Conducting the Life Cycle Assessment - Step by Step

The Life Cycle Inventory - Data and Information Collection
Life Cycle Assessors obtain available data (for example, from www.ecoinvent.ch, a Swiss-based international source of Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data) and consider each datum's "representativeness," consistency, accuracy, geographic, and temporal relevance before making a final selection that best meets this combination of criteria. They note the data in the study that are poor in addressing these criteria. Best available data was selected for the conventional dryer and paper towel approaches. Since no data existed for the HSEE dryer, absolutely specific information and data points were secured. To mitigate the potential favorable bias this specific data would create for the HSEE dryer, the Assessors used the same, generic 'supplier delivery distances' for all three systems, even though verifiable distances for the HSEE dryer were available.

Over 50 life cycle inventory processes were researched and selected - from "Natural gas, burned in industrial furnace low-NOx >100k," "Sealing tape," "Disposal, steel, to inert material landfill," "Electronic component, active, unspecified, at plant," to disposal, hazardous waste, 25% water, to hazardous waste incineration." The amount (in various units of measure) of each (of the 50+) process or material was accounted for in the full life cycle for each system.