Hybridised sustainability metrics for use in life cycle assessment of bio-based products: resource efficiency and circularity

Kadambari Lokesh,Dimitris Ladakis,Apostolis Koutinas,James Clark,Ioannis K Kookos,Avtar S Matharu,Piergiuseppe Morone

doi:10.1039/c9gc02992c

Abstract

Demonstration of an innovative environmental assessment methodology that provides a unique dimension to sustainability reporting, focusing on circular bio-based value chains.

Highlights

IntroductionReview of these methodologies stresses the currently needed trajectory for sustainable development towards a resource-efficient circular economy, whilst highlighting significant gaps in the existing environmental assessment approaches
In reality, a number of present value-chain actors opt for an array of techniques comprising a mix of life cycle assessment (LCA) and non-LCA metrics to report their responsible product development and production operations, including BASF Eco-efficiency;5 Dow’s Chemical Index;6 Green chemistry and other resource efficiency metrics;7–14 Portfolio Sustainability Assessment (PSA) methodology;15 Ellen MacArthur Foundation-Material Circularity.[16]Review of these methodologies stresses the currently needed trajectory for sustainable development towards a resource-efficient circular economy, whilst highlighting significant gaps in the existing environmental assessment approaches
The capability of the process to recover and reuse process auxiliaries such as inorganic acids and process water was effectively captured by process material circularity (PMC)

Summary

Introduction

Review of these methodologies stresses the currently needed trajectory for sustainable development towards a resource-efficient circular economy, whilst highlighting significant gaps in the existing environmental assessment approaches. Environmental Footprint (PEF) recommends the use of a proposed set of impact categories for communication of a product’s environmental performance within the industrial sector.[17] Following these recommendations, a set of 7 LCA impact-categories were selected for this study (Table 1). Though LCA’s single score quantification is valuable for the overall environmental comparison of products and processes, Paper. Environmental impact Emissions to air Emissions to water Human health Abiotic resources Water use Impact category. Acidification (terrestrial and freshwater) Freshwater Eutrophication Human toxicity, cancer Fossil resource depletion Water scarcity. Disease incidence mol H+eq kg P−eq CTUh MJ m3 water deprived

Objectives

Methods

Results