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This paper explores the use of LCA as a tool for process environmental management, thereby moving the focus from product to process oriented analysis. The emphasis is on Improvement Assessment in which the `hot spots' in the system are targeted for maximum environmental improvements. In this context, it is useful to use multiobjective optimisation which renders Valuation unnecessary. The approach is illustrated by the case study of the system processing boron ores to make five dif- ferent products. The results of Inventory Analysis and Impact As- sessment are presented and discussed. In Improvement Assessment, a number of improvement options are identified and evaluated, using system optimisation. It is shown that the site, environmental performance can be improved over current operation by an average of 20% over the whole life cycle. Thus the study demonstrates that the optimisation approach to environmental process management may assist in identifying optimal ways to operate a process or plant from `cradle to grave'. This may help the process industries not only to comply with legislation but also provide a framework for taking a more proactive approach to environmental management leading to more sustainable industrial operations and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Producer responsibility and take-back legislation in Europe place responsibility on the manufactures for the recovery and recycling of end-of-life products. This will inevitably require the manufacturers to rethink the way products are designed and manufactured in order to improve their recyclability. This paper illustrates on the case of a fibre optic cable how this can be achieved in a practical and relatively easy way, leading to both environmental and economic benefits. The case study compares the current design the 96 fibre optic cable with several proposed design modifications with the aim of identifying the design option that would enable an easy end-of-life disassembly and recycling of component materials. The designs are evaluated on a life cycle basis for both economic and environmental impacts using the CHAin management of Materials and Products (CHAMP) methodology. CHAMP combines elements of process and design engineering with life cycle approaches to enable the user to explore technical, economic and environmental consequences of different material, process and technological options, including material recovery and recycling. CHAMP is therefore particularly well suited for addressing the requirements of the take-back and producer responsibility legislation. The results of LCA and life cycle costing obtained by using CHAMP show that cable re-design can reduce the environmental impacts by between 30 and 60% and can lead to a 40% reduction in economic costs. This is achieved by changing the internal structure of the cable, by removing some of the cable components (e.g. aluminium and organic gels) and by recycling some of the materials. Transport (including reverse logistics), processing and landfill also contribute to the overall impacts, but their contribution is less significant than that from the materials used to manufacture the cable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]