Let's Be Clear(er) about Substitution A Reporting Framework to Account for Product Displacement in Life Cycle Assessment: A Framework to Account for Substitution in LCA

Carl Vadenbo, Stefanie Hellweg, Thomas Fruergaard Astrup

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    The multifunctional character of resource recovery in waste management systems is commonly addressed through system expansion/substitution in life cycle assessment (LCA). Avoided burdens credited based on expected displacement of other product systems can dominate the overall results, making the underlying assumptions particularly important for the interpretation and recommendations. Substitution modeling, however, is often poorly motivated or inadequately described, which limits the utility and comparability of such LCA studies. The aim of this study is therefore to provide a structure for the systematic reporting of information and assumptions expected to contribute to the substitution potential in order to make substitution modeling and the results thereof more transparent and interpretable. We propose a reporting framework that can also support the systematic estimation of substitution potentials related to resource recovery. Key components of the framework include waste-specific (physical) resource potential, recovery efficiency, and displacement rate. End-use-specific displacement rates can be derived as the product of the relative functionality (substitutability) of the recovered resources compared to potentially displaced products and the expected change in consumption of competing products. Substitutability can be determined based on technical functionality and can include additional constraints. The case of anaerobic digestion of organic household waste illustrates its application. The proposed framework enables well-motivated substitution potentials to be accounted for, regardless of the chosen approach, and improves the reproducibility of comparative LCA studies of resource recovery.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalJournal of Industrial Ecology
    Volume21
    Issue number5
    Pages (from-to)1078-1089
    Number of pages12
    ISSN1088-1980
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Keywords

    • displaced production
    • industrial ecology
    • life cycle assessment (LCA)
    • resource recovery
    • substitution
    • waste management
    • Environmental Science (all)
    • Social Sciences (all)
    • Anaerobic digestion
    • Efficiency
    • Natural resources
    • Recovery
    • Substitution reactions
    • Waste management
    • Industrial ecology
    • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
    • Organic household wastes
    • Resource potentials
    • Resource recovery
    • Substitution models
    • Technical functionalities
    • Waste management systems
    • Life cycle
    • anaerobic digestion
    • analytical framework
    • domestic waste
    • life cycle analysis
    • recovery
    • recycling
    • resource management

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