Life Cycle Assessment and the chemical engineer: a marriage of convenience

Chemical engineers assume a broad range of functions in industry, spanning the development of new process designs, the maintenance and optimization of incumbent systems, and the production of intermediate materials, end products and new technologies. The technical aptitude that enables the chemical engineer to fulfill these various roles along the value chain makes them compelling participants in the environmental assessment of the product in question. This article provides a brief overview of LCA and how chemical engineers will find it accessible, both in terms of technical exercise as well as in utility to sustainability functions. It also examines some of the issues that can arise when performing an LCA on a chemical product and proposes ways to address them and improve the LCA situation in the chemical industry.