Assessing the Life Cycle Performance in the Metallurgical Sector: A Case Study in Italy

Abstract

This study compared two types of sheets: one made of steel and one made of aluminum, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA). The LCA results show that the aluminum sheet had a greater environmental impact than the steel one in 11 out of 18 impact categories, such as a 5% higher Global Warming Potential, 3% higher Stratospheric Ozone Depletion, and 72% higher Ionizing Radiation. The main contributing factors were energy-intensive processes and bauxite processing associated with aluminum production. The LCC results also supported the findings of the LCA, demonstrating that the raw material, electricity, and labor costs for aluminum sheets were higher compared to steel ones, with the aluminum sheets costing €163 and the steel ones costing €19. However, the S-LCA results presented a contrasting perspective. They indicated that steel sheets exhibited poorer social performance compared to aluminum ones, particularly regarding child labor and discrimination, primarily due to the harsh working conditions in Ghana, the primary source of iron used in steel production. Overall, this study highlights the environmental superiority of steel screens over aluminum ones but also underscores the social challenges associated with steel production.