Module 5: Life Cycle Assessment

Question 1

[Life Cycle Assessment] What does life cycle assessment study?

Answer 1

The extraction of resources, the manufacturing of product, the distribution, the consumption, and the disposal.

Question 2

[Life Cycle Assessment] What does it try to identify?

Answer 2

It tries to identify the most destructive part of the life cycle of materials. Usually either the extraction of resources or waste produced by industry or consumers.

Question 3

[Recommendations] What possible recommendations can you make for an industry after conducting LCA?

Answer 3

• energy source can be from sustainable source or biomass fuel
• policy recommendations

also important to consider:
- make sure your recommendation is actually environmentally friendly

Question 4

[Life Cycle Assessment] What are the components?

Answer 4

ISO 14040, 1997

1. Goals and Definitions
2. Inventory Analysis
3. Impact Assessment
4. Interpretation

Question 5

[Goal and Scope Definitions] What is it?

Answer 5

• acts as introduction and background

in real LCA:

• this part would talk about why we want to conduct LCA (which is usually to receive ISO certification)
• for internal or external use?
• limitations for the products
• definition of products and processes

Question 6

[Goal and Scope Definitions] What parts does maam want us to include?

Answer 6

CP Outline

1. Purpose of the study (0.5 page) - purpose is usually to identify pollutive actions and environmental impacts of your industry. focus is on waste product or sourcing of raw materials. also mention which product manufacturing process you will talk about (all products or just one?)
2. Scope of the study (0.5 page) - indicate that scope is just to study manufacturing side of your industry
3. Industry description (0.5 page) - what does your industry produce? what environmental policies does it comply with? what is the brief history of your industry?
4. Industry map - include sources. if you’re using google map, include coordinates

length? 4s = short, specific, simple, straightforward. all stakeholders should be able to understand

Question 7

[Inventory Analysis] What would this part have in real LCA?

Answer 7

1. Mass energy balance
   a. quantitative - show the process flow, consider things such as input of raw material, products and co-products, and pollution to land, water, and air, and quantify and assign specific figures/numbers of materials to each step
   b. qualitative - describe the technology used i process flow, wether there are ways to compute their emissions, and which steps produce emissions.

Question 8

[Inventory Analysis] What will this part have in mini LCA?

Answer 8

a. Process flow - diagram that includes input, process, and output
b. Discussion of raw materials - talk about main raw materials and waste products. what the role of raw material is. talk briefly about extraction and why its an issue. then make sustainable recommendations for materials. (mod 2 and 3 submission)
c. Discussion of waste products - discuss the waste produced. why are they toxic and considered pollutants? dont include yet technologies that could address waste problem (mod 2 and 4 submission). no need to add numbers.