Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
• US Life Cycle Inventory Database [11]
• Tool for Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other Environmental
Impacts or TRACI (US EPA) [12]
• European Reference Life Cycle Database or ELCD (EU Joint Research Centre)
[13]
• GREET Life Cycle Model (Argonne University) [14]
Many businesses also use life-cycle approaches to examine their own process
performance and to help reduce the overall environmental burdens of their
products and services. LCA is used in strategic decision-making as a tool to
examine the impact of material, technology and end-of-life options. It provides
insights into the different environmental trade-offs associated with product
manufacture and the consumption of resources to compliment social and economic
assessments. It is a useful means of examining the impact of new and novel
processing systems, for example to compare chemical and industrial biotechnology
approaches to deliver the same product.
The public sector also makes use of life-cycle analysis in policy implementation.
This has been most strongly developed when considering the use of biomass in
transport fuels and in heat and power generation, where public subsidy (in some
form or other) is required to drive the market and costs per tonne of carbon saved
is an important metric in determining where public funds are directed.
8.8 Ecolabels
In terms of informing consumers, labelling and development and promotion of
recognisable logos are an important tool in informing consumer choice. Again,
there are many different logos and schemes that relate to different environmental
aspects of products in use. While most relate to delivery of specific attributes
(i.e. low volatile organic carbon or VOC content or energy saving ratings) that
help to differentiate a product, a few relate more broadly to a wider range of
environmental impacts.
An example is the EU Ecolabel (Figure 8.2), developed to help identify products
and services that have a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle
from the extraction of raw material through to production, use and disposal. The
EU Ecolabel is a voluntary label promoting environmental excellence and is
recognised across Europe. Applications for accreditation are reviewed by a panel
of independent experts and representatives of environmental non-governmental
organisations. Compliance checks are also undertaken. In support of applications,
companies have to submit a technical dossier containing declarations, data sheets
and test data relevant to the sector in question. Currently there are around 37,000
Ecolabel products on the market. Those awarded Ecolabels must continuously
review and work to improve their environmental performance. The scheme is not
however limited to EU-produced materials and products; non-EU products can be
approved through the same process.
