Allocation of recycling impacts in Life Cycle Analysis of...

121.12.2016

Allocation of recycling impacts

in Life Cycle Analysis of paper products

Jorge León, Itene & Catharina Hohenthal, VTT

REFFIBRE Conference Munich, Germany

September 8th, 2016

221.12.2016

Co-funded by

the European

Union

Index

1. How to treat recycling in LCA studies

2. Allocation method proposed in REFFIBRE

3. Conclusions

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Union

How to treat recycling in LCA studies

Reuse and recycling may imply that:

Inherent properties of materials in subsequent use are changed

Inputs & Outputs associated with processes for

extraction & processing of raw materials

final disposal of products

are to be shared

by more than one

product system

Debit from

previous life

cycle

Virgin

pulp

Recycled

pulp

Paper

production

Waste

management

Credit for

next life cycle

Allocation factor

421.12.2016

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Union

Allocation methods in the pulp and paper industry

Method Reference

ISO/TS 14067 – Carbon Footprint of Products (ISO 2013)

Product Environmental Footprint – PEF guide (EC, 2013)

Product Footprint Category Rules (PFCR) (EC & CEPI, 2011)

ILCD Handbook (EC, 2010)

GHG Protocol - Recycled content (WRI & WBCSD, 2010)

PAS 2050 - Recycled content (BSI, 2011)

PCR Tissue -Fibre loss compensation (The International EPD system, 2011)

AFNOR BP X30-323 (AFNOR, 2009)


521.12.2016

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Closed-loop recycling refers to those situations in which the

material of the product system considered is recycled back to the

same product system.

Open-loop recycling refers to those situations in which the

material of the product system considered is partly or fully recycled

into another product system.

Allocation procedures according to ISO/TS 14067:

First step: try to avoid allocation, e.g. by system expansion. If cannot be avoided…

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Closed-loop allocation:

Procedures according to ISO/TS 14067:

In closed–loop systems allocation is avoided since

the recycled material substitutes the primary

material in the same product system (e.g. chemicals

reused in the same product system after a cleaning

process)

Also applied in open-loop systems when the

recycled material has the same inherent

properties as the primary material (e.g. Aluminium)

721.12.2016

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Closed-loop allocation:


EM = Ev + EEoL – R * Ev

EM = Impact of raw

material acquisition

and end-of-life

EEoL = Impact tied to end-of-life operations (being part of

the product system which delivers recycled material)

EV = Impact tied to extracting or producing the raw material needed for

the product, from natural resources, as if it were all primary material

R = recycling rate;

𝑹 ∗ 𝑬𝑽 = recycling credit

821.12.2016

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Open-loop allocation:


The material is recycled into other product systems

The material undergoes a change to its inherent properties

e.g. different length of recycled fibres in paper products: REFFIBRE

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Open-loop allocation: when a product consists of 100% primary material


EM = Ev + EEoL – R * A * Ev

R = recycling rate ; A = Allocation factor of the

recycled material which leaves the product system;

𝑹 ∗ 𝑨 ∗ 𝑬𝑽 = recycling credit

EM = Impact of raw


and end-of-life

EV = Impact tied to extracting or producing all the raw

material needed for the product, from natural resources



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Open-loop allocation: when a product consists of 100% recycled material


EM = Ev * A + Epp + EEoL – R * A * Ev

EM = Impact of raw


and end-of-life

EPP = Impact tied to pre-processing of the recycled material in order to fulfil

the quality requirements of the substituted primary material

Allocation factor of the recycled material

which enters the product system

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Open-loop allocation: when a product consists both primary and

recycled material


EM = Ev * A * C + Epp * C + EV * (1 – C) + EEoL – R * A * Ev

Recycled material

C = Recycling content of the product

Primary material

ET = Ev * A * C + Epp * C + EV * (1 – C) + EPM + EEoL – R * A * Ev

EPM = Paper making process

ET = Total impact (raw material acquisition, paper making and end-of-life)

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Allo

ca

tio

n

Closed system

100% closed

Open butprimary=recycled

Open system

100% primarymaterial

100% recycledmaterial

Mix: primary & recycled

Allocation

factor


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Allocation method proposed in REFFIBRE

Basis for allocation “A” (according to ISO/TS 14067)

1. Physical properties (e.g. mass)

2. Economic value: market value for the recycled & primary material

3. Number of subsequent uses of the recycled material

MFA: Mean Fibre Age

MNU: Mean Number of Material Uses

MFA+MNU-1: Mean number of fibre uses that all fibres in a given

paper product will experience during their lifetime.

Fibre flow

modelling

(Meinl et al 2016)

From NP From OGPFrom OP

678 3.091 6.055

3.313 876

12.458 3.941

2.581 CM 3.034

23.889 1.279

To SH To NP To OGP To OP To OPB

134 6 48 2.308 680

1421.12.2016

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Allocation method combining:

ISO/TS 14067 formula

Allocation factors Ai and Ao calculated with

Medium Fibre Age (MFA) and Medium Number of Uses (MNU)

ET = Ev * Ai * C + Epp * C + EV * (1 – C) + EPM + EEoL – R * Ao * Ev


which leaves the product system

𝑨𝒐 =𝑀𝑁𝑈 − 1

𝑀𝐹𝐴 +𝑀𝑁𝑈 − 1


which enters the product system

𝑨𝒊 =𝑀𝑁𝑈


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Prod. 1Ai=5/5=1

Ao=4/5=0.8

MFA=1

MNU=5

Prod. 2Ai=4/5=0.8

Ao=3/5=0.6

MFA=2

MNU=4

Prod. 3Ai=3/5=0.6

Ao=2/5=0.4MFA=3

MNU=3

Prod. 4Ai=2/5=0.4

Ao=1/5=0.2MFA=4

MNU=2

Prod. 5Ai=1/5=0.2

Ao=0/5=0MFA=5

MNU=1

as the fibres get older (MFA ), the allocation to the

recycled fibers entering the system decreases (Ai )


(MFA + MNU – 1) = 5EXAMPLE: fibres of a given paper product

undergoing 5 product cycles during their life


𝑀𝐹𝐴 +𝑀𝑁𝑈 − 1𝑨𝒊 =

𝑀𝑁𝑈


as less future uses are expected (MNU ), the allocation

to the recycled fibers leaving the system decreases (Ao )

the allocation factor of the recycled material

leaving the system at one cycle will be the

allocation factor of the recycled material

entering the system at the next cycle

Ao (X) = Ai (X+1)

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Product MFA MNU

Newsprint (NP) 2 4.2

Other graphic papers (OGP) 1.14 3.01

Case Materials (CM) 3.02 3.09

Carton Board & Other Packaging (OP) 1.85 2.79

Ai Ao

0.81 0.62

0.96 0.64

0.60 0.41

0.77 0.49

Newsprint (NP)

Case Materials (CM)

*) The MFA and MNU values depend solely on the mass balance that was derived from data reported by the national

associations to CEPI. Some additional assumptions had to be made to fill those gaps, where no information was available.

However, due to inconsistencies these assumptions need further research and can lead to changes in MFA and MNU values.

* *

1721.12.2016

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EV = Impact tied to extracting or producing all the raw material

needed for the product, from natural resources



Ai = Allocation factor of the recycled

material which enters the product system =

(MNU) / (MFA + MNU – 1)

EPP = Impact tied to pre-processing of the recycled material in order to

fulfil the quality requirements of the substituted primary material

Ao = Allocation factor of the recycled material

which leaves the product system =

(MNU – 1) / (MFA + MNU – 1)

R = recycling rate ;

𝑹 ∗ 𝑨 ∗ 𝑬𝑽 = recycling credit

C = Recycling

content of the

product

Epm = Paper making process


ET = Total impact (raw material acquisition, paper making and end-of-life)

1821.12.2016

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Conclusions

MFA: Mean Fibre Age

MNU: Mean Number of

Material Uses

R: Recycling rate

Fibre flow

modelling

(Meinl et al 2016)

From NP From OGPFrom OP

678 3.091 6.055

3.313 876

12.458 3.941

2.581 CM 3.034

23.889 1.279

To SH To NP To OGP To OP To OPB

134 6 48 2.308 680

1



𝑨𝒊 =𝑀𝑁𝑈


2

Steps of the allocation method proposed


3ET = Total impact (raw material acquisition, paper making and end-of-life)

ISO/TS 14067

1921.12.2016

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Union

Conclusions

Method tested in REFFIBRE fulfilling the following criteria:

Gives incentives for collection for recycling as long as:

the recycling process (+collection) has lower impact than virgin process

the impacts from waste are greater than zero

Gives incentives to improve the product life cycle i.e.:

no general data to agree upon for internal processes,

re-pulping is part of the material production, not end-of-life

Shows potential difference between the products

Gives incentives for use of recycled material as long as the recycling

process (including collection) has lower impact than the virgin process*

provided that𝐸𝑃𝑃

𝐸𝑉< (1-𝐴𝑖)

Impacts from virgin production and final waste are shared between all life

cycles using the fibres

2021.12.2016

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Conclusions

Allocation of environmental impacts within Life Cycle Assessment is a

recognised methodological problem

Different allocation methods depending on the goal of the study

General lack of consensus regarding the allocation method to be used

The method can be used to further develop guidance in the available standards

and Product Category Rules (PCRs) to:

increase harmonization & consistency of LCA practice in pulp & paper sector

to enhance the practical implementation of LCA at industry level.

useful for internal decision making and external communication

An allocation method specific for the pulp and paper industry has been

developed fulfilling requirements from:

Academia: based on a recognized standard and quality-assured data

Industry: easy-to-use method based in the number of subsequent uses

2121.12.2016

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Union

Acknowledgement

The research leading to these results has received funding from the

European Union's Seventh Framework Programme under grant

agreement n° 604187.

Thanks for your attention

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