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Cited by 109Environmental Impact and SustainabilitySustainability and Ecological Systems AnalysisForest Management and Policy

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Life Cycle Impacts and Benefits of Wood along the Value Chain: The Case of Switzerland

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Suter, Florian, Steubing, Bernhard, Hellweg, Stefanie·2017·Journal of Industrial Ecology
DOI 10.1111/jiec.12486PMC PMC13061803
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Abstract

Summary: Sustainable use of wood may contribute to coping with energy and material resource challenges. The goal of this study is to increase knowledge of the environmental effects of wood use by analyzing the complete value chain of all wooden goods produced or consumed in Switzerland. We start from a material flow analysis of current wood use in Switzerland. Environmental impacts related to the material flows are evaluated using life cycle assessment–based environmental indicators. Regarding climate change, we find an overall average benefit of 0.5 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent per cubic meter of wood used. High environmental benefits are often achieved when replacing conventional heat production and energy‐consuming materials in construction and furniture. The environmental performance of wood is, however, highly dependent on its use and environmental indicators. To exploit the mitigation potential of wood, we recommend to (1) apply its use where there are high substitution benefits like the replacement of fossil fuels for energy or energy‐intensive building materials, (2) take appropriate measures to minimize negative effects like particulate matter emissions, and (3) keep a systems perspective to weigh effects like substitution and cascading against each other in a comprehensive manner. The results can provide guidance for further in‐depth studies and prospective analyses of wood‐use scenarios.

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Figure 1 Schematic representation of the MFA and LCA combination on the simplified example of sawmilling. For the LCA part, all inventories (LCA unit processes) from the MFA process “sawmilling” were merged to an interconnected LCA module representing the sawmilling in the LCA. The product input (in this example, “sawlogs, softwood”) was cut off from the LCA module, and the production of this input is defined in another preceding LCA module. All interconnected modules of the value chain were then scaled with the product output amount of the appropriate MFA process (in this example, “sawnwood, softwood”). Product input amounts (in this example, “sawlogs, softwood”) were scaled according to the output amounts. LCA = life cycle assessment; MFA = material flow analysis.
Figure 1 Schematic representation of the MFA and LCA combination on the simplified example of sawmilling. For the LCA part, all inventories (LCA unit processes) from the MFA process “sawmilling” were merged to an interconnected LCA module representing the sawmilling in the LCA. The product input (in this example, “sawlogs, softwood”) was cut off from the LCA module, and the production of this input is defined in another preceding LCA module. All interconnected modules of the value chain were then scaled with the product output amount of the appropriate MFA process (in this example, “sawnwood, softwood”). Product input amounts (in this example, “sawlogs, softwood”) were scaled according to the output amounts. LCA = life cycle assessment; MFA = material flow analysis.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Wood flows in Switzerland for the year 2011. The thickness of arrows represents the wood volume of respective flows. The dashed line represents the system boundary for Switzerland, and the dotted line represents the overall system perspective, including trade. Although the production of wood-based products is shown here for the sake of completeness, it is only considered on the level of inputs (semifinished products like boards, glued laminated timber, and so on) in the model attributed to missing and incomplete LCA data. LCA = life cycle assessment.
Figure 2 Wood flows in Switzerland for the year 2011. The thickness of arrows represents the wood volume of respective flows. The dashed line represents the system boundary for Switzerland, and the dotted line represents the overall system perspective, including trade. Although the production of wood-based products is shown here for the sake of completeness, it is only considered on the level of inputs (semifinished products like boards, glued laminated timber, and so on) in the model attributed to missing and incomplete LCA data. LCA = life cycle assessment.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 Comparison of process shares in the overall system based on volume (top) and impacts. The left-hand side represents the production perspective, the right-hand side the consumption one.
Figure 3 Comparison of process shares in the overall system based on volume (top) and impacts. The left-hand side represents the production perspective, the right-hand side the consumption one.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Substitution effects as climate change impacts (positive numbers) and benefits (negative numbers) from the production (prod., table 1) and end-of-life (EoL, table 2) treatment of current wood use in Switzerland. Production impacts of substitutes are negative numbers (given that they can be saved with the use of wood), whereas EoL benefits from substitutes are positive numbers (given that they are lost with the use of wood). Results are shown for the three substitution scenarios minimum (top), likely (middle), and maximum (bottom) benefit. For each scenario, a blue line indicates the cumulative total net effect from wood use.
Figure 4 Substitution effects as climate change impacts (positive numbers) and benefits (negative numbers) from the production (prod., table 1) and end-of-life (EoL, table 2) treatment of current wood use in Switzerland. Production impacts of substitutes are negative numbers (given that they can be saved with the use of wood), whereas EoL benefits from substitutes are positive numbers (given that they are lost with the use of wood). Results are shown for the three substitution scenarios minimum (top), likely (middle), and maximum (bottom) benefit. For each scenario, a blue line indicates the cumulative total net effect from wood use.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 5 Factors indicating the environmental performance of nonwood substitution (subst) and wood-wood substitution (short-term cascading, cascad) for the different products and impact methods. Positive factors indicate decreasing impacts, negative factors increasing impacts. Factors indicate how much better (positive numbers with green background) or worse (negative numbers with red background) nonwood and wood-wood substitution perform to the reference case without substitution in terms of environmental impacts. Numbers are rounded. Reading example: For the production of plywood, climate-change impacts are 90% lower as when comparable products from other materials would be produced (substitution). However, climate-change impacts are only reduced by 10% when waste wood replaces primary wood in plywood production (short-term cascading).
Figure 5 Factors indicating the environmental performance of nonwood substitution (subst) and wood-wood substitution (short-term cascading, cascad) for the different products and impact methods. Positive factors indicate decreasing impacts, negative factors increasing impacts. Factors indicate how much better (positive numbers with green background) or worse (negative numbers with red background) nonwood and wood-wood substitution perform to the reference case without substitution in terms of environmental impacts. Numbers are rounded. Reading example: For the production of plywood, climate-change impacts are 90% lower as when comparable products from other materials would be produced (substitution). However, climate-change impacts are only reduced by 10% when waste wood replaces primary wood in plywood production (short-term cascading).CC BY · PubMed Central

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Cites

Show all 35 references

Research works printed but not linked: 23

  1. BAFU (Bundesamt für Umwelt), 2012, Jahrbuch Wald und Holz
  2. BAFU (Bundesamt für Umwelt), 2013, Inländische Wertschöpfung bei der stofflichen und energetischen Verwendung von Holz
  3. BAFU (Bundesamt für Umwelt), 2014, Jahrbuch Wald und Holz
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  6. BAFU (Bundesamt für Umwelt) and BFH (Berner Fachhochschule), 2012, Holzendverbrauch Schweiz—Bauwesen, Holz im Aussenbereich, Möbel und Innenausbau, Verpackung sowie Holzwaren für das Jahr 2009
  7. BFE (Bundesamt für Energie), 2012, Schweizerische Holzenergiestatistik—Erhebung für das Jahr 2011
  8. BFE (Bundesamt für Energie), 2012, Teilstatistik Spezielle energetische Holznutzungen: Feuerungen und Motoren für erneuerbare Abfälle Erhebungsjahr 2011
  9. Boucher J., 2014, Assessing waste streams of building demolition and renovation in the City of Zurich
  10. BUWAL (Bundesamt für Umwelt, Wald und Landschaft), 2004, Branchenprofil der Wald‐ und Holzwirtschaft 2001
  11. CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries), 2013, CEPI sustainability report 2013
  12. Frischknecht R., 2013, Swiss Eco‐Factors 2013 according to the Ecological Scarcity Method
  13. Gärtner S., 2013, Gesamtökologische Bewertung der Kaskadennutzung von Holz—Umweltauswirkungen stofflicher und energetischer Holznutzungssysteme im Vergleich
  14. Goedkoop M., 2009, ReCiPE 2008: A life cycle impact assessment method which comprises harmonised category indicators at the midpoint and the endpoint level
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  18. UBA (Umweltbundesamt), 2015, Treibhausgasemissionen des stofflichen und energetischen Einsatzes von Holz in Österreich im Vergleich zu Substitutionsstoffen
  19. Walz A., 2010, Holz nutzen ist wirksamer als Vorräte anhäufen [Use of wood is more effective than the accumulation of stocks], Wald Und Holz, 10, 37
  20. Wenker J. L.2015. Ökobilanzierung komplexer Holzprodukte am Beispiel industriell hergestellter Möbel [LCA of complex wood products using the example of industrially produced furniture]. Ph.D. thesis Technische Universität München Munich Germany.
  21. Windsperger A., 2010, Optimierung der Ressourceneffizienz der Holznutzung
  22. ZPK (Verband der Schweizerischen Zellstoff‐, Papier‐ und Kartonindustrie), 2011, Jahresbericht 2011
  23. ZPK (Verband der Schweizerischen Zellstoff‐, Papier‐ und Kartonindustrie), 2014, Jahresbericht 2014

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Metadata

Authors
Suter, F., Steubing, B., & Hellweg, S.
Affiliations
ETH Zurich (CH)
Corresponding author
Suter, Florian
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Industrial Ecology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2016-09-26
Volume
21
Issue
4
Pages
874-886
ISSN
  • 1088-1980 (ISSN-L)
  • 1530-9290
DOI
10.1111/jiec.12486
PMC
PMC13061803
OpenAlex
W2529157349
Cited by
109
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1
FWCI
4.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Industrial Ecology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
  • Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • ETH Zürich Research Collection (cc-by)
Funders
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (136612)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Sustainability and Ecological Systems Analysis
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Forest Management and Policy
Keywords
wood utilization, wood value chain, climate change mitigation, CO2 emissions, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, wood substitute, building materials, furniture, particulate emissions, cascading effects, Switzerland

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