Modeling of Recycling

The method for modeling material recycling can have a decisive impact on the environmental assessment of products with a high content of recycled material or material that is recycled after use. How recycling should be modeled in LCA has been discussed since the 90’s but no consensus has yet been reached.

The project is expected to result in increased competence and in consensus on certain aspects of the modeling of recycling in LCA.

Background

Life cycle assessment with its broad system perspective is an important tool for quantitative assessment of resource efficiency and environmental impact of products and services. The project is expected to result in increased competence and in consensus on certain aspects of the modeling of recycling in LCA. This helps making LCA an even better tool to stimulate the development, production and use of resource-efficient and environmentally-friendly products and services.

Through this project, Swedish companies, researchers and authorities can influence and contribute to the international development in the field, aiming at improving incentives for recycling, environmental assessments, and policies.

Aim & objectives

The project aims at analyzing and debating how recycling should be modeled in life cycle assessment (LCA) and similar environmental assessments, as well as contributing to international harmonization processes such as the international LCA standard and the EU guidelines for Product Environmental Footprint.

Outcomes

The following outcomes are expected to be reached during the project:

Increased knowledge in Swedish industrial companies and authorities about how recycling should be modeled according to international guidelines already in place or under development.
Increased knowledge among companies, authorities and researchers on how these guidelines may affect the environmental assessment of products from the companies participating in the project.
Consensus among participating researchers, companies and authorities about how recycling should be modeled in environmental assessments.
Contribution to the ongoing debate and the development of the EU Guidelines for environmental impact of products and other international harmonization of the LCA methodology.

Webinar

See the recorded webinar that gives an overview of the most important results of the project. Tomas Ekvall at Chalmers University of Technology will present the project and the results and Pernilla Cederstrand, senior environmental specialist at Essity who was both participant and initiator, will give insights on the role of the case studies and what Essity have learnt from the project.