Loss of mineral resource value in LCA: application of the JRC-LCI method to multiple case studies combined with inaccessibility and value-based impact assessment

Several approaches addressing mineral resource dissipation have recently been developed in life cycle assessment. One of them, developed by the JRC of the European Commission (JRC-LCI), suggests to account for dissipative resource flows in life cycle inventories (LCIs). This article aims at (i) further testing this approach on case studies, to derive insights regarding its potential large-scale implementation in LCI databases and (ii) complementing the previous JRC work by capturing the severity of dissipation and associated value loss in LCIA results.

Firstly, this study defines the following impact pathway as relevant to address the safeguard subject for mineral resources: after the use of resources by a product system, these resources are partly rendered inaccessible to future users (for a more or less long duration), which subsequently implies the loss of the value these resources hold for users. Secondly, this study suggests building on the JRC-LCI method, which accounts for dissipative resource flows at the unit process level, to assess the value loss resulting from resource dissipation through the development of characterization factors that integrate both compartment-dependent inaccessibility durations and prices of resources. Finally, 11 case studies are defined: 10 “cradle-to-gate” (primary production of raw materials) and one “cradle-to-grave” (lithium-ion battery) systems, using ecoinvent LCI datasets.

At the LCI level, metallurgical processes account for the largest share of potentially dissipated resources in five cradle-to-gate systems, while each step of the cradle-to-grave battery system excepting the use phase shows important contributions. End-of-life disposal and mining processes represent the largest contributions to LCIA results (value loss) in the battery system, primarily driven by copper dissipation, and with final waste disposal facilities as dominant compartment. The impact assessment results are sensitive to the duration of inaccessibility of resources in final waste disposal facilities (over tens or hundreds of years) and in environment (over thousands of years). Finally, insights regarding the replicability of the JRC-LCI method, the integration of dissipative flows in LCI datasets, and mass balance issues are provided.

The accounting for dissipative flows in LCIs, and associated severity of value loss in LCIA, offers new perspectives to address the safeguard subject for mineral resources. The applicability of the JRC-LCI method has been demonstrated. Full operationalization now depends on its implementation in LCI databases. This would (i) result in higher quality of LCI datasets through balanced inventories and (ii) support more resource-efficient decision-making, especially when combined with characterization factors as those developed in this study.