Abstract
Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is a still relatively new technique. One of its main application challenges is interpreting the three dimensions of its results in combined fashion. This paper presents the first attempt at an integrated solution-oriented approach in the LCSA, while simultaneously interpreting the results of the three assessments in a combined fashion toward improving the sustainability performance of product systems. It is based on a case study of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) production in Alberta, Canada. The methodology is characterized by five steps: (1) goal and scope definition; (2) inventory analysis; (3) impact assessment; (4) interpretation where the results of the three tools of LCSA are presented and an integrated analysis of the sustainability results following the strong sustainability model and using the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework, is conducted to propose sustainability improvements for the case study product; (5) discussion and conclusion. The integrated approach developed was able to propose some sustainability improvement proposals along the life cycle of HDPE. Yet, challenges exist in interpreting the interrelationships between the three assessment results. Moving from comparative integrated assessment approach in LCSA to solution-oriented approach still faces challenges. This work highlighted some of the research tasks that need more focus from the LCSA community to demonstrate how LCSA can contribute to sustainable development by improving the sustainability performance of product systems.
Highlights
Sustainability has been the subject of an intense debate since 1987 with the Brundtland report on Environment and Development “Our common Future” which presented the first well-known definition of “sustainable development”: “A development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [1]
The life cycle costing (LCC) is not yet standardized though it is older than life cycle assessment (LCA) and it has been used since 1930s [6]
Environmental LCC was considered the most suitable to be applied with LCA and integrated in life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) as it has been shaped using the same approach of LCA
Summary
Sustainability has been the subject of an intense debate since 1987 with the Brundtland report on Environment and Development “Our common Future” which presented the first well-known definition of “sustainable development”: “A development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [1]. A life cycle thinking approach to sustainable development is needed to consider sustainability aspects along the whole life cycle of the product and avoid any transfer of negative impacts from a part of the life cycle to another. The life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is considered the best approach to evaluate the environmental, economic and social sustainability of product systems [2]. Environmental LCC was considered the most suitable to be applied with LCA and integrated in LCSA as it has been shaped using the same approach of LCA. It covers all real money flows associated with a product along its life cycle.
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