NEW! PDC 502
Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment

Sponsor: Stewardship and Sustainability Committee

Introductory | 0.67 IH CM Point/ 0.4 CEU/COC Point
Sunday | 8:00 a.m.–Noon | Fee: $180/$220 | Limit: 50

Value Added: Discusses concepts and provides steps for assessing organizational needs and completing a life cycle assessment (LCA).

Outcomes: Upon completion, the participant will be able to

• Identify general principles and concepts of a LCA
• Generate a goal and scope, and identify a functional unit
• Collect internal data for life-cycle inventory analysis
• Find published life-cycle inventory data
• Describe the basics of life-cycle impact assessment methods
• Discuss the issues surrounding allocation of impacts in multioutput processes
• List the requirements for a comparative assertion to the public

Outline:

• Why LCA?
• Goals and scope, with a focus on:
  • Functional unit
  • Allocation
  • Life-cycle inventory
  • Types of data
  • Finding data
  • Gathering data
• Impact assessment
• Characterization, damage assessment, normalization and weighting
• Different methodologies
• Interpretation
• Data quality and uncertainty
• Life-cycle management
• What’s next in LCA?

Description: LCA is becoming increasingly important as a scientific means of measuring the environmental sustainability of a product. IHs have the right training and background to take on this important analysis.

This PDC will introduce the concepts of LCA, giving the participants the ability to assess whether the methodology would benefit their organization. They will learn the steps required to complete an assessment, as well as the requirements for internal screening projects and assertions made to the public.

Instructors: Lise Laurin, EarthShift, Kittery, ME