Environmental Hotspot Analysis Based on Product Life Cycle

Abstract

Sharing the information of product environmental performances among multi stakeholders is critically important to promote eco-design by producers and replacement of ordinary products to eco-products in the society. These results of assessment should be based on scientific approach and these results should also be comprehensive to cover the significant environmental impacts as far as possible. The authors developed an environmental hotspot analysis method which integrate the following three methods; an updated Japanese inventory database（IDEAv2）, waste input output analysis（WIO）which includes downstream processes of products and services, and Japanese impact assessment method including weighting among endpoints（LIME2）. We carried out hotspot analysis for 100 products and services in Japan using the method developed in this research project. These calculated results are shared with program holders of TypeI ecolabel and TypeIII ecolabel and these results are expected to increase the reliability of evaluation criteria in these programs.