CSA PLUS 1116

The increased application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques to evaluate materials and energy use and emissions from products and processes has led industrial groups and governments to seek to ensure the quality and accessibility of life cycle inventory (LCI) data. The goal is both to help manufacturer s, converters, formulators, and users understand the environmental consequences of their activities and to find ways to reduce associated environmental impacts.

1.1

Objectives Environment Canada, the Canadian Standards Association, and several participating industries wish to develop an LCI database for the commodities produced by these industries. The initial objectives were (a) To provide LCI data/database for commodities. These data would be used by small- and medium-size companies to support voluntary improvements in the environmental performance of their products, consistent with pollution prevention initiatives issued by the CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment). Large businesses may also utilize the database in performing screening LCI studies to make product and process design decisions, and perhaps before undertaking more detailed life cycle studies. (b) To provide the participating industries with data to benchmark their own industries as a basis for internal improvement, including voluntary actions in line with the CCME pollution prevention initiatives.

1.2

Requirements An inherent goal is to develop LCIs comprising consistent, representative, and timely data. To accomplish this, the LCI studies shall be (a) performed using the methodology presented herein, which is based on the CSA Z760, Life Cycle Assessment, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) document, A Technical Framework for Life-Cycle Assessment, SETAC’s Guidelines for L ife-Cycle Assessment: A “”Code of Practice””, and SETAC’s Life-Cycle Assessment Data Quality: A Conceptual Framework; (b) conducted by technical LCA/LCI experts (see Section 3); and (c) reviewed by an independent Peer Review Panel (see Section 5.2).

This report presents a single methodology so that the proposed studies may be done in the same consistent, uniform manner.

1.3

Role of Consultants The industries may hire LCI consultants to see that the studies of the subject commodities are efficiently and appropriately conducted. A consultant will work with the materials industries to (a) manage the collection of LCI data from the client industry; (b) evaluate the quality of the data; (c) process and aggregate the data; (d) calculate the commodity and industry eco-profiles; (e) interface with the Technical and Steering Committees; (f) provide assistance, as needed, to the Peer Review Panel; and (g) compose a final report, consisting of the finalized methodology and eco-profiles for the subject commodities.

At a minimum, a consultant will be engaged to ensure that proprietary information within a material industry will remain confidential.

1.4

Limitations The sponsors of this study recognize the potential for misuse of the database. It is therefore noted that the results of this study shall not be used (a) as a basis for regulation or for government to track specific performance of industry; (b) as a basis for environmental-attributes labelling or as a basis for other marketing claims; (c) by the purchasers of commodities to choose between manufacturing sites or vendors for their purchases, in an effort to show improvement; or (d) to support a formal Life Cycle Impact Assessment.

These limitations are incorporated, first, because, as described in Section 3.1, these studies concern only life cycle stages from raw materials extraction through manufacture of the commodities; that is, processes following manufacture, including dist ribution, use, and disposal of the commodity products, are excluded from the scope of the LCI studies. Second, a generally accepted scientific methodology has not been developed for Impact Assess ment (let alone work based upon partial inventory).

Life Cycle Improvement Assessments are also not part of this study, although it is the intent of the sponsors and participating industries to use the LCI as a basis for identifying internal environmental improvements.