Life Cycle Assessment and Green Purchasing

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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

and Green Purchasingand Green Purchasing

Ms Linda W. P. Ho

Chief Executive Officer

Green Council

25 March 2011

Contents

About Green Council Introduction of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

History of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

What is LCA?

Why LCA?

The ISO 14040 framework

Synergy of Green Purchasing and LCA

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ABOUT GREEN COUNCIL

3Executive Diploma in Green

Management for Corporate

Green Council

Established in 2000

Non-Government Organization (NGO)

Non-Profit-Making Organization

Non-Partisan Environmental Organization

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1. To enhance the environmental awareness ofthe generalpublic

2. To assist local and international enterprises inimprovingtheir environmentalperformance

3. To helpHong Kongestabl isha greenerimageworldwide

Major Objectives

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Key Green Council Initiatives

Hong Kong Green Label Scheme (HKGLS)

China Environmental Label

Cyber Green Centre

Hong Kong Green Purchasing Charter (HKGPC)

Hong Kong Green Awards (HKGA)

Eco-product Certification Scheme (ECS)

List of Green Councils Activities

1. Hong Kong Green Label Scheme (HKGLS)

2. Hong Kong Green Purchasing Charter (HKGPC)

3. Hong Kong Green Awards (HKGA)

4. Cyber Green Center (CGC)

5. Representative of China Environmental Labelling

6. Environmental related congress, symposium, forum, seminars andExhibitions

7. Training of EMS and specific on Green Purchasing

8. Environmental, product and CSR Audits

9. Green Carniva l

10. International Coastal Cleanup

11. Community Educations

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INTRODUCTION LIFE CYCLEASSESSMENT (LCA)

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History of LCA (1)

Early 1960s Concerns about the rapid depletion of fossil fuels, which sparked

interest in finding ways to account energy use and to project future

resource supplies and use

1963 Harold Smith published the one of the first LCA report on energy

requirements for the production of chemical intermediates at

World Energy Conference

Late 1960s The studies i n The Limits to Growth andA Blueprint for Survival

initiated the trend on predicting finite resources in the world

1969 TheCoca-Cola Company conducted LCA study on different beverage

containers

1970-1975 USEPA refinedThe Coca-Cola LCA methodology and created the

Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis .

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EnvironmentalProtection Agency. 2006. Life Cycle Assessment: Principles and Practice. EPA/600/R-06/060. Office of ResearchandDevelopment. Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

History of LCA (2)

Late

1970s

1980s

Environmental concerns shifted to issues of hazardous waste

management and solid waste. The life cycle logic was incorporated into

emerging method of risk assessment and analyzing the environmental

problems.

Late

1980s

A broad base of consultants and researchers across the globe has been

further refining and expanding the LCA methodology

1991 11State Attorneys General in the USA denouncing the use of LCA results

to promote products until uniform methodology and consensus reached

on how environmental comparison can be advertised non-deceptively

1992 ISO 14000 family grew out of ISO's commitment to support the objective

of sustainable development discussed at the United Nations Conference

on Environment and Development, in Rio de Janeiro

1993 ISO launched the new technical committee, ISO/TC 207, Environmental

management

1997-2006 ISOdeveloped the LCA standards

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EnvironmentalProtection Agency. 2006. Life Cycle Assessment: Principles and Practice. EPA/600/R-06/060. Office of ResearchandDevelopment. Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

What is LCA? (1)

Life Cycle refers to the major ac tiv it ies in the course of the products life-span from its manufacture, use, and maintenance, toits final disposal, including the raw material acquisition required tomanufacture the product. (USEPA, 2006)

Life Cycle Assessment (also known as Life Cycle Analysis) is amethodology for assessing each and every environmental impactsassociated with the products, processes,or services by:

Defining the goals and scope

Compilingan inventory of inputs and outputs

Evaluatingenvironmental impacts

Reportingoutcomes

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What is LCA? (2)

Raw Materials material

processing

Product

manufactureDistributionand storage

UseDisposal/

Recycling

Raw Materials Energy resources

Emissions to Air Emissions to Water Solid Wastes

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Recycling

Cradle to Cradle

includes recycling

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Life Cycle

http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en_UK/programs/compactdetergents_en.html 14

Life Cycle Stages

Why LCA? (1)

Why a product-oriented information tool?

Increased attention for product policy

several national policy plans

EUs Integrated Product Policy

UNEPs International Declaration on Cleaner Production

etc.

Influence consumption and production patterns

clean(er) production

ecolabel

product stewardship etc.

Why LCA? (2)

Why an integrated information tool?

Prevent problem shifting

to other life cycle stages

to other substances

to other environmental problems

to other countries

to the future

Why LCA? (3)

Why a method?

To structure the large amount of complex data

To facilitate comparisons across product alternatives

To enable benchmarking

LCA Standards

ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management --Life cycle assessment Principles and

framework

ISO

Standard

ISO 14044:2006 Environmental management --Life cycle assessment Requirements and

guidelines

ISO/TR 14047:2003 Environmental management --Life cycle impact assessment Examples of

application of ISO 14042

ISO/TS 14048:2000 Environmental management -- Life cycle assessment Data

documentation format

ISO/TR 14049:2000 Environmental management --Life cycle assessment Examples of

application of ISO 14041 to goal and scope definition and inventory

analysis

PAS 2050 Life Cycle GHG Emission of goods and services BSI

Standard

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USEPA LCA Resources: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lcaccess/resources.html


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ISO 14040 framework (1)

- Product development

and improvement

- Strategic planning

- Public policy making

- Marketing

- Other

Goal

and scope

definition

Inventoryanalysis

Impact

assessment

Interpretation

Direct applications:

Life cycle assessment frameworkSource: ISO 14040

ISO 14040 framework (2)

ISO: Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and thepotential environmental impacts of a product system throughout itslife cycle

International Standard ISO 14040

complementary International Standards ISO 14041, 14042,14043

no Technical Report to 14040, but Technical Reports to 14041and 14042

14044 merges the revised 14040-14043 (2006)

SYNERGY OF GREEN PURCHASING ANDLCA

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Definition of Green Purchasing

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Green Purchasing is the purchase of goods and

services that minimize environmental impacts . It

includes the purchase of product that have a lesser or

reduced effect on human health and the environment

when compared with competing products that serve

the same purpose.

From the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)

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What is Green Purchasing?

Purchasing

Quality Cost Delivery +

=

+ + Environment

Source: The Green Purchasing & Green Public Procurement Starter Kit

Green

Purchasing

=

Target Fields of Green Purchasing

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Office Supply

Motorcar

PC

Paper

Furniture

Work wear

Distribution

Food

Hotel & Meeting

Banking

Lighting

Electric Appliance Canteen

Catering

ServicesProducts

Parts and Materials Cleaning

Printing

Printer

Construction

ElectricityEnergy

Electronic Parts

Source: The Green Purchasing & Green Public Procurement Starter Kit


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Synergy of LCA and GreenPurchasing

It is estimated that as much as 75% of the environmental impacts(as well as the costs) that a product throws off throughout its lifetimeis determined at the design stage. (IDSA, Design: Green 2004,www.designgreen.org)

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The product life cycle is the basis ofgreen supply chain management

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ConceptConcept DesignDesignRaw

materialsRaw

materialsManufactu

reManufactu

reDistribution / retail

Distribution / retail

Consumeruse

Consumeruse

Disposal /recycling

Disposal /recycling

Typical Supplier Chain

Consider the life cycle of the

supply chain to minimize the

environmental impacts

GreenPurchasing

Env.impacts

GreenPurchasing

GreenPurchasing

GreenPurchasing

GreenPurchasing

GreenPurchasing

GreenPurchasing

Env.impacts

Env.impacts

Env.impacts

Env.impacts

Reduce Env.

Release

LCA is a tool for making greenpurchasing decision

1. Develop a systematic evaluationof the environmental consequencesassociated with a given product.

2. Analyze the environmental trade-offsassociated with one or more specificproducts/processes to help gain stakeholder acceptance for a planned action.

3. Quantify environmental releasesto air, water, and land in relation to each life

cycle stage and/or major contributing process.

4. Assist in identifying significant shifts in environmental impactsbetween life

cycle stages and environmental media. (e.g., eliminating air emissions bycreating a wastewater effluent instead)

5. Assess the human and ecological effectsof material consumption and

environmental releases to the local community, region, and world.6. Compare the health and ecological impactsbetween two or more rival

products/processes or identify the impacts of a specific product or process.

7. Identify impacts to one or more specific environmental areas of concern.

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Synergy of LCA and GreenPurchasing

LCA identify the environmental i mpacts of every single stage of the product lif e cycle

from raw materials extraction, production process, packaging, transportation,usage and disposal/recycle.

Green Purchasing Minimize the environmental impacts of every single stage of the product li fe

cycle.

Raw material biodegradable, recyclable, durable, low embody energy (low

carbon emission)

Production water treatment for reuse, high energy efficiency machineries Packaging recycled content, biodegradable.

Transportation use hybrid vehicles, route planning

Usage eco-design

Disposal/recycle take back services, parts reuse

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GP:1. Organic fiber2. Recycled fiber3. Energy efficiency

machineries

GP:1. Solution /Yarn Dye

(save dye and water)2. Low/no hazardous

chemicals (e.g. shrink-resist substances

3. Energy efficiencymachineries

GP:1. Energy efficiency

machineries2. Water treatment

GP:1. Recyclable2. Biodegradable

GP:1. Hybrid vehicles

GP:1. Durable design2. Clear instruction

GP:1. Take-back

services

Synergy of LCA and Green Purchasing

(Example) Worldwatch Institute,Worldwatch Paper 166:

Purchasing Power:Harnessing InstitutionalProcurement for People

and the Planet, July 2003,www.worldwatch.org

Green/Ecolabelling

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ISO14021(Type II)- self declaredclaims

ISO14024(Type I)- life cycle,selective, third-party verified

ISO14025(Type III)- life cycleinformation

Other Typesand Variationssingle-attributewith vertification


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LCA in Type III Ecolabelling

1. Disclose LCA information of the product2. Different product base on different product category rules to prepare

the LCA data sheet (e.g. greenhouse gases emission, acidification,eutrohpication, etc.)

3. ISO 14025 Type III ecolabel

4. Base on the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 LCA methodology

5. Verify the LCA information from the applicant and grant the logo tothe products

6. LCA information display adjacent to the logo

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Environmental Product Declaration ofBeer

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http://www.environdec.com/

Carbon Label

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Some LCA Tools

BEES 3.0d

Eco-B at 2 .1

EcoScan 3 .1

EIME V3.0

EPD Tools Suit 2007

GaBi 4.3

JEMAI-LCA Pro ver.2

KCL-E CO 4.0

LEGEP 1.2

LTE OGIP; Version 5.0; Build-Number 2092; 2005/12/12 Si maPro 7

T EAM 4.5

The Boustead Model 5.0.12

USES-LCA

Etc.

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Information from:http://lca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/lcainfohub/toolList.vm

How to choose LCA software Depending on resource

the data and data quality can have an effect on the price of a software tool

Depending on application and purpose

Some LCA tools are more suitable for particular appl ications

Depending on the level of transparency and flexibility required

Design own database? Envi ronmental indicators? Able to trace back each resultin order to find mistakes?

User-friendliness

Design similar to MS office? W ith drag-and-drop feature?

Database

Data quality, compatible with well-known database, size of database

Methodology

CML 96, CML 2002 (updated 2007), Ecoindicator 95, Ecoindicator 99, Ecologicalscarcity, EDIP 97, EDIP 2003, Impact 2002+, TRACI

Uncertainty and variability analyses

Service and Support

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N. Unger, P. Beigl and G. Wassermann. General requirements for LCA software

tools. Institute of Waste Management, BOKU University of Natural Resources andApplied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria. 36

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) training course

Date: 13-15 April 2011 25 people per class

Target: environmental consultant,

purchasers, environmental manager,

environmental officer, academic,

engineers, certification bodies,

laboratory technicians, etc.

Detail please visitwww.greencouncil.org


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Thank you

Green Council Contact Details:

Website www.greencouncil.org

Email [email protected]

Telephone (852) 2810 1122

Facsimile (852) 2810 1998

Documents

Life Cycle Assessment and Green Purchasing