Creating the environment for business

The application of LCA in a policy context:

A case study of PVC

Daren Luscombe

Creating the environment for business 2

Big debate between industry and pressure groups

Range of issues – toxicity, waste, production stage energy intensity, comparative performance?

EC Green Paper on PVC ‘Environmental Issues of PVC’, 2000 – focussed on additives and waste – is there a case for material substitution?

How would PVC stack up compared to alternative materials across a range of impacts?

UK Govt needed to respond to the EC Green Paper and the debate between industry and pressure groups

The context

Creating the environment for business 3

Comparative LCA of four products with an alternative material

Also integrated life cycle external costs and assessment of risk through the life cycle

Collation trays = PVC vs. polystyrene

Flooring = PVC vs. linoleum

Rainwater pipes = PVC vs. aluminium

Window profiles = PVC vs. wood

The study

Creating the environment for business 4

First Level - Arial 26pt (Bold)

– Second Level - Arial 26pt (Normal) Third Level - 20pt (Normal)

– Fourth Level - 20pt (Normal) Fifth Level - 16pt (Normal)

Total primary energy(window profiles)

E Total Primary Energy

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Total Production Delivery &fitting

Use of theproduct

Removal anddisposal

Alternative

PVC

Creating the environment for business 5

Carbon dioxide(window profiles)

(a) Carbon Dioxide (CO2, biomass)

-35000

-30000

-25000

-20000

-15000

-10000

-5000

0

5000

10000

Total Production Delivery &fitting

Use of theproduct

Removal anddisposal

gAlternative

PVC

(a) Carbon Dioxide (CO2, fossil)

-100000

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

Total Production Delivery &fitting

Use of theproduct

Removal &disposal

g

Alternative

PVC

Creating the environment for business 6

First Level - Arial 26pt (Bold)

– Second Level - Arial 26pt (Normal) Third Level - 20pt (Normal)

– Fourth Level - 20pt (Normal) Fifth Level - 16pt (Normal)

Waste(window profiles)

Waste (total)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Total Production Delivery &fitting

Use of theproduct

Removal &disposal

Alternative

PVC

Creating the environment for business 7

First Level - Arial 26pt (Bold)

– Second Level - Arial 26pt (Normal) Third Level - 20pt (Normal)

– Fourth Level - 20pt (Normal) Fifth Level - 16pt (Normal)

Greenhouse Effect(window profiles)

IPCC-Greenhouse effect (direct, 100 years)

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

Alt - Total PVC-total

g eq.CO2

(a) Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

(a) Methane (CH4)

(a) Carbon Tetrafluoride (CF4)

(a) Carbon Dioxide (CO2, fossil)

Creating the environment for business 8

First Level - Arial 26pt (Bold)

– Second Level - Arial 26pt (Normal) Third Level - 20pt (Normal)

– Fourth Level - 20pt (Normal) Fifth Level - 16pt (Normal)

Acidification(window profiles)

CML-Air Acidification

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Alt - Total PVC-total

g. eq.H+

(a) Sulphur Oxides (SOx as SO2)

(a) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx as NO2)

Creating the environment for business 9

First Level - Arial 26pt (Bold)

– Second Level - Arial 26pt (Normal) Third Level - 20pt (Normal)

– Fourth Level - 20pt (Normal) Fifth Level - 16pt (Normal)

Photochemical oxidant formation(window profiles)

WMO-Photochemical oxidant formation (high)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

Alt - Total PVC-total

g eq.ethylene

(a) VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)

(a) Methane (CH4)

(a) Hydrocarbons (unspecified)

(a) Hydrocarbons (except methane)

Creating the environment for business 10

First Level - Arial 26pt (Bold)

– Second Level - Arial 26pt (Normal) Third Level - 20pt (Normal)

– Fourth Level - 20pt (Normal) Fifth Level - 16pt (Normal)

Depletion of non-renewable resources

(window profiles)

EB(Y)-Depletion of non renewable resources

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Alt - Total PVC-total

kg/yr

(r) Oil (in ground)

(r) Natural Gas (in ground)

(r) Iron (Fe, ore)

(r) Coal (in ground)

Creating the environment for business 11

Used life cycle thinking and information on unit process risks

PVC and PS had more ‘high’ and ‘intermediate’ level risks

Aluminium, lino & wood had lower levels of risk

Toxic fumes in fires from PVC – but falling off a ladder from painting wood window frames !

Risks through the material life cycles?

Creating the environment for business 12

Used life cycle thinking and inventory outputs

Product price plus environmental externalities

Externalities for both are around 1% of TSC

Wood has greater externalities due to transport health and accident externalities resulting from greater distances of materials transport

Total social costs(window profiles)

Cos t c omponent W ood PV C Cos t dif f erenc e (A lternativ e - PV C)

Produc t pr ic e £376 £297 £79

Ex ternalities £5 £3 £2

Total £381 £300 £81

Creating the environment for business 13

Single or double glazed, PVC or wood

Environmental, safety, comfort, cost issues

Environment and risks – a mixed picture

Life time cost (installation & maintenance)? Wood 22% greater over 30 years

Relevance to a Local Authority?– housing stock window replacement

policy

Creating the environment for business 14

First neutral study

Used life cycle inventory and unit process information to develop economic and risk analysis

End-of-life as area for improvement and policy focus for both Govt. and industry – 8,000t recycled in 2005, much more to do !

The need to understand the comparative impacts of alternative materials before jumping ship

So how did we influence the policy debate?

Creating the environment for business 15

Toxics – the issue? Dioxins, cadmium, lead, phthalate

Provided a broader context – information about more impacts. Not all good or bad

Policy makers caught in the middle of industry and pressure group campaigns

‘Profoundly influential’ in moving the nature of the debate from hostile and adversarial to more objective

So how did this influence the policy debate?

Creating the environment for business

The application of LCA in a policy context:

A case study of PVC

Daren Luscombe