IAP2016

HeadBangingExerciseLifeCycleAnalysis(LCA)CaseStudy

Therearefourstandardstagesinaplanninghierarchy:policy,plan,programmeandproject
animpactassessmentprocedurehasevolvedtohelpassesstheimpactsateachlevel,and
therebyminimiseknockonconsequencesdownthechain.Withsomeprojecttypes(e.g.a
factoryorindustrialoperation)therearetwofurtherstagesinthehierarchythatcanhavetheir
ownenvironmentaleffects:namelytheoperational processandtheeventual product. Once
againimpactassessmentprocedureshaveevolvedtoaddressthesepotentialeffects,namely
EnvironmentalManagementSystems(EMS)andLifeCycleAnalysis(LCA).
Onecriticismofdecisionmakingisthatitisrarelybasedonanenvironmentalbalancesheet
approach, properly relating and evaluating all the positive and negative attributes of the
proposaland coming toadecision basedon informedtradeoffs. LCA is advocated as a
mechanism forappreciating thefull cradletograveimpacts ofaproductionconsumption
chain.Supportersarguethatthisformofenvironmentalbalancesheetdoesalloweffective
comparison and appropriate substitution of lessdamaging options within that chain. The
headbangingtask will separately considertheenvironmentalimpactsofeachofthemain
sortsofchildren'snappies/diapers:
'paper'/plasticdisposables
vs.
washablecloth/terrytowelling.

Attheendofthis,wemaycollectively feelthat thereis enoughinformation tomake a

recommendationastowhichisthebetterenvironmentaloption.Ifnot,whatfurtherstudies
wouldyourecommendtofacilitatedecisionmaking?
Thestrategy:Youhavebeenalphabeticallyallocatedtoagroupstudyingoneorotherofthe
options(i.e. paper/plasticdisposable BarcoeKeoghtoFarry, or washablecloth/terry
towellingHughestoVelazquez).
Firstofall,rememberwhichgroupyou'rein!Thenengageinroundrobinemailsaboutthat
particularusestream.Pleaseccthoseemailstothewholeclass(andtome),butrestrictyour
replycommentstoanalysisof yourdesignatedproduct (rememberthattheobjectiveisto
criticallyanalyseasingleproductbeforeproductoptionsarecompared).
So,staring from first principles identify the components of anappy LCA, trying to test
potentialstrengthsandweaknesseswithinthatandpossiblewaysinwhichtheoveralllife
cyclemightbeimproved(enhancingthepositiveandmitigatingthenegative).Ihaveposteda
(very)basicintroductiontoLCAasapossibleguide,butthetaskdoesnotreallynecessitate
muchdetailedknowledgebeyondageneralfamiliaritywiththeroutineofchangingababy's
bum.
Then,makebroadlyeducatedguessesabouttheissuesinvolvedandhighlightanymajorgaps
inthedataset.Ifitseemsthatyourproductcyclecouldbeimproved,bepreparedtosuggest
whereandhow.Rememberit'snotyourjobtocritiquetheothergroup'sLCA....thatcould
comeafterwehavetwoLCAstocompare.
Thefollowing(nonexhaustive)headingsmighthelpyougettogripswiththeproblem:
1

Componentsofproductandanynecessaryaccessories
Rawmaterialsinputs
Productioncycleinputs
Manufacturingwastes
Transportinputs
Energyconsumption
Wasteproducts
Wastetreatmentregimes
Reuse/Recyclablecomponents
Possiblyusefulsnippets:
Cottonisthemostweedintensivecropintheworld,andisincreasinglyaGMO
CottonisprobablythemostwaterhungrycropintheworldGMcottonmoreso
Cottonuses2.5%ofworld'sagriculturalland,but22.4%ofworld'sinsecticide
Cottonfibreshaveahigherpercentageofcellulosethanlinen/juteetc.,buthaveto
be scoured to remove pectins before it can be spun. Scouring traditionally uses
NaOH;newpectinasetechniqueshavelowerenvironmentalimpacts(butaremuch
moreexpensive).
Menprocessingcottonmaybecometemporarilysterile.1
Cottoninreusableshasbeenincreasinglydisplacedbyrecycledplasticmicrofibre
unfortunately in 2012 the Antarctic Ocean surveys by the research vessel Tara
showedvastamountsofmanmademicrofibreresidues(100010,000particlesper
km2surfacearea)intheseablamedonwashingmachines.
Polyacrylategelsindisposablesmakethemgenuinelymoreabsorbentthancotton.2
Gelsreducedisposables'thicknessby50%andweightby35%.
Gelsmaybeanovelcauseofnappyrash(traditionallycausedbyammoniafrom
urine)
Disposablesmaynowhaveawoodpulpcore(previouslypolyolefinfibres?)
'Thedisposablessometimesadvertisedifferential'Boy'&'Girl'levelsofpadding
thiswasalsoachievablewithwashablesbydifferentialfoldingoftheclothsquare.3
'Boy'&'Girl'variationisnowachievedinterryclothnappiesbypreforming.
'Boy'&'Girl'colourcodingofdisposablesinvolvedproblematicdyes.4
Iscontinuouschangeindisposablefeatures'improvement'oramarketingploy?
Trivial Pursuit information: Valerie Hunter Gordon developed the first commercial
disposablenappies,havingmadethefirstbatchforhersononhersewingmachineathomein
Cornwall, UK.5 She persuaded the firm of Robinson's with which she had a family

Thecottonpigment'gossypol'thatcausedreversibleinfertilityinChinesemillworkersisthebasisofthemale
contraceptivepill(yes,there'sonethatworksaslongasherememberstotakeit...).
2
However,if(asontherelatedTVadds)yourbabypeesblueurinetakeittothehospitalASAP!
3
Infactthe'Bali'foldwitharidgedownthecentrewasaremarkablyeffectiveunisexsolution.
4
Somered/yellowcolouringagentswerewithdrawnonsuspicionsofbeingcarcinogensbluecolourswere
OK
5
'HomeTruths'BBCRadio4SaturdayFeb262004

connection,6 toproducethemcommerciallyas 'PaddiePants'.Onesetofblackandwhite

photosofherson'sunchangingbottomadvertisedthosenappiesforthenext25years.7

Youshouldknowthat,notsurprisingly,theecolobbyfavourwashablenappiesbutarethey
correct?Earlystudiesonthistopichadbeenaccusedofbeingbiasedinfavourofthe
fundinggroup(thedisposableproducersortheenvironmentalistobjectors).8AbalancedLCA
wascarriedoutbythestaffoftheenvironmentalpublication'TheWarmerBulletin'in1993.9
Althoughcontroversialatthetime,theirfindingshavesincebeenessentiallycorroboratedby
anEUstudy(2005)andonefortheUKEnvironment Agency(2006). 10 However,once
again,tryapproachinganLCAframework'cold'beforeyoureadpastanalysesofnappyuse.
Startonthisstraightawayandpostideasviaemail(seemyintroductoryemailforareminder
ofthegroupyouareassignedtoandthecumulativeemailaddresses).Thisneedstobe
finalisedby2ndDecember2016.

Manufacturersofsanitarytowels,notWimbledon'sbarleywater!
Helaterclaimedthathewas"nottheleastbitsore"aboutthisprolongedexposure!
8
Cottonclothmanufacturershavehistoricallytendedtoremainsilent.
9
Thisandsubsequentstudiesessentiallyfoundanalmostevenbalance,withtheworstimpactsbeinglossof
nonrenewablesandpotentialozonedamageareasthatthedisposablesectorcanstillimproveupon.
10
TheEAstudywasundertakenbecausetheagencywasconcernedtominimisewastemanagementimpacts
(landfill orwastewater)thereforewasthatpotentiallybiased?Thefollowupshowedthat theimpact of
manufactureofdisposableswasgreaterthanthatonlandfill.
7