This study was initiated by the authors in order to evaluate the Twister™ method’s environmental pros and cons in relation to other traditional floor care methods using polish and wax. This has been ascertained through a Life Cycle Assessment which was conducted within the study. The study has been in co-operation with HTC Sweden AB, the developer of the Twister™ method. The results show that the elements of the Twister™ method with the greatest environmental impact are the scrubbing machine that is used and the low energy consumption that the Twister™ method requires. The results also show that the Twister™ method has a significantly lower environmental impact than floor care methods using polish or wax. The parts of the Twister™ pad that have the greatest environmental impact are the industrial diamonds and the material that makes up the pad.

Products generate environmental impacts during their life cycle by consuming raw materials and energy, releasing emissions and producing waste. A procurement organisation can be a considerable driving force for more environmentally friendly products e.g. by requiring that products meet certain environmental criteria. The scope for environmental consideration when procuring materiel can be limited by lack of reliable information about the environmental characteristics of the product or service. Different types of tools (e.g. eco-labels, guidelines, checklists and tools for environmental assessment) can contribute some knowledge and help identify environmentally preferable products. This thesis focuses on use of tools for environmental consideration in Swedish defence acquisition but the results are also relevant for other organisations, since the procurement process analysed is rather general and the legal requirements are similar for other public organisations in Europe. A Swedish government decision in 1998 requires the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) and Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to take environmental consideration in all phases of the acquisition process. The importance of a life cycle perspective is stressed in several SAF and FMV environmental documents. The starting point of this thesis was that environmental consideration should be taken in the Swedish acquisition of defence materiel, considering the whole life cycle of products, with the aim of formulating proposals on environmentally friendly procurement. Some Ecodesign tools were reviewed and evaluated, two methods for simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) were compared, tools and methodology were recommended, and used to study military materiel, and environmental Life Cycle Costing (LCC) was examined. In environmental work lacking a life cycle perspective, the most significant aspects risk being overlooked. Use of quantitative and/or simplified LCAs and inclusion of environmental costs in LCC are therefore recommended. LCA proved an appropriate tool for involving environmental consideration in the acquisition process, since it focuses on products and their life cycle. The MECO method proved best for simplified LCA. These suggested methods were evaluated by interviews with actors in the acquisition process. Four areas for LCA use in acquisition were identified: learning about environmental aspects of products; fulfilling customer requirements; setting environmental requirements; and choosing between alternatives. The interviewees were interested in using LCA, but there is a need for an initiative by one or several actors if the method is to be used regularly and the results must be communicated within the organisations involved in procurement. Environmental consideration should be taken early in the acquisition process and environmental matters integrated into other activities of the organisations involved. Environmental costs are not explicitly considered in the LCCs used by the interviewees today, but internal environmental costs should be included. Costs likely to be internal can also be included. / QC 20100616

This study investigates the application of life cycle thinking (LCT) and life cycle assessment (LCA) in the field of waste management from perspectives based in the social sciences. LCT is explored through the theoretical construct of regimes, drawing theoretical resources from a combination of the ‘pragmatic turn’, the economics of conventions and transition theory.This work is based on eight papers treating theoretical arguments, qualitative and quantitative analysis, case studies and semi-structured interview data. LCT is placed in the context of contemporary societies. LCA is seen as an instrument of quantification and evaluation used by actors which have both similar and disparate objectives, and who offer justifications for its use through arguments embedded in conflicting pluralities of worth. Furthermore, this work analyses LCA as a tool for the qualification of the waste hierarchy; a waste management principle articulating a convention based on closed material cycles. This study argues that the technological trajectory of waste management regimes has been significantly influenced, inter alia, by actors’ institutional articulation of the waste hierarchy at national and territorial levels. It discusses the legitimacy of LCA, and the quantitative application of LCT, as an intermediary object used to qualify the waste hierarchy. Furthermore, LCT is placed in a prospective context which may be used to assist in the transition toward sustainable waste management. / <p>QC 20121127</p>

An argument is developed for a new framework for design, to assist in overcoming barriers to the implementation of environmentally responsible solutions for building design. Though there exist the technical solutions to move towards more environmentally benign building practices, the vast majority of building designers do not employ these solutions in their designs. The research first identifies some problems to be overcome in order to improve the implementation of environmentally responsible design solutions. These problems are: the complexity and value conflict presented by environmental issues; the inability of designers to effectively pre-structure design problems in terms of environmental issues; the difficulty designers face in making design decisions regarding environmental issues; the ineffectiveness of existing tools at providing assistance with these problems, and the lack of ecological grounding of existing tools and of design thinking in general. The search for solutions to these problems guides the direction of the research. Three streams of investigation are conducted, making up the first three parts of the thesis. The first stream is an investigation of design methods which results in recommendations for ways of providing assistance to the designer. A range of existing environmental assessment tools are reviewed in the light of these recommendations and their suitability, as providers of design assistance, is evaluated. The second stream is an investigation of the potential for ecological theory to inform design thinking and then, hence, to inform the development of building environmental assessment tools. Seven principles for ecological design are developed and these shape further recommendations for means of providing assistance to designers. The third stream documents the testing of some of the recommendations, from theory, in practice. A series of case studies have been conducted in which two interventions have been made into the design process. The first intervention is the front-loading of the design process with environmental considerations by implementing an Environmental Brief. The second intervention is the introduction of life cycle thinking into the design process. The results from these three streams of investigation inform the development of a new model for building environmental assessment that provides assistance during the design process. The new model is a framework for the design process within which various components fulfil a series of interrelated tasks aimed at solving the problems that currently lead to poor implementation of environmental design strategies. The implementation of recommendations based on the seven principles for ecological design produce a new paradigm for environmental assessment of buildings. In particular the application of the building life cycle, in the form of an organisational structure for the framework, provides a means of visualising and mapping the relationships between the building and the environment. This helps the designer to better understand these relationships and therefore be able to better deal with their complexity and the conflicts arising between various competing environmental issues. The building life cycle, provides an overarching structure within which any environmental issues may be considered. This provides great flexibility, for consideration of unique project parameters, for the inclusion of different existing tools within the new framework and for the future evolution of the framework and the issues that it covers. The framework directs emphasis toward the early stages of the design process though the environmental briefing process. The briefing process assists with the setting of priorities for the client and design team, which in turn lead to the setting of design problems that are more likely to contain environmental criteria. The most beneficial aspect of this is found to be the improved pre-structuring of design problems over time as experience of previous projects is utilised when considering new ones. This highlights an important role for the framework as a record of the design process. This record can be used as a reference throughout the design of the building under consideration at the time, and for reference during the design of future projects.

This project aimed to investigate factors that help architects and designers to evaluate thesustainability of their ideas in the early stage of building design through Life Cycle Thinkingin a more simplified and comprehensible way. In order to achieve this goal, the author tookadvantage of valuable tools for ideation, realization and validation that are used in aninnovation process. The findings helped the author to realize what are the needs of thearchitects and designers to be able to step into the road of sustainability and raise theirknowledge about how to bring Life Cycle Thinking into their design process. Analyzingempirical findings and the competitors made it clear that some features, which are actuallydemanding attention from architects and designers, are missing in the current existingsolutions. As a result, a digital ideation tool was brought to this project through UserInterface (UI) Design. The noted solution is an add-on feature which is compatible and can beadded to the current digital tools and other Building Information Modelling (BIM) softwarefor a better fulfillment of architects and designers requirements.

Current physical resource management (PRM) was investigated in a global perspective in this thesis, to gain a deeper understanding of its implications in a sustainability perspective. In particular, the main challenges to the current PRM system and the kinds of systemic changes needed for sustainable PRM were examined. In five separate studies, different theoretical and practical challenges to current PRM approaches were analysed. A descriptive literature review, causal loop diagrams and semi-structured interviews were performed to gather qualitative and quantitative inferences. Perspectives from industrial ecology, life cycle thinking, systems thinking and environmental philosophy were then applied to analyse global resource/waste management issues. The analysis resulted in an overview of the global ecological sustainability challenges to current PRM and identification of major challenges to the global waste management system. Causal loop diagrams were used to qualitatively analyse the structure and behaviour of production and consumption systems responsible for unintended environmental consequences of purposive actions to improve material and energy efficiencies. Ways in which resource quality could be maintained throughout the system of production and consumption systems were determined by identifying challenges facing product designers while closing the material loops. A planning framework was devised to operationalise the sustainable development demands in society, including production and consumption systems. A broader systems approach is proposed for future sustainable global PRM, focusing on ensuring societal functions within the human activity system. The approach involves designing and managing anthropogenic stocks of physical resources to reduce inflows of physical resources and outflows of wastes and emissions. Life cycle-based databases linking resource consumption with waste generation are needed for improved global PRM. / I denna avhandling undersöktes fysisk resursanvändning i ett globalt perspektiv, för att få en djupare förståelse av dess konsekvenser i ett hållbarhetsperspektiv. Framför allt undersöktes de största utmaningarna med den aktuella fysiska resurshanteringen och vilka typer av systemförändringar som krävs för en hållbar fysisk resurshantering. I fem studier analyserades olika teoretiska och praktiska utmaningar för den nuvarande fysiska resurshanteringen. Litteraturstudier, kausala loopdiagram och semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes för att samla kvalitativ och kvantitativ information. Perspektiv från industriell ekologi, livscykeltänkande, systemtänkande och miljöfilosofi tillämpades för att analysera globala resurs- och avfallshanteringsfrågor. Analysen resulterade i en översikt av den nuvarande fysiska resurshanteringens globala ekologiska hållbarhetsutmaningar och identifiering av stora utmaningar för den globala avfallshanteringen. Kausala loopdiagram användes för att kvalitativt analysera strukturen och beteendet hos de produktions- och konsumtionssystem som gör att ändamålsenliga åtgärder för att förbättra material- och energieffektivitet får oavsiktliga negativa miljökonsekvenser. Hur resurskvalitet kan upprätthållas i produktions- och konsumtionssystemen som helhet bestämdes genom att identifiera de utmaningar som produktdesigners möter när de sluter kretslopp av material. En planeringsmodell utformades för att operationalisera kraven på hållbar utveckling i samhället, bland annat produktions- och konsumtionssystem. Ett bredare systemtänkande föreslås för en hållbar global fysisk resursförvaltning i framtiden, med fokus på att säkerställa samhällsfunktioner inom det mänskliga aktivitetssystemet. Tillvägagångssättet innebär att utforma och hantera antropogena fysiska resurser i syfte att: minska inflödet av fysiska resurser; och utflödet av avfall och utsläpp. Livscykelbaserade databaser som länkar resursanvändning till avfallsgenerering behövs för att förbättra den globala fysiska resursförvaltningen. / <p>QC 20160516</p> / India4EU

Die Anforderungen an das Design von Produkten wandeln sich rasant. Negative Auswirkungen menschlichen Handelns sowie die Verknappung von Rohstoffen und Energie mit damit verbundenen Preissteigerungen machen strategische Ausrichtungen wie das konsequente Lebenszyklusdenken im Designprozess unabdingbar. Sich verändernde rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen z. B. durch die Sustainable Products Initiative der EU-Kommission erzeugen zusätzlichen Handlungsdruck.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Com a crescente demanda do mercado de tintas por produtos mais sustentáveis, toda a cadeia produtiva tem se movimentado para oferecer soluções neste âmbito. Para contemplar o pilar ambiental da sustentabilidade, a redução de Compostos Orgânicos Voláteis (VOC), de alquilfenol etoxilados (APEO) e a substituição de matérias-primas de origem fóssil por vegetal nas formulações de tintas são algumas das práticas em expansão neste setor. No presente estudo, os perfis de impactos ambientais de duas tintas imobiliárias base água foram comparados aplicando-se a metodologia de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) (ABNT NBR ISO 14040 e 14044). Primeiramente, foram desenvolvidas duas fórmulas genéricas não comerciais de tinta standard (ABNT NBR 15079): \"Tinta A\" com matérias-primas de uso convencional e \"Tinta B\" com algumas matérias-primas alternativas, que hipoteticamente contribuiriam com um melhor desempenho ambiental do produto final. Em seguida, ambas fórmulas foram reproduzidas em laboratório, as amostras das tintas foram submetidas a testes de desempenho técnico e com os dados obtidos determinou-se os fluxos de referência para cumprir a unidade funcional definida por cobrir 36 m2 de parede de alvenaria interior por um período mínimo de 4 anos (ABN NBR 15575-1). A ACV tem quatro fases: objetivo e definição do escopo, análise de inventário, avaliação do impacto ambiental e interpretação. Com os objetivos e escopo do estudo definidos, foi realizada uma abrangente coleta de dados, majoritariamente secundários, para possibilitar a Análise de Inventário (ICV). Posteriormente, o ciclo de vida das tintas foi modelado e analisado no software SimaPro 8.2 e na fase de Avaliação de Impactos do Ciclo de Vida (AICV) foi selecionado o método ReCiPe Midpoint (H) v.1.12. Para as sete categorias de impacto analisadas, a \"Tinta B\" apresentou perfil de impactos ambientais reduzido em relação a \"Tinta A\": Mudanças Climáticas (-18,6%), Formação de Oxidantes Fotoquímicos (-19%), Toxicidade Humana (-17,7%), Ecotoxicidade (-30,5%), Depleção de Recursos Fósseis (18,8%), Depleção de Recursos Minerais (-21,4%) e Depleção de Recursos Hídricos (-18,7%). Os resultados do estudo, reforçam a importância da ACV como uma ferramenta eficaz para mensurar o desempenho ambiental de tintas. No entanto, a falta de disponibilidade de dados primários dos processos de toda a cadeia produtiva de tintas dificulta a execução de estudos e compromete a precisão dos resultados. Destaca-se ainda, que a perspectiva do ciclo de vida de produtos e processos foi incluída como requisito da nova versão da norma ISO 14001, que é do interesse de toda a cadeia de valor, portanto, vale considerar a aplicação da ACV na indústria de tintas. / The demand for sustainable products in the paint market has been steadily growing and is pushing the whole production chain to offer solutions following this scenario. The reduction of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) and the substitution of raw materials of fossil origin by vegetable in the formulations of paints are some of the practices increasing among this sector to meet the environmental sustainability pillar. In the present study, the environmental impact profiles of two water-based architectural paints were compared applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology (ABNT NBR ISO 14040 and 14044). Firstly, two generic non-commercial formulas of standard paint (ABNT NBR 15079) were developed: \"Paint-A\" with conventional raw materials and \"Paint- B\" containing some alternative raw materials, which would hypothetically contribute to a better environmental performance of the final product. Then both formulas were reproduced in the laboratory and the samples of the paints were submitted to technical performance tests. With the data obtained, the reference flows were determined to fulfill the functional unit defined by covering 36 m2 of interior masonry wall by a minimum period of 4 years (ABN NBR 15575-1). The LCA has four phases: goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, environmental impact assessment and interpretation. After goal and scope definition, a comprehensive data collection was carried to enable the Inventory Analysis (LCI). Afterwards, the life cycle of the paints was modeled and analyzed in the SimaPro 8.2 software and in the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) phase the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) v.1.12 method was selected. Within seven impact categories analyzed, \"Paint-B\" presented a reduced environmental impact profile compared to \"Paint-A\": Climate Change (-18.6%), Photochemical Oxidants Formation (-19%), Human Toxicity (-18.5%), Ecotoxicity (-30.5%), Fossil Resources Depletion (18.8%), Mineral Resources Depletion (-21.4%) and Water Resources Depletion (-18.7%). The results of the study strengthen the importance of LCA as an effective tool for measuring the environmental performance of paints. However, the lack of availability of primary process data throughout the paint production chain makes it difficult to carry out studies and compromises the accuracy of the results. It is also relevant to highlight that the product and process lifecycle perspective was included as a requirement of the new version of the ISO 14001 standard, which is a matter of concern to the entire value chain, so it is worth considering the application of LCA in the paints industry.

Without a comprehensive understanding of anthropogenic pressures on the water environment, it is difficult to develop effective and efficient strategies to support water management in a proactive way. A broader systems perspective and expanded information systems are therefore essential to aid in systematically exploring interlinks between socioeconomic activities and impaired waters at an appropriate scale. This thesis examined the root causes of human-induced water problems, taking the socioeconomic sector into account and using systems thinking and life cycle thinking as the two main methods. The European DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State of the Environment-Impacts-Responses) framework was also used as a basis for discussing two kinds of approaches to water management, namely state/impacts-oriented and pressure-oriented. The results indicate that current water management approaches are mainly state/impacts-oriented. The state/impacts-oriented approach is mainly based on observed pollutants in environmental monitoring and/or on biodiversity changes in ecological monitoring. Employing this approach, the main concern is hydrophysical and biogeochemical changes in the water environment and the end result is reactive responses to combat water problems. As a response, a pressure-oriented approach, derived from a DPR (Drivers-Pressures-Responses) model, was developed to aid in alleviating/avoiding human-induced pressures on the water environment. From a principal perspective, this approach could lead to proactive water-centric policy and decision making and the derivation of pressure-oriented information systems. The underlying principle of the DPR approach is that many root causes of human-induced water problems are closely related to anthroposphere metabolism. An industrial ecology (IE) perspective, based on the principle of mass/material balance, was also introduced to trace water flows in the human-oriented water system and to account for emissions/wastes discharged into the natural water system. This IE-based perspective should be used as part of the basis for developing pressure-oriented monitoring and assessing impacts of human-induced pressures on recipient waters. While demonstrating the use of the pressure-oriented approach, two conceptual frameworks were developed, for water quantity and water quality analysis, respectively. These two frameworks could help motivate decision makers to consider water problems in a broader socioeconomic and environment context. Thus they should be the first step in making a broader systems analysis in any given river basin, regarding setting systems boundary and identifying data availability. In this context, a combined hydrological and administrative boundary is suggested to monitor anthropogenic processes and organise socioeconomic activity statistics. / QC 20120515