Model for analysis of environmental impacts of production processes in flooring industry based on LCA

Abstract

The production of floor coverings, in terms of environmental impact, is a very complex process due to a large number of influential parameters - various chemical emissions, inevitability of waste, a great number of influential physical quantities such as noise and vibration, dust and radiation, energy consumption, recyclability, etc. Interest in the application of LCA within the production of floor coverings has been present for almost two decades and is intensely increasing. During this period different approaches and attempts of LCA implementation have been recorded in this broad field. This paper presents a general model for environmental impact assessment of the production process of floor coverings based on LCA. The developed model represents a contribution to the improvement and a further step towards the standardization of LCA analysis in this field of floor covering production. Verification has been carried out through a case study based on an industrial facility which produces PVC floor coverings.