The urgency of the climate crisis has underscored the growing importance of sustainability efforts. Businesses are actively working on projects to make their operations environmentally friendly and sustainable. In this endeavor, one highly utilized method is Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). LCA is a tool employed to assess the environmental impact of a product or process throughout its entire life cycle, from production to disposal. The insights derived from LCA results guide businesses in enhancing efficiency and sustainability. If you're wondering what LCA is and why it matters for businesses, we've gathered the answers to these questions in our article.

What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?

LCA stands for Life Cycle Assessment in English. It is a method used to evaluate the possible environmental impacts associated with a product, material, process, or activity. LCA covers every phase, starting from raw material extraction, through production, logistics, consumption, and waste management, providing a comprehensive analysis. This helps identify areas in products and processes where environmental impacts can be reduced and improved.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides two standards, ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, which establish the principles and stages of LCA for the sake of maintaining consistency. To adhere to these standards, it is necessary to proceed through the following four stages:

Goal setting and scope definition
The first step is to determine the purpose and scope of the analysis. Suppose that the environmental impacts of a petrochemical product, a toothbrush, are to be analysed. The objective may be to understand which environmental impacts the toothbrush creates throughout its life cycle. At this stage, the boundaries of the analysis are drawn and it is determined which impacts will be assessed. Impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, water use are defined at this stage.

Inventory analysis
This stage deals with the life cycle of the toothbrush from production to disposal. A detailed inventory of the resources used and waste generated during all these processes is created. The types, quantities and sources of materials used are determined. This inventory usually includes data such as energy needs, raw material consumption and water use.

Environmental impact assessment
Inventory data is used to calculate environmental impacts. In this stage, outputs that have a negative impact on nature, such as waste and emissions generated by processes, are assessed. For example, energy consumption in the production of toothbrushes is considered in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Interpretation and analysis of results
Following the environmental impact assessment, the results are interpreted and analysed. It is determined which environmental impacts are prioritised. Accordingly, what needs to be done is determined. Let's proceed with the toothbrush example. Emissions can be reduced if the energy used in production is obtained from renewable sources.

How is LCA analysis performed?

The 6RE philosophy, which consists of six basic steps, is used when analysing LCA. Let's examine the steps of the 6RE philosophy, which is an important guide for sustainability:

1. Re-think
The rethink principle requires a thorough assessment of the function and environmental impact of the product or process. At this stage, a detailed analysis is carried out and more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives are explored.

2. Re-duce
The Reduce principle, which means to reduce, aims to minimise the use of raw materials and energy. It includes measures such as efficient use of materials, saving energy and reducing waste production. By reducing consumption, it is also aimed to reduce environmental impacts.

3. Re-place
This principle aims to replace harmful substances with less harmful ones. All elements that cause environmental impacts, from chemicals to product design, are replaced with more environmentally friendly options.

4. Re-cycle
The recycle principle emphasises the use of recoverable materials in product or packaging design. The selection of recyclable materials facilitates the reuse of resources at the end of the product's life.

5. Re-use
Reuse encourages products to be designed to be reusable. The aim is to increase the durability of products and allow users to reuse them over a long period of time.

6. Re-pair
The repair principle requires products to be designed for repair. Durable and repairable products make it possible for users to repair them instead of throwing them away. This helps to conserve resources by reducing the amount of waste.

What are the types of LCA?

Life Cycle Analysis comes in three different types, each focusing on specific areas:

Cradle to cradle
This approach considers the entire life cycle of products. It encourages products to be designed as reusable or recyclable materials, not as end-of-life waste. In other words, starting from the product design, it aims to end the cycle in a reusable or environmentally friendly way. It focuses primarily on the reuse of waste as a resource.

Cradle to grave
The cradle to gave approach deals with the processes from obtaining the raw material to disposing of the waste. It is used to assess what environmental impact the product has at the end of its life cycle.

Cradle to gate
Cradle to gate system covers the process from the production stage of the product until it reaches the end consumer. However, it does not take into account the stages of the product after it is in the hands of the end user. It is used for products designed to be easily recyclable.

Why is LCA important?

The importance of sustainability is increasing in the world. Global calls for action to take precautions are increasing day by day. In this context, the use of the LCA method by businesses can provide various benefits from reducing their environmental impact to competitiveness. Here are some of them:

"Businesses' use of the LCA method can bring benefits ranging from reducing their environmental impact to competitiveness."

• By assessing environmental impacts, it can be understood which impacts occur, where and when.
• By identifying potential environmental impacts before they occur, products or processes can be designed with sustainability goals.
• The carbon footprint of the product or process can be determined and efforts can be made to reduce it.
• The identification of environmental impacts can make it possible to see opportunities for improvement. This can save energy and resources.
• Companies that increase their sustainability can increase their market share and reputation.
• Costs can be reduced through sustainability measures such as energy efficiency and optimisation of resource use.

In conclusion, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool that businesses can use to assess their environmental impacts, achieve sustainability goals and gain competitive advantage. It includes not only environmental but also economic and social dimensions. In this way, businesses can make great strides in developing more sustainable and environmentally friendly products. This is important for the future of both businesses and our planet.

At SOCAR Türkiye, we continue our efforts to minimise our environmental impact. Within the scope of our decarbonisation strategy, we aim to achieve a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050.

With the recent COP26 and the European Parliament's CBAM regulation, sustainability has become a priority in the oil and gas sector. Due to new laws in this area, both our local and international customers now want us to study the carbon footprint and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of our petrochemical products. To meet the demands, we have adapted Life Cycle Analysis to our system to calculate the environmental impact of products. Thus, we can make calculations on both product and unit basis during production.

In line with our LCA studies, we initiated the Life Cycle Analysis Project for ACN (Acrylonitrile) and C4 products with Izmir University of Economics. The project is important for Petkim to meet customer expectations in terms of sustainability, to increase efficiency in production processes, to reduce environmental impacts and to be prepared for the upcoming Borderline Carbon Regulation.

Within the scope of the project, we are analysing the process from the entry of crude oil into STAR Refinery to the transfer of naphtha to Petkim. We calculate environmental impacts such as carbon footprint, water consumption and acidification during the production of ACN and C4 products. We lead the sector for a sustainable future. We are working today for a better tomorrow, fueled by our energy.