LCAs: The Life Cycle Inventory Stage

 

ITENE, as a partner of the Horizon Europe funded project Bio4HUMAN, has contributed its expertise in sustainability and environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) within Work Package 5 (WP5). Its main role in this work package has been  to lead one of the stages of the LCA of the innovative bio-based solutions of the projects, which is the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI).

The LCI corresponds to the second of the four stages that make up an LCA:  1) Goal and Scope Definition, 2) Life Cycle Inventory, 3) Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), 4) Life Cycle Interpretation. The LCA methodology was applied following the ISO standards: ISO 14040:2006 (Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework) and ISO 14044:2006 (Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines).

The LCI is a crucial stage in which all inputs and outputs of a product, process, or service are systematically collected and evaluated. This includes raw material extraction, primary production, processing, packaging, transportation, products and co-products, waste, and emissions. The costs of solutions for the Life Cycle Costing (LCC) were also collected. The accuracy and completeness of the inventory are essential, as they form the basis for the impact assessment.

ITENE, in collaboration with the other partners involved in this task, compiled the information provided by the companies of the innovative bio-based solutions. This information is included in D5.1 Data collection from the partners: state-of-the art and innovative solutions. Together with all the partners involved, we managed to collect data from 12 bio-based solutions and two technologies (Anaerobic digestion and Black Soldier Fly larvae). When data were not available, the gaps were filled using information available in  literature. Two templates developed by WeLOOP were used for data collection: one for gathering the product data and another for waste treatment/process information.

The data collection of the different innovative bio-based solutions was organized among the partners according to their expertise:

  • Packaging: ITENE
  • Agricultural and hygienic plastic products: AIMPLAS
  • Pulp, paper, and agricultural waste management: UC
  • Insulation materials (not in the scope of Bio4HUMAN but included for replication purposes): WeLOOP

The LCI stage is the most time-consuming phase of the LCA, as gathering data of high quality will affect the overall results and reliability. Often, data are unavailable or confidential, requiring the use of databases, scientific articles, sector-specific documents, or expert consultation. For this inventory, data on bio-based solutions were collected as global and European market averages, as no country-specific data were provided.

Finally, it should be noted that the data from this inventory was subsequently modelled to obtain their potential environmental impact. Consequently, the outcomes of T5.2 Hotspot Analysis of current and innovative solutions will provide guidance on the possible environmental performance of the bio-based solutions.

In conclusion, the Life Cycle Inventory serves as the foundation for a robust and reliable LCA, ensuring that subsequent impact assessments are based on accurate and comprehensive data. Despite the challenges posed by data gaps and confidentiality, the collaborative effort among partners and the use of standardized templates allowed for the successful compilation of relevant information. This systematic approach not only strengthens the credibility of the Bio4HUMAN project but also provides valuable insights for future applications of bio-based solutions in sustainable development.