Linear programming as a tool in life cycle assessment (original) (raw)

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An Erratum to this article was published on 01 March 1999

Abstract

Linear Programming (LP) is a powerful mathematical technique that can be used as a tool in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In the Inventory and Impact Assessment phases, in addition to calculating the environmental impacts and burdens, it can be used for solving the problem of allocation in multiple-output systems. In the Improvement Assessment phase, it provides a systematic approach to identifying possibilities for system improvements by optimising the system on different environmental objective functions, defined as burdens or impacts. Ultimately, if the environmental impacts are aggregated to a single environmental impact function in the Valuation phase, LP optimisation can identify the overall environmental optimum of the system. However, the aggregation of impacts is not necessary: the system can be optimised on different environmental burdens or impacts simultaneously by using Multiobjective LP. As a result, a range of environmental optima is found offering a number of alternative options for system improvements and enabling the choice of the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO). If, in addition, economic and social criteria are introduced in the model, LP can be used to identify the best compromise solution in a system with conflicting objectives. This approach is illustrated by a real case study of the borate products system.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 5XH, Surrey, UK
   Adisa Azapagic
2. Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 5XH, Surrey, UK
   Roland Clift

Authors

1. Adisa Azapagic
2. Roland Clift

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02979412.

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Azapagic, A., Clift, R. Linear programming as a tool in life cycle assessment.Int. J. LCA 3, 305–316 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02979340

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• Issue date: November 1998
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02979340

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