Summary of LCA Review including carbon issues Julian Parfitt WRAP LCA Symposium ‘Making the most of LCA thinking’ 23 November 2006, Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL WRAP LCA Symposium ‘Making the most of LCA thinking’ 23 November 2006, Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL ‘Making the most of LCA thinking’ 23 November 2006, Savoy Place, London

AN INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS OF WASTE DISPOSAL AND RECOVERY OPTIONS

What is Life Cycle Analysis? EfW/ Landfill/ Open Loop Recycling Extraction

LCA stages 1.Goal and scope definition; 2.A detailed life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis, with compilation of data both about energy and resource use and on emissions to the environment, throughout the life cycle; 3.An assessment of the potential impacts associated with the identified forms of resource use and environmental emissions; 4.The interpretation of the results from the previous phases of the study in relation to the objectives of the study. 5.Critical Review

International interest in life cycle thinking ISO 14040:2006 Principles and framework ISO 14044:2006 Requirements and Guidelines The EU Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste anticipates bringing new environmental thinking and life- cycle thinking into waste policies Revised Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC) links waste to resource life-cycles.

Paper and cardboard – recovery or disposal? A changing climate for EfW? The impact of the carbon agenda on the waste management business Managing biowastes from households in the UK Dealing with food waste in the UK Carbon balances and energy impacts of the management of UK wastes Impact of energy from waste and recycling policy on UK greenhouse gas emissions The case for a resource management strategy Biffaward Mass-balance projects Waste and Resources Assessment Tool for the Environment ……… ………..& many more

Why an international review? Understand critical assumptions Conflicting Findings Critical Factors Need to understand state of knowledge - generally & for WRAP programmes

Seven material categories Paper & cardboard Plastics Glass Wood Steel Aluminium Aggregates

Who did the work? Technical University of Denmark, Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Management, Innovation and Sustainability, Denmark. Danish Topic Centre on Waste, Denmark.

Review of Life Cycle Analysis Holistic LCAs ISO standard methodology Unambiguous Comparative.

Review of Life Cycle Analysis 272 studies reviewed 55 found to be of sufficient quality for review 201 scenarios assessed across key impact categories

Scope of LCA review

Results 83% favour recycling compared to incineration and landfill Magnitude of carbon savings: current UK recycling avoids million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year Assumes that boundary conditions from reviewed studies relevant to UK

Results: System Boundaries Expected Variations Critical assumptions: Waste Handling Energy consumption

System boundary assumptions (all materials apart from paper/cardboard)

Two examples Plastics (10 studies, 60 scenarios) Glass (11 studies, 25 scenarios)

Representation of results: Relative difference calculations [Impact from glass recycling] - [Impact from landfilling glass] _________________________________________ [Impact from landfilling glass]

X.Y Closed loop recycling scenarioOpen loop recycling scenario

Plastics: Recycling vs. Incineration

Filling some of the gaps ~ WRAP LCAs in progress/ being considered LCA of drinks containers, including PLA LCA of Plasterboard LCA of Aggregates Further work on ‘open loop’ system: glass water filtration medium

Conclusions Review has increased understanding ~ why differences occur ~ critical assumptions/ boundary conditions for each material Results broadly applicable to UK waste management context Identified gaps Allowed indicative estimates of current UK benefits of recycling

The full report: