BB-REG-NET has released its latest report on integrating biodegradability into life cycle assessment (LCA).
The new report notes that LCA often under-emphasises biodegradation and end-of-life impacts, meaning that potential benefits may be overlooked in any comparison between bio-based products and conventional materials. While noting that test conditions are not fully representative of real-world environments., the report indicates how OECD biodegradability test data can be integrated into LCA to improve robustness and reduce methodological biases.
The report has 5 key recommendations:
- use OECD 301 data in LCA where possible and relevant
- be aware of the limitations of OECD 301 data, particularly related to laboratory versus real world conditions
- collect and calculate supporting information to bridge gaps in OECD 301 and LCA data and improve representativeness
- present information transparently and with appropriate sensitivity and uncertainty analysis
- continue to move towards fair comparison between fossil and bio-based materials by adopting the seven impact categories (Biodegradability, Bioaccumulation, Persistence, Microplastic formation, Biodiversity impact, Litter, Biogenic global warming potential) – supported by OECD 301 data where available
Prof Jhuma Sadhukhan, EBNet’s Theme 3 champion and Process Integration & Sustainability Assessment (PISA) WG Lead, said “There is growing awareness on all sides of the need to apply LCA approaches from the earliest stages in development of new products and processes, and to ensure adequate representation of end-of-life impacts. While this report correctly identifies some of the challenges in the latter case, it is a very welcome addition to addressing methodological weaknesses in this area”.
Prof Sadhukhan is the UK Lead and LCA Champion for the Global Center for Sustainable Bioproducts (GCSB): the Center’s focus on bio-derived composites and plastics means biodegradability and end-of-life considerations are a major aspect. She is also Co-Investigator on the recently established C-Loop Biomanufacturing Hub, which aims to establish the UK’s first BioFactory, a dedicated platform for waste analysis, sustainability evaluation and scale-up.
The full BB-REG-Net report Integrating Biodegradability into Life Cycle Assessments – The role of the OECD 301 biodegradability testing framework and its use in Life Cycle Assessment is available HERE.
