Limitations of applying life cycle assessment to complex co-product systems: The case of an integrated precious metals smelter-refinery

Resources, Conservation and Recycling

Volumn 80, Issue 1, 2013, Pages 85-96

  Stamp, Anna ^a,b   Althaus, Hans Jörg ^a,c   Wäger, Patrick A ^a  

^a SWISS FEDERAL LABORATORIES FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY   (Switzerland)

^b ETH ZURICH   (Switzerland)

^c Quantis Schweiz Deutschland GlaTec Technology Center   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

Complex systems; Life cycle assessment; Metals; Methodology; Recycling

Indexed keywords

ATTRIBUTIONAL LCA; ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE; INVENTORY MODELING; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA); METHODOLOGY; ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE; PARAMETERIZED MODEL; SECONDARY MATERIALS;

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; INVENTORY CONTROL; LARGE SCALE SYSTEMS; LIFE CYCLE; METAL RECOVERY; METAL REFINERIES; METALS; PLANT SHUTDOWNS; PRECIOUS METALS; RECYCLING; REFINING; SECONDARY RECOVERY;

SMELTING;

ANTIMONY; ARSENIC; BISMUTH; COPPER; GOLD; INDIUM; IRIDIUM; LEAD; METAL; NICKEL; PALLADIUM; PLATINUM; RHODIUM; RUTHENIUM; SELENIUM; SILVER; TELLURIUM; TIN;

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS; METHODOLOGY; PRECIOUS METAL; RECYCLING; SMELTING;

ARTICLE; CALCULATION; COMMERCIAL PHENOMENA; CONTROLLED STUDY; COST; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; INTEGRATED PRECIOUS METALS SMELTER REFINERY; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; METAL INDUSTRY; QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS; RECYCLING; SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS;

EID: 84887026916     PISSN: 09213449     EISSN: 18790658     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2013.09.003     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. F. Ardente, and M. Cellura Economic allocation in life cycle assessment J Ind Ecol 16 2012 387 398
2. M. Bigum, L. Brogaard, and T.H. Christensen Metal recovery from high-grade WEEE: a life cycle assessment J Hazard Mater 207-208 2012 8 14
3. P. Chancerel, C.E.M. Meskers, C. Hagelüken, and V.S. Rotter Assessment of precious metal flows during preprocessing of waste electrical and electronic equipment J Ind Ecol 13 2009 791 810
4. M. Classen, H.-J. Althaus, S. Blaser, W. Scharnhorst, M. Tuchschmid, and N. Jungbluth Life cycle inventories of metals 2007 ecoinvent Reports v. 2.0 Dübendorf
5. EC-JRC-IES see: European Commission - Joint Research Centre - Institute for Environment and Sustainability International reference life cycle data system (ILCD) handbook - general guide for life cycle assessment - detailed guidance. Luxembourg 1st ed. 2010
6. ecoinvent Centre ecoinvent data v2.2 2010 Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories Dübendorf
7. G. Finnveden, M.Z. Hauschild, T. Ekvall, J. Guinée, R. Heijungs, and S. Hellweg Recent developments in life cycle assessment J Environ Manage 91 2009 1 21
8. M. Goedkoop, and R. Spriensma The eco-indicator 99. A damage oriented method for life cycle impact assessment. Amersfoort 2nd ed. 2000 PRé Consultants B.V.
9. C. Hagelueken Improving metal returns and eco-efficiency in electronics recycling B. Allenby, B. Karn, S. Landry, Proceedings of IEEE international symposium on electronics & the environment 8-11 May 2006, San Francisco 2006 218 223
10. C. Hagelueken, and C.E.M. Meskers Complex life cycles of precious and special metals T.E. Graedel, E. Van der Voet, Linkages of sustainability 2010 The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts, London
11. E. Hertwich, E. van der Voet, S. Suh, A. Tukker, M. Huijbregts, and P. Kazmierczyk Assessing the environmental impacts of consumption and production - priority products and materials. UNEP: International Panel for Sustainable Resource Manangement, Working Group on the Environmental Impacts of Products and Materials 2010
12. IPCC Climate change 2007: synthesis report 2007 Cambridge University Press Cambridge
13. ISO Environmental management - life cycle assessment - principles and framework (14040) 2006 ISO Switzerland
14. ISO Environmental management - life cycle assessment - requirements and guidelines (14044) 2006 ISO Switzerland
15. J. Johnson, E.M. Harper, R. Lifset, and T.E. Graedel Dining at the periodic table: metals concentrations as they relate to recycling Environ Sci Technol 41 2007 1759 1765
16. A. Koehler, F. Peyer, C. Salzmann, and D. Saner Probabilistic and technology-specific modeling of emissions from municipal solid-waste incineration Environ Sci Technol 45 2011 3487 3495
17. C.E.M. Meskers, G. Daelman, and S. Brouwer Outsourcing of by-products: an opportunity for process improvement Proceedings of Copper 2010 GDMB Gesellschaft für Bergbau, Metallurgie, Rohstoff- und Umwelttechnik e.V. Hamburg, Germany
18. metalbulletin.com [Internet]. London, UK. Metal Bulletin Ltd. (Metals Minerals and Mining division) [cited 2013 February 20]. Available from: www.metalbulletin.com.
19. F.T. Moore Economies of scale: some statistical evidence Quart J Econ 73 1959 232 245
20. K. Nakajima, O. Takeda, T. Miki, K. Matsubae, and T. Nagasaka Thermodynamic analysis for the controllability of elements in the recycling process of metals Environ Sci Technol 45 2011 4929 4936
21. M. Reuter Limits of design for recycling and sustainability: a review Waste Biomass Valorization 2 2011 183 208
22. M.A. Reuter The simulation of industrial ecosystems Miner Eng 11 1998 891 918
23. M.A. Reuter, U.M.J. Boin, A. van Schaik, K. Verhoef, Y. Heiskanen, and Y. Yang The metrics of material and metal ecology 2005 Elsevier Science Amsterdam, Netherlands
24. R.K. Rosenbaum, T.M. Bachmann, L.S. Gold, M.A.J. Huijbregts, O. Jolliet, and R. Juraske USEtox - the UNEP-SETAC toxicity model: recommended characterisation factors for human toxicity and freshwater ecotoxicity in life cycle impact assessment Int J Life Cycle Assess 13 2008 532 546
25. A. Stamp, C.E.M. Meskers, M. Reimer, P. Wäger, H.-J. Althaus, and R.W. Scholz Challenges for LCAs of complex systems: the case of a large-scale precious metal refinery plant M. Finkbeiner, Towards life cycle sustainability management 2011 Springer Netherlands 247 258
26. Process [Internet]. Brussels, B. Umicore Precious Metals Refining [cited 2013 February 20]. Available from: http://www.preciousmetals.umicore.com/PMR/ Process/.
27. R. van Berkel Eco-efficiency in primary metals production: context, perspectives and methods Resour Conserv Recycl 51 2007 511 540
28. A. van Schaik, and M.A. Reuter Dynamic modelling of E-waste recycling system performance based on product design Miner Eng 23 2010 192 210
29. E.V. Verhoef, G.P.J. Dijkema, and M.A. Reuter Process knowledge, system dynamics, and metal ecology J Ind Ecol 8 2004 23 43
30. P.A. Wäger, R. Hischier, and M. Eugster Environmental impacts of the Swiss collection and recovery systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE): a follow-up Sci Total Environ 409 2011 1746 1756
31. B.P. Weidema, C. Bauer, R. Hischier, C. Mutel, T. Nemecec, and C.O. Vadenbo Overview and methodology. Data quality guideline for the ecoinvent database version 3 2011 ecoinvent reports v.3 St. Gallen
32. F. Werner, H-J. Althaus, K. Richter, and R.W. Scholz Post-consumer waste wood in attributive product LCA Int J Life Cycle Assess 12 2007 160 172
33. F. Werner, and R.W. Scholz Ambiguities in decision-oriented life cycle inventories: the role of mental models Int J Life Cycle Assess 7 2002 330 338