LCA of an Ecolabeled Notebook - GreenDeltaTC

Summary
Summary
This study investigates social and environmental impacts of an ecolabeled notebook
during its entire life cycle. Raw material extraction processes as well as the production
of basic materials, intermediate products, and the final product, but also use, reuse,
and two recycling options are considered. Functional unit is one recent, lightweight
laptop of the Taiwanese company ASUSTeK that is certified according to the EU Ecolabel.
The goal of the study is three-fold: First aim is the identification of social and environmental
hot spots in the whole life cycle of the notebook, in order to understand and
improve its sustainability performance. Second, the study aims at the derivation of
recommendations on company and policy level. And third, on a more general level, aim
is to apply the UNEP/SETAC guidelines for S-LCA on a complex product. 1
In order to address these goals, a social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) based on the
UNEP/SETAC guidelines and an environmental life cycle assessment (E-LCA) were conducted
in parallel. The E-LCA in the project is based on the ISO standards for life cycle
assessment (ISO 14040 and 14044). The recently published methodological sheets, 2
which complement the UNEP/SETAC guidelines, were used for indicator modelling.
This project was conducted by GreenDeltaTC on behalf of the Belgian government in
the context of the promotion of sustainable development. A working paper of this investigation
was additionally provided to the OECD. 3 Results of the study were presented
at an informal EU meeting in Brussels 4 and at an OECD meeting in Paris. 5
Starting point for both the social and the environmental analysis parts of the study was
a disassembly of the investigated product. This disassembly was performed in the beginning
of the project; it helped to identify the composition of the laptop, involved
suppliers, and production locations. Further data sources of the S-LCA were obtained
from governmental and non-governmental organisations, corporate websites, sustainability
reports, and literature as well as internet research. In addition, questionnaires
were sent to ASUSTeK and 1 st tier suppliers. In several cases interviews with workers
were conducted.
The E-LCA uses the ecoinvent database 6 as a basis for modelling the product system.
Single processes were modified to product-specific data. Especially transport processes,
electricity processes, and materials and weights of components were adapted in this
way.
1
UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative (2009)
2
UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative (2010)
3
Ciroth (2010)
4
Ciroth/Franze (2010a)
5
Ciroth/Franze (2010b)
6
ecoinvent (2010)
15