However, their sustainability depends on the geographical and technical characteristics of each biomass-to-product value chain, which may result in trade-offs
between different aspects (e.g. land use, water consumption, deforestation).
Efforts to develop multi-disciplinary approaches to assess the sustainability of
bio-based products have yielded a broad range of case studies. Nevertheless, no
commonly agreed approaches exist and the information available in the literature
seems to have only limited practical application.
2 Session Wrap-up
The session was composed of five contributions and a closing panel discussion
concerning the session’s theme. Above 70 participants attended this session.
Results and discussion are summarised below.
2.1 Integrating Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA) and Eco-design Strategies for a Sustainable
Production of Bio-based Plastics
This presentation was given by Mr. Venkateshwaran Venkatachalam from the
Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites of University of Applied Sciences and
Arts of Hannover (Germany).
The authors described an approach for addressing the development of sustainable bio-plastic products since their early design phase [1]. The approach aims to
integrate LCA considerations in the definition of eco-design strategies of a product,
with the ambition to cover technical, economic, ergonomic, market, and environmental aspects along the entire production chain of a product system.
A personal computer’s mouse was taken as a case study to show how the
approach could work in practice. Production and supply of materials were identified
as the life cycle hot spots. Criteria required for the selection of bio-polymers were
proposed based on technical and environmental aspects. Finally, further development needs and challenges of this approach were presented. These in particular
refer to the comparison of bio- versus conventional plastic products and the integration of consequential LCA to better understand market mechanisms.
The presenter was asked about the future perspectives of their research and
which eco-design requirements should be set to ensure the production and supply of
sustainable materials, being these the main hot-spots from a life cycle point of view.
It was answered that future perspectives may embrace biodegradability and composting of bio-plastics and that the identification of eco-design strategies has so far
focused on processes and not on the applications.
470
M. Cordella and R. Kaps
between different aspects (e.g. land use, water consumption, deforestation).
Efforts to develop multi-disciplinary approaches to assess the sustainability of
bio-based products have yielded a broad range of case studies. Nevertheless, no
commonly agreed approaches exist and the information available in the literature
seems to have only limited practical application.
2 Session Wrap-up
The session was composed of five contributions and a closing panel discussion
concerning the session’s theme. Above 70 participants attended this session.
Results and discussion are summarised below.
2.1 Integrating Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA) and Eco-design Strategies for a Sustainable
Production of Bio-based Plastics
This presentation was given by Mr. Venkateshwaran Venkatachalam from the
Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites of University of Applied Sciences and
Arts of Hannover (Germany).
The authors described an approach for addressing the development of sustainable bio-plastic products since their early design phase [1]. The approach aims to
integrate LCA considerations in the definition of eco-design strategies of a product,
with the ambition to cover technical, economic, ergonomic, market, and environmental aspects along the entire production chain of a product system.
A personal computer’s mouse was taken as a case study to show how the
approach could work in practice. Production and supply of materials were identified
as the life cycle hot spots. Criteria required for the selection of bio-polymers were
proposed based on technical and environmental aspects. Finally, further development needs and challenges of this approach were presented. These in particular
refer to the comparison of bio- versus conventional plastic products and the integration of consequential LCA to better understand market mechanisms.
The presenter was asked about the future perspectives of their research and
which eco-design requirements should be set to ensure the production and supply of
sustainable materials, being these the main hot-spots from a life cycle point of view.
It was answered that future perspectives may embrace biodegradability and composting of bio-plastics and that the identification of eco-design strategies has so far
focused on processes and not on the applications.
470
M. Cordella and R. Kaps