Evaluating Environmental Impacts with LCA to Achieve Carbon Neutral Societies

Abstract

This study investigated the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a manufacturing SME engaged in the metal processing industry. According to recent public tenders, LCA has a large influence in deciding whether to support a project. Even when the project describes only a part of the company's operations, LCA is mandatory. The impact of the advanced way of storing industrial gases and the inclusion of new technological equipment on environmental indicators was discussed. Input data was obtained from the company's management and the technical specifications of the new equipment. The LCA calculation was performed in the SimaPro software environment and in the ECOINVENT 3.8 database. The goal of this study was to show a positive impact of LCA even in the case of minor interventions by companies in their production processes, which do not include a comprehensive review of the company. The established practice of analyzing the life cycle of processes for the entire company represents, in the case of minor adaptations of processes, a non-rational treatment of factors that do not affect the improvement of environmental indicators. Carrying out more narrowly focused LCAs brings important information to the company about the rational inclusion of certain optional solutions at each production unit. In this way, the environmental aspect of the project is already included in the planning phase and does therefore not represent subsequently adopted decisions, which are taken simply to achieve the required standards in environmental areas. To help address these gaps, a sensitivity analysis is made on the influential input parameters, and their impact on the environmental parameters is shown. We compared the results before the company's investment (year x) and after the company's investment (year x1). The results show a great positive impact on the reduction of environmental indicators and confirm the applicability of LCA in companies that tend to improve them and achieve a carbon-neutral society. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2023-04-03-05 Full Text: PDF