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AA AT 2 Document Information:
Title
Life Cycle Inventory Report for the North American Aluminum Industry
The Aluminum Association Inc.
Publication Date:
Nov 1, 1998
Scope:
Purpose
The design of a product is influenced by cost, performance, and
environmental considerations. While
cost and performance are dominant considerations, environmental
factors are increasing in
importance. The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of Primary and Secondary
Aluminum Products, manufactured
in North America, was initiated by the Aluminum Association, Inc.
within this context. The intent
of the study is to:
1) Provide the participating companies with detailed inventories of
the various unit processes
associated with aluminum production. This information was to provide a
baseline for improvements in
the management of energy and raw material use, waste elimination, and
the reduction of air and
water emissions from these unit processes.
2) Develop a comprehensive and up-to-date Life Cycle Inventory of
primary and secondary aluminum
products produced in North America, for the United States Advanced
Material Partnership (USAMP)
initiative of the United States Council for Automotive Research
(USCAR). This study would follow
the USAMP LCI Methodology(Footnote 1) developed by Roy F. Weston, Inc.
(WESTON®) and ISO 14000
series(Footnote 2) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) guidelines.
A key element of this study is the scope of the data gathering
efforts. The results of this LCI
study are based on input and output data of environmental relevance
collected at production
facilities. This information was gathered by the Aluminum Association,
Inc. and Association de
l'Industrie de l'Aluminium of Canada, from 13 primary and secondary
aluminum producing companies in
North America. The data was assessed in detail by both WESTON and the
Aluminum Association LCA Task
Force.
The collaborative aluminum industry effort was critiqued by a panel of
external, recognized life
cycle experts selected by USCAR steering committee. The peer review
group was chaired by Kevin
Brady(Footnote 3) and included Darryl Banks(Footnote 4), Lester
Lave(Footnote 5), and Konrad
Saur(Footnote 6). The comments of this group were extremely favorable
with regard to the overall
quality and scope of the aluminum industry LCI activity. Specifically,
the group commended the
aluminum industry on its attention to the methodology which had been
previously established for the
study, on the scope and comprehensive nature of the activity, and on
the consistency and high
quality of the data-sets.
Uses for the Study
Among other things, the results of this LCI study can be applied to :
1) Establish a database describing the resource consumption and
environmental releases of materials
and processes can be used by the Aluminum Association members.
2) Improve understanding of the environmental implications of aluminum
product manufacture.
3) Facilitate assessment of the life cycle environmental inventory of
alternative product design
options (for example, alternative fuels, process design, etc.),
compare corresponding data sets,
and guide the evaluation of modifications for improvement.
4) Provide environmental information for use in strategic planning.
Limitations
The participants in this study recognize the potential for misuse of
the database and results.
Therefore, it is noted that the inventory database and results shall
not be:
• used as the sole criteria in raw material selection decisions;
• quoted or published without prior consent of The Aluminum
Association, Inc., except in the
case where a participant(Footnote 7), or designate, wished to quote or
publish their own submission
of data, or
• used as a basis for impact assessment.
Footnote 1 - USCAR/USAMP Generic Automobile Life Cycle Inventory
Methodology document developed by
Roy F. Weston, Inc., 1997
Footnote 2 - Draft International Standard ISO/DIS 14041 on
Environmental Management - Life Cycle
Assessment - Goal and Scope definition and Inventory Analysis, 1997.
Footnote 3 - Kevin Brady, Demeter Environmental Inc., 29 Prom
Crescent, Aylmer, Quebec J9H 1T2,
Canada.
Footnote 4 - R. Darryl Banks, Program Director, Program in Technology
and the Environment, World
Resource Institute, 1709 New York Ave. NW, Washington DC 20006.
Footnote 5 - Lester Lave, Director, Green Design Initiative, Carnegie
Mellon University,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Footnote 6 - Konrad Saur, Director, LCE-Department, PE Product
Engineering GmbH, Kirchheimer StrOe
76, 73265 Dettingen/Teck, Germany.
Footnote 7 - The Aluminum Association member companies that
participated in this study include:
Alcan Aluminum, Ltd., Alumax, Inc., Aluminum Company of America
(ALCOA), Commonwealth Aluminum,
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, Century Aluminum
Corporation, Reynolds Metals Company,
Southwire Company, Wabash Alloys, and Werner Company. The members of
Association de l'Industrie de
l'Aluminium of Canada that participated include: Aluminerie Alouette
Inc., Aluminerie de
Bécancour, Inc., Aluminerie Lauralco Inc., and Canadian
Reynolds Metals, Inc.
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