Case Studies

Sharing expertise amongst the LCA community, for the benefit of all

We have collected some LCA studies here that can help others with their modelling. Most are available for free. All of the reports of the studies are freely available in the links below.
The case studies can be downloaded in our Nexus website.

Want to share a case study that you have done? Get in touch.

 

LCA Tutorial Case Study

Modelling PC and PET Bottles

Sector:  Consumer goods, plastic bottles

Year of study: 2020

Author: GreenDelta Team

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ELCD database (available for free in Nexus)

Scope: 

This study, ideal for beginners in LCA and openLCA software, really takes you through how to make an LCA model in openLCA using the example of plastic bottles.

read full report 

LCA case study

Hooded sweatshirt

 

Sector:  Textile

Year of study: 2022

Author: Marie Loubert, Claudia Di Noi (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.8

Scope: cradle-to-grave

This study has two intended goals. The first one is to identify the stages of the life cycle of the hooded sweater that contribute the most to its environmental impacts. The second one is to assess the variability of those impacts depending on the production site or the behavior of the user.

read full report 

watch YouTube video 

Social LCA case study

Hooded sweatshirt

Sector:  Textile

Year of study: 2022

Author: Marie Loubert, Claudia di Noi (GreenDelta) 

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: PSILCA v.3

Scope: cradle-to-grave

The goal of this study is to map the social impacts of the hooded sweater along its life cycle. This case is carried as an internal request from GreenDelta, to provide social LCA beginners with a methodology to carry an S-LCA using the PSILCA database.

read full report

watch YouTube video

Product Standard (GHG Protocol) case study

Hammer

Sector:  Consumer goods, hammer

Year of study: 2021

Author: Elias Zipfel, Andreas Ciroth (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.7.1cut-off

Scope: cradle-to-grave

This study aims to follow the “Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard” from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative. This is done by calculating the Greenhouse Gas inventory of a hammer for usual households.

read full report 

LCA case study

Copper mine operations 

Sector:  Mining

Year of study: 2019

Author: Claudia di Noi, Andreas Ciroth (GreenDelta), Sonja Kuokkanen, Eija Saari, Susanna Horn (Outotec), Minna Räikkönen, Riitta Molarius (VTT)

Supported/Funded: EIT, Horizon 2020

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.5 

Scope: cradle-to-grave

This study is a comparative assessment of copper mine operations with and without a water balance management system. It performed within the EIT Raw Materials SERENE project. The life cycle model is referred to a generic copper mine operation (open pit) in a water positive area for the production of copper concentrate.

read full report 

LCA comparison case study

Nylon-based vs Silk-based Dental Floss

Sector:  Consumer goods, dental floss

Year of study: 2021

Author: Amina Sultan, Andreas Ciroth (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.7.1

Scope: cradle-to-grave

This study aims to compare two different types of dental flosses from two different brands, namely the conventional dental floss from Oral-B made out of nylon and coated with paraffin wax and the silk dental floss coated with beeswax from Yaweco. The Yaweco dental floss comes in a reusable dispenser and refill dental floss is available in the market. 

read full report 

LCA comparison case study

3 Scooter Models, (one electric)

Sector:  Transport, scooters

Year of study: 2020

Author: Thaís Veiga Barreiros, Andreas Ciroth (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.6 

Scope: cradle-to-grave

The goal of this case study is to compare environmental impacts of three different scooters (50 cm3) used in Berlin, Germany. The first model is an electric scooter, the second model is a two-stroke engine scooter, and the third model is a four-stroke engine scooter.

read full report | video available in youtube

LCA case study

Investigating Bike Sharing

Sector:  Transport, smart bikes

Year of study: 2018

Author: Francesca Recanati, Andreas Ciroth (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.4 

Scope: cradle-to-grave

The case study focuses on environmental impacts of bike-sharing (smart bikes), a cradle-to-grave approach was adopted covering the bike production, a use-phase and its end-of-life.

read full report 

LCA comparison case study

LHV vs Normal Truck

Sector:  Transport, Longer Heavier Vehicles (LHV)

Year of study: 2019

Author: Salwa Burhan, Francesca Recanati, Andreas Ciroth (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.4

Scope: 

This study aims to evaluate an environmental impact of introducing Longer and Heavier Vehicles (LHVs), measuring up to 25.25 m and weighing up to 60 tons, to the German transport context, using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. 

read full report 

LCA study

Renovation of the Max-Joseph-Metzger Platz in Berlin

Sector:  Construction, renovation of a green area

Year of study: 2018

Author: Silvia Binet (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: EIT Climate-KIC

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.4 cut-off

Scope: cradle-to-grave

In this study the renovation works of a green area in the district of Wedding in Berlin are evaluated from a life cycle assessment perspective via cradle-to-grave approach.

read full report

LCA comparison case study

Ceramic vs. Paper take-away cup

Sector:  Consumer

Year of study: 2018

Author: Sarah Martin, Jonas Bunsen, Andreas Ciroth (GreenDelta)

Supported/Funded: GreenDelta

Background database: ecoinvent v.3.4

Scope: cradle-to-grave

In this study, LCA is applied to compare environmental impacts of a traditional reusable ceramic mug and a paper cup both are with and without a lid.

read full report