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.

Life cycle assessment of organic Parmesan Cheese considering the whole dairy supply chain

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Borghesi ◽  
Giuseppe Vignali
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Parmesan Cheese

Agriculture and food manufacturing have a considerable effect on the environment emissions: holdings and farms play an important role about greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. This study aims at evaluating the environmental impact of one of the most important Italian DOP product: organic Parmesan Cheese. Environmental performances of the whole dairy supply chain have been assessed according to the life cycle assessment approach (LCA). In this analysis Parmesan Cheese is made from an organic dairy farm in Emilia Romagna, which uses the milk from three different organic livestock productions. Organic agriculture is different from conventional; the major difference is represented by the avoidance of the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides made in chemical industry process. Organic agriculture uses organic fertilizers to encourage the natural fertility of the soil respecting the environment and the agro-system. In this case, life cycle approach is used to assess the carbon footprint and the water footprint of organic Parmesan Cheese considering the milk and cheese production. The object at this level is investigating the environmental impact considering the situation before some improvement changes. The functional unit is represented by 1 kg of organic Parmesan Cheese; inventory data refer to the situation in year 2017 and system boundaries consider the inputs related to the cattle and dairy farm until the ripening (included). The carbon footprint is investigated using IPCC 2013 Global Warming Potential (GWP) 100a method, developed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and reported in kg of CO2eq. Otherwise, water footprint allows to measure the water consumption and in this work it is assessed using AWARE method (Available Water REmaining).

scholarly journals A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Electronic Retail of Household Products

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4604
Author(s):  
Jan Matuštík ◽  
Vladimír Kočí
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Logistics Center ◽  
Variation Of Parameters ◽  
Household Products ◽  
Alternative Scenarios

Electronic shopping is getting more and more popular, and it is not only clothes and electronics that people buy online, but groceries and household products too. Based on real-life data from a major cosmetics and household products retailer in the Czech Republic, this study set to assess the life cycle environmental impact of parcel delivery. Two archetype parcels containing common household and hygiene products were designed and packed in two distinct ways, and the environmental impact was quantified using the Life Cycle Assessment method. It showed that it is environmentally beneficial to use plastic cushions to insulate the goods instead of paper. However, the most important process contributing to the environmental burden was found to be electricity consumption in the logistics center. Hence, the importance of energy efficiency and efficient space utilization was demonstrated on alternative scenarios. Since the cardboard box the goods are packed in turned out to be another important contributor, an alternative scenario was designed where a reusable plastic crate was used instead. Even though the scenario was based on several simplistic assumptions, it showed a clear potential to be environmentally beneficial. In the study, contribution of other processes was scrutinized, as well as sensitivity to variation of parameters, e.g. transportation distances. The main scientific contribution of this work is to show the importance of logistics and distribution of products to end customers in the rapidly developing field of electronic retail of household products.

scholarly journals Application of life-cycle assessment to the eco-design of LED lighting products

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuyi Wang ◽  
Daizhong Su ◽  
You Wu ◽  
Zijian Chai
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Product Design ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
New Product ◽  
Design Features ◽  
Design Specification ◽  
Led Lighting ◽  
Lca Results

Abstract An approach for integrating life-cycle assessment (LCA) into the eco-design of lighting products was developed, and LCAs of five lighting products that are currently on the market were then carried out using this approach. Based on the results of these LCAs, the sustainability requests for lighting products were derived and embedded into the product design specification (PDS), thus ensuring that any product developed according to the PDS would have the desired eco-design features. A new sustainable lighting product was then designed according to the PDS and manufactured, after which the new product underwent LCA. Upon comparing the results of the LCA of the new product with the LCA results for the existing lighting products, the newly designed product was found to provide better environmental performance than the existing products (a 27–58% reduction in environmental impact).

scholarly journals Life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts of transport infrastructure and individual modes of transport

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristína Kováčiková ◽  
◽  
Antonín Kazda
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Transport Infrastructure

The paper is focused on the assessment of the environmental impacts of transport infrastructure and individual types of transport using the life cycle assessment method. The paper contains a description of the basic terminology of the problem related to transport, the environment and methods of environmental impact assessment. The paper contains analysis on monitoring carbon dioxide emissions from a global perspective as well as from a regional perspective focused on Slovakia. The aim of the paper is to create a proposal for the assessment of environmental impacts of transport infrastructure, in the form of specification of areas of assessment for selected types of transport with a focus on carbon dioxide emissions. Using the knowledge and principles of the life cycle method, a proposal for relevant indicators and a proposal for a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of selected types of transport, focused on carbon dioxide emissions, is created in the paper

scholarly journals Application of Life Cycle Assessment Method for Environmental Impact Assessment of Fired Brick Production Plant in Thailand

2016 ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rutjaya P. Na Talang ◽  
Sanya Sirivithayapakorn
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Rice Husk ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Specific Energy Consumption ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Production Plant ◽  
Control Mechanisms

In many Asian countries, fired bricksare producedby burning raw bricks in a rudimen-tary clamp kiln without pollution control mechanisms, a practice which contributes to several kinds of environmental impact. This research investigated the inputs and outputs associated with production of fired bricks using the rice husk-fuelled clamp kiln. Data collected includedraw material use, energy, products, emissions and kiln temperatures. To quantify environmental impacts, the consequential-focused life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was adopted. The impactswere assessed in terms of fuel substitution as the acquisition of another fuelwas re-quired to substitute for electricity. The findings indicated that the clamp kiln technology pro-duced lowCO2emissions per unit of production and per unit of energy input, despite poor specific energy consumption. The LCA analysis indicated that the use of rice husk was the major contributor to environmental impact, and that abiotic depletion of fossil fuels repre-sented the environmental hotspot. To improve combustion efficiency, the clamp kilns should beeither insulated or replaced with more efficient kiln technology, in conjunction with the use ofrice husk.

scholarly journals Environmental Performance Measures to Assess Building Refurbishment from a Life Cycle Perspective

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Nydahl ◽  
Staffan Andersson ◽  
Anders Åstrand ◽  
Thomas Olofsson
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Building Stock ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Building Refurbishment ◽  
Operational Energy

Energy efficiency investments in existing buildings are an effective way of reducing the environmental impact of the building stock. Even though policies in the European Union and elsewhere promote a unilateral focus on operational energy reduction, scientific studies highlight the importance of applying a life cycle perspective to energy refurbishment. However, life cycle assessment is often perceived as being complicated and the results difficult to interpret by the construction sector. There is also a lack of guidelines regarding the sustainable ratio between the embodied and accumulated operational impact. The scope of this study is to introduce a life cycle assessment method for building refurbishment that utilizes familiar economic performance tools, namely return on investment and annual yield. The aim is to use the introduced method to analyze a case building with a sustainability profile. The building was refurbished in order to reduce its operational energy use. The introduced method is compatible with a theory of minimum sustainable environmental performance that may be developed through backcasting from defined energy and GHG emissions objectives. The proposed approach will hopefully allow development of sustainable refurbishment objectives that can support the choice of refurbishment investments.

Defining Key Environmental Performance Factors (KEPF) for Gas Turbines Eco-Design and Production Through Life Cycle Assessment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Musacchio ◽  
Andrea Corona ◽  
Luca Cencioni ◽  
Angela Serra ◽  
Pietro Bartocci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Performance Factors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Design And Production

Abstract Nowadays environmental impact assessment of a new product is necessary to meet rising sustainability requirements also in the Oil & Gas and Power Generation markets, especially for industrial gas turbines. From the conceptual phase to the detailed design, engineer’s work is supported by a wide range of tools aimed to define and evaluate typical parameters such as performances, life and costs, etc. However, considering environmental impact aspects from the early stages of product development may not be easy if the involved engineers are not provided by a specific Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) knowledge. Scope of this paper is to introduce and explain the development of a methodology aimed to define and evaluate the Key Environmental Performance Factors (KEPF) during the whole design process. The proposed methodology enables easy and fast eco-design evaluations and supports sustainable design assessments. Preliminary analysis of the entire processes involved in gas turbine (GT) design and production as well as testing and commissioning phases were performed to evaluate which factors affect mostly the Carbon Footprint of each process, referred to their specific functional unit. Extrapolating the KEPF from Cradle-to-Gate LCA they can be combined with case-specific qualitative and quantitative information such as material selection, manufacturing processes, mass quantity, presence of coatings etc. to provide environmental assessments. A case study of LCA applied to a heavy-duty GT is presented to outline the relative weight of each KEPF.

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