| 1. |
- Bjorn, A., et al.
(author)
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Review of life-cycle based methods for absolute environmental sustainability assessment and their applications
- 2020
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In: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 1748-9326 .- 1748-9318. ; 15:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In many regions and at the planetary scale, human pressures on the environment exceed levels that natural systems can sustain. These pressures are caused by networks of human activities, which often extend across countries and continents due to global trade. This has led to an increasing requirement for methods that enable absolute environmental sustainability assessment (AESA) of anthropogenic systems and which have a basis in life cycle assessment (LCA). Such methods enable the comparison of environmental impacts of products, companies, nations, etc, with an assigned share of environmental carrying capacity for various impact categories. This study is the first systematic review of LCA-based AESA methods and their applications. After developing a framework for LCA-based AESA methods, we identified 45 relevant studies through an initial survey, database searches and citation analysis. We characterized these studies according to their intended application, impact categories, basis of carrying capacity estimates, spatial differentiation of environmental model and principles for assigning carrying capacity. We then characterized all method applications and synthesized their results. Based on this assessment, we present recommendations to practitioners on the selection and use of existing LCA-based AESA methods, as well as ways to perform assessments and communicate results to decision-makers. Furthermore, we identify future research priorities intended to extend coverage of all components of the proposed method framework, improve modeling and increase the applicability of methods. © 2020 The Author(s).
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| 2. |
- Högstrand, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Incorporation of main line impact into life cycle assessment of nutrient recovery from reject water using novel membrane contactor technology
- 2023
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - 0959-6526. ; 408
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) nutrient recovery has recently gained traction in the search for new pathways for fertilizer production. In particular, concentrated waste streams such as reject water from sludge digestion are suitable. The environmental impact of a novel nutrient recovery technology using a membrane contactor (NPHarvest) was examined with an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). Impact hotspots were benchmarked against a comparable technology (struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping), and the impacts of the two technologies were found to be similar for most studied environmental impact categories. To allow for the inclusion of effects on other parts of the WWTP while limiting the general system boundaries to the reject water treatment, a novel approach to capture the main line impact was developed. The effects on the main line contributed substantially to the overall results. The overall results indicated clear nutrient recovery benefits related to substituted materials in mineral fertilizer production. Additionally, reject water nutrient recovery provided even greater benefits due to reduced N2O emissions and the reduced use of precipitation chemicals in the WWTP main line. Nonetheless, both nutrient removal and recovery were necessary for the two technologies to reach a net zero climate impact in their current pilot scales. Further development of the NPHarvest technology—such as mitigating NH3 emissions, exploring alternative input chemicals and optimizing energy consumption (especially for crystallizing the ammonium salt solution that is produced)—is recommended before full-scale implementation.
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| 3. |
- Peters, Greg, et al.
(author)
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Environmental Prospects for Mixed Textile Recycling in Sweden
- 2019
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In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2168-0485. ; 7:13, s. 11682-11690
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The production of cotton and other fibers causes excessive resource use and environmental impacts, and the deployment of these fibers in “fast fashion” is creating large masses of textile waste. Therefore, various industrial researchers are attempting to develop systems to recycle cellulosic materials. This is a challenging undertaking because of the need to handle mixed waste streams. Alkaline hydrolysis has been suggested as a useful textile recycling process, but its sustainability credentials have not been fully examined via life cycle assessment. The aim of this article is to provide such an examination and to guide process developers by scaling up results from recent laboratory work to a small-scale industrial facility. The results indicate that the recycling process is promising from an environmental point of view. The key issue controlling the relative environmental performance of the recycling system in comparison to a single-use benchmark is how the process for converting recovered cotton into a cellulosic fiber is performed. A fully integrated viscose production system or a system that makes one of the newer cellulosic fibers (e.g., lyocell) from the recovered cotton will improve the performance of the recycling system relative to its alternatives.
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| 4. |
- Peters, Greg, et al.
(author)
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LCA on fast and slow garment prototypes
- 2018
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This report summarises the environmental assessment work done in the Mistra Future Fashion program focussed on the potential to improve the environmental performance of garments and adapt them to a circular economy. The approaches examined in this report include reducing the environmental impacts from fast-fashion trends by making garments from paper-based materials, or by extending garment life cycles.This assessment considers two paper-based garments. One is made primarily from paper pulp but enhanced with a polylactic acid polymer. This garment is worn between two to five times before being recycled as newspaper. The other fast garment is made of paper pulp, polylactic acid and nanocellulose. It has a similar life cycle but is composted after use life. These garments are compared with a standard t-shirt. The report also considers a slow-paced scenario in which a polyester garment passes between several owners and is regularly changed to maintain its appeal. It is updated with a transfer sublimation overprint three times, making the garment darker each time. Later it is joined with an outer shell of new material using laser technology to make a cropped, box-cut jacket.The assessment was performed using environmental life cycle assessment. More particularly, the assessment was based on attributional process analysis with cutoff allocation procedures and comparison with a traditional reference garment life cycle. Key environmental effect categories considered here include climate change (greenhouse gas emissions), freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity and human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer).The results indicate that the environmental outcomes of the paper-based garments can be competitive with the reference garment, particularly when the user is assumed to throw away a fully functional reference garment after five uses. This assumption may be true for some users, but the number of uses is considerably lower than the typical or the potential lifespan of the reference garment. The main factor assisting the paper-based garments is the reduction in the impacts per mass associated with material manufacturing (fibres, spinning, knitting), and also their lighter masses. Avoided impacts in the use phase play a secondary role on account of their location in Sweden with its low-carbon energy mix. The long-life garments are also competitive compared with their reference garments. This is primarily a consequence of how extending garment life avoids the production of new garments. The environmental impacts associated with transfer sublimation dye reprinting and laser processing do not significantly impact the overall environmental performance of the extended longlife garments, though confidentiality of data prevents a full assessment of these.The garments in this report are pilot products and explorative scenarios rather than attempts to model existing business or behavioural patterns. The reader should therefore take care to keep the results in context when interpreting them. Nevertheless, the results suggest the value of pursuing the potential associated with these garment life cycles. We should also bear in mind that while the reference garments in this assessment are based on typical usage patterns, other more sustainable patterns are feasible.
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| 5. |
- Roos, Sandra, et al.
(author)
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A life cycle assessment (LCA)-based approach to guiding an industry sector towards sustainability : the case of the Swedish apparel sector
- 2016
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 133, s. 691-700
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The environmental challenges associated with consumption of textiles have generally been investigated on product level in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. For social sustainability aspects, social hotspot analysis has instead been applied on the textile sector level. The aim with the industry sector approach developed by the authors was to enable assessment of different interventions in terms of how they contribute to reaching targets for environmental and social sustainability, on the sector level. The approach was tested in a case study on the Swedish apparel sector. The industry sector approach consists of three steps that address three different questions: 1) What is the current sustainability performance of the sector? 2) What is an acceptable sustainability performance for the sector? 3) Are proposed interventions enough to reach an acceptable sustainability performance? By answering these questions, it is possible to measure performance in relation to sector level targets and learn which types of interventions (technical improvements, behavioral changes, new business models, etc.), and which actors (manufacturers, retailers, consumers, authorities, etc.) that can potentially provide the greatest improvements. By applying the approach in the case study, conclusions could be drawn on whether specific interventions appear to be sufficient or not in relation to the set environmental targets. The influence of the interventions in relation to reaching targets for social sustainability was found to be the most difficult to measure due to lack of data. To spur the industry sector's stakeholders to actualize the full potential of the most effective environmental interventions, a scheme for structured evaluation of LCA results directed towards these prospective actors was developed. Based on the results from the study, actor-oriented advice could be provided.
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| 6. |
- Roos, Sandra, et al.
(author)
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Is Unbleached Cotton Better Than Bleached? Exploring the Limits of Life-Cycle Assessment in the Textile Sector
- 2015
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In: Clothing & Textiles Research Journal. - : Sage Publications. - 0887-302X .- 1940-2473. ; 33:4, s. 231-247
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The applicability of life-cycle assessment (LCA) for the textile industry is discussed with a special focus on environmental impact from chemicals. Together with issues of water depletion and energy use, the use of chemicals and their emissions are important environmental considerations for textile products. However, accounting for chemicals is a weak point in LCA methodology and practice. Two research questions were investigated in a case study of hospital garments: 1) whether LCA adds value to assessments of the chemical performance of textile products, and 2) whether inclusion of toxicity issues in LCA affects environmental performance rankings for textile products. It is concluded that the quantitative and holistic tool LCA is useful for environmental decision makers in the textile industry, and becomes more effective when chemical impacts are included. A flexible way forward is demonstrated to meet the challenge of accounting for chemicals in LCAs of textile products.
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| 7. |
- Sandin, Gustav A, 1983, et al.
(author)
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Life cycle assessment of construction materials: the influence of assumptions in end-of-life modelling
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1614-7502 .- 0948-3349. ; 19:4, s. 723-731
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeThe nature of end-of-life (EoL) processes is highly uncertain for constructions built today. This uncertainty is often neglected in life cycle assessments (LCAs) of construction materials. This paper tests how EoL assumptions influence LCA comparisons of two alternative roof construction elements: glue-laminated wooden beams and steel frames. The assumptions tested include the type of technology and the use of attributional or consequential modelling approaches.MethodsThe study covers impact categories often considered in the construction industry: total and non-renewable primary energy demand, water depletion, global warming, eutrophication and photo-chemical oxidant creation. The following elements of the EoL processes are tested: energy source used in demolition, fuel type used for transportation to the disposal site, means of disposal and method for handling allocation problems of the EoL modelling. Two assumptions regarding technology development are tested: no development from today’s technologies and that today’s low-impact technologies have become representative for the average future technologies. For allocating environmental impacts of the waste handling to by-products (heat or recycled material), an attributional cut-off approach is compared with a consequential substitution approach. A scenario excluding all EoL processes is also considered.Results and discussionIn all comparable scenarios, glulam beams have clear environmental benefits compared to steel frames, except for in a scenario in which steel frames are recycled and today’s average steel production is substituted, in which impacts are similar. The choice of methodological approach (attributional, consequential or fully disregarding EoL processes) does not seem to influence the relative performance of the compared construction elements. In absolute terms, four factors are shown to be critical for the results: whether EoL phases are considered at all, whether recycling or incineration is assumed in the disposal of glulam beams, whether a consequential or attributional approach is used in modelling the disposal processes and whether today’s average technology or a low-impact technology is assumed for the substituted technology.ConclusionsThe results suggest that EoL assumptions can be highly important for LCA comparisons of construction materials, particularly in absolute terms. Therefore, we recommend that EoL uncertainties are taken into consideration in any LCA of long-lived products. For the studied product type, LCA practitioners should particularly consider EoL assumptions regarding the means of disposal, the expected technology development of disposal processes and any substituted technology and the choice between attributional and consequential approaches.
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| 8. |
- Sandin, Gustav A, 1983, et al.
(author)
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Making the most of LCA in technical inter-organisational R&D projects
- 2014
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 70, s. 97-104
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In technical Research and Development (R&D) projects, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the technology under development is sometimes carried out. Particularly in inter-organisational R&D projects, the roles of LCAs tend to be unclear and arbitrary, and as a consequence, LCA work is not adequately designed for the needs of the project. There is a need for research on how to choose an appropriate role for LCA in such projects and how to plan LCA work accordingly.We have identified some possible roles of LCA in inter-organisational R&D projects and used experiences from LCA work in different such projects to identify four project characteristics that are decisive for what roles the LCA can have. The project characteristics are: (i) the project's potential influence on environmental impacts, (ii) the degrees of freedom available for the technical direction of the project, (iii) the project's potential to provide required input to the LCA, and (iv) access to relevant audiences for the LCA results. We discuss how evaluation of these project characteristics can help project commissioners, project managers and LCA practitioners to deliberately choose appropriate roles of LCA in inter-organisational R&D projects and plan projects for efficient use of LCA.
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| 9. |
- Sandin, Gustav, et al.
(author)
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Allocation in LCAs of biorefinery products : implications for results and decision-making
- 2015
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 93, s. 213-221
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of biorefinery products, a common challenge is the choice of method for allocating environmental burdens of multifunctional processes (feedstock cultivation and biorefinery processes), a choice which can substantially influence LCA results and hence decision-making. The aim of this paper is to explore how this choice influences results and in which decision contexts the choice is particularly important. To do this, we tested six allocation methods in a case study of a biorefinery using pulpwood as feedstock. Tested methods included: main product bears all burden, substitution, traditional partitioning methods (based on economic value and exergy), a hybrid method combining elements of substitution and partitioning, and an alternative hybrid method developed by us, which allocates less environmental burden to co-products with a high potential to mitigate environmental burdens. The methods were tested in relation to decision contexts and LCA questions of relevance for biorefineries.The results indicate that the choice of allocation method deserves careful attention, particularly in consequential studies and in studies focussed on co-products representing relatively small flows. Furthermore, the alternative hybrid allocation method is based on a logical rationale – favouring products with higher substitution potential – and has some other potential benefits. However, in cases where the scales of co-product flows are of different orders of magnitude, the method yields extreme results that could be difficult to interpret. Results also show that it can be important with consistent allocation for both cultivation and biorefinery processes, particularly when substitution is applied.
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| 10. |
- Sandin, Gustav, et al.
(author)
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Environmental impact of textile reuse and recycling – A review
- 2018
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 184, s. 353-365
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper reviews studies of the environmental impact of textile reuse and recycling, to provide a summary of the current knowledge and point out areas for further research. Forty-one studies were reviewed, whereof 85% deal with recycling and 41% with reuse (27% cover both reuse and recycling). Fibre recycling is the most studied recycling type (57%), followed by polymer/oligomer recycling (37%), monomer recycling (29%), and fabric recycling (14%). Cotton (76%) and polyester (63%) are the most studied materials.The reviewed publications provide strong support for claims that textile reuse and recycling in general reduce environmental impact compared to incineration and landfilling, and that reuse is more beneficial than recycling. The studies do, however, expose scenarios under which reuse and recycling are not beneficial for certain environmental impacts. For example, as benefits mainly arise due to the avoided production of new products, benefits may not occur in cases with low replacement rates or if the avoided production processes are relatively clean. Also, for reuse, induced customer transport may cause environmental impact that exceeds the benefits of avoided production, unless the use phase is sufficiently extended.In terms of critical methodological assumptions, authors most often assume that textiles sent to recycling are wastes free of environmental burden, and that reused products and products made from recycled materials replace products made from virgin fibres. Examples of other content mapped in the review are: trends of publications over time, common aims and geographical scopes, commonly included and omitted impact categories, available sources of primary inventory data, knowledge gaps and future research needs. The latter include the need to study cascade systems, to explore the potential of combining various reuse and recycling routes.
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| 11. |
- Sandin, Gustav
(author)
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Integrating sustainability considerations into product development : a practical tool for prioritising social sustainability indicators and experiences from real case application
- 2011
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In: Towards life cycle sustainability management. - : Springer Netherlands. - 9789400718999 - 9789400718982 ; , s. 3-14
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this paper, a tool for prioritising social sustainability parameters in product development is described. The tool's core element is a two-step Delphi exercise carried out in the product development team. The purpose of the tool is to (i) select critical social impact indicators suitable for guiding the product development process, (ii) enhance the product development team’s understanding in the field of social sustainability and (iii) engage the team in the sustainability assessment, with the further aim of ensuring the assessment’s influence on the product development process. Applied in a real product development project, the tool proved successful for selecting indicators and increase understanding of social sustainability within the product development team. Selected indicators' usefulness for the product development process remains an open question to be addressed later on as the project evolves.
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| 12. |
- Sandin, Gustav, et al.
(author)
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Moving down the cause-effect chain of water and land use impacts : An LCA case study of textile fibres
- 2013
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In: Resources, Conservation and Recycling. - : Elsevier BV. - 0921-3449 .- 1879-0658. ; 73, s. 104-113
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Environmental impacts of water and land use are often omitted or treated in an over-simplified manner in life cycle assessments (LCAs). This may provide insufficient foundation for LCA-based decision-making when product life cycles include agriculture or forestry. The aim of this paper is to assess water and land use impacts of biobased textile fibres and contribute to the development of methods for characterising such impacts in LCA. This was done by applying and developing methods suggested in literature to an LCA case study of a wood-based textile fibre under development. The water use assessment method considers water deprivation at the midpoint level and the impact on human health, ecosystem quality and resources at the endpoint level. The land use assessment method measures the impact on biodiversity, by considering changes in the vascular plant species richness and the vulnerability of the surrounding ecosystem. In the case study, five wood-based fibre production scenarios were set up in order to account for uncertainties in the future location of operations. For comparison, two cotton production scenarios were set up. An innovative consequential approach was applied in the inventory analysis of water use, in order to capture the system-scale effects of how forestry and cotton farming influence the hydrological cycle. This was compared to a more traditional attributional approach. The results show that the location of operations influences water use impacts, as water extracted from relatively water stressed environments leads to higher impacts. Furthermore, for some scenarios, the result differed considerably between the consequential and attributional inventory approaches. Moreover, it is shown that the consequential approach adds the possibility of recognising increased runoff as a potential benefit of certain types of land use. Biodiversity impacts from the transformation of natural land are much higher than impacts from the occupation of land. If transformation of land takes place, and all impact is allocated to the first harvest, cotton production appears to have a particularly high impact. However, if the transformational impact is allocated over several subsequent harvests, the impact of cotton and wood-based fibres becomes more similar. How to handle this allocation problem deserves further attention in the development of characterisation methods for land use impacts. The study has contributed to the development of characterisation methods by developing a water use inventory approach and by illuminating several methodological aspects of both water and land use impact assessment which need further research.
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| 13. |
- Sandin, Gustav, et al.
(author)
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Using the planetary boundaries framework for setting impact-reduction targets in LCA contexts
- 2015
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In: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0948-3349 .- 1614-7502. ; 20:12, s. 1684-1700
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeThe planetary boundaries (PBs) framework suggests global limits for environmental interventions which could be used to set global goals for reducing environmental impacts. This paper proposes a procedure for using such global goals for setting impact-reduction targets at the scale of products for use, for example, in life cycle assessment (LCA) contexts, e.g. as a basis for evaluating the potential of interventions to reduce the environmental impact of products.MethodsThe procedure consists of four steps: (i) identifying the PBs quantified in literature that correspond to an impact category which is studied in the product assessment context in question; (ii) interpreting what the identified PBs imply in terms of global impact-reduction targets; (iii) translating the outcome of (ii) to reduction targets for the particular global market segment to which the studied product belongs; and (iv) translating the outcome of (iii) to reduction targets for the studied product. The procedure requires some assumptions and value-based choices—the influence of these is tested by applying the procedure in a specific LCA context: a study of Swedish clothing consumption.Results and discussionThe application of the procedure in an LCA context suggested the need for eliminating all or nearly all impact of Swedish clothing consumption for most impact categories. Thus, it is improbable that a single type of impact-reduction intervention (e.g. technological development or changed user behaviour) is sufficient. The outcome’s strong dependence on impact category suggests that the procedure can help in prioritising among impact categories. Furthermore, the outcome exhibited a strong dependence on the chosen method for allocating the globally allowed impact between regions—this was tested by applying different principles identified in a literature review on the allocation of emissions rights. The outcome also strongly depended on the geographical scope—this was tested by changing the geographical scope from Sweden to Nigeria.ConclusionsThe proposed procedure is feasible to use for LCA practitioners and other environmental analysts, and data is available to apply the procedure in contexts with different geographical scopes. Value-based choices are, however, unavoidable and significantly influence the outcome, which accentuates the subjectivity and potentially controversial nature of allocating a finite impact space to certain regions, market segments and products. How to match PBs with appropriate LCA impact categories is an important area for future research.
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| 14. |
- Zamani, Bahareh, 1985, et al.
(author)
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Life cycle assessment of clothing libraries: can collaborative consumption reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion?
- 2017
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 162, s. 1368-1375
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fast fashion is a clothing supply chain model that is intended to respond quickly to the latest fashion trends by frequently updating the clothing products available in stores. The shift towards fast fashion leads to shorter practical service lives for garments. Collaborative consumption is an alternative way of doing business to the conventional model of ownership-based consumption, and one that can potentially reduce the environmental impacts of fashion by prolonging the practical service life of clothes. In this study, we used life cycle assessment to explore the environmental performance of clothing libraries, as one of the possible ways in which collaborative consumption can be implemented, and compared the advantages and disadvantages in relation to conventional business models. Furthermore, the key factors influencing the environmental impact of clothing libraries were investigated. We based our assessment on three key popular garments that are stocked in clothing libraries: jeans, T-shirts and dresses. The results showed the benefits of implementing clothing libraries associated with the garments’ prolonged service lives. Therefore to achieve environmental gains, it is important to substantially increase garment service life. Moreover, the results quantitatively demonstrated the potential risk of problem shifting: increased customer transportation can completely offset the benefits gained from reduced production. This highlighted the need to account for the logistics when implementing collaborative consumption business models.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Aggarwal, Rahul, 1994, et al.
(author)
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Freshwater ecotoxicity characterization factors for PMT/vPvM substances
- 2024
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In: Chemosphere. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 360
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study addresses the gap in freshwater ecotoxicological characterization factors (CFs) for Persistent, Mobile, and Toxic (PMT) and Very Persistent and Very Mobile (vPvM) substances. These CFs are vital for integrating the ecotoxicity impacts of these chemicals into life cycle assessments. Our goals are twofold: first, to calculate experimental freshwater CFs for PMT/vPvM substances listed by the German Environment Agency (UBA); second, to compare these CFs with those from the USEtox database. The expanded UBA list includes 343 PMT/vPvM substances, each representing a unique chemical structure, and linked to 474 REACH-registered substances. This study successfully computed CFs for 244 substances, with 107 overlapping the USEtox database and 137 being new. However, ecotoxicity data limitations prevented CF determination for 97 substances. This research enhances our understanding of freshwater CFs for PMT/vPvM substances, covering 72% of UBA's 343 PMT/vPvM substances. Data scarcity remains a significant challenge, which invariably impedes CF calculations. Notably, the disparities observed between CF values in the USEtox database and those derived in this research largely stem from variations in ecotoxicity data. Consequently, this research underscores the dynamic nature of CFs for substances, emphasizing the need for regular updates to ensure their accuracy and relevance.
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| 17. |
- Aggarwal, Rahul, 1994, et al.
(author)
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Influence of data selection on aquatic ecotoxicity characterization factors for selected persistent and mobile substances
- 2024
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In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - Göteborg : IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet AB. - 1614-7502 .- 0948-3349. ; 29:2, s. 344-354
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: This paper addresses the lack of ecotoxicity characterization factors (CFs) for persistent and mobile (PM) chemicals in life cycle assessment. The specific aims are (1) to provide CFs for 64 selected chemicals and benchmark them against the USEtox database, (2) to propose an ecotoxicity data harmonization strategy, and (3) to analyze the influence of ecotoxicity data sources and data harmonization strategies. Methods: Sixty-four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), triazines, and triazoles were selected. An ecotoxicity data harmonization strategy was developed to ensure data consistency. A screening strategy for including transformation products was also developed. Existing CFs in the USEtox organic substances database (version 2.01) were identified, and new CFs were calculated based on available data sources. The USEtox model (version 2.13) was used for calculations, and the collected ecotoxicity data from different sources were varied to test their influence. Results and discussion: The ecotoxicity data harmonization strategy excluded a considerable amount of incompatible data. To the list of 64 chemicals, 3 transformation products were added. Out of the 67 chemicals, experimental ecotoxicity data were available for 47, leading to the use of in silico tools and average values to fill data gaps for 20 chemicals. CFs for 67 chemicals could thus be provided. Comparing CFs calculated based on experimental and estimated ecotoxicity data reveals that the estimated data leads to considerably different CF values. Conclusions: The paper provides strategies for ecotoxicity data harmonization and the inclusion of transformation products. The limited availability of experimental ecotoxicity data and differing results of the applied estimation methods highlight the need for further development of estimation methods. In addition, further development in including transformation products is recommended, which is particularly relevant for PM chemicals.
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| 18. |
- Alonso Pastor, Luis E., et al.
(author)
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Life cycle assessment applied to a self-healing elastomer filled with ground tire rubber
- 2023
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - 0959-6526. ; 419
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, we present the first life cycle assessment (LCA) of a self-healing styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) used in the production of marine fenders. Results show that a rubber with healing capabilities is not environmentally attractive if it cannot last for the same lifetime as a conventional product due to its lower mechanical performance and higher energy consumption. To overcome these constraints, we added a sustainable filler, ground tire rubber, which improved the mechanical properties of the self-healing SBR (x6 increase in tensile strength). Although this addition involved additional sub-processes, the additional environmental impacts were outweighed by the benefits achieved through improved material performance (28% decrease in global warming potential - GWP and 26% in primary energy demand - PED). This study used primary data on experimental healing efficiencies and healing cycles rather than conservative assumptions, which provides a more representative and trustworthy LCA of self-healing rubbers. Our findings have significant implications for the rubber industry, as self-healing rubbers offer a promising avenue for reducing the environmental impact of synthetic materials.
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| 19. |
- Alvarez-Gaitan, JP, et al.
(author)
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Consequential cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of water treatment chemicals using simple and complex marginal technologies for electricity supply
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1614-7502 .- 0948-3349. ; 19:12, s. 1974-1984
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Chemicals produced via chlor-alkali electrolysis arewidely used throughout the water industry worldwide, withtreatment chemicals often the second largest source of environmental impacts from potable water production after electricity use. Population-driven increases in the future demand for potable water will require concomitant increases in the production of water treatment chemicals, with the associated environmental impacts of chemicals production primarily arising from the additional demand for electricity. Due to the dominance of electricity in the environmental performance of chlor-alkali chemicals, assessment of the future environmental impacts of potable water production is largely dependent on proper identification of the marginal source of electricity. Inthis paper, we present a consequential cradle-to-gate carbonfootprint (cCF) for the most widely used chlor-alkali produced disinfectant (sodium hypochlorite (13 % w/w)) andcoagulant (ferric chloride (42 % w/w)) in Australia, withspecial emphasis placed upon the identification of futuremarginal electricity supply and the substitution of hydrogengas and sodium hydroxide during production. While thisanalysis is presented in an Australian context, commonalities in potable water and chlor-alkali chemical production processes internationally give the findings a broader relevance.Methods Consequential models for sodium hypochlorite (13 % w/w) and ferric chloride (42 % w/w) production were developed, and the identification of the marginal source ofelectricity was modelled using a “simple marginal technology” approach via operationalisation of the Weidema framework and a “complex marginal technology” using a partial equilibrium model. For the simple marginal technology, the levelised cost of electricity was used to select the most competitive energy generation technologies and those most relevant for the Australian market. For the complex marginal technology, the energy sector model was used to simulate the most likely electricity supply mix. Details of the different paths taken in the substitution of hydrogen gas and sodium hydroxide are also presented. To allow for proper incorporation of uncertainties arising from these key factors in the cCF, several scenarios were developed covering fuel and carbon prices for identifying the marginal supplymix of electricity, as well as the likely production routes for sodium carbonate in the context of sodium hydroxide substitution.Results and discussion cCF results of sodium hypochlorite(13%w/w) and ferric chloride (42%w/w) are presented usingsimple and complex marginal technologies, and the implications of choosing one marginal technology over the other in the context of water treatment chemicals are presented. For the simple marginal technology approach, the global warming potential (GWP) per megagram of chemical varied from 68 to 429 kg CO2-eq for sodium hypochlorite (13 % w/w) and 59–1,020 kg CO2-eq for ferric chloride (42 % w/w). For the complex marginal technology approach, the GWP per megagram of chemical varied from 266 to 332 kg CO2-eqfor sodium hypochlorite (13 % w/w) and 214–629 kg CO2-eqfor ferric chloride (42 % w/w). Insights are given in relation to the impact of the price of fossil fuels, the carbon price, and the different substitution routes.Conclusions The use of a partial equilibrium model (PEM) hasenabled a better understanding of the variability of the results in this study. For example, the use of PEM for the identification of the complex marginal source of electricity shows that, for the case of Australia, any benefit from a carbon price is lost with high prices of natural gas due to the incentive to use cheaper fuels such as black and brown coal. Likewise, the use of explorative scenarios was decisive to manage the inherent uncertainty of the parameters included in the model. In relation to substitution, the case of ferric chloride (42 % w/w) indicated that using only one substitution route was not enough to fully understand the potential continuum of cCF results. The simple marginal approach, where an exclusive marginal source of electricity or substitution route is considered, presents significant risks for the modelling accuracy of the cCF as shown here for sodium hypochlorite (13 % w/w) and ferric chloride (42 % w/w), therefore, it is not recommended.
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| 20. |
- Alvarez-Gaitan, Juan P, et al.
(author)
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A hybrid life cycle assessment of water treatment chemicals: an Australian experience
- 2013
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In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1614-7502 .- 0948-3349. ; 18:7, s. 1291-1301
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeLife cycle assessment (LCA) of chemicals is usually developed using a process-based approach. In this paper, we develop a tiered hybrid LCA of water treatment chemicals combining the specificity of process data with the holistic nature of input–output analysis (IOA). We compare these results with process and input–output models for the most commonly used chemicals in the Australian water industry to identify the direct and indirect environmental impacts associated with the manufacturing of these materials.MethodsWe have improved a previous Australian hybrid LCA model by updating the environmental indicators and expanding the number of included industry sectors of the economy. We also present an alternative way to estimate the expenditure vectors to the service sectors of the economy when financial data are not available. Process-based, input–output and hybrid results were calculated for caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite, ferric chloride, aluminium sulphate, fluorosilicic acid, calcium oxide and chlorine gas. The functional unit is the same for each chemical: the production of 1 tonne in the year 2008.Results and discussionWe have provided results for seven impact categories: global warming potential; primary energy; water use; marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecotoxicity potentials and human toxicity potential. Results are compared with previous IOA and hybrid studies. A sensitivity analysis of the results to assumed wholesale prices is included. We also present insights regarding how hybrid modelling helps to overcome the limitations of using IO- or process-based modelling individually.Conclusions and recommendationsThe advantages of using hybrid modelling have been demonstrated for water treatment chemicals by expanding the boundaries of process-based modelling and also by reducing the sensitivity of IOA to fluctuations in prices of raw materials used for the production of these industrial commodities. The development of robust hybrid life cycle inventory databases is paramount if hybrid modelling is to become a standard practice in attributional LCA.
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| 21. |
- Alvarez-Gaitan, Juan Pablo, et al.
(author)
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Sustainability of water and wastewater treatment chemicals: development of Australian life cycle inventory data
- 2011
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In: Proceedings of The 7th Australian Life Cycle Assessment Conference - Revealing the secrets of a green market, 9th-10th March 2011, Melbourne..
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been used in many parts of the water industry to quantify the environmental impacts of current and future water and wastewater infrastructure. It was included in the sustainability assessment framework published recently by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA). However, any LCA is as good as the data selected to develop it. Different Australian urban water LCA studies have used foreign, obsolete or poorly documented data in regard to the chemicals used in water and wastewater treatment. The lack of a consistent inventory dataset imposes a significant uncertainty on any LCA carried out in the Australian water industry. The Australian Life Cycle Inventory Database Initiative (AusLCI) aims to provide transparent and high quality data to the water industry in order to make carbon footprinting and LCA easier and more accurate for utilities. As part of this, the University of NSW, Chalmers University of Technology and six major water utilities serving over 63% of Australia’s population are collaborating in a three-year Australian Research Council Linkage project to better understand the amount of chemicals used in the water industry and their environmental profiles.This paper will provide the first results from the annual survey of operational data among our industry partners, identifying the key chemicals in water and wastewater treatment around Australia. It will recognise methodological norms for multi-product allocation, the choice of engineering or economic system models and the implications of attributional and consequential perspectives in the development of Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data. Finally, it will demonstrate the environmental significance of chemicals in decision-making in water and wastewater treatment systems, and hence the importance of the sometimes neglected, so-called “scope 3 emissions” in carbon footprinting and other strategic environmental assessments.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Andersson, Hanna, 1982, et al.
(author)
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SUPFES: ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT ON SHORT-CHAIN PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES APPLIED TO LAND IN MUNICIPAL SEWAGE SLUDGE
- 2014
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In: 6th INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP on Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances - PFASs.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In a recent risk assessment of sludge application to Swedish farmlands perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was identified as a substance contributing to risks to the environment and a regulation of permissible levels in sludge was proposed. This is only one of many actions taken to regulate the so called long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of substances which include e.g. PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and their precursors. These regulations are enforced due to concerns regarding the persistence, bioaccumulation potential and effects for wildlife and human health of the long-chain PFAS. With the regulation and phase out of PFAS products containing long perfluoroalkyl chains, PFAS products containing short-chain perfluoroalkyl chains are seen as viable alternatives by the manufacturing industry, but to date knowledge about these alternative emerging products is limited and risk assessments have not yet been conducted. In this project, which is a subproject of the Swedish research programme SUPFES (www.supfes.eu), we assess the risks associated with short-chain PFAS in municipal sewage sludge applied to agricultural land in Sweden. Different scenarios are created regarding the loads of PFAS to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Further modelling scenarios are undertaken to estimate the loading of PFAS to agricultural land in Sweden as well as the subsequent fate and uptake in agricultural plants and leakage to water. The model predicted concentrations provide a basis for environmental risk assessment. With the long-chain PFAS as a benchmark, the study also aims to assess if the transition from long- to short-chain PFAS is beneficial from an application of sludge to agricultural land perspective. The risk assessment is connected to a life cycle assessment (LCA) on possible sludge handling alternatives which helps to place the problems associated with PFAS risks into a larger LCA perspective. The project results will help to determine if action is needed by water authorities to reduce the diffuse emissions of PFAS to agricultural land by introducing improved treatment technologies to remove PFAS from WWTP. This is thus an important contribution to the overarching goal of the SUPFES project which is to quantify and, if necessary, reduce diffuse emissions of PFAS to the environment. In the poster preliminary results from the risk assessment will be presented and ideas for further work discussed. Important methodological issues will be highlighted.
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| 24. |
- Arvidsson, Rickard, 1984, et al.
(author)
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Prospective environmental risk screening of seven advanced materials based on production volumes and aquatic ecotoxicity
- 2022
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In: NanoImpact. - : Elsevier BV. - 2452-0748. ; 25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The number and volume of advanced materials being manufactured is increasing. In order to mitigate future impacts from such materials, assessment methods that can provide early indications of potential environmental risk are required. This paper presents a further development and testing of an environmental risk screening method based on two proxy measures: aquatic ecotoxicity and global annual production volumes. In addition to considering current production volumes, this further developed method considers potential future production volumes, thereby enabling prospective environmental risk screening. The proxy measures are applied to seven advanced materials: graphene, graphene oxide, nanocellulose, nanodiamond, quantum dots, nano-sized molybdenum disulfide, and MXenes. Only MXenes show high aquatic ecotoxicity, though the number of test results is still very limited. While current production volumes are relatively modest for most materials, several of the materials (graphene, graphene oxide, nanocellulose, nano-sized molybdenum disulfide, and MXenes) have the potential to become high-volume materials in the future. For MXenes, with both high aquatic ecotoxicity and high potential future production volumes, more detailed environmental risk assessments should be considered. For the other materials with high potential future production volumes, the recommendation is to continuously monitor their aquatic ecotoxicity data. Based on the application of the proxy measures combined with future scenarios for production volumes, we recommend this environmental risk screening method be used in the early development of advanced materials to prioritize which advanced materials should be subject to more detailed environmental assessments.
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| 25. |
- Arvidsson, Rickard, 1984, et al.
(author)
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Using industrial default values for prospective modeling of new materials production – the case of photon upconversion materials for solar modules
- 2021
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Several approaches to upscaling of materials production processes in the context of prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) have been proposed. Often, such approaches are bottom-up, departing from laboratory-scale descriptions of production processes and from that creating a model of future large-scale production. While such approaches make use of the material-specific knowledge available at the time of the assessment, they often neglect emergent aspects that may be present at factory level. An alternative, more top-down approach is to use industrial default values, i.e. average or typical values of inputs and outputs reflecting materials production today. Since production facilities normally do not change drastically over at least 10 years, such values might be relevant in prospective LCAs, at least given modest time horizons. Such default values can also be modified based on assumptions about future changes, such as increased energy recovery or novel solvent recovery processes. We applied previously derived industrial default values for fine chemical production when modeling the production of two materials with potential use in photon upconversion applications: lead sulfide (PbS) and lead selenide (PbSe) nanoparticles. Photon upconversion means that two low-energy photons are converted into one higher-energy photon utilizable by a solar module. While we used some material-specific values, such as synthesis-specific yields, most auxiliary input and output values (e.g. solvents, inert gas, heat, electricity and emissions) instead represent factory-scale values for current fine chemical production. Considering the availability of both best- and worst-case default values, it was possible to derive ranges for the likely future environmental impacts of the two materials. We conclude that the approach is feasible, but the availability of more up-to-date industrial default values would make it even more relevant in prospective LCAs.
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