Page 44 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

P. 44

CHAPTER

Life cycle thinking tools: Life cycle

assessment, life cycle costing and social

life cycle assessment

a a a
Sara Toniolo , Roberta Chiara Tosato , Fabio Gambaro ,
b
Jingzheng Ren
a b
University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering, Padova, Italy The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Hong Kong
SAR, China

3.1 Life cycle assessment methodology

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was born in order to face the need for methods
for understanding and addressing environmental protection and the impacts of products. In
other words, it was born to provide information to show the effects of an activity on the
environment and to identify opportunities for making changes to reduce the environmental
impacts (Perriman, 1993). Currently, the LCA methodology is standardized by two interna-
tional standards, namely ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006.
According to a well know definition given by SETAC, LCA is a methodology to evaluate
the environmental burdens associated with a product, process, or activity. It identifies and
quantifies energy and materials used and waste released to the environment; it assesses
the impact of energy, materials, and releases to the environment; it identifies and evaluates
opportunities for environmental improvements. LCA embraces the entire life cycle of a prod-
uct, process, or activity, encompassing extraction and processing of raw materials;
manufacturing, transportation, and distribution; use, reuse, maintenance; recycling, and final
disposal (SETAC, 1993). Thus, it aims at assessing the environmental burdens through the
identification and quantification of energy and materials consumed, waste produced, and
possible environmental improvements at various points in the life cycle of products, pro-
cesses, and activities.

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