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Eco-efficiency Assessment

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Special Types of Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract

Quantifying the sustainability benefits of materials, products like chemicals or consumer goods represent an important aspect for the further development of more sustainable solutions in the future. Generating a realistic and validated estimate of innovative potentials by using a quantitative method is essential for the development of new products and processes. The Eco-efficiency Assessment is therefore a key element in industrial sectors to make progress in planning new products, processes, or applications by taking sustainability aspects as an important element in their decision-making processes. Different tools have been developed based on holistic life cycle management approaches to assess the entire product life cycle, from concept development, to design and implementation, further to marketing, finally, to end-of-life issues. The Eco-efficiency Assessment often incorporates both economic and environmental aspects.

Promising products can be identified at an early stage, thus facilitating decision-making about the prime thrust of the development. Major R&D projects are to be accompanied by eco-efficiency analyses during the following development phases: mini-plant, pilot plant, and basic design of a production facility, and the projects are evaluated at each milestone.

So Eco-efficiency Assessments are powerful and supporting tools for shifting product developments, optimization of products along the whole supply chain, and the definition of new opportunities in a direction, where significant improvements of sustainability can be achieved.

This chapter introduces different ways of conducting Eco-efficiency Assessments and using the results in different situations, mainly product development, improvement, and marketing.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Within the European debate on the development of a standard LCA methodology, the Center of Environmental Science, Leiden University, the Netherlands (Centrum voor Milieukunde Leiden: CML), soon conquered a position of hegemony regarding the “agenda setting” for further research on LCA. Most European experts today agree that the methodology published in 1993 by CML marked a breakthrough in the scientific foundation of LCA methodology.

  2. 2.

    Goedkoop M, Heijungs R, Huijbregts MAJ, De Schryver A, Struijs J, Van Zelm R (2009) ReCiPe 2008 A life cycle impact assessment method which comprises harmonised category indicators at the midpoint and the endpoint level. Report I: characterisation, 1st edn. 6 Jan 2009. http://www.lcia-recipe.net

  3. 3.

    The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by EPA governs the management of hazardous wastes.

  4. 4.

    Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

  5. 5.

    Source: https://www.uni-muenster.de/imperia/md/content/physikalische_chemie/praktikum/h_p_phrases.pdf

  6. 6.

    Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), United States Department of Labor, is the main federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation.

  7. 7.

    USEtox is a model which can be used to calculate characterization factors for human and ecotoxicity impact categories used in life cycle assessment (Rosenbaum RK, Bachmann TM, Gold LS, Huijbregts MA, Jolliet O, Juraske R, Koehler A, Larsen HF, MacLeod M, Margni M (2008) USEtox—the UNEP-SETAC toxicity model: recommended characterisation factors for human toxicity and freshwater ecotoxicity in life cycle impact assessment. Int J Life cycle Assess 13: 532–546).

  8. 8.

    ISIC: International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, Revision 4, United Nations, New York 2008.

  9. 9.

    AP, acidification potential; GWP, global warming potential; POCP, photochemical ozone creation potential; ODP, ozone depletion potential.

  10. 10.

    ASUE : Arbeitsgemeinschaft für sparsamen und umweltfreundlichen Energieverbrauch e. V. Germany: Comparison of heating costs in new developments, 2009.

Abbreviations

ADP:

Abiotic resource depletion

AOX:

Adsorbable organic halogens

AP:

Acidification potential

ASUE:

Arbeitsgemeinschaft für sparsamen und umweltfreundlichen Energieverbrauch e.V. Germany: Comparison of heating costs in new developments, 2009

BOD:

Biological oxygen demand

CFC:

Chlorofluorocarbons

CFL:

Fluorescent lamp

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

CSI:

Cement sustainability initiative

ECF:

Elemental chlorine free

ECM:

Eco-Care-Matrix

EDP:

Ecosystem damage potential

EEA:

Eco-efficiency analysis

EPD:

Environmental Product Declarations

GefStoffV:

Hazardous substances regulation act

GHG:

Greenhouse gases

GLS:

General lighting standard

GWP:

Global warming potential

HAL:

Halogen lamp

HCs:

Hydrocarbons

HMs:

Heavy metals

ISIC:

International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities

LCC:

Life cycle costing

NPV:

Net present value

NSF:

National sanitation foundation

ODP:

Ozone depletion potential

OSHA:

Occupational safety and health act

PEMFC:

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell

POCP:

Photochemical oxidation creation potential

SD:

Sustainable development

SEEBALANCE:

Social-eco-efficiency analysis, trade name SEEBALANCE

VOC:

Non-methane volatile organic compounds

WBCSD:

World Business Council for Sustainable Development

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sustainability Strategy, BASF SE, ZZS/S-C104, D-67056, Ludwigshafen, Germany

    Peter Saling

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  1. Office Z1, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Matthias Finkbeiner

Glossary

ASUE

Arbeitsgemeinschaft für sparsamen und umweltfreundlichen Energieverbrauch e.V. Germany: Comparison of heating costs in new developments, 2009

Eco-efficiency

Eco-efficiency is defined as aspect of sustainability relating to the environmental performance of a product system to its product system value

Eco-efficiency Analysis (EEA)

Eco-efficiency Analysis is closely linked to ISO 14045 (ISO 14045:2012) and subsequently linked as well to ISO 14040 (ISO 14040:2006) and 14044 (ISO 14044:2006). BASF has developed the eco-efficiency analysis tool to address not only strategic issues but also issues posed by the marketplace, politics and research. The goal was to develop a tool for supporting decision-making processes, which is useful for many of applications in the chemical and other industries. A part of the eco-efficiency analysis involves the evaluation of the toxicity and the ecotoxicity potential

Eco-efficiency Assessment

Eco-efficiency Assessment is defined as a quantitative management tool which enables the consideration of life cycle environmental impacts of a product system alongside its product system value to a stakeholder

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Act, United States Department of Labor, is the main federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by EPA governs the management of hazardous wastes

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is defined as the balance of economic success, ecological protection, and social responsibility

USEtox

USEtox is a model which can be used to calculate characterization factors for human and ecotoxicity impact categories used in life cycle assessment. Rosenbaum RK, Bachmann TM, Gold LS, Huijbregts MA, Jolliet O, Juraske R, Koehler A, Larsen HF, MacLeod M, Margni M (2008) USEtox—the UNEP-SETAC toxicity model: recommended characterisation factors for human toxicity and freshwater ecotoxicity in life cycle impact assessment. Int J Life Cycle Assess 13: 532–546

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Saling, P. (2016). Eco-efficiency Assessment. In: Finkbeiner, M. (eds) Special Types of Life Cycle Assessment. LCA Compendium – The Complete World of Life Cycle Assessment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7610-3_4

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