Strategy for the use of LCA within SCA

The company has worked with LCA in this way for more than 10 years. Around ten LCAs are usually performed each year, so the number of LCA reports now totals to more than one hundred. The way of working with LCAs has been documented in the CPM report “Expanding the green practice of LCA” (E. Rex, H. Baumann, CPM report 2004:1).

Today one person, the LCA practitioner, is responsible for handling the database and the tool. This includes responsibility for all types of data collection and the data quality, as well as performing the LCAs that are ordered. Because of the built up system of handling LCAs, an ordered LCA takes only some days to perform, including contact with the product developer, to have information about actual product and latest specification of that product and the writing of the LCA report. With the profound knowledge of the products and the materials which are part of the product, part of the LCA orders are turned into “environmental evaluations”. These are short reports, based on earlier experiences on similar LCAs, and hence saving time and money. A second person is responsible for the possibilities of developing the method and the system as such Over the years experiences from the company’s practical work has been delivered into international standardisation, as well as into other external activities. These activities has of course also served as possibilities to benchmark the way of working, and given input to areas of improvement and further development.

By the formalised structure, the extensive internal database with its standardised format, and the consolidation of the LCA knowledge over the years, i.e. the institutionalisation of LCA, the continuity of LCA has been secured.

These combined resources corresponds to one fultime employee.