Recycled content cut-off

Question

Hello Team OpenLCA,

using the database ecoinvent in OpenLCA, I see a folder called "recycled content cut-off". The processes listed in this folder have zero environmental impacts. 

My question is: What is the purpose of these processes? What can we do with them?

Answer 1

Hello, good question, in openLCA these processes are not needed, they are provided by ecoinvent (I assume) for other tools such as SimaPro where you always need to close your supply chain, even artificially by adding a dummy process if you do not have a production process for a product that you have in input. In the cut-off system model, supply chains are cut on purpose, for recyclate input. We keep these recycled concent cut-off processes to preserve the original database, and also to avoid doubts that we may provide fewer processes etc. Thank you!