Circular Footprint Formula

Question

Hello everyone,

I have started using openLCA and I am wondering if the software can handle the circular footprint formula suggested by different PEFCRs. That is, if I have a product, for example steel, and I want to assess the impacts using CFF, is it possible? Or do I have to use another software to do the calculation including R1, R2 and A parameters?

Thank you all

Answer 1

Dear Alessandro,

unfortunately i haven't found a way yet to calculate the whole formula just using OpenLCA. While crediting the heat and electic energy yielded by incineration was fairly easy, the calculations with the Allocation factor is where my investigation came to a halt aswell and i was forced to move to Excel.

However, i think it is possible to calculate the whole formula by creating workaround processes.

BR,

Jan

Comments

Dear Jan,

Thank you so much for the reply. I did like you wrote, with the help of Excel.

KR

Trentalessandro

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Dear Allessandro and Jan,

I am also wondering about how to correctly implement the CFF formula in an LCA calculation. I am using Ecoinvent DB and Brightway or OpenLCA for calculation.
At first I thought it would be simple to use the CFF formula on results-based calculations (i.e. applying R1, R2, R3, allocation factor A etc... ) on a environmental impacts results from, in an excel sheet
But then I though that LCA results are generated from background processes from my Ecoinvent DB, which already makes assumptions on the allocation method and factors: for example, for the same process, I will get different environmental impacts if I use the Ecoinvent cut-off DB or the APOS DB.
Since the CFF method is basically an allocation method (with allocation factor A as 'tuning factor' between cut-off and APOS), the background processes of the database need also to comply with the CFF method (incl. the 'correct' A, R1.... factors) so that the CFF calculation on my product is correct.
I asked Ecoinvent about this issue and they answered me that Ecoinvent does not (yet) have a PEF-compliant DB. furthermore the dataformat is different (Ecospoild vs ILCD), which seem to be an issue too (I am not sure why).
Have you though about  this issue and found a way to implement CFF using Ecoinvent?

Please do not hesitate to reach out for further discussions.

Best regards,

Pierre-Yves Pichon

PS: I have found JRC has published an excel-based tool with implementation of CFF called Ecoreport tool
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC133597

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Pierre-Yves Pichon, PhD
Senior researcher
Health Management Technologies
Power Electronic Systems division

Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe
1 allée de Beaulieu
CS10806, 35708 Rennes cedex, France

P.Pichon@fr.merce.mee.com