Speaker: Sebastian Schulz 
Date: September 7, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Théâtre Marie Curie

In today’s world, companies are already spending 100+ person years using LCA applications and millions on consulting services to do a few LCAs per year and publish documents (PCFs, EPDs, LCA reports) for a subset of products. With the rise in carbon neutrality regulations, manual creation of LCAs will no longer serve the needs of many organizations. In this session we will look at how LCA Automation allows organizations to perform calculations at scale and monitor the results to avoid shifting the environmental burden from one resource to another by integrating directly into existing business systems and leveraging BOM data in real time.

Speaker: Dr. Erik Pauer
Date: September 8, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Salle 3.2

Sphera implemented the CFs for the LCIA method “Biodiversity loss risk” into its Managed LCA Content, enabling the assessment of biodiversity-related risks of product systems as part of an LCA. Land use related flows are implemented for the relevant processes (mainly agriculture and mining) and can be tracked downstream in all life cycle models. The implementation allows analysing potential biodiversity-related risks across sectors and for different products. The result of the calculation is a dimensionless number, which can be used for comparing different products as well as for identifying hot spots of a life cycle. It is a high-level screening approach, but an important first step for companies to assess their impact on biodiversity consistently across the life cycle of their products. In the presentation, we will present and analyze the biodiversity risk loss results for a range of different datasets from the Sphera Managed LCA Content , with focus on agricultural products.

Speaker: Maike Horlacher
Date: September 8, 2023
Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Théâtre Marie Curie

As chemical recycling has become a complementary option to mechanical recycling of plastic waste, a growing number of studies on life-cycle assessment (LCA) of chemical recycling has been conducted in the last years, providing transparency about the environmental impact of the technology. We wanted to know: Which research findings can be confirmed through the comparison of different LCA studies and where do differences come from? To find answers to these questions, Sphera conducted a meta study analysis of multiple chemical recycling LCAs on behalf of BASF. The body of literature included LCA studies from different regions as well as from scientific institutions or industry publications since 2013. The study focused on pyrolysis technologies with mixed plastic waste as feedstock. The meta study assessment analyzed the publications according to system boundaries, assumptions, methodological approach and outcome. In the presentation, we will provide an overview of the results and recommendations that can be derived.

Speaker: Dr. Martijn Gipmans
Date: September 7, 2023
Time: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Location: TBD

The workshop is aimed at a dialogue around how LCA practice, Methodology, Data, Tools and capability and Processes can evolve linked to developments on PCF front and on where the focus and emphasis should be. This workshop is intended to be an interactive session with presentations as well as moderated discussions amongst event participants.

Speaker: Maame Appiah-Nuamah
Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: TBD

Several drivers including legislation and societal pressure have in recent years pushed for increased corporate accountability – not only regarding environmental, but also social footprints. SLCA has emerged as a means to help identify and manage social impacts. Purpose This study explores SLCA’s use in a business context to identify key stakeholders and social impacts of the production value chain of a novel Biorefinery in France , within the framework of an EU-funded project.

Speaker: Maike Horlacher
Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: TBD

Recycling technologies should aim to retain as much value in the material as possible, in line with the principles of the circular economy. Chemical recycling represents a technology with high potential to contribute to solving problems related to resource management, especially in highly regulated application areas such as food packaging. A comparative LCA study, commissioned by BASF and panel reviewed investigates the environmental performance of a mozzarella packaging manufactured from chemically recycled feedstock in contrast to mozzarella packaging solutions from fossil- or bio-based feedstock. Four flexible multi-layer packaging systems and one rigid mono-material packaging (tray) have been analysed. Chemically recycled materials as well as biomethane-based materials are all calculated via a (bio-) mass balance approach in this study. In the life cycle models containing materials from chemically recycled feedstock an upstream system expansion via subtraction is applied which follows the guideline on Product Carbon Footprinting for the Chemical Industry recently published by Together for Sustainability (TfS, 2022). Overall, the study shows benefits of the flexible packaging formats over the rigid tray as well as the chemically recycled flexible over the conventional flexible multi-layer film mozzarella packaging solution from fossil feedstock with regard to climate change and fossil resource use, the upstream system expansion being a driving factor. For other impact categories such as acidification, particulate matter, and photochemical ozone formation, the chemically recycled multi-layer packaging shows disadvantages compared to a conventional multi-layer packaging due to the (negative) energy credits in the upstream system expansion functioning as an additional burden. Scenario analyses have been carried out to further investigate the influence of selected parameters of this study. They cover assumptions on the different technologies applied (pyrolysis, purification, mechanical and chemical recycling), the grid mix, methodological choices with regard to the End-of-Life methodology. In summary, none of the mozzarella packaging alternatives assessed in this study can clearly be considered environmentally preferable. Depending on the impact category that is being assessed, different alternatives show different advantages and disadvantages. However, looking at current and future global environmental challenges, climate change and the depletion of non-renewable resources are crucial for sustainable business and production practices. On these key measures, pyrolysis is shown to deliver significant potential benefits.