Life cycle assessment for reuse/recycling of donated waste textiles compared to use of virgin material: An UK energy saving perspective

Woolridge, Anne C; Ward, Garth D.; Phillips, Paul S; Collins, Michael B.; Gandy, Simon

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2005.06.006

Cited by 211 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Furthermore, considering the LCSA approach, various articles on LCA and LCC studies have been published in international scientific literature, such as: Woolridge et al [11], Nieminen et al [12] and, Costa Maia et al [13].…”

Section: Literature Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Life Cycle Assessment in the Textile Sector: An Italian Case Study

et al. 2017

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This study presents the first application of the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to a textile product made in Sicily (Italy), according to the Social Life Cycle Assessment guidelines (UNEP). The main goal is to assess and present the social values of a product manufactured in a particular territorial area where the presence of an industry represents the main source of employment. The first part of the study is a literature review of the current state of the art of the S-LCA and its implementation to textile products. In the implementation, particular attention is paid in identifying the positive impacts and in highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the method when applied in this specific sector. The functional unit of the study is an order for a garment (consisting of 495 capes in a soft blend of wool and cashmere), produced by a textile company located in Sicily (Italy). The system boundaries of the study include all phases from cradle-to-gate, i.e. from raw material production through fabric/accessory production to the manufacturing process of the product itself at the company. Background and foreground processes are taken into account using specific and generic data. Two stakeholder groups have been considered (workers and local communities) as those that can better represent the company's value in the territory. The analysis carried out on the functional unit of the study allowed assessing social performance related to the specific textile product, but also to outline the general behaviour of the company. Results offer to scholars a perspective on which to focus their future researches in the sector and highlight that S-LCA is a valuable tool to support business decisions, assessing the social impact of the product to improve the social conditions of stakeholders. However, the access to primary and/or good quality local, national and global data is essential to draw credible conclusions; consequently, every effort to promote the application for S-LCA is highly suggested.

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Section: Literature Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Life Cycle Assessment in the Textile Sector: An Italian Case Study

et al. 2017

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“…For example, Woolridge et al (2006) quantify the relative impact of recycled vs virgin cotton clothes, showing that recycling behavior successfully reduces the environmental burden of clothing. The effect of recycling behavior on the impact of clothes may become especially relevant if such behavior represents a high share of a possible user scenario.…”

Section: Modeling Use Phase In Lca: Overview Of Current Practices Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumers and their behavior: state of the art in behavioral science supporting use phase modeling in LCA and ecodesign

Sorrentino

Woelbert

Sala

2016

Int J Life Cycle Assess

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Purpose Life cycle thinking and assessment require a holistic approach to the evaluation of product supply chains. An assessment from raw material extraction to end of life of any products is based on modeling a wide number of aspects and options, e.g., at technological, geographical, and temporal levels. Since the use phase is one of the most contributing life cycle stages for some products (e.g., appliance, housing, cars), a robust modeling of this stage is fundamental. Several attempts to better modeling use-phase have been performed; however, so far no systematic study is available on how to integrate behavioral science (BS) insights into LCA. This is even more important when the impact of the product under consideration is strongly determined by the use phase relatively to other life cycle stages. The aim of this paper is to explore how behavioral science has been used to date and how BS can contribute towards more robust modeling of use phase in LCA and as basis for a behavior-driven ecodesign. Methods We identified the key areas in which LCA and ecodesign may benefit from integrating insights from behavioral science and developing a conceptual model. Both robust modeling and the design of behavior change interventions rest on a sound understanding of behavior in the specific context of interest though empirical investigation. Hence, we reviewed literature on behavioral science and introduce key drivers of human behavior that are relevant in the context of use phase modeling and ecodesign. We provide examples where these were applied to facilitate the integration of BS elements by practitioners. Results and discussion Consumer's behavior is increasingly recognized as one of the drivers of overall environmental impact of a product, and some examples of use of BS for LCA are available in literature. We suggest that behavioral science can be useful in the context of life cycle assessment in two ways: measuring behavior and assessing potential and means for changing behavior. Specifically, insights and methods from behavioral sciences could be applied for assessing variability of consumer behavior, understanding leverages for behavioral changes, and possible rebound effects. Conclusions This insight may help to model the use phase more accurately, to identify realistic scenarios, and to support behavior-driven eco-innovation.

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“…Companies have also looked into the footprint of 4 Specific energy consumption values for hydraulic, hybrid and all-electric injection molding machines are 19.0, 13.2 and 12.6 MJ/kg, respectively 5 Energy difference between virgin and recycled aluminum leather shoes reporting greater than 90% of the burden arising from materials production, particularly from cattle or pig processing (Barling, 2008). Finally, Woolridge et al (2006) and Staikos et al (2007) explored alternative end-of-life treatments for textiles and footwear.…”

Section: Case Description: Materials and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacturing‐Focused Emissions Reductions in Footwear Production

et al. 2012

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What is the burden upon your feet? With sales of running and jogging shoes in the world averaging a nontrivial 25 billion shoes per year, or 34 million per day, the impact of the footwear industry represents a significant portion of the apparel sector's environmental burden. This study analyzed the carbon footprint of a familiar consumer product, a pair of running shoes. A single shoe can contain 65 discrete parts that require 360 processing steps for assembly. While brand name companies dictate product design and material specifications, the actual manufacturing of footwear is typically contracted to manufacturers based in emerging economies. Using life cycle assessment methodology, this effort quantified the global warming potential burden of a pair of shoes and mitigation strategies were proposed focusing on high leverage aspects of the life cycle.Using this approach, it was estimated that the carbon footprint of a typical pair of running shoes made of synthetic materials is 14 ± 2.7 kg CO 2 -equivalent. The vast majority of this impact is incurred during the materials processing and manufacturing stages, which make up around 29% and 68% of the total impact, respectively. By comparison, a person emits the equivalent amount of carbon by using a 100-watt light bulb for a week.For consumer products not requiring electricity during use, the intensity of emissions in the manufacturing phase is atypical; most commonly, materials make up the biggest percentage of impact. This distinction highlighted the importance of identifying mitigation strategies within the manufacturing process, and the need to evaluate the emissions reduction efficacy of each potential strategy. By postulating the causes of manufacturing dominance in the global warming potential assessment of this product, this study described the characteristics of a product that would lead to high manufacturing impact. Thereby, the work explored how relying solely on the bill of materials information for product life cycle assessment may underestimate life cycle burden and ignore potentially high impact mitigation strategies.

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Life cycle assessment for reuse/recycling of donated waste textiles compared to use of virgin material: An UK energy saving perspective

Cited by 211 publications

References 9 publications

Social Life Cycle Assessment in the Textile Sector: An Italian Case Study

Social Life Cycle Assessment in the Textile Sector: An Italian Case Study

Consumers and their behavior: state of the art in behavioral science supporting use phase modeling in LCA and ecodesign

Manufacturing‐Focused Emissions Reductions in Footwear Production

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