Life Cycle Inventory & Inventory Analysis
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) or Inventory Analysis refers to the same phase within the Life Cycle Assessment process. The inventory analysis phase was developed within the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework. It is therefore deemed useful to outline the current LCA framework (2006) and to illustrate and understand the position of LCI within this process.
The Life Cycle Assessment process is defined as the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a product or service, caused or necessitated by its existence. The process has evolved through a lengthy gestation period with the current methodology being finalised in the 2006 ISO 14040 and 14044 international standards. There are ISO standards which prescribe the LCA process and methodology through the following two standards (International Organisation for Standardization, 2006):
ISO/DIS 14040: Principles and Framework
ISO/DIS 14044: Requirements and Guidelines
In these standards there is still a wide range of choices practitioners can make which can influence the shape or efficacy of any targeted LCA study. A conventional life cycle assessment is defined as being formed through a four-step process:
Goal & Scope Definition: Determining what the aims are and whether these can be delivered within the given scope.
Inventory Analysis (LCI): Modelling the flow of the life cycle and collecting any underlying data that is required.
Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA): characterising the impacts and evaluating against the defined impact categories (such as Global Warming Potential).
Interpretation: Analysing the information and determining whether the aims of the study can or have been met.
Figure 1 Principles of LCA
Figure 2 ISO LCA Framework 1998(Baumann & Tillman, 2004)
→ Full size version of Figure 2 [38 kB JPG]
The focal point for this research is the Inventory Analysis (LCI) phase of the LCA process. Some other phase aspects may impact on the LCI part, so an attempt has been made to question practitioners to capture and qualify what these aspects are and how they might impact LCI.
The LCI phase is primarily concerned with the capturing, research, creation and modelling of Inventory data related to the inputs and outputs of processes and product systems. There is a separate ISO standard for LCI data documentation ISO/TS 14048(International Organisation for Standardization, 2002).
This format is a standard for LCA data; "This Technical Specification provides the requirements and a structure for a data documentation format, to be used for transparent and unambiguous documentation and exchange of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data, thus permitting consistent documentation of data, reporting of data collection, data calculation and data quality, by specifying and structuring relevant information".
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