scholarly journals Life cycle assessment of California unsweetened almond milk

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiara S. Winans ◽  
Ilan Macadam-Somer ◽  
Alissa Kendall ◽  
Roland Geyer ◽  
Elias Marvinney
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Recycled Pet ◽  
Dairy Milk

Abstract Purpose Plant-based alternatives to dairy milk have grown in popularity over the last decade. Almond milk comprises the largest share of plant-based milk in the US market and, as with so many food products, stakeholders in the supply chain are increasingly interested in understanding the environmental impacts of its production, particularly its carbon footprint and water consumption. This study undertakes a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a California unsweetened almond milk. Methods The scope of this LCA includes the production of almond milk in primary packaging at the factory gate. California produces all US almonds, which are grown under irrigated conditions. Spatially resolved modeling of almond cultivation and primary data collection from one almond milk supply chain were used to develop the LCA model. While the environmental indicators of greatest interest are global warming potential (GWP) and freshwater consumption (FWC), additional impact categories from US EPA’s TRACI assessment method are also calculated. Co-products are accounted for using economic allocation, but mass-based allocation and displacement are also tested to understand the effect of co-product allocation choices on results. Results and discussion The GWP and FWC of one 48 oz. (1.42 L) bottle of unsweetened almond milk are 0.71 kg CO2e and 175 kg of water. A total of 0.39 kg CO2e (or 55%) of the GWP is attributable to the almond milk, with the remainder attributable to packaging. Almond cultivation alone is responsible for 95% of the FWC (167 kg H2O), because of irrigation water demand. Total primary energy consumption (TPE) is estimated at 14.8 MJ. The 48 oz. (1.42 L) PET bottle containing the almond milk is the single largest contributor to TPE (42%) and GWP (35%). Using recycled PET instead of virgin PET for the bottle considerably reduces all impact indicators except for eutrophication potential. Conclusions For the supply chain studied here, packaging choices provide the most immediate opportunities for reducing impacts related to GWP and TPE, but would not result in a significant reduction in FWC because irrigation water for almond cultivation is the dominant consumer. To provide context for interpretation, average US dairy milk appears to have about 4.5 times the GWP and 1.8 times the FWC of the studied almond milk on a volumetric basis.

Impact of Supply Chain Solutions on Environmental Performance of Biomass Use – LCA-based Research Case

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Tomasz Nitkiewicz ◽  
Agnieszka Ociepa-Kubicka
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Environmental Policies ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Steam Boiler ◽  
Production Facility ◽  
Perform Sensitivity Analysis

Abstract The article presents the activities of selected company - biomass manufacturer and user - with regard to environmental impact of biomass supply chain solutions. The biomass production facility of Biomass User Company is one of the most modern plant in Central Europe. It uses wooden and agricultural biomass to produce heat in biomass-fired steam boiler. The objective of the paper is to investigate the environmental impact with the use of life cycle assessment method. In our study, we define different scenarios for biomass transportation, concerning its supply as well as distribution. Life cycle assessment method is used to estimate environmental impact and to perform sensitivity analysis on transport modes, fuel mix structure and destination of self-cropped biomass. LCA ReCiPe endpoint indicator is used to measure environmental performance. As the results show, transport efforts are not significant factor while environmental impacts are concerned but are rather impact intensive type of activity and should be addressed with company environmental policies.

Effect of Methodological Choices on Pavement Life-Cycle Assessment

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (40) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah Yang ◽  
Imad L. Al-Qadi ◽  
Hasan Ozer
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Asphalt Binder ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Maintenance And Rehabilitation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In

The use of life-cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the environmental impacts of pavement systems has become more prevalent in recent years. When performing an LCA study, a series of methodological choices must be defined. As these decisions can change from study to study, it is important to understand the significance or insignificance of the methodological choices relevant to pavement LCA. This paper evaluated the sensitivity of five choices commonly made in pavement LCA; cut-off criteria, end-of-life (EOL) allocation, asphalt binder allocation, traffic growth, and type of energy reported. Eight case studies and four environmental indicators, that is, global warming potential, primary energy as fuel, total primary energy, and a unitless single score, were considered in the sensitivity analyses. Varying the cut-off criteria and asphalt binder allocation only had a significant impact on the environmental indicators when the use stage of the life-cycle is excluded and only the materials and construction, maintenance and rehabilitation, and EOL stages are considered. Using different EOL allocations, traffic growths, and types of energy reported had significant effects on the overall life-cycle results. Common methodological choices made in a pavement LCA are expected to have an impact on LCA results and subsequent interpretation, with the magnitude of the impact dependent on the scope of the analysis.

Life-cycle assessment of ships: The effects of fuel consumption reduction and light displacement tonnage

2019 ◽  
Vol 234 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duc Tuan Dong ◽  
Wei Cai
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Fuel Consumption Reduction ◽  
Consumption Reduction ◽  
The Impact

Life-cycle assessment has been widely applied in many industry sectors for years and there are some applications of this method in the shipping sector. Fuel consumption and material consumption are considered as crucial factors in the life cycle of ship. This study uses the life-cycle assessment method to show the effects of fuel consumption reduction and light displacement tonnage on the environmental performance of ships. This is done by comparing the environmental impacts of 25 investigated scenarios with different fuel consumption and light displacement tonnage. CML2001 methodology is used to evaluate the impact assessment and the results are calculated using GaBi software. The results show that fuel consumption reduction could cut down the environmental impacts. However, some scenarios are not environmentally beneficial due to the increase in light displacement tonnage. The effects of fuel consumption and light displacement tonnage on 12 CML2001 environmental indicators are different. It is recommended that the life-cycle assessment method should be used to fully assess the environmental impacts of ships before applying any techniques in order to achieve the environmental benefits.

Cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of ships: A case study of Panamax bulk carrier

2018 ◽  
Vol 233 (2) ◽  
pp. 670-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Duc Tuan ◽  
Cai Wei
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Bulk Carrier ◽  
Cradle To Gate ◽  
Material Extraction

Seaborne transport plays an important role in global transportation, and ships’ emissions are worth considering. By applying life cycle assessment method, the environmental impacts of ships could be evaluated. Life cycle assessment is an effective tool as this method provides a holistic perspective of a product or a service in its life cycle. In an attempt to clarify emissions released from the cradle-to-gate life cycle of ships, especially from processes in shipbuilding which were not considered adequately from some previous studies, this study conducts life cycle assessment method to assess the environmental impacts of a Panamax bulk carrier from raw material extraction to shipbuilding phase. In order to clarify life cycle emissions, some helpful mathematical formulas are also established. Ten environmental categories of CML 2001 life cycle impact assessment methodology that are relevant to the marine context are chosen for evaluating the environmental impacts. To obtain emission inventory and impact assessment results, a life cycle assessment software— GaBi—has been used. The results show that material extraction and production phase accounts for more than 85% carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, while shipbuilding phase is responsible for 99.91% volatile organic compounds, 36.08% non-methane organic compounds, and 26.76% particulate matter emissions. In relation to environmental indicators, material consumption is much more significant than other processes and accounts for more than 86% of values of 10 environmental categories. This study is useful as it provides necessary information for life cycle assessment in the shipping industry in the future.

scholarly journals Life cycle assessment of processing for chrome tanned cowhide upper leather

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-86
Author(s):  
Heng YANG ◽  
Dexin AN ◽  
Carmen GAIDAU ◽  
Jinwei ZHANG ◽  
Jin ZHOU
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
Current Method ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Leather Industry ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Primary Energy Demand

Pollution has become a serious problem in leather industry, however, current method to evaluate its environmental effect usually used data from literature review, those data generated while leather manufacturing were rarely collected and analyzed. Thereby, the aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental effect of manufacturing process of chrome tanned cowhide upper leather by applying the Life Cycle Assessment protocols. Following the guidance of ISO 14010, we first combined data obtained from field study and empirical review; and then these data were input into eFootprint for calculation. Results, including four environmental indicators (global warming potential [GWP], primary energy demand [PED], water utility [WU] and acidification [AP]), show that producing 1 kg of cowhide upper leather releases 7.040 kg of CO2 eq, consumes 106.793 MJ of energy and 89.144 kg of water and emits 0.058 kg of SO2 eq. Sensitivity analysis of inventory data demonstrated that chrome tanning and retanning processes accounted for more than 40% of PED, AP and GWP, whereas the beamhouse was more than 78% of WU. Therefore, we could optimise the tanning process by using alternative materials or technologies in the critical sections to achieve cleaner production and sustainable leather manufacturing.

scholarly journals A Review on Life Cycle Assessment of the Olive Oil Production

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 654
Author(s):  
Mattia Rapa ◽  
Salvatore Ciano
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Olive Oil ◽  
Production Process ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Oil Supply

Olive oil is one of the most globally recognized high-value products, with 4 million hectares cultivated in the Mediterranean area. The production process involves many stages: farming, extraction, packing, and waste treatment. Each one of these stages should present critical points for the environmental impacts, and for this reason, the entire sector is adopting mitigation strategies to begin to be more sustainable. The mitigation actions’ efficiency should be evaluated through environmental indicators or environmental impact assessment by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This review aimed to carry out an overview of recent papers (2011–2021) involving an LCA study in the olive oil supply chain by giving a framework of what is included in LCA studies and highlighting the main contributors to environmental impacts. The main scholarly literature databases have been exploited, highlighting a great increase in publications, especially from the producer countries. The review results reflect the heterogeneity of the production process. However, the use of pesticides, fertilizers, water, and fuel for machinery heavily weigh on the farming stage’s environmental impact. Finally, special focus was given to key elements of LCA studies in the olive oil supply chain, such as functional unit, system boundaries, impact categories, calculation method, and software widely used.

Life cycle assessment of a leather shoe supply chain

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Marta Rossi ◽  
Alessandra Papetti ◽  
Marco Marconi ◽  
Michele Germani
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle

scholarly journals Are Renewables as Friendly to Humans as to the Environment?: A Social Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Electricity

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shutaro Takeda ◽  
Alexander Keeley ◽  
Shigeki Sakurai ◽  
Shunsuke Managi ◽  
Catherine Norris
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Social Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Electricity Mix ◽  
The Impact

The adoption of renewable energy technologies in developing nations is recognized to have positive environmental impacts; however, what are their effects on the electricity supply chain workers? This article provides a quantitative analysis on this question through a relatively new framework called social life cycle assessment, taking Malaysia as a case example. Impact assessments by the authors show that electricity from renewables has greater adverse impacts on supply chain workers than the conventional electricity mix: Electricity production with biomass requires 127% longer labor hours per unit-electricity under the risk of human rights violations, while the solar photovoltaic requires 95% longer labor hours per unit-electricity. However, our assessment also indicates that renewables have less impacts per dollar-spent. In fact, the impact of solar photovoltaic would be 60% less than the conventional mix when it attains grid parity. The answer of “are renewables as friendly to humans as to the environment?” is “not-yet, but eventually.”

scholarly journals Investigating the Path from Supply Chain Integration to Business Performance: Evidence from a Sub-Saharan African Economy

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Annan ◽  
Nathaniel Boso ◽  
Dominic Essuman
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
The Impact

Following the growing concerns on the inconsistent findings in previous research and drawing on the social exchange and networking theories, this study re-examined the impact of supply chain integration (SCI) on business performance (i.e. value creation and financial performance). The study argues that the impact of SCI on financial performance is through value creation and is depended upon longevity of product life cycle. Using primary data from 79 firms in Ghana, the study finds that value creation is a short-run consequence of SCI while financial performance is a long-run outcome of SCI. Additionally, results show that the financial performance outcome of SCI is experienced more from integrative efforts than from the value creation outcome. Results further indicate that firms whose products stay relatively shorter on the market are more likely to experience lower positive impact of SCI on value creation, and thus firms’ ability to become proactive, monitor, and collect market information on product performance throughout its life cycle is key for coming out with strategies that will enable them maximize product’s life span so as to experience greater benefits that come with pursuing integration with other channel members.

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