One of the internal applications of LCA is in process or product design and development. Recently, an LCA‐related tool called Life Cycle Product/Process Design (LCPPD) has started to emerge as an extension of life‐cycle thinking and as an aid in sustainable product and process design and development. The LCPPD procedure is outlined in Figure 10.2.
LCA is used throughout the development procedure, initially with reference to an existing process or product. This holistic approach is dynamic, involving a continuous exchange of information within and outside the design team to explore systematically the possibilities for improvement. LCA, green chemistry, green engineering, design‐for‐environment, industrial ecology, and other emerging areas of chemical engineering and environmental engineering provide greater opportunities for developing sustainable and innovative processes and products (Azapagic 2000; Bare 2003; Bhander et al. 2003; Biswas et al. 1998; Brandão et al. 2010; Cooper 2003; Curran 2003, 2012, 2015; Das 2002; Das et al. 2001, 2003; Gonzalez and Smith 2003; ISO 1997; Linke et al. 2003; SETAC 1991, 1993; UNEP‐SETAC 2000).
Once the main environmental impacts have been quantified, potential improvements are identified and the subsequent design focuses on these. The improvements are achieved through the selection of materials and technologies so as to minimize the environmental impacts but still satisfy such other parameters as efficiency, technical performance, costs, legislation, and the needs of customers and suppliers. When all of these requirements have been met, LCA is performed again, to identify and quantify the improvements that have been made.
Clearly, the LCA process is iterative, with a continuous exchange of information between the stakeholders, and yields a number of possibilities for improvements. Thus, LCPPD offers the potential for technological innovation in the product or process concept and structure through selecting the best material and process alternatives over the whole cycle. This can be of particular importance in the context of International Standards Organization (ISO) 14000, which require companies to maintain full awareness of the environmental consequences of their actions, both on and off site (Azapagic 2000).
Other applications are related to identifying possibilities for improvements in the environmental performance of an existing process or product or for the design of new ones. Studies made pursuant to ISO 14000, which are usually industry‐specific, are mainly used for product or process innovation as well as to demonstrate the environmental progress of a company. Another use of LCA is for public policy making by governments.
Because of its holistic approach to system analysis, LCA is becoming an increasingly important decision‐making tool in environmental system management. Its main advantage over other, site‐specific methods for environmental analysis, such as environmental impact assessment or environmental audits, lies in broadening of system boundaries to include all burdens and impacts in the life cycle of a product or a process, not merely focusing on the emissions and wastes generated by a plant or manufacturing site.
LCA can be used both internally by a company or externally by industry, policy makers, planners, educators, and others with an interest in the outcome. If the results of LCA are to be used internally by a company, the possible areas where it can be useful include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Strategic planning or environmental strategy development
- Problem solving in the system
- Environmental reporting, auditing, and marketing
- Identification of opportunities for, and the tracking of, environmental improvements
- Process and product design, innovation, improvement, and optimization
The external applications of LCA include its use as a marketing tool, to support environmental labeling or claims, for educational or informational purposes, and to support policy decisions. LCA, like design for environment, industrial ecology, and other emerging areas of chemical engineering and environmental engineering provides greater opportunities for developing sustainable and innovative processes and products (Azapagic 2000; Bhander et al. 2003; Cooper 2003; Curran 2003, 2012, 2015; Das 2005a; Gonzalez and Smith 2003; Linke et al. 2003).
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