The development of a simplified hybrid economic input-output life cycle assessment (SHEIO-LCA) model

Abstract

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has developed rapidly over the last three decades. A new enhanced hybrid LCA model had been developed based on the combination of both classical LCA and Input-Output based LCA. The hybrid analysis was acceptable to solve the limitations of both methods by strengthening the advantages of both methods. This study attempts to tackle the major LCA problems faced by LCA practitioners in terms of time and budget constraints without being affected by truncation errors and system boundary incompleteness. A case study was conducted to compare the results of three models, Input Output Analysis (IOA), Integrated hybrid LCA and Simplified Hybrid Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment (SHEIO-LCA) model. The results of these three models were different for the same product under study. The total carbon dioxide (CO2) emission shown by this product system from IOA model was 18.10 kg CO2, integrated hybrid LCA was 30.02 kg CO2 and SHEIO-LCA was 29.98 kg CO2. In short, all the three models showed the same trend of CO2 contribution for the foreground system, where the Electricity emitted the highest CO2, followed by Steel and Toaster. Therefore, all these models were applicable especially in identifying the hot spot of an LCA study. In terms of comprehensiveness and completeness, the integrated hybrid LCA and the SHEIO-LCA gave a comprehensive overview of a product system under study. In terms of cost and time effectiveness, the SHEIO-LCA will definitely reduce the time and cost of data collection by using assumptions which did not affect the results of the analysis. In addition, SHEIO-LCA gave a balanced flow in the overall analysis for the product system under study.