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Contents

Adobe Acrobat Index Page

Foreword

Executive Summary

Chapter One - Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

1.1.1 Issues Regarding Polyvinyl Chloride and Alternative Materials
1.1.2 European Commission work on PVC
1.1.3 Industry Initiatives on PVC
1.1.4 What Were the Aims of This Project?
1.1.5 What is Life Cycle Assessment?

Chapter Two - Project Scope

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Applications of PVC
2.3 Applications and Alternative Materials Selection
2.4 Functional Units and System Boundaries

2.4.1 Functional Units
2.4.2 System Boundaries

2.5 Data Collection and Quality
2.6 External Review and Communications

Chapter Three - Life Cycle Inventory Analysis and Interpretation

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Allocations and Sensitivity Analyses

3.2.1 Allocations
3.2.2 Sensitivity Analyses

3.3 Collation Trays

3.3.1 Summary of Key Assumptions
3.3.2 Inventory Results and Interpretation

3.4 Flooring

3.4.1 Summary of Key Assumptions
3.4.2 Inventory Results and Interpretation

3.5 Rainwater Pipes

3.5.1 Summary of Key Assumptions
3.5.2 Inventory Results and Interpretation

3.6 Window Profiles

3.6.1 Summary of Key Assumptions
3.6.2 Inventory Results and Interpretation

Chapter Four - Life Cycle Impact Assessment and Interpretation

4.1 Introduction
4.2 LCIA Method
4.3 Collation Trays
4.4 Flooring
4.5 Rainwater Pipes
4.6 Window Profiles

Chapter Five - Life Cycle Sensitivity Analyses

5.1 Approach to Sensitivity Analyses
5.2 Summary of Sensitivity Analyses Results

Chapter Six - Key Issues Arising From the LCAs

6.1 Collation Trays
6.2 Flooring
6.3 Rainwater Pipes
6.4 Window Profiles
6.5 Normalisation of LCA Data

6.5.1 Introduction
6.5.2 Collation Trays
6.5.3 Flooring
6.5.4 Rainwater Pipes
6.5.5 Window Profiles

Chapter Seven - Economic Modelling

7.1 Rationale for an Economic Approach
7.2 An Economic Approach to LCA
7.3 Method Adopted
7.4 Conclusions

Chapter Eight - Macro Assessment of Risks

8.1 Introduction
8.2 Macro Risk Assessment Approach Used in This Study
8.3 Discussion of Risk

8.3.1 Life Cycle Risks
8.3.2 Transport Risks
8.3.3 Energy Generation Risks

Chapter Nine - Summary Discussion

Chapter Ten - Acknowledgements

Chapter Eleven - Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations

Tables

Table 2.1 Applications and Alternative Materials Selected
Table 2.2 Functional Units
Table 2.3 Summary of Data Quality Issues
Table 3.1 Summary of Collation Tray Life Cycles
Table 3.2 Key Inventory Flows for Collation Tray Systems
Table 3.3 Summary of Flooring Life Cycles
Table 3.4 Key Inventory Flows for Flooring Systems
Table 3.5 Total Primary Energy and Contributors for Flooring Systems
Table 3.6 Summary of Rainwater Pipe Life Cycles
Table 3.7 Key Inventory Flows for Pipe Systems
Table 3.8 Summary of Window Profile Life Cycles
Table 3.9 Key Inventory Flows for Window Profile Systems
Table 4.1 Impact Assessment Values for Collation Tray Systems
Table 4.2 Impact Assessment Values for Flooring Systems
Table 4.3 Impact Assessment Values for Pipe Systems
Table 4.4 Impact Assessment Values for Window Profile Systems
Table 5.1 Summary of Sensitivity Analyses and Results
Table 6.1 Extrapolated and Normalised Data

Figures

Figure 2.1 Estimated UK End Uses for PVC
Figure 2.2 System Boundary Sub-systems (Highest Level)
Figure 3.1 Total Primary Energy for Collation Tray Systems
Figure 3.2 Oil Consumption for Flooring Systems
Figure 3.3 Biomass Carbon Dioxide for Flooring Systems
Figure 3.4 Fossil Carbon Dioxide for Flooring Systems
Figure 3.5 Total Primary Energy for Rainwater Pipe Systems
Figure 3.6 Waste Generation for Rainwater Pipe Systems
Figure 3.7 Total Primary Energy for Window Profile Systems
Figure 3.8 Biomass Carbon Dioxide for Window Profile Systems
Figure 3.9 Fossil Carbon Dioxide for Window Profile Systems
Figure 3.10 Waste Generation for Window Profile Systems
Figure 4.1 IPCC Greenhouse Effect for Collation Tray Systems
Figure 4.2 Depletion of Non-renewable Resources for Collation Tray Systems
Figure 4.3 IPCC Greenhouse Effect for Flooring Systems
Figure 4.4 Eutrophication for Flooring Systems
Figure 4.5 Depletion of Non-renewable Resources for Flooring Systems
Figure 4.6 IPCC Greenhouse Effect for Pipe Systems
Figure 4.7 Depletion of Non-renewable Resources for Pipe Systems
Figure 4.8 IPCC Greenhouse Effect for Window Profile Systems
Figure 4.9 Air Acidification for Window Profile Systems
Figure 4.10 Photochemical Oxidant Formation for Window Profile Systems
Figure 4.11 Depletion of Non-renewable Resources for Window Profile Systems

Note: See also UK Response to the European Commission's Green Paper on environmental issues of PVC

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Published 14 March 2001 / Updated 24 July 2001

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