Open-Loop Recycling: Criteria for Allocation Procedures

Journal article, 1997

If the aim of an LCA is to support decisions or to generate and evaluate ideas for future decisions, the allocation procedure should generally be effect-oriented rather than cause-oriented. It is important that the procedure be acceptable to decision makers expected to use the LCA results. It is also an advantage if the procedure is easy to apply. Applicability appears to be in conflict with accurate reflection of effect-oriented causalities. To make LCA a more efficient tool for decision support, a range of feasible allocation procedures that reflect the consequences of inflows and outflows of cascade materials is required.