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Prepared by: 

• Geoff Zehnder, Professor of Entomology and Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator
• Horace Skipper, Professor, Department of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Clemson University

This summer was spent collecting current literature on recycling, returnable packaging, life cycle analysis, and source reduction.  In addition I attended the WorldPac 2002 conference in East Lansing, which included a session on Packaging and the Environment.  Initial development work on the course modules has begun and I expect at least two of the modules to be used in the Packaging Science 102 course that I am currently teaching.  Additional modules should be completed and introduced in the course in the spring of 2003.

Prepared by: Marty Davis, Professor, School of Architecture

This investigation began in earnest in the Fall of 2002, and was suspended in the Spring of 2003 when I was on sabbatical leave,  It is to resume this summer.

This study is divided into two portions, one dealing with an overview of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in buildings, the other focusing on the SC State Procurement Process,  The inception of LCA is often  credited to a study on beverage containers in the late 1960's.  There appear's to be considerable data on product toxicity using LCA.  When reviewing literature of LCA and buildings the citations are less   frequent. LCA is a method of evaluating environmental impacts of a product, process or activity throughout its full life cycle, namely,  from extraction of raw materials, to processing, transport, use and finally disposal  As an internationally accepted approach guided by international standards in the ISO 14000 series, it is being used and tested by numerous organizations. Considerable emphasis has been  placed by the US EPA on developing and implementing decision-making tools based on Life Cycle Assessment. The EPA methodology is divided into three parts:Inventory Assessment, Impact Assessment and Improvement Assessment.

Significant work on developing software has developed in Australia (LCAid), the United States (BEES), UK (Boustead), Germany (Gabi) and Denmark (SIB LCA). Assessment tools of interest have been developed in Canada (Athena), USA (DOE2), and the UK (Envest).  Whole Building   Assessment tools directed to architects have been established in Australia (Ecotect), US (Building Design Advisor and Green Building Advisor, LEED), UK (BREEAM),  It is important to note that in the US numerous 'sustainable building guidelines' have been created, included California Tier 1 and 2 checklists, Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide, City of Austin Municipal Guidelines, Standford  University's Guidelines for Sustainable Building, etc.

The data on state procurement is a bit vague.  In South Carolina all new state sponsored building over a set value must follow the Permanent Improvement Project Approval and Implementation Process.    Nowhere in this process is the mention of any type of LCA. There are numerous environmentally based design guidelines and recommendations, however, no official use of life cycle assessment is integrated into the procurement process in each of the 50 states.  There seems to be an opportunity to develop some input into the South Carolina model for life cycle assessment especially via the State Engineer's Office where it prepares a Certification for Construction, and in the Agency Selection Committee which determines the professional services required for he project.