Today’s environmental manager’s toolbox: product based risk assessment and life cycle assessment Kate Winnebeck New York State Pollution Prevention Institute

Evolution of Corporate Environmental Managment Manage for Compliance motivation: compliance driver: compliance, regulatory fines boundary: facility operate within a silo tasks: ensure regulatory compliance, begin to reduce resource consumption Manage for Resource Reduction motivation: save money driver: reduce costs, reduced liability boundary: facility, some supply chain begin to operate with others in facility tasks: ensure regulatory compliance, reduce resource consumption within facility, request suppliers to track environmental metrics Manage Life Cycle Impacts motivation: be a good environmental steward driver: increased market share, public interest in environmental attributes of products boundary: facility, supply chain, products operate within multidisciplinary teams tasks: ensure regulatory compliance, reduce resource consumption within facility, request suppliers to track environmental metrics, push environmental requirements to suppliers, support product design team, support product marketing team

Multidisciplinary Teams Need for CEMs to support corporate functions Organizations rely on CEMs to –Help define key environmental terms such as “environmentally friendly,” “sustainable,” “non-toxic” –Working knowledge of environmental concepts –Provide up to date knowledge of pending regs, voluntary restrictions Marketing functions rely on CEMs to ensure ecomarketing is accurate and data is available to backup claims Product design functions rely on CEMs to incorporate ecodesign concepts into product design decisions

Managing Life Cycle Impacts Product based Risk Assessment: assess potential EHS impacts of a product Alternatives Assessment: assess potential EHS impacts of multiple products to aid in decision making Life Cycle Assessment: quantify & identify sources of environmental impact Material Extraction Material Processing Product Manufacture Product Use Packaging & Distribution End of Life

Product Based Risk Assessment ID & assess potential impacts at each life cycle stage Results are used to inform the product design team about potential risks associated with the product Numerical score is typically used to communicate results Leading private companies are developing their own EHS internal risk assessment tools –SC Johnson Greenlist™ –Walmart GreenWERCS

Alternatives Assessment Assess the EHS risk of multiple products or product components which perform the same function Risks are prioritized and alternatives are compared in order to prioritize them for implementation Numerical or relative scoring systems are typically developed to express assessment results Hazard data display methods rely on the user to apply decision methods to data on a range of chemical hazards Screening/decision methods have decision rules built into the model 1 Define the Problem 2 Identify Potential Alternatives 3 Screen Alternatives 4 Take Action

Risk & Alternatives Assessment Winnebeck, KH. An abbreviated alternatives assessment process for product designers: a children’s furniture manufacturing case study, JCleanPro, 19 (2011). Bioaccumulation & PersistenceRegulatory StatusAcute ToxHealth Hazard Fish ChV Bioaccumulation Factor Water Persistence Soil Persistence Sediment Persistence Air Persistence Dangerous for the Environment Greenhouse Gases Ozone Depleting Substance FDA Food Additive Status EPA Hazardous Air Pollutant National Drinking Water Regs Federal or State Regulatory Program Lists or Other Chemical Blacklists Inhalation LC50 Oral LD50 Dermal LD50 EWG Hazard Rating Endocrine Disruption Symptoms Allergies/Immunotoxicity Recognized Health Hazard Suspected Health Hazard Carcinogenicity Mattress and Cover (All in One) Options Mattress 1Component 1A NE Component 1B NE Component 1C NE Component 1D Component 1E NP Component 1F NP NE Mattress 2Component 2A NP Component 2B NA Component 2C Component 2D NP NENP2 000

Life Cycle Assessment 1.Define scope & boundaries 2.Life cycle inventory: quantify inputs and outputs 3.Impact analysis: inventory is translated to effects 4.Report results Input Inventory Raw Materials Energy Life Cycle Stages Material extraction Material processing Product manufacture Product use Packaging and distribution End of life Output Inventory Wastes Manufacturing scrap Air & water emissions Products

Impact Analysis Life Cycle Inventory NOx SOx Pesticides Heavy metals CO2 VOCs Particulates Chemicals Impact Categories Concentration in air, water, food Concentration greenhouse gases Changed pH and nutrient availability Change in habitat Fossil fuel availability Category Indicators Local effects on species Climate change Ozone layer depletion Radiation Respiratory effects Cancer cases and types Surplus energy Damage Categories Single Score Indicator Fate analysis Exposure & effect analysis Damage analysis Normalization & weighting Mineral & Fossil Resources Ecosystem Quality Human Health

LCA Results - Improvement Opportunities Quantify contribution of individual materials and processes to the life cycle impact Understand relative contribution of processes and products

LCA Results - Product Comparisons Results comparing environmental impacts of multiple products Used to support marketing claims Identify impact categories which products differ

LCA Results - Product Comparisons Results comparing life cycle stages impact of multiple products Pinpoint contribution of stages to the life cycle impact Visualize differences between products

Summary ToolGoals Risk assessment  Identify potential environmental health & safety risks of products  Identify processes/materials which contribute the most environmental impact  Educate business units about environmental impact Alternatives assessment  Identify potential environmental health & safety risks of products  Compare potential environmental health & safety risks of products  Identify opportunities to improve the environmental performance of products at various points in their life cycle  Educate business units about environmental impact Life cycle assessment  Quantify environmental benefits and impacts of products  Provide credible evidence for marketing claims  Identify opportunities to improve the environmental performance of products at various points in their life cycle  Inform decision-makers in industry, government or non-governmental organizations  Select relevant indicators of environmental performance, including measurement techniques  Instill life cycle thinking within businesses  Educate business units about environmental impact

Questions? Kate Winnebeck, NYSP2I