Technical Development of Waste Sector in Sweden: Survey

MASTER’S THESIS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES RESEARCH
by ISO 14040, LCA is “compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and potential environmental
impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle”.
According to ISO 14040, LCA has four principle phases described as;
1. Goal & scope definition,
2. Inventory analysis,
3. Impact assessment and
4. Interpretation.
Life Cycle Assessment Framework
Goal &
Scope
Definition
Inventory
Analysis
Interpretation
Direct applications:
• Product development
& improvement
• Strategic planning
• Public policy making
• Marketing
• Others
Impact
Assessment
Figure 2: Life Cycle Assessment Framework (ISO, 1997)
Goal and scope definition: Goal and scope definition stands important in LCA because it clarifies the
reason of conducting an LCA study and intended application of the findings. In the goal and scope
definition, functional unit (reference unit for analysis or comparison) and system boundaries are
defined precisely. Scope of LCA also provides information to the reader whether the model is
accounting or change oriented. In accounting LCA, model represents the contribution of potential
environmental impacts by a product or service, whereas, consequential LCA represents the
consequence of the alternatives course of actions. Additionally, in accounting or stand alone LCA,
average data are preferred and in consequential LCA marginal data are preferred to develop models.
Inventory analysis: Inventory analysis is the construction of flow models, where inflow and outflow of
the materials, energy, emissions data etc. are collected for the LCA model by considering the product
life cycle. Flow chart of the model is developed in the inventory stage and data is then collected
based on the quality of the data and the relevance of the model. Allocation of the different functions
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLAN
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