Sustainability of Bio-based Products:
Linking Life Cycle Thinking
with Standards, Certification
and Labelling Schemes
Mauro Cordella and Renata Kaps
Abstract This session gathered contributions showing how Life Cycle Thinking
can feed in the development of sustainability criteria, the certification and, ultimately, the policy making for bio-based products and processes. The session was
composed of five presentations related to methodological approaches, case studies
and real life examples, which were followed by a panel discussion. The addressed
subjects covered the sustainability assessment of bio-based plastics, marine
biotechnology processes, bio-based lubricants and forestry sector, and the assessment of the water scarcity. Key issues which emerged from the discussion include:
the methodological difficulties in comparing bio-based and conventional products;
the availability of data; the need to keep research focused on practical applications
and increase the interest of industry.
1 Introduction
During the LCM 2017 conference, the Circular Economy & Industrial Leadership
unit of the Joint Research Centre chaired a session on ‘Sustainability of bio-based
products: linking life cycle thinking with standards, certification and labelling
schemes’.
This session aimed at gathering contributions showing how Life Cycle Thinking
can be used to feed into the development of sustainability criteria, the certification
and ultimately the policy making for bio-based products and processes, as for
instance lubricants, cosmetics, plastics, construction materials.
Products and processes using bio-based materials play an important role in the
economy and, consequently, in the European policy. Bio-based materials may offer
potential benefits in terms of reducing fossil fuel depletion and emission of greenhouse gases and creating employment opportunities in rural areas, among others.
M. Cordella (&) Á R. Kaps
Circular Economy and Industrial Leadership Unit, European Commission,
Joint Research Centre, Seville, Spain
e-mail: mauro.cordella@ec.europa.eu
© The Author(s) 2018
E. Benetto et al. (eds.), Designing Sustainable Technologies,
Products and Policies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66981-6_52
469
Linking Life Cycle Thinking
with Standards, Certification
and Labelling Schemes
Mauro Cordella and Renata Kaps
Abstract This session gathered contributions showing how Life Cycle Thinking
can feed in the development of sustainability criteria, the certification and, ultimately, the policy making for bio-based products and processes. The session was
composed of five presentations related to methodological approaches, case studies
and real life examples, which were followed by a panel discussion. The addressed
subjects covered the sustainability assessment of bio-based plastics, marine
biotechnology processes, bio-based lubricants and forestry sector, and the assessment of the water scarcity. Key issues which emerged from the discussion include:
the methodological difficulties in comparing bio-based and conventional products;
the availability of data; the need to keep research focused on practical applications
and increase the interest of industry.
1 Introduction
During the LCM 2017 conference, the Circular Economy & Industrial Leadership
unit of the Joint Research Centre chaired a session on ‘Sustainability of bio-based
products: linking life cycle thinking with standards, certification and labelling
schemes’.
This session aimed at gathering contributions showing how Life Cycle Thinking
can be used to feed into the development of sustainability criteria, the certification
and ultimately the policy making for bio-based products and processes, as for
instance lubricants, cosmetics, plastics, construction materials.
Products and processes using bio-based materials play an important role in the
economy and, consequently, in the European policy. Bio-based materials may offer
potential benefits in terms of reducing fossil fuel depletion and emission of greenhouse gases and creating employment opportunities in rural areas, among others.
M. Cordella (&) Á R. Kaps
Circular Economy and Industrial Leadership Unit, European Commission,
Joint Research Centre, Seville, Spain
e-mail: mauro.cordella@ec.europa.eu
© The Author(s) 2018
E. Benetto et al. (eds.), Designing Sustainable Technologies,
Products and Policies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66981-6_52
469