NZRP has engaged Lifecycles to calculate the environmental benefits of its operations for its annual report since FY2016. The report below presents the updated environmental data for FY2025, covering the benefits of e-waste recycling on climate change, water and energy use and particulate emissions.
The analysis aims to answer the following two questions:
- What are the environmental impacts associated with the collection and recycling of e-waste collected through ANZRP’s TechCollect program?
- What environmental benefits can be derived from the recovery of secondary materials in this system?
What is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), is a methodology that can be used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product or service or process through its entire life cycle. This typically includes looking at activities such as the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing, transportation, usage and disposal of a product. LCA aims to include all important environmental impacts for the product system being studied. In doing so, LCA seeks to avoid shifting impacts from one life cycle stage to another or from one environmental impact to another. LCAs can therefore provide a comprehensive understanding of where the environmental impacts are and how businesses can use this evidence and knowledge to improve their sustainability performance.
The framework and principles of LCA are described in the international standard ISO 14040 [1]. The specific requirements for LCA are defined by ISO 14044 [2]
