A blanket statement favouring one material does nothing to push sustainability forward

No one material should be favoured ahead of another (25 May, page 12) until the full Cradle to Grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is completed for the specifics of that project. Any project should include full consideration of the end-of-life phase, for example, disposal assumptions, reuse and recycling/downcycling.

Too often sustainability assessments are carried out to convenient boundaries (cradle to gate). However, it is only by doing full and proper LCA that the project “hot spots” can be identified and the most sustainable solution found. A blanket statement favouring one material does nothing to push sustainability forward, panders to misconceptions and can leave legacy issues at end of life.

Neil Tilley, Tata Steel

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