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by Marco Scatto, Polymer Scientist; Andrea Moretto, Scientific
Manager, S. C. F. International srl; Chiara Maran, Technical Manager
, S. C. F. International srl; Liliangela Callea, LCA Technician,
S. C. F. International srl; Michela Casini, Specialist in Materials
Technologies and Sustainability, IPZS; Maura Cocco, Specialist
in Sustainability and Development, IPZS; Antonio Gentile, Specialist
in Materials Technologies and Sustainability, IPZS
To scientifically quantify overall environmental impacts and support communications between the various stakeholders, life cycle assessment( LCA) complying with the UNI EN ISO 14040:20211( 1) and UNI EN ISO 14044:20212( 2) standards are used.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPARATIVE LCA STUDY The goal of the comparative LCA study is to evaluate the impacts of two scenarios based on a functional unit( FU) defined as a EIC card weighing 4.5 g delivered by mail to every Italian citizen. The current scenario involves state-of-the-art EIC card production, consisting of a multilayer polycarbonate support obtained through lamination processes incorporating holograms, a microprocessor
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and a copper antenna. At the end of its life, according to ISPRA statistics( 3), the CIE card is disposed of as municipal waste. The future scenario refers to EIC card production which differs from the current solution. Instead of PC, a virgin polylactic acid( PLA) support synthesised from sugarcane and an aluminium antenna are used. In this scenario, end-of-life CIE cards will be destined for industrial composting. The study adopts a“ cradle-to-grave” approach, considering the main phases of the EIC card life cycle: production of raw materials and packaging, transportation of incoming materials, energy consumption associated with production processes at IPZS, generation of production waste, distribution of the finished product and end-of-life management. The period of use was excluded from the scope of assessment, as the environmental impacts generated do not introduce substantial differences between the two scenarios considered. For the purposes of the study, IPZS provided first hand data regarding the volumes of raw materials and packaging used, supplier locations and energy consumption for the production and distribution of EIC cards. Data relating to the production of raw materials for the supports, holograms, chips and antennas were obtained from |
internationally recognised databases( Ecoinvent 3.11). Data validation was conducted by S. C. F. International based on consolidated comparison procedures with LCA databases, industry literature and expert opinions. The environmental impact assessment was performed using SimaPro 10.2.0.1 software, which made it possible to quantify the results. The selection of the impact categories( 4) considered for the LCA assessment was guided by the results of a previous Product Environmental Footprint( PEF) study conducted on polycarbonate paper. This activity allowed the team to identify the most significant environmental indicators throughout the product life cycle( Table 1).
RESULTS Figure 2 shows the relevance of the individual life cycle phases for the two products analysed, given the same functional unit( 1 EIC card weighing 4.5 g, delivered by mail to every Italian citizen). For both solutions analysed, the distribution of contributions across the life cycle is essentially the same. Raw material production represents the most impactful phase, followed by packaging production and the energy consumption associated with the manufacturing phase. Logistics operations, consisting of the transportation of
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Italian technology plast / October 2021 |
www. plastmagazine. it |
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