Plastics & Sustainability

using LCA to measure and improve environmental impacts of plastics

Ecovane EnvironmentalBill Kung

2010

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Better to light a candle than curse the darkness

----John F. Kennedy

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes

---- Marcel Proust

Outline

Plastics & environment - Why is Plastics on the agenda of Sustainability today?

Plastic & LCA: theoretical explanation- why LCA? & what’s LCA?- how can LCA assess the sustainability of plastic?

LCA: practical explanation- What has been done?- example of LCA studies, including plastics

Suggestion & Solutions

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What plastics offers, what sustainability demands

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Plastic: any of various complex organic compounds produced by polymerization, capable of being molded, extruded, cast intovarious shapes and films, or drawn into filaments and then used as textile fibers

Abiotic Depletion

Ozone Layer Depletion Human Toxicity

Fresh Water Aquatic Ecotoxicity

Marine Aquatic Ecotoxicity

Terrestrial Ecotoxicity

Photochemical Oxidation

Acidification

Eutrophication

Non-renewable resource use

Non-renewable energy use

Renewable energy use

Global Warming

Meet the need ofcurrent generationbut also protect thecapability of futuregeneration to meettheir own needs

PackagingElectronics

transportationConstruction…

Abiotic Depletion

Ozone Layer Depletion Human Toxicity

Fresh Water Aquatic Ecotoxicity

Marine Aquatic Ecotoxicity

Terrestrial Ecotoxicity

Photochemical Oxidation

Acidification

Eutrophication

Non-renewable resource use

Non-renewable energy use

Renewable energy use

Global Warming

PackagingElectronics

transportationConstruction…

Plastic & Environment – bad images

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Attention

„ Resistance to chemicals

„ Electrical insulation

„ Thermal insulation

„ Lightweight

„ Freedom of design

„ Durable

„ Energy-efficient

„ Recyclable

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Plastic & Environment – the argues

Type search: ‘plastic is good’, after 0.0001s it shows…

Plastic & Environment – the question that matters

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PLASTIC

Make plastic with minimum environmental impacts

Make, use and dispose plastic in a sustainable way?

•Cleaner plastic design•Greener alternatives•New environmental innovation•Industrial ecology

POLICY

Triple bottom line

Make a policy that support real sustainable development?

•Avoid solve one problem by creating another one•Identification and prioritization of problem and opportunities•Systematic, proactive and long term thinking

PEOPLE

Can’t live w/o plastic

Sustainable consumption

•Awareness on waste minimization•Reduction of unnecessary usage, e.g. over packaging•Choose products based on ‘real’ sustainability figures instead of

Planet

1. The Sin of the Hidden Trade-off, which occurs when one environmental issue is emphasized at the expense of potentially more serious concerns.

2. The Sin of No Proof. This happens when environmental assertions are not backed up by evidence or third-party certification.

3. The Sin of Vagueness, which occurs when a marketing claim is so lacking in specifics as to be meaningless. “All-natural” is an example of this sin.

4. The (new) Sin of Worshipping False Labels. This is when marketers create a false suggestion or a certification-like image to mislead consumers into thinking that a product has been through a legitimate green certification process.

5. The Sin of Irrelevance. This sin arises when an environmental issue unrelated to the product is emphasized. One example is the claim that a product is “CFC-free,” since CFCs are banned by law.

6. The Sin of Lesser of Two Evils, which occurs when an environmental claim makes consumers feel “green” about a product category that is itself lacking in environmental benefits. Organic cigarettes are an example of this sin.

7. The Sin of Fibbing. This is when environmental claims are outright false.

LCA, what isitfor?

Worse? Or better? – an answer LCA tries to get

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• Most important ecodesign tool• Helps you set priorities• Enables you to make comparisons and measure

improvements• Supports your choices and testify some old ‘wisdom’• Helps you support and explain your decisions both

within the company and to the stakeholders• It’s at the base of major product ecolabels

LCA is the new lens toward environmental, economical and social sustainability

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Why is LCA realistic, holistic and comprehensive?

Chemical, toxics and heavy metals

Climate change

Energy

Water

Biodiversity and landuse

Air pollution

Waste management

Ozone layer depletion

Oceans and fisheries

Deforestation

Food safety

desertification

radiation

Material extraction

Component manufacture

Product manufacture

Product transport

Product use

Product disposal

Emissions

Waste

Electricity

Water

Resource use

HOLISTIC – REALISTIC – CONPREHENSIVE

Application of LCA: government

GOVERNMENT

Framing policies and initiatives, e.g.

1. Advocating Low-carbon society and support green initiatives ‟ Globally

2. Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) ‟ EU initiated

3. Public procurement tool development ‟ Global, including China

4. Circular economy (China), and 3R (Japan)

5. Rules and standard on production, processing and technology ‟ EU, Australia, Japan

6. Life cycle thinking relevant policy making, e.g. IPP (EU), EMAS (EU), EUP (EU), Eco-labeling (Global, including China) , technology evaluation(EU, Australia, Singapore and etc)

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Application of LCA: private sector

PRIVATE SECTOR

Product, decision making, market, communication and obligation:

• Internal product improvement: de-bottlenecking & green competitive

• Strategic decision support for major technology investments (e.g. biofuels)

• End-consumer marketing via Ecolables (e.g. EU Flower, Carbon labels), or directly

• Environmental reporting, business-to-business information via Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)

• LCA required for certain activities, e.g. compulsory LCA reporting for new WW infrastructure and lead acid battery recycling plant (Australia)

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Application of LCA: examples of LCA studies in Singapore, 2009 (13)

• Municipal solid waste options

• Conventional and Bio-diesel, including land use

• Crude oil based and Bio-based plastics

• Carbon capture, utilization and sequestration

• Bioenergy from Microalgae

In industry

• Alterntive packaging materials for electronic components

• Sustainability of supply chain for specialty chemicals

• Zinc recycling and reuse

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54%

28%

9%

9%

0%

9%

GDP, 2009

Rest

Europe

China

Japan

Singapore

Source: IMF, 2009

Source: Dr. Reginald Tan, 2009

Organic cotton has been claimed as an environmental friendly material by some key designers, textile manufacturers, retailers etc. A farm-gate LCA was conducted in XinJiang area to testify whether and how organic cotton shows its outstanding environmental features?

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result:

Application of LCA: Organic cotton – better for environment?

Application of LCA: single use and reusable cups

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Question:For serving 1000liter of drinks, How many (X) uses of reusable cups = 1 single use cup ?X= 2, 9, 10, 14…

Application of LCA: single use and reusable cups

Results - single score: the minimum number of uses of the reusable cup necessary for it to have a smaller environmental impact than the single-use cup is 10

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LCA: Identify where in the life cycle an impact should be targeted for reduction

„ Considering a piece of garment, from the raw material production, to the production of dyes, the spinning of yarn, knitting and sewing up of the garment and packaging for sale; to the consumer stage and disposal or recycle of the garment, they all impose a burden to environment, but which stage, has the highest environmental impact and should thus be targeted for reduction?

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LCA: Scientifically testify some “old wisdom”

“Natural” equals “more environmentally friendly”?Yes and No

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LCA key indicators for end products

Source: M. Patel et. al., Utrecht University

LCA – paper vs. plastic bags

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Life cycle Energy and Air Emissions

Careful in comparison– glass vs. aluminum vs. PET

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April 2010, PET Resin Association PETRA + Franklin Associates PET > Al can and Glass bottle withLess energy, less solid waste and much less GHG

April 2010, European Glass Container Federation, Fabrice Rivet“comparative studies are dependent upon such a huge number of assumptions, that it is difficult to compare like with like and come to fair conclusions - to say the least”.

May 2010, Owens-Illinois, Inc“cradle to cradle” LCAConsidering Carbon emission (CO2)

Sounds right, but…2% recycling rate of PET?What about the benefit of extra PET recycled?

Anyway, it is a beer bottle study, not a comprehensive Pet, Glass and Aluminum

comparison

Avoiding pitfalls of LCA

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LCA: You Are What You Eat

„ Assumptions are un-avoidable in LCA study (e.g. recycling rate, transportation distance, end of life waste treatment);

„Choice of functional unit, system boundary, allocation rules;

„ Data representativeness, uncertainties and sensitivities;

Review what is in your LCA before your draw important conclusions like

“product A is better than product B”;

Since A little knowledge (on LCA and the context) is a dangerous thing

Besides, don’t forget

LCA is much more than comparing products!

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LCA: Management & Suggestion

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Business Interaction

1. Life cycling thinking & management

2. Interaction and cooperation3. Join the funding/working for

industrial and cross-boundary LCA study

4. Knowledge sharing and experience exchanging

5. Quick LCA tools and improve6. Ask the right question to get the

right answer with LCA

LCA Development

1. China LCI database 2. China LCA impact assessment

methodology 3. Streamlined LCA tool for various

industry and applications4. Expand LCA application, from

policy making to industrial research, from central government to local government

5. Certification and pilot qualification

Capacity building

1. Formal LCA education in University / academics

2. Informal LCA training / certification and accreditation of LCA practitioners

3. Global LCA interaction4. Found a China LCA center e.g.

steering committee from government, academic, business association, LCA consultants for cross-boundary study

Thank You!

Any comments pls contact:Bill Kung

Email: bill.k@ecovane.cn+86-21-34635036

Energy and Product sustainability: www.ecovane.cn

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