Applying LCA in product development and design : sustainable design in bio-based plastic-glass fibre composite for durable applications

• Main Author: Ketonen, Marjo
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: fi=Tuotantotalous|sv=Produktionsekonomi|en=Industrial Management|; LCA; bioplastic; composite; biomuovi; lasikuidut; komposiitit; Risk management in Circular Economy; Arctic
• Online Access: http://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/282592

The aim of this thesis was to find a suitable tool and develop a life-cycle assessment procedure for the company Arctic Biomaterials Oy (ABM), as sustainability aspects are highly prioritized in the company values and policy. The company is a provider of raw materials for other manufacturers and it is vital to have a LCA tool that can be applied in the early stages of the product development. In the past, ABM has relied on declarations by its raw material suppliers on environmental declarations. These peer-reviewed environmental claims are only sufficient to a certain point. ABM purchases bio-based polymers from renewable sources and increases their environmental impact during its own manufacturing process, which produces bioplastics composite by adding bio-glass fibers based on ABM's own technology. Through the manufacturing process, ABM increases the environmental impact of a product by using energy and using global raw material supply chains. In addition to the choice of raw material, these effects have to be computationally added to the carbon footprint estimate to avoid possible unintentional green washing. Green washing is perceived as a business risk. The search for a tool and its evaluation was conducted in accordance with internationally recognized standards, to the extent possible. A comparison between different LCA-tools was conducted based on literature reports. The GaBi Envision computing software provided by ThinkStep was chosen as the most suitable tool. ThinkStep is one of the market leading database aggregators. Databases, known as GaBi, are accredited values based on primary data, that is, data collected from industries. Stoichiometrically modelled data is also used as part of the LCA to fill the missing information. The selected tool was found efficient due to the shadow calculation and streamlined what if-scenario building features. After conducting what if scenario-type LCA for selected imaginary composite materials the performed life cycle assessment found that the greatest environmental impact of all products comes from the production of the polymeric raw material itself, before it enters the ABM gate. Finally, it was concluded that ABM produces environmentally friendly plastic alternatives. The future EoL options and their challenges were acknowledged and discussed during LCA result interpretation phase. Standardisation for downstream processes for bio-based materials need to be further developed. Incorporating a life-cycle assessment tool into research and development was proven to be a valuable method throughout the project, as customers have a strong need to have proof about the sustainability value of the material they purchase and use this information in their own marketing efforts. Proper evaluation and, in particular, rigorous communication will allow for a transparent discussion of the implications of material choices in the future.