Case Studies
Sharing expertise amongst the LCA community, for the benefit of allWe 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.