Life Cycle Assessment

Prof. Brajesh Kumar Dubey

Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Lecture – 16
LCA – A Detailed Methodology

Let us a look at the detail example. As I said in the previous video we were looking at
some examples like a small example of LCA comparisons.

Now let us look at a detailed example of a LCA comparison. And I will make sure by the
end of this example, is to make sure that you have a very good understanding of how this
LCA is done. So, after this is detailed example, if somebody gives you an exercise to do
a LCA you should be able to at least list down all the steps that is needed, how to go
about it, how to do the exercise, and then of course you need a software to do the detail
calculation.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:19)

So, let us look at these detailed examples of LCA comparison. So, we will look at
another example. What is the example? Compact florescent bulb versus incandescent
bulb. Although this examples are prepared a few years back. So, now I think rather than
using this incandescent bulb, I should go for a newer example to replace this
incandescent bulb with LED bulb. Because now led bulb is more popular. But does not
change our discussion that we want to have. So, still in many parts of the country we still
use incandescent bulb for outdoors anyway and this is available in the market.

So, but say if you want to find out in terms of the compact fluorescent and incandescent,
which one is worse? Are they equal? Worse or better or which one is better? Is a CFL
better than incandescent? We know the answer already. We know that CFL is better. That
is why we have been using CFL extensively now. But in terms of the comparison, how
we do the comparison and how the LCA exercise is done? Let us look at that a step by
step.

(Refer Slide Time: 02:31)

Now, again what was the LCA study consists of? This consists of 4 steps. We have to
first define the goal and scope this study. The goal and scope of this is to compare this
two different types of bulb, CFL versus incandescent. Then we need to look at the life
cycle inventory stages. Before that we also have to do this function and functional unit
and we will talk about that.

Then there is a life cycle inventory stages. All environmental input and output we will
look at that. And how to go from there to the impact assessment, understanding the
environmental relevance of all the input output and then finally, we will have to interpret
the study and we will see that as well.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:20)

So, in terms of these 4 steps: we will go one by one of these. So, if you look at this life
cycle of a product, we have to get the life cycle, where we get all the processes
associated with a product, wherever and whenever they might occur.

So, if you look at this box over here, we can start with the resource acquisition.
Remember that particular slide where I told you that you need to really understand the
cradle to grave. The same information has been put in a different pictorial form over
here. So, you have a resource acquisition where extraction and transformation take place.
So, when you do this extraction and transformation we have to put this mother earth in
the middle. Because even in the extraction and transformation there is an impact.

So, there is an impact during the extraction and transformation your mining engineers
will tell you during the mining activities there are lot of environmental impact, lot of
water is used, energy is used, you are creating lot of noise pollution, you are creating lot
of dust and all that. So, all these goes into in terms of the environmental impact. Then
you manufacture which is you make things out of that with the assembly and packaging.

So, while during the manufacturing you have the impact as well. From manufacturing
you go to the distribution system, where you have the storage handling and transport.
During the distribution you have an environmental impact associated with that. During
the use phase where you have to do some maintenance, repair, reuse and you will be
using lot of energy associated with that. So, there is also is an environmental impact and
then there could be some reuse within the system then ultimately it may go to end of life
where it could be collected, recovered, recycle, land filling, and then there is an
environmental impact associated with that, and part of it could be disposed and part of it
can even can come back. So, that is your circular economy the cradle to cradle.

So, from this arrow that you see the green arrow, all the way up to here is a cradle to
grave where things gets out of the system, but when if you include this dotted green
arrow it becomes cradle to cradle. So, where you are re manufacturing and recovery of
the material and putting it back into the supply chain. So, for all this we have this
environmental impact. That is why we put this mother earth in the middle and showing
you all the impacts coming in.

So, what we do in the LCA exercise is we kind of calculate and tabulate and add up all
these different impacts that is coming into the mother earth. And in what categories of
impact. Is it a global climate? Is it a global warming? And is it a carbon change of global
warming? Is it acidification? Or is it a land using impact? Whatever different kinds of
impact we can put that all together.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:09)

So, let us look at the life cycle of a light bulb. So, we have this light bulb incandescent or
compact fluorescent. So, now I want to manufacture this light bulb. So, for manufacture
we need lot of materials; glass tungsten, copper, steel, aluminum, Argon, electronic
components, plastics, mercury, phosphorous. Think about just for a simple as simple as a
light bulb these many items are needed to make a light bulb. And, these things has to
come from somewhere. So, we have to do this resource acquisition you have to do this
resource acquisition, where it has to be extracted and transformed.

So, from the mining it is extracted and then transformed by our metallurgy friends then it
goes to the manufacturing plant, where we put we get all of this together and then
assemble and make this light bulb. So, once this light bulb is made, it has to be packaged
it has to be transported and it goes to the distribution system from the distribution
system, you go and buy the product you go to the use phase where we use the electricity
and you use it for lightning you produce light and at the end of life when that kind of
bulb gets defused or something happens it is energy called broken because of some
reason it cannot be used anymore. So, it is an end of life disposal land filling generation
where it may end up.

So, this is the whole and so, this is the whole how the life cycle of a light bulb is from
cradle to grave. So, this dotted line the dotted rectangle that you see on from the outer
boundary. This is our scope that is the scope area and we also call it system boundary.
So, this is the system boundary for this particular LCA exercise. So, our LCA exercise is
of comprising of all the unit processes happening within this system. So, this is what we
will be trying to account for. So, how will do that? First of all, we need to find out what
is the function and the functional unit. Now what is the bulbs function bulb function is to
provide light is that is it is major function is to provide light.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:24)

And then we will do this environmental like a LCA as an accounting exercise, where we
look at the environmental impact environmental intervention, environmental impact is
disturbance of natural cycles by environmental interventions, changes in the state of
natural environment due to human activities. So, we will look at all that and that is for
that functional unit and so, that is why we have to first come up with this functional unit
number. So, this life cycle inventory resource acquisition manufacturing distribution use
end of life.

(Refer Slide Time: 08:51)

We have certain inputs coming into the system. Some natural resources extraction iron
ore crude oil, water, wood, solar energy, land use all these inputs coming into the system
in terms of the resource acquisition. And then you have your output which is emissions
in air. Air emissions like carbon dioxide sax and nocks postulated madder VOCs
phosphate and nitrate in the water pesticides metals in the soil. And then you may have
other environmental impact in terms of the radiations heat and noise. So, we have to. So,
as part of the LCI which is lifecycle inventory we have to come up with a like a total of
inputs as well as the total of output and then we try to compare in terms of it is
environmental food print.

So, for all of these we have do it for a functional unit. So, the functional unit is the given
amount of a function to which all inputs and outputs are related to. So, that is like a base.
Earlier if you remember from the previous example we were talking about we said 1
meter of writing. So, we based it 1 meter of that was the functional unit of using
mechanical pencil versus the normal pencil that the wooden pencil. Similarly, here we
have to come up with a functional unit where we are trying to compare these 2 types of
bulb where which bulb is better. So, we need to do this calculation in terms of which
bulb will perform better.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:27)

So, we have this life cycle inventory for that. So, we have to have a functional unit and
based on the functional unit we have our reference flow. So, functional unit is used with
for the product comparison based on the functional unit, remember we talked about
functional unit of serving of 30 meals functional unit of 1 meter of writing. So, in many
cases one cannot simply compare product A and B, because they have different
performance; for example, again comparing milk cartoon returnable milk bottle.
Returnable milk bottle can be used many times. I do not know these days it is very
difficult to find a returnable milk bottle. We do not see them unless I would like most of
the cities I have not seen it in India or even in abroad.

But in olden days there used to be returnable milk bottle, if you have watched old
Amitabh Bachchan movie, you see that many in some of the movie there is a the bottle
comes in they drop it and front the door they put it in a small like a there is one case like
a holder bottle holder, they put it on front of the door and then they will put the call bell
and the go way and then person will the house owner will take it inside. So, that is the
bottle I am talking about the bottle can be reused.

Similarly, we used to use thing we still use many of the bottles for say cold drinks Coca-
Cola Pepsi, Thumbs up and all those. There is a still use the glass bottles. So, the bottles
are still being used, but for the milk supply, we do not use the bottle anymore, but we do
use milk cartoons and some milk pouches and all that, but say now if you are to compare
like a comparing milk cartoon and returnable milk bottle, which can be used many times
comparing them one to one like one milk bottle versus one returnable, one milk cartoon
versus one returnable milk bottle it is not fair comparison because the returnable milk
bottle can be used multiple times.

So, here the comparing could be you can compare the 2 ways of packaging and
delivering 1000 liters of milk. So, for both of them for both the scenarios, if you want to
package and delivery thousand liters of milk what will be the environmental food print
we are here. We are giving them both equal footing. So, that is the importance try to
understand that that is again that is why I am trying to emphasize on this functional unit
part, because the functional unit should give both the products or both the process
whatever you are comparing if you are comparing 2 different process, 2 different
products the functional unit should give them the same fair chance. It should not be buys
towards one process versus the other. So, that is you need to be very very careful in
doing that.
Many times in when you look at some of these product LCA reports, which is done by
the companies, they tend to do that, they will tend to show try to show that product in a
better life, than the others and then you need to you need to look at this system boundary
they very careful way to make sure they are not doing undue advantage to their product
as opposed to the other product. So, coming back to this life cycle of the light bulb we
have to have the bulb function is the lightening to provide the light. So, we know that the
bulb function is to provide the light that is there primary kind of primary function now
we have to define the functional unit.

(Refer Slide Time: 13:36)

So, for any LCA exercise you do you can come up with a table like this you can make a
like a table like this and try to fill in the information, which we will do it with you I will
do it with you right now. So, this will help you understand how we arrive at the
functional unit. As I said in the beginning of this particular video within the particular
module that we will go in like in great detail about this example, just to by goal is by the
end up this example you should be able to do a LCA exercise. At least you will have
conceptually should be able to do it of course, you will need some computational have in
terms of software.

So, coming back here say if you want to do this functional unit we have to find their
functional unit now how will do that. We have 2 products that we are trying to compare
and that we have listed on the top over here incandescent light bulb and compact
fluorescent bulb. So, these are the 2 products we are trying to compare and same thing at
the bottom we have listed here. So, now, what is their primary function? If you look at
here I have listed here something known as secondary function, which we have not
talked about until now in this course.

Now something is a primary function and there is a secondary function. So, for this light
for this bulb the primary function of course, is to provide the light whether you are
looking at incandescent light bulb or you are looking at the compact fluorescent light
bulb. So, the primary function is to provide the lightening, but what about the secondary
function.

So, we if you go to any of this like a even like a saree shop of a chudi shop or any of
these like a market place in the evening, you say that you see over there that hardly any
place you will find people is still using incandescent light bulb. Most of the places they
use compact fluorescent CFL and of course, there may be switching to LED now, but the
reason for switching from incandescent light bulb to CFL bulb of course, it is an energy
saver, it helps in better energy efficiency, but it also gives a very good ambient as
compare to incandescent light bulb.

The incandescent light bulb has that yellowish light. So, with the yellowish light it is
kind of gives a dull atmosphere, and with the CFL or the LEDs it gives a very bright
light. So, when you are in a market place you want to show your product in a bright light.
So, that the customers get attracted, so that is also it is a creating an ambiance, but how
to define that creating and ambiance in terms of numen like a quantitatively that is more
like a qualitative. So, it is very difficult to quantify that, but that is the secondary
function could be is all is a creating an ambiance.

And on the other side, if you are in like in the winter month especially and some places
where the heating is required where there possibly the chicken farm and other places,
they are they tend to use incandescent light bulb more the reason for that, is incandescent
light bulb gives more heat. So, as supposed to CFL. So, there is a like that is the
secondary function, but how to quantify those secondary function it you can do that you
have to make certain assumptions to go about doing it, but we will not spend too much
time on that part that is becomes like a more advanced LCA exercise we will look at it
later.
But for now we will think about the primary function is lightening, but sometimes the
secondary functions are also very important. Another example I will give you is that like
a traditional book, that goes hard bound books that you see as opposed to like a e reader
where you can read things on your, palm like a iPad or amazon kindle and all those
different e readers available now. Say you look at any of the interview of the big like on
the TV when whenever even our when our prime minister or the president is giving an
address to the nation, many times you see them on the back of them will be a nice
cupboard book cupboard with very nice books all lined up, very nicely different volumes
all hard bound looks really cool.

So, it creates an ambiance say if as a professor if in my office over here at IIT Kharagpur
if I have a set of books very nicely lined up in my office when you walk into my office
you get an impression that may be this guy is reading a lot, may be that is if it is reading
a lot; that means, he must be knowing something at least you will know something which
I can learn from him. So, that is creates an ambiance. It could be that I never touch those
books. I mostly do my reading online which happening these days especially with the
younger generation not too much in our generation.

Yet even young generation older too as, but the younger generation they tend to read
online, but I am not just saying I am not promoting online reading I still feel that reading
by book is the best way of reading, all though you may call it out day. You can call me an
out dated old prof this one, but reading by like a regular book that gives you the even the
research has been done where people have seen that the students who make notes in the
older way in the class room not the typing on the keyboard or the laptop or iPad or even
these days on smartphone or taking pictures of how their slide.

So, from professor’s slides or professors hand written material from the black board what
has been found and this was there was a paper actually just came out last year, when they
found that is students who take notes by handwriting they actually do much better in
their classes. Because when you write something by your hand it gets registered in your
brain much quicker.

So, now coming back here so, but those are things also there in terms of the secondary
function, but coming back here, if you have this primary function is the lightening
secondary function is heating and creating ambiance, as I said for this particular example
right now will not worry too much about the secondary function. We will take all like
100 percent over here and lightening like a 100 percent allocation to the primary
function. All though I use the word allocation and which will talk about that later. And
the location where you can actually split the impact between primary and secondary say
by 60 40 70 30, whatever, but again we will talk about that later because that will
complicate the stuff let us try to do stuff here in a simple way first.

So, primary function is lightening. Now thing is that how much light, is not it that is the
service provide that is will be our functional unit. So, how much light we should take. I
am suggesting that let us take providing 700 lumens., there is nothing hard and fast rule
over here you can choose whatever you want to choose, but it would be same for both
incandescent as well as for the CFL. So, that is the key here it has to be the same. So,
that you can compare why I choose 70 lumens 700 lumens for 10,000 hours the reason
for that is for that I get a very good numbers like I get 10 bulbs and 1 bulb. So, I get 10
bulbs for incandescent light bulb and 1 bulb for CFL and this 10 bulb 60 watt 60 like a
with 10 bulbs we have 600 kilo watt hour of electricity and for 1 bulb, I have 14 kilo
watt hour of electricity that is what it is going to provide in 700 lumens for 10,000 hours
and we can also do a life time watt lumen ratio calculation as part of this.

So, for any LCA exercise, you can a start especially when you are doing a comparative
LCA. When you comparing that to even if you just doing one you can just put one stuff
here, but if you are doing a comparative LCA which most of the times we kind of do this
LCA comparing 2 different process 2 different products. So, here you have our
encourage you to make a table like this. And try to write it down what is the primary
function what is the secondary function what is the functional unit you can chose what
make sense and then once you know the functional unit to achieve this particular to
provide this 700 lumens for 10,000 hours we need 10 bulbs and 1 bulb and that is called
reference flow.

So, this terminology is also very very important because when you start using a software
later on when you become a like a when you get more pro kind of things on LCA will be
using this certain software to use it, and then there will be use this terminology. So,
reference flow is the amount like in terms of what is needed to provide the function with
as per the functional unit that we have chosen. So, the function here was lightening
functional unit, we chose was provided 700 lumens for 10,000 hours and to provide that
for reference flow is 10 bulbs of incandescent and 1 bulb of CFL. So, that is kind of
hopes that is make you clear we spend quite bit of time on this to make you clear on that
work.

(Refer Slide Time: 22:44)

So, now let us look at this inventory of the light bulb, how will collect these data; so in
terms of the light bulb. So, our product system is the lightening need we have the bulb, it
needs to be packaged and then we have the electricity, so the electricity that we supplied.
So, we have this bulb and this packaging material and the electricity, so for the functional
unit is our providing 700 lumens for 10,000 hours. So, we are that is what we have
chosen. So, reference flow remembers with the reference flow that we like a providing
700 lumens for 10,000 hours, we need 10 bulbs and 1 bulb for this incandescent bulb we
need 200 and to make 10 bulbs we need 228 gram of glass 232 grams of card board and
600 kilo watt hour of electricity.

Now we need to get the unit process and how we get this unit process it could be
measured it could be calculated or the estimated data is specific primary or generic
secondary data. So, that is the unit process that we kind of use for that and for each of
this unit process we need the input and output. So, let us look at some. What we can get
from the data bases that I have mentioned which comes with most of this software, we
can get this data that for 1 kg of glass what is the input goes into the system and what is
the output coming out here we have listed only 3, 3 major that does not mean there is
only 3 input and 3 output. These are the major ones there the list could be endless. There
could be a long list going up there. So, in terms of 1 kg of glass I have input as 94 grams
of crude oil one gram of iron ore 1300 litters of water. So, think about to make 1 kg of
glass we need 1300 liters of water.

That is why if you remember from the first week videos I said that water without water
we cannot have any industry. We need good potable water to really survive to make any
industry to have any GDP going on we need good water in terms of emissions 0.52 kg of
CO2 0.26 gram of a particular mated 2.5 1.6 milligram of benzene. So, this is what is and
again these list are not the complete list. These are just the 3 top once for the input
parameter as well as for the output parameter.

Similarly, you can get for the card board as well as for the electricity. For the card board
to make 1 kg of card board you need 77 gram of crude oil 16 gram of iron ore 3200
litters of water. 1 kg of card board 3200 litters of water that is a lot of water. And then for
1 kilo watt hour of electricity again if you use the crude oil iron ore and then you use
19000 liters of water to make 1 kilo watt hour electricity.

And these are the assumptions emissions coming out and we have taken carbon dioxide
particular matter and benzene and other 3 examples we have taken, but this is not the all
the once. There is other once as well. So, this is for the unit process unit means for one
unit is not it that is the unitary method you may have done in your math’s class as well as
long back in may be in your primary school. So, may be the secondary school in the
unitary method where we put everything with of 1 unit. So, 1 kg; so here 1 kg glass 1 kg
card board 1 kg of 1 kilo watt hour.

But what we need is 228 grams of glass we need to 232 gram of card board we need 600
kilo watt hour of electricity. So, what we can do is this is our functional unit. So, per
functional unit we can take this data from here and then we can find out. So, for 1 kg
glass this much how much will be for 228. So, same thing has been done over here; so
for 1 kg of glass 94 kg gram of crude oil, so for 228 21 grams 0.23 300 litters. Similarly,
the ambition we can as to do that. So, this is assuming that things are linear similarly you
can do it for card board you can do it for the electricity here, the functional unit is 600
kilo watt hour.
So, we multiplied by 600 and then we get these values here as well. So that is kind of
gives you this whole inventory of the light bulb, and this is again we are just talking
about a small light bulb and there are. So, much items right there already and as I said
earlier these are just we just to 3 parameters and for those 3 parameters we are seeing
almost and for this light the incandescent bulb very simple system, we are already saying
3 6 9 and then you have 36 data points.

So, lots and lots of data points that need that is why we need the software the software
are needed to get to understand this like the 2 kind of compiler of the data we can do a
simple LCA exercise using excel spread sheet as well, but that is how it is started initial
excel LCA initial LCA studies were done using excel spread sheets, but now we are
being using more and more software associated with that. So, that is like a let us this is
how the inventory is done and we will start kind of will kind of recap this in a few meant
may be half a minute in the next video and will start from here.

So, again try to go through this example. If you want you can re-run this videos multiple
times that is the beauty of having these online courses that you can like you can replay
the video and unless you get everything you clear. Because these are really very very
basic and clear stuff if you understand this example, that is why I am taking. So, much
time on this example to explain you in a very nitty gritty detail. So, that if you
understand it will be much easier when you look at any other exercise for LCA whether
you when use it for research for your teaching or whatever purposes.

Thank you. And I will see you again in the next video.