Enhancements of the LCI Methodology to Reflect Forest Products Characteristics, 1996 Life Cycle Assessment Symposium Proceedings

Sergio F. Galeano, Ph.D., D.E.E.

Georgia-Pacific Corporation

The forest and paper products industries are recognizing the realities and importance of contemporary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Industries applied life cycle internally in many situations for the last two decades--mostly in energy conservation projects. The forest products industries have been slow in catching up to present LCA approaches. There are reasons for such slow generalization of the practice. Among them, the developmental character of the methodology itself, and the lack of proper representation of unique raw material and operational practices of the forest industries in the available methodology. LCA is an analytical tool used in product stewardship, pollution prevention, marketing approaches, policy-making, extended product stewardship, eco-efficiency, etc. Other industries and businesses, like the plastics and the consumer products, have participated actively in the development of the LCA methodology. They, jointly with the consultants and academia working on their projects, have helped developed the methodology as recently available. Notwithstanding the value of their contributions, the developed methodology is mostly silent about forest products’ unique characteristics and practices. The author describes the successful efforts taking place since 1992 in conceptualizing, generalizing and putting to work a series of enhancements to the Life Cycle Inventory methodology. He stresses the global approach of these efforts, since the challenges are also global. The impending publication of a User’s Guide for conducting LCI studies in the forest industries is the latest in a series of steps to enhance the methodology for specific applications and the forest industries.