The Science of Measuring Environmental Sustainability Factors – LCI for Businesses

1. The Science of Measuring Environmental Sustainability Factors – LCI for Businesses Beverly Sauer Project Manager Franklin Associates, A Division of ERG

2. Focus on Sustainability • Today, everyone is striving for sustainability, but there is no single widely-accepted way of assessing sustainability • Simple qualitative metrics are often used (e.g., recycled content, recyclability, renewable materials, degradability), but these can be misleading without a quantified assessment of their effect Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

3. Measuring Sustainability Using a Life Cycle Approach • There is a well-established scientific methodology for quantifying the environmental burdens for product and packaging systems in the context of providing a defined service or function • Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) methodology was developed in the early 1970s, impact assessment added in early 1990s, international LCA standards developed in mid/late 1990s Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

4. How Does LCI Help Evaluate Sustainability? • LCI encompasses full range of environmental results (energy consumption, global warming, solid waste, etc.) across the entire life cycle of a product system, rather than focusing on any single issue or life cycle stage. • Different qualitative attributes of each system are translated into quantified results for the defined application. Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

5. Overview of LCA • Internationally accepted ISO standards provide the framework and guidance for conducting LCA • 14040 Life cycle assessment—Principles and framework • 14044 Life cycle assessment—Requirements and guidelines • A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the “compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle.” (ISO 14040) Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

6. Phases of a Life Cycle Assessment • Goal and Scope Definition • Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) • Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) • Interpretation of Results Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

7. Phase 1: Goal and ScopePurpose of the Analysis • Benchmark for evaluating future changes and developments • Compare alternative designs or formulations • Compare with competing products • Quantify performance or improvements for communication to stakeholders or customers Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

8. Phase 1: Goal and ScopeIntended Audience/Use • Scientists, engineers, designers (use information to minimize environmental footprint of products) • Management (make strategic decisions) • Shareholders (inform about progress in reducing environmental burdens, meeting environmental goals) • Customers (environmental product declaration, respond to specific requests about environmental issues) Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

9. Phase 2 Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) • The inventory is the basic documentation process on which other parts of an LCA are built. • General concept of LCI is simple: LCI is a comprehensive input/output analysis or environmental accounting system • Inputs of resources (material and energy) • Outputs of products, releases to air, water, and land Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

10. General Life Cycle Flow Diagram Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

11. Phase 2Life Cycle Inventory Results • Results expressed in terms of a common functional unit (service provided) • Detailed, quantified list of environmental inputs and outputs for each system studied • Includes raw material use, energy use, solid wastes, atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, water use Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

12. LCI: Translating Qualitative Attributesinto Quantitative Results • By modeling the unit processes associated with each material and life cycle step, the LCI quantifies the environmental burdens associated with systems’ qualitative characteristics • Example: Does using recycled content in a specific application reduce its environmental footprint? • Does recycled content affect the product’s weight, performance, or other properties? • Does recycled content affect manufacturing efficiency, wastes, or emissions? • Postconsumer paper: collection, baling, repulping/deinking, paper manufacture (energy from fossil fuels) • Virgin paper: logging, chipping, chemical or mechanical pulping, virgin paper manufacture (energy from wood wastes) Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

13. More Examples • Recyclability: Does not provide a benefit unless the product is actually recovered and recycled; will it be used in an application where the consumer can/will recycle it? • Degradability: Benefit depends on where material ends up • Can be good if product likely to be littered or breaks down to produce useful soil amendment • Can be bad if product will go to a landfill where it may degrade anaerobically to produce methane • For materials such as plastics, more resource-efficient to recycle the material (if practical) rather than allow it to break down and “go away” • LCI models end-of-life disposition for specific application Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

14. Phase 3 Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) • Inventory of inputs/outputs from the LCI are translated into potential impacts on human health and the environment using impact assessment • Examples of impact categories: global warming, ozone depletion, smog formation, human health effects, ecotoxicity, and more Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

15. Phase 4 Interpretation of Results • Contribution analysis: identify and discuss the major contributors to results for each system • Identify relative strengths and weaknesses of alternative systems • Target areas for environmental improvement Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

16. Case Studies • Two examples where qualitative comparison of transport packaging system characteristics did not yield a clear answer • LCI was used to develop a quantified, scientific basis for decision-making • Fresh Produce Packaging • Break-pack Boxes Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

17. Corrugated Box Lightweight Made from renewable resources High recycled content Single-use: container manufactured for each shipment Recycled at high rate RPC Crate Heavier Made from fuel resources Minimal recycled content Reusable many times Requires backhauling and washing between uses Recyclable at end of life Example 1: Fresh Produce Packaging Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

18. Life Cycle Inventory Modeling • Evaluated use of corrugated and RPCs for 10 specific produce applications covering a range of container sizes and weights, produce weights, and growing locations (shipping distances) • LCI modeling quantified the effects of the differences in container weights, material composition, backhauling, etc. for each application so that informed, science-based decisions were possible, rather than value judgments Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

19. LCI Results On average, across the 10 applications studied, RPCs: • Required 39% less total energy • Produced 95% less total solid waste • Generated 29% less total greenhouse gas emissions compared to corresponding corrugated boxes. Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

20. Example 2: Break-pack Boxes • Used to ship mixed loads of products from distribution centers to retail stores • In addition to environmental analysis, this study included economic analysis Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

21. Corrugated paperboard box Lightweight Made from renewable resource High recycled content Reused a limited number of times Recycled at high rate Corrugated plastic box Heavier Uses energy resources as raw materials Little or no recycled content Reusable many times Requires periodic additions to make up for boxes diverted from reuse Recyclable at end of life Break-pack Boxes Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

22. LCI Results for Break-pack Boxes Over 5 years operation, including startup supply and makeup boxes, plastic boxes: • Require 57% less total energy • Produce 71% less total solid waste • Generate 67% less total greenhouse gas emissions compared to reusable corrugated paperboard containers. Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

23. Cost Results for Break-pack Boxes • Plastic boxes had higher startup costs to establish a sufficient supply in place at various shipping locations to support circulation • Cost/purchased box higher for plastic boxes compared to corrugated • Cost of continuously purchasing new limited-reuse corrugated boxes quickly offset the higher startup costs for plastic boxes, even taking into account supplemental purchases of plastic boxes to replace boxes removed from circulation. Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

24. Key Observations • Single-trip packaging: container must be manufactured for each shipment of product • Even if single-trip container uses recycled material or is recycled at end of life, one trip = one fabrication step • Reusable packaging: package production burdens incurred once for all lifetime uses of that container • Less energy and GHG to backhaul (and where applicable, to clean) reusable packaging than to manufacture the equivalent number of single-trip containers Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

25. Importance of Closed-loop System • In order to realize environmental and economic benefits, reusable packaging system must operate as a closed-loop system with minimal losses. • Low replacement rates – fewer containers must be produced to make shipments, saving material resources and energy • Packaging removed from service can be managed efficiently (e.g., recycled rather than disposed) • Economic benefits – after initial establishment of system, reduced annual packaging purchases, as well as reduced disposal costs Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

26. Reuse: The Ultimate Source Reduction • Package redesign for source reduction may reduce material use by 10 percent • A package that is used 10 times requires 1/10 the production burdens per trip, or 90 percent source reduction for each use! Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org

27. Contact Information • Beverly Sauer • bsauer@fal.com • (913) 649-2225 Property of the Reusable Packaging Association, Washington D.C. www.choosereuables.org