Life cycle sustainability assessment: A systematic literature review through the application perspective, indicators, and methodologies

Visentin, Caroline; Trentin, Adan William da Silva; Braun, Adéli Beatriz; Thomé, Antônio

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122509

Cited by 129 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 99 publications

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“…The Life Cycle Assessment is a quantitative methodology used to estimate the relative potential environmental aspects of products, processes, and services, as clearly stated in the standards that are regulating it [ 21 , 22 ]. Now, the LCA has reached a high level of maturity and is accepted worldwide as one of the most effective methods to assess the environmental sustainability [ 23 , 24 ] within the framework of the three-pillars theory of sustainability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose Nanofibres Production Routes from Virgin and Recycled Raw Materials

et al. 2021

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Nanocellulose-based materials are attracting an increasing interest for the positive role they could play in sustainable development; being originated from renewable resources. Moreover, cellulose has a high potential of recycling from both post-consumer waste and industrial waste. Both factors, i.e., recyclability and renewable resources; results are also extremely favourable in the perspective of circular economy. Despite all these positive aspects, an industrial production has yet to start. At the lab scale, many preparation methods of cellulose nanofibres (CNF) are available; here, the three most common are analysed: (1) enzymatic pre-treatment followed by homogenisation (ENZHO), (2) oxidative pre-treatment combined with homogenisation (TOHO) or (3) oxidative pre-treatment followed by sonication (TOSO). All three processes have been experimentally carried out starting from both virgin and recycled cellulose from industrial waste sludge. The environmental sustainability of these three routes is estimated by the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using experimental lab scale data. In this scenario, the comparative LCA has pointed out a superior performance of the ENZHO process, followed by TOHO and, lastly, by TOSO. The influence of energy consumption on the final results has been further investigated by a sensitivity analysis, showing that the TOHO and TOSO routes could reach similar performances by scaling-up the process from the laboratory. The different typology of CNF obtained by conducting the ENZHO process with respect to the TEMPO-mediated oxidation approach is also outlined as an additional element to be considered for the final selection of a suitable process.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose Nanofibres Production Routes from Virgin and Recycled Raw Materials

et al. 2021

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“…Broadly, the life cycle sustainability approach (Kloepffer, 2008; Toniolo et al, 2020; Visentin et al, 2020) has become helpful in addressing different impacts of the product supply chain (López et al, 2020), waste management (Menikpura et al, 2012) and local policies (Federico et al, 2006; Feleki et al, 2018; Scipioni et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life cycle assessment applied to waste management in Italy: A mini-review of characteristics and methodological perspectives for local assessment

et al. 2021

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Life cycle assessment (LCA) and related tools are commonly used to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of waste treatment scenarios. This manuscript presents a mini-review of studies published over the last 10 years in Italy and aims to investigate how life cycle thinking tools are applied to assess the environmental sustainability of local-level waste policies. Results reveal that different waste flows, technologies and policies have been investigated independently and in varying detail. Review suggests that boundary selection significantly affects LCA results; integration of different waste systems is therefore crucial to avoid spatial or temporal shifts of environmental impacts. Moreover, the description of methodological characteristics, limitations and transversal aspects of Italian waste management studies allows various stakeholders to assess the reliability of past and future research for waste policy planning and rebound effects prevention. This review also highlights the need to define minimum requirements of transparency and ease of reporting of the studies to private and public stakeholders. Finally, the paper investigates whether using both the organisational LCA and the life cycle sustainability approach for the overall waste management process may be useful to develop a standard method to address multi-functionalities and multiple sites.

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“…LCA, LCC and SLCA methods have a sound mathematical grounding for quantitative analyses of systems (Sadhukhan et al 2021). Countless publications exist in LCA, LCC, SLCA and LCSA approaches (Visentin et al 2020). However, studies only scarcely attempt to link fundamental process modelling through to sustainability assessment, with some exceptions (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling to Analyse the Process and Sustainability Performance of Forestry-based Bioenergy Systems

Martínez-Hernández

Sadhukhan

Aburto

et al. 2021

Preprint

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This study develops a novel mathematical modelling framework for biomass combined heat and power systems (CHP) linking physicochemical/thermodynamic characteristics and life cycle sustainability. A total of twenty-nine indicators for the process (4), economic (5), environmental (8) and social global (5) and local (7) aspects have been analysed for sustainability. These are biomass throughput, electricity and steam generations and CHP efficiency; internal rate of return, capital, operating and feedstock costs and cost of production; global warming, fossil, land and water use, acidification, urban smog, eutrophication and ecotoxicity potentials; labour rights & decent work, health & safety, human rights, governance and community infrastructure; total forest land, direct/indirect jobs, gender equality and energy-water-sanitation access for communities, from biomass characteristics (carbon and hydrogen contents), energy demands and economic parameters. The model is disseminated as an open-web-resource https://tesarrec.web.app/sustainability/chp. In a case study approach, from 12.47 kt/year forestry residue, 1 MWe is generated with an associated low-pressure steam generation of 50 kt/year, at a cost of production of $0.023/kWh, making “affordable and clean energy” (the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG7) for marginalised/poor communities. Bioenergy can curb >90% greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy, 6 kt CO2 eq and 74 TJ annually, 87-53% water consumption, acidification and eutrophication, and 29-18% urban smog and ecotoxicity, compared to fossil-based counterpart. All five social themes in the Central American cluster countries can be improved by bioenergy. In addition to SDG7, SDG6: "clean water and sanitation for all" can be delivered by forestry-based bioenergy system.

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Life cycle sustainability assessment: A systematic literature review through the application perspective, indicators, and methodologies

Cited by 129 publications

References 99 publications

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose Nanofibres Production Routes from Virgin and Recycled Raw Materials

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose Nanofibres Production Routes from Virgin and Recycled Raw Materials

Life cycle assessment applied to waste management in Italy: A mini-review of characteristics and methodological perspectives for local assessment

Modelling to Analyse the Process and Sustainability Performance of Forestry-based Bioenergy Systems

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