Circular Economy and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): How to (help) make Circular Economy Happen Soledad Contreras, Mark Goedkoop PRé Consultants
About Pré and me
Putting the metrics behind Sustainability, LCA
Implementing Sustainability in Organizations Create Positive, Measurable Impact
Circularity has been discussed for decades ... Circular Economy
What can be done to escalate it?
Inspiring Vision
Minimize environmental and social impacts
Mobilize
Implementation?
Best solution always?
Combining the strenghts of Circular Economy and LCA
Accountancy Approach Show impacts from Life Cycle
Perspective
Robust Science Based Method
Capacity to mobilize?
Deal with complexity?
LCA use for Circular Economy
Circular Model
Test the assumptions
Re-think and re-define the model
Insights for Implementation
Recycling e-waste in the Netherlands
• Positive impact closing loops
• Avoidance of about 500,000 Tons CO2 eq. and 100,000 Tons material per year
• Insight in processes allowing improvements in efficiency
Cars Tires Recycling (recycled content in new tires) • Closing loops don’t
bring a positive impact
• Negative impact in rolling resistance therefore fuel use
• Positive impact for energy recovery and other uses for the material recovered
Average production
cradle to gate Distribution Car tyre
debris
Use phase fuel
consumption EoL
collection Car tyre EoL processing
Bio-based Materials
• Assessment should consider the entire life cycle
• Highlight the trade-offs between impact categories
• Case by case assessment: type of biomass, country, agriculture techniques, etc.
PRé study year 2000. Results could be not longer valid due to optimization on bio-plastics production.
Rethink and redefine the models: Explore alternative approaches
Hotspots
Circular Model v.1
Circular Model v.2 Test
scenarios
Implementation
• Route to circularity is a continuous process
• Starts at a product/operational level in business
• Prioritize actions (one step at a time, with a roadmap in mind)
• Set KPI’s and measure progress over time
• Set targets • Feed back the model
Product /service Circular Model
Test the assumptions
Re-think and re-define the model
Set priorities
Set KPI's
Monitor progress and provide Feedback
McKinsey's "REsolve" framework, which isolates six strategies to incorporate circular economy concepts into a business
Circular Model
Test the assumptions
Re-think and re-define the model
Insights for Implementation
Energy Intensity
[kWh/Ton final product]
Water Intensity [m3/Ton final product]
Material Intensity [Ton/Ton final product]
Recycled content [%] Material Recovery rate [%]
Water Recovery rate [%]
Life time of a
product [years/unit]
Land use, biodiversity
impact [Hectares]
Toxicity [ppm],
[w/w]
Relevant Indicators from LCA
Simplified, easy to implement
Information available at business level
Take-home message: Circular Economy + LCA (LCM)
Product /service Circular Model
Test the assumptions
Re-think and re-define the model
Set priorities
Set KPI's
Monitor progress and provide Feedback
Mobilizing Practical Measurable Always the best solution (recognize limitations) Science based
Thanks for your attention! Soledad Contreras [email protected]