260
property) and mainly, for Brazil, to obtain realistic data. On the other hand, the
major gain is the improvement of the decision-making process in order to achieve
more sustainable practices, often related to an adequate use of resources and the risk
prevention along the supply chain.
In this sense, Vale, a Brazilian mining company, has started to incorporate life
cycle thinking into its processes. In 2013, an LCA study was completed for all
pelletizing facilities in Brazil. With this study, Vale could identify internal best practices, which may become a reference for environmental issues assessed and be
extended to other units, as well as adding value to pellet, raising its competitiveness
in the medium- and long-term (Vale 2013 ).
Vale’s goal is to work in an expanding environmental management strategy
beyond the borders of Vale, positively infl uencing its supply chain. In 2015, the
company is continuing to develop strategies to disseminate life cycle thinking across
the whole company (Vale 2013 ).
Another example is Braskem, a petrochemical company, whose corporate strategy is based on the belief that chemistry and plastics make people’s lifes better. This
belief has led to the defi nition of a purpose: to develop sustainable solutions that
make people’s lives better. Both these statements are based on a life cycle perspective since it is in the use phase that most of the benefi ts of plastic products become
apparent.
Life cycle management at Braskem began in 2004 with two eco-effi ciency studies that led to improvements in their PVC production processes. Another ecoeffi ciency study led to the decision to invest in a bio-based polymer using sugar cane
ethanol as feedstock: the I’m Green
TM Polyethylene. Ten years later, more than 30
LCA studies have been conducted. These are used to aggregate sustainability as an
added value to products and also to plastic solutions developed together with direct
customers. Recently Braskem has used the company’s Materiality Matrix to develop
a single-score life cycle impact assessment method to help corporate decision making process by incorporating stakeholder opinion into a weighting scheme.
Braskem is also incorporating LCM. A qualitative assessment for the early stages
of project development and for innovation processes has been developed. In addition, the company is currently working on extending it to incremental optimization
projects of market development and application engineering.
4 Conclusions
Companies with a vision of the future are recognized as one of the main transformation drivers in our society. This has been proved by the development of LCA and
LCM in the last years in Brazil, despite the many challenges it still faces.
The Brazilian experience is probably akin to several other countries, but it shows
that transformation is greatly accelerated by the engagement of large companies
which can move entire value chains. Societal transformation, however, requires academia, government, businesses and the general society working together.
M.S.R. Rocha et al.
property) and mainly, for Brazil, to obtain realistic data. On the other hand, the
major gain is the improvement of the decision-making process in order to achieve
more sustainable practices, often related to an adequate use of resources and the risk
prevention along the supply chain.
In this sense, Vale, a Brazilian mining company, has started to incorporate life
cycle thinking into its processes. In 2013, an LCA study was completed for all
pelletizing facilities in Brazil. With this study, Vale could identify internal best practices, which may become a reference for environmental issues assessed and be
extended to other units, as well as adding value to pellet, raising its competitiveness
in the medium- and long-term (Vale 2013 ).
Vale’s goal is to work in an expanding environmental management strategy
beyond the borders of Vale, positively infl uencing its supply chain. In 2015, the
company is continuing to develop strategies to disseminate life cycle thinking across
the whole company (Vale 2013 ).
Another example is Braskem, a petrochemical company, whose corporate strategy is based on the belief that chemistry and plastics make people’s lifes better. This
belief has led to the defi nition of a purpose: to develop sustainable solutions that
make people’s lives better. Both these statements are based on a life cycle perspective since it is in the use phase that most of the benefi ts of plastic products become
apparent.
Life cycle management at Braskem began in 2004 with two eco-effi ciency studies that led to improvements in their PVC production processes. Another ecoeffi ciency study led to the decision to invest in a bio-based polymer using sugar cane
ethanol as feedstock: the I’m Green
TM Polyethylene. Ten years later, more than 30
LCA studies have been conducted. These are used to aggregate sustainability as an
added value to products and also to plastic solutions developed together with direct
customers. Recently Braskem has used the company’s Materiality Matrix to develop
a single-score life cycle impact assessment method to help corporate decision making process by incorporating stakeholder opinion into a weighting scheme.
Braskem is also incorporating LCM. A qualitative assessment for the early stages
of project development and for innovation processes has been developed. In addition, the company is currently working on extending it to incremental optimization
projects of market development and application engineering.
4 Conclusions
Companies with a vision of the future are recognized as one of the main transformation drivers in our society. This has been proved by the development of LCA and
LCM in the last years in Brazil, despite the many challenges it still faces.
The Brazilian experience is probably akin to several other countries, but it shows
that transformation is greatly accelerated by the engagement of large companies
which can move entire value chains. Societal transformation, however, requires academia, government, businesses and the general society working together.
M.S.R. Rocha et al.