Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy

Claudia Peña; Bárbara Civit; Alejandro Gallego-Schmid; Angela Druckman; Armando Caldeira-Pires; Bo Weidema; Eric Mieras; Feng Wang; Jim Fava; Llorenç Milà i. Canals; Mauro Cordella; Peter Arbuckle; Sonia Valdivia; Sophie Fallaha; Wladmir Motta

doi:10.1007/s11367-020-01856-z

Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy

Claudia Peña^*
, Bárbara Civit
, Alejandro Gallego-Schmid
, Angela Druckman
, Armando Caldeira-Pires
, Bo Weidema
, Eric Mieras
, Feng Wang
, Jim Fava
, Llorenç Milà i. Canals
, Mauro Cordella
, Peter Arbuckle
, Sonia Valdivia
, Sophie Fallaha
, Wladmir Motta

^*Corresponding author for this work

ADDERE Research & Technology
Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
University of Manchester
University of Surrey
Universidade de Brasília
Aalborg University
PRé Consultants
UNEP
Anthesis Group
European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)
United States Department of Agriculture
World Resource Forum
CIRAIG Polytechnique Montreal
Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

234 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The current global interest in circular economy (CE) opens an opportunity to make society’s consumption and production patterns more resource efficient and sustainable. However, such growing interest calls for precaution as well, as there is yet no harmonised method to assess whether a specific CE strategy contributes towards sustainable consumption and production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is very well suited to assess the sustainability impacts of CE strategies. This position paper of the Life Cycle Initiative (hosted by UNEP) provides an LCA perspective on the development, adoption, and implementation of CE, while pointing out strengths and challenges in LCA as an assessment methodology for CE strategies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	215-220
Number of pages	6
Journal	International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment
Volume	26
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-020-01856-z
Publication status	Published - Feb 2021
Externally published	Yes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

Circular economy
Circularity
Complementary methodologies
Life cycle assessment

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10.1007/s11367-020-01856-z

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Peña, C., Civit, B., Gallego-Schmid, A., Druckman, A., Caldeira-Pires, A., Weidema, B., Mieras, E., Wang, F., Fava, J., Canals, L. M. I., Cordella, M., Arbuckle, P., Valdivia, S., Fallaha, S., & Motta, W. (2021). Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 26(2), 215-220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-020-01856-z

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abstract = "The current global interest in circular economy (CE) opens an opportunity to make society{\textquoteright}s consumption and production patterns more resource efficient and sustainable. However, such growing interest calls for precaution as well, as there is yet no harmonised method to assess whether a specific CE strategy contributes towards sustainable consumption and production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is very well suited to assess the sustainability impacts of CE strategies. This position paper of the Life Cycle Initiative (hosted by UNEP) provides an LCA perspective on the development, adoption, and implementation of CE, while pointing out strengths and challenges in LCA as an assessment methodology for CE strategies.",

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Peña, C, Civit, B, Gallego-Schmid, A, Druckman, A, Caldeira-Pires, A, Weidema, B, Mieras, E, Wang, F, Fava, J, Canals, LMI, Cordella, M, Arbuckle, P, Valdivia, S, Fallaha, S & Motta, W 2021, 'Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy', International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 215-220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-020-01856-z

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T1 - Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy

AU - Peña, Claudia

AU - Civit, Bárbara

AU - Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro

AU - Druckman, Angela

AU - Caldeira-Pires, Armando

AU - Weidema, Bo

AU - Mieras, Eric

AU - Wang, Feng

AU - Fava, Jim

AU - Canals, Llorenç Milà i.

AU - Cordella, Mauro

AU - Arbuckle, Peter

AU - Valdivia, Sonia

AU - Fallaha, Sophie

AU - Motta, Wladmir

PY - 2021/2

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N2 - The current global interest in circular economy (CE) opens an opportunity to make society’s consumption and production patterns more resource efficient and sustainable. However, such growing interest calls for precaution as well, as there is yet no harmonised method to assess whether a specific CE strategy contributes towards sustainable consumption and production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is very well suited to assess the sustainability impacts of CE strategies. This position paper of the Life Cycle Initiative (hosted by UNEP) provides an LCA perspective on the development, adoption, and implementation of CE, while pointing out strengths and challenges in LCA as an assessment methodology for CE strategies.

AB - The current global interest in circular economy (CE) opens an opportunity to make society’s consumption and production patterns more resource efficient and sustainable. However, such growing interest calls for precaution as well, as there is yet no harmonised method to assess whether a specific CE strategy contributes towards sustainable consumption and production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is very well suited to assess the sustainability impacts of CE strategies. This position paper of the Life Cycle Initiative (hosted by UNEP) provides an LCA perspective on the development, adoption, and implementation of CE, while pointing out strengths and challenges in LCA as an assessment methodology for CE strategies.

KW - Circular economy

KW - Circularity

KW - Complementary methodologies

KW - Life cycle assessment

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85099826089

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DO - 10.1007/s11367-020-01856-z

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AN - SCOPUS:85099826089

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SP - 215

EP - 220

JO - International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

JF - International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

IS - 2

ER -

Using life cycle assessment to achieve a circular economy

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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