LCA Challenges & Opportunities:Perspectives, Questions and Thoughts

Copyright© 2009 UL Environment Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reprinted in any form without the express written permission of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. or as otherwise provided in writing.

Paul M. Firth

Environmental Science, LCA

UL Environment

Introduction and Outline

• Paul Firth of UL Environment– Background in LCA, Manufacturing, Standards Development

and Program Development/Management

• Challenges and Opportunities – Manufacturer’s Context– Standards Development Context

• LCA’s potential and use is often formed by your perspective and background

• Questions often arise: pre and post LCA• Possibilities and Thoughts

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Multiple Perspectives

• Perspectives are defined by educations, backgrounds, knowledge– PhD vs. MBA

• The Person…

– Industry, Academia, NGO, Standards Development

• What is their focus?• What do each want?

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A Deeper Look at Two Perspectives

Questions from a

Manufacturer’s Perspective

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Touching on Standards

Development

Questions from a Manufacturer’s Perspective

1. I know I have to do LCA because it is THE tool to use, so how do I get started? What do I do when I have data gaps? Once I’m done, how do I use it?

2. What about my proprietary information? Can I still use it Externally without compromising my company? 3rd Party Review?

3. How do I communicate my LCA work to both internal and external audiences?

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Questions from a Manufacturer’s Perspective

1. I know I have to do LCA because it is THE tool to use, so how do I get started? What do I do when I have data gaps? Once I’m done, how do I use it?

2. What about my proprietary information? Can I still use it Externally without compromising my company? 3rd Party Review?

3. How do I communicate my LCA work to both internal and external audiences?

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Possibilities and Thoughts:The Environmental Toolbox

Risk Assessment

Hazard Assessment

Material Flow Accounting

Toxicity Screening

Renewable / Alternative Energy

DfE

Life Cycle Assessment

Biomimicry

GHG Accounting

Biobased Mat’ls

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• Two basic ways to have an LCA Program

Question: Which one should you I choose…

Pros and Cons to each…

Possibilities and Thoughts:Type of Program for Your Business

Internal External

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Disadvantages– Can be quite costly per project, $15,000-75,000– Typically no implementation or integration for leading to next

steps– Lack of understanding from an internal perspective

Advantages– Get immediate access to expertise – No need for new employee or addition of

responsibilities to an existing employee– Provides hassle free services

Possibilities and Thoughts:External Program

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Disadvantages– Cost of labor or new hire– Cost of software and databases, up to $15,000– If no knowledge, there is a learning curve– LCI process can be demanding

Advantages– Knowledge gained from conducting this internally far exceeds

that from external– Internal expertise is guides and directs the process– Rather than a report, you have the full LCA, model, software,

results, etc.

Possibilities and Thoughts:Internal Program

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LCA

Possibilities and Thoughts:Data Gaps

• Is it relevant?• If nothing at all to go on, seek expert advice• If some insight is available

– Informed estimations?– Proxies?– Run sensitivity and uncertainty analyses

to identify issues or further needs…

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Be TRANSPARENT about your process and decisions

Possibilities and Thoughts:Use and Integration

DfE Foundations• Provides basic info of where to focus DfER&D Projects• New Materials, Products, Compositions, Product Development• New Product Designs, Material Subst., Process Engineering • Technologies, Prioritize Projects, Strategic Planning• ROI for Environmental Projects, Prioritize,Carbon Footprinting• Provides Scopes 1-3EcoLabeling• Types I & IIIMarketing• Support Claims, Redirect Focus and Support

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Questions from a Manufacturer’s Perspective

1. I know I have to do LCA because it is THE tool to use, so how do I get started? What do I do when I have data gaps? Once I’m done, how do I use it?

2. What about my proprietary information? Can I still use it Externally without compromising my company? Critical Review?

3. How do I communicate my LCA work to both internal and external audiences?

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Possibilities and Thoughts:Proprietary Information

• Will your proprietary information actually be disclosed in communications?– Not usually, unless everything about the study

involves proprietary info from start to finish

• How much data should you disclose with LCA reports? – Results and a certain level of aggregated LCI

data– KEY: Be TRANSPARENT about choices,

methods, values, assumptions, etc.

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Possibilities and Thoughts:Proprietary Information

• Do you need a 3rd party critical review?– If it is strictly for internal purposes, not necessary

but could be beneficial – If study is to be used externally, then yes

• Will a 3rd party review help me with my concerns over proprietary data?– Yes…– Adds a level of confidence and allows the

reporting to be focused on TRANSPARENCY for things other than the information of concern

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Questions from a Manufacturer’s Perspective

1. I know I have to do LCA because it is THE tool to use, so how do I get started? What do I do when I have data gaps? Once I’m done, how do I use it?

2. What about my proprietary information? Can I still use it Externally without compromising my company? 3rd Party Review?

3. How do I communicate my LCA work to both internal and external audiences?

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• Work on Communicating New Ideas Rather Than Just

Results

• Use Understandable Language, not LCA-specific

Language

• Different Audience, Different Communication

Possibilities and Thoughts:Internal Communication

Problem: the study seems to have shown you nothing…

• Normally caused by a presentation of pure results, confusing reports and/or detailed numbers

• Need to present new revelations, ideas or outcomes• Ex: Priority focus areas, new product development

strategy, comparisons and reductions opportunities, etc.

Possibilities and Thoughts:Communicating New Ideas

• “The impact assessment revealed through the characterization of certain pollutants, increases Eutrophication were due to the additional phosphorus releases from the additives manufacturing process up stream, which…”

• Or… “The new chemical additive caused an increase in water pollution.”

Possibilities and Thoughts:Understandable Language

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• Business Managers• Research & Development• Engineers• Sales & Marketing• Product Design

Possibilities and Thoughts:Different Audiences, Different Communications

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• Brochures and Case Studies?• Critically Review and Reports LCA Data?• Company Sponsored Educational Webinars?• Comparative Assertions? (additional requirements must be met here according to ISO)

• Environmental Product Declarations?• Sustainability Standards?

Possibilities and Thoughts:External Communications Options

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Possibilities and Thoughts:Environmental Product Declarations

• ISO 14025 Type III EcoLabel• “Quantified environmental data for a

product with pre-set categories of parameters based on the ISO 14040 series of standards, but not excluding additional environmental information”

• Product Category Rules add consistency and relevance to the specific product category adding TRANSPARENCY to the process

Source: www.environdec.com

http://www.thegreenstandard.org/documents/InterfaceFlorAmericasConvertN66EPDJuly152009_B_.pdf

• Type I – Environmental Labeling

– ISO 14024 Environmental labels and declarations

– Utilizes Life Cycle Assessment as means to inform standards development

– Some can include LCA directly in some form• NSF 140, BIFMA e3, etc.

So What about Standards Development?

• What is the typical approach for standards?

– “Shotgun approach”

– “One-upsmanship”

– Industry opinions

Possibilities and Thoughts:Moving Forward

• How do we combat the “shotgun, etc., approaches” to setting the standards criteria?– Use LCA and other scientific methods to inform these

development activities on the front end• Criteria mimics the areas of impact • Adds credibility to the efforts• Increases efficiency of the process• Supports sustainability of products

Possibilities and Thoughts:Moving Forward

• How do we combat the “shotgun, etc., approaches” to setting the standards criteria?– For standards setting, use studies and research based

off of accepted, credible methods (not proprietary or questionable methods)

– Should LCA be included within the standards?• It’s debatable…

Overall, be TRANSPARENT in choices, methods, justifications, etc.!

Possibilities and Thoughts:Moving Forward

Closing Thought:Transparency

One of the oft cited justifications for LCA is transparency to see your impacts… then why is it that transparency is often cited as a major criticism of LCA???– There is a big difference in transparency of results and

into your own processes AND transparency into how the study was conducted

– We can’t lose sight of the latter!

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Thank You!

Paul M. FirthEnvironmental Science, LCAUL Environment(706) 416-8847Paul.Firth@ULEnvironment.com