Circular Economy and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): How to (help) make Circular Economy Happen Soledad Contreras, Mark Goedkoop PRé Consultants

About Pré and me

Putting the metrics behind Sustainability, LCA

Implementing Sustainability in Organizations Create Positive, Measurable Impact

Circularity has been discussed for decades ... Circular Economy

What can be done to escalate it?

Inspiring Vision

Minimize environmental and social impacts

Mobilize

Implementation?

Best solution always?

Combining the strenghts of Circular Economy and LCA

Accountancy Approach Show impacts from Life Cycle

Perspective

Robust Science Based Method

Capacity to mobilize?

Deal with complexity?

LCA use for Circular Economy

Circular Model

Test the assumptions

Re-think and re-define the model

Insights for Implementation

Recycling e-waste in the Netherlands

• Positive impact closing loops

• Avoidance of about 500,000 Tons CO2 eq. and 100,000 Tons material per year

• Insight in processes allowing improvements in efficiency

Cars Tires Recycling (recycled content in new tires) • Closing loops don’t

bring a positive impact

• Negative impact in rolling resistance therefore fuel use

• Positive impact for energy recovery and other uses for the material recovered

Average production

cradle to gate Distribution Car tyre

debris

Use phase fuel

consumption EoL

collection Car tyre EoL processing

Bio-based Materials

• Assessment should consider the entire life cycle

• Highlight the trade-offs between impact categories

• Case by case assessment: type of biomass, country, agriculture techniques, etc.

PRé study year 2000. Results could be not longer valid due to optimization on bio-plastics production.

Rethink and redefine the models: Explore alternative approaches

Hotspots

Circular Model v.1

Circular Model v.2 Test

scenarios

Implementation

• Route to circularity is a continuous process

• Starts at a product/operational level in business

• Prioritize actions (one step at a time, with a roadmap in mind)

• Set KPI’s and measure progress over time

• Set targets • Feed back the model

Product /service Circular Model

Test the assumptions

Re-think and re-define the model

Set priorities

Set KPI's

Monitor progress and provide Feedback

McKinsey's "REsolve" framework, which isolates six strategies to incorporate circular economy concepts into a business

Circular Model

Test the assumptions

Re-think and re-define the model

Insights for Implementation

Energy Intensity

[kWh/Ton final product]

Water Intensity [m3/Ton final product]

Material Intensity [Ton/Ton final product]

Recycled content [%] Material Recovery rate [%]

Water Recovery rate [%]

Life time of a

product [years/unit]

Land use, biodiversity

impact [Hectares]

Toxicity [ppm],

[w/w]

Relevant Indicators from LCA

Simplified, easy to implement

Information available at business level

Take-home message: Circular Economy + LCA (LCM)

Product /service Circular Model

Test the assumptions

Re-think and re-define the model

Set priorities

Set KPI's

Monitor progress and provide Feedback

Mobilizing Practical Measurable Always the best solution (recognize limitations) Science based

Thanks for your attention! Soledad Contreras contreras@pre-sustainability.com