and further analyzing
the results data. The general procedures of interpretation can be demonstrated by Fig. 8.6.
The evaluation process is adapted to ensure that life cycle inventory and LCI assessment
are conducted in a manner consistent with goal and scope definition made in the first step.
This process includes a completeness check, consistency check, and so on. The completeness
check and consistency check are the compulsory parts of LCA, which are designed to check
for missing parts of procedures and to check for consistency with the goal and scope. The
differences between the completeness check and the consistency check are shown in Fig. 8.7.
From those checks, or other methods such as MCDM methods, decision makers can obtain
a clear result of the sustainability of the target process or service.

Life cycle assessment framework
Interpretation
Goal and
scope
definition Evaluation by:
Identification completeness
check;
of significant Direct applications
sensitivity check; Product
issues
consistency check; development and
Inventory other checks; improvement;
analysis Startegic planning;
Public policy
making;
Marketing;
Conclusion, limitations and Other.
Impact recommendations
assessment

FIG. 8.6 Interpretation of life cycle assessment.