Incorporation of Life Cycle Thinking in Development of Integrated Solid Waste Management Systems

Abstract

Scottish economist and biologist Patrick Geddes coined the concepts of life cycle thinking during 1880, with an aim to develop an inventory for coal with a focus on energy supply. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, industries started performing LCA studies with an emphasis on resource consumption, energy analysis and emissions for the product systems. This process is termed as Resource and Environmental Profile Analysis (REPA) by the Midwest Research Institute located in the United States. This process was termed as inventory studies without impact assessment; in present scenario they are known as Life Cycle Inventory Studies. The impact assessment is not a part of the study during the period 1970–1980. Due to the lack of knowledge sharing platforms for LCA, a standardized procedure was not in practice for performing the LCA studies. Hence, the outcome of the analysis conducted for the same objective and product are contrasting and contradicting.