• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.97 no.5
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• pp.530-539
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• 2008

The study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential of paper recycling by paper industry in South Korea and determines the positive impact on global warming by conserving the world's forests through decreasing pulp wood use. South Korea is one of the leading countries in the world thai recycle papers with a collection rate of 71.8 percent and a recycling rate of 74.4 percent in 2005. Greenhouse gas emission reduction potential in terms of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) equivalent from paper recycling was assessed scientifically by the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Three types of papers including newsprint, container-board, and white-board were used for assessment in this study. Results of this study indicate that $CO_2$ emission reduction potential of recycling paper varies according to its types and recycling rates. Greenhouse gas emission reduction factor of 0.74869 $tCO_2$ per ton of recycled paper was derived from this study. In applying this factor. it was found out that the South Korean paper industry reduced GHG emission of around 6,364,550 $tCO_2$ by recycling paper in 2005. With this. the country's paper industry could claim that by recycling in thai particular year. approximately $23.8million\;m^3$ of woods were not harvested and thus 212,500 ha of world's forests were estimated to be saved in that particular year. Overall. it could be concluded that the Korean paper industry was able to reduce $CO_2$ emission and was able to conserve world's forests by its high rates of paper recycling.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.464-471
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• 2013

In this study, the resource efficiency and future metal resource requirement in photovoltaic (PV) production system were evaluated by using material balance data and life cycle assesment (LCA) method. As a result, in the resource efficiency of ferrous and non-ferrous metal, lead and tin had higher resource efficiency than other materials in all PV systems (SC-Si, MC-Si, CI(G)S, CdTe). In the resource efficiency of rare metals, gallium and rhenium in silicon system and rhenium and rhodium in thin-film system ranked as the first and second high resource efficiency. In case of rare earth metal, gadolinium and samarium took higher resource efficiency. The results of the future metal resource requirement in PV systems showed that 2,545,670 ton of aluminium, 92,069 ton of zinc, 22,044 ton of copper, 1,695 ton of tin and 31 ton of nickel will be needed by 2030 in South Korea, except resource recycling supplement.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.516-525
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• 2015

In this study, Life Cycle Assessment(LCA) was applied to the production processes of waste cooking oil recycling products. Recycling products as defined in the Law of Saving of Resources and Recycling Promotion are biodiesel and soap. Weighting result of biodiesel production process showed that the most significant impact potential was abiotic resource depletion(84.17%) followed by global warming(13.93%). In the case of the soap, the most significant impact potential was also abiotic resource depletion(58.59%) followed by global warming(33.71%). In terms of the whole system of the biodiesel production process, methanol showed the largest environmental impact potential(87.35%). While in the case of the soap, sodium chloride showed the largest environmental impact potential(99.99%). This study suggests that there should be improvement of the methanol recovery system in the biodiesel production process and also appropriate use of the major environmental impact materials in both processes.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.892-897
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• 2010

LCA (Life Cycle assessment) was carried out to estimate on carbon footprint and to establish of LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) database of sweetpotato production system. Based on collecting the data for operating LCI, it was shown that input of organic fertilizer was value of 3.26E-01 kg $kg^{-1}$ and it of mineral fertilizer was 1.02E-01 kg $kg^{-1}$ for sweetpotato production. It was the highest value among input for sweetpotato production. And direct field emission was 2.47E-02 kg $kg^{-1}$ during sweetpotato cropping. The result of LCI analysis focussed on greenhouse gas (GHG) was showed that carbon footprint was 4.05E-01 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ sweetpotato. Especially $CO_2$ for 71% of the GHG emission and the value was 2.88E-01 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ sweetpotato. Of the GHG emission $CH_4$, and $N_2O$ were estimated to be 18% and 11%, respectively. It might be due to emit from mainly fertilizer production (32%) and sweetpotato cultivation (28%) for sweetpotato production system. $N_2O$ emitted from sweetpotato cultivation for 90% of the GHG emission. With LCIA (Life Cycle Impact Assessment) for sweetpotato production system, it was observed that the process of fertilizer production might be contributed to approximately 90% of GWP (global warming potential). Characterization value of GWP and POCP were 4.05E-01 $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ and 5.08E-05 kg $C_2H_4$-eq. $kg^{-1}$, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.904-910
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• 2010

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) carried out to estimate carbon footprint and to establish of LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) database of pepper production system. Pepper production system was categorized the field cropping (redpepper) and the greenhouse cropping (greenpepper) according to pepper cropping type. The results of collecting data for establishing LCI D/B showed that input of fertilizer for redpepper production was more than that for greenpepper production system. The value of fertilizer input was 2.55E+00 kg $kg^{-1}$ redpepper and 7.74E-01 kg $kg^{-1}$ greenpepper. Amount of pesticide input were 5.38E-03 kg $kg^{-1}$ redpepper and 2.98E-04 kg $kg^{-1}$ greenpepper. The value of field direct emission ($CO_2$, $CH_4$, $N_2O$) were 5.84E-01 kg $kg^{-1}$ redpepper and 2.81E+00 greenpepper, respectively. The result of LCI analysis focussed on the greenhouse gas (GHG), it was observed that the values of carbon footprint were 4.13E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ for redpepper and 4.70E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ for greenpepper; especially for 90% and 6% of $CO_2$ emission from fertilizer and pepper production, respectively. $N_2O$ was emitted from the process of N fertilizer production (76%) and pepper production (23%). The emission value of $CO_2$ from greenhouse production was more higher than it of field production system. The result of LCIA (Life Cycle Impact Assessment) was showed that characterization of values of GWP (Global Warming Potential) were 4.13E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ for field production system and 4.70E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ for greenhouse production system. It was observed that the process of fertilizer production might be contributed to approximately 52% for redpepper production system and 48% for greenpepper production system of GWP.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.898-903
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• 2010

This study was carried out to estimate carbon emission using LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and to establish LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) database of soybean production system. Based on collecting the data for operating LCI, it was shown that input of organic fertilizer was value of 3.10E+00 kg $kg^{-1}$ soybean and it of mineral fertilizer was 4.57E-01 kg $kg^{-1}$ soybean for soybean cultivation. It was the highest value among input for soybean production. And direct field emission was 1.48E-01 kg $kg^{-1}$ soybean during soybean cropping. The result of LCI analysis focussed on greenhouse gas (GHG) was showed that carbon footprint was 3.36E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq $kg^{-1}$ soybean. Especially $CO_2$ for 71% of the GHG emission. Also of the GHG emission $CH_4$, and $N_2O$ were estimated to be 18% and 11%, respectively. It might be due to emit from mainly fertilizer production (92%) and soybean cultivation (7%) for soybean production system. $N_2O$ was emitted from soybean cropping for 67% of the GHG emission. In $CO_2$-eq. value, $CO_2$ and $N_2O$ were 2.36E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ soybean and 3.50E-01 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ soybean, respectively. With LCIA (Life Cycle Impact Assessment) for soybean production system, it was observed that the process of fertilizer production might be contributed to approximately 90% of GWP (global warming potential). Characterization value of GWP was 3.36E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq $kg^{-1}$.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.49-58
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• 2015

In order to determine how much a new green building reduce the environmental impacts, it is necessary to establish the reference target for comparison. Therefore, this study aims to establish the reference target by evaluating the environmental impacts of existing buildings. To ensure this end, this study evaluated the environmental impacts(Global warming potential, ozone layer depletion potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, and abiotic depletion potential) of 17 existing elementary school buildings, which are located in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju, by using the hybrid LCA model. As a result, the environmental impacts of the case buildings were clearly distinguished in different regions. Therefore, this study presented the reference targets which are appropriate to each region. For example, the reference targets for global warming potential, which can be used in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju, are 3.76E+03, 1.90E+03, 2.63E+03, $2.81E+03kg-CO_2\;eq./m^2$, respectively. The presented reference targets are expected to be useful for understanding how much environmental impacts can be reduced when a new green school building is constructed.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.465-474
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• 2014

This is a comparative study that shows the overall environmental impacts from concrete structures when different compressive strength of concrete applied to structural systems having the same reference flow with different durability. A total of 24 MPa, 40 MPa and 60 MPa cases is analyzed to define the characteristic using end-point perspective LCA methodology including the stages of production, construction, maintenance and disposal. As results, global warming, non-renewable energy and respiratory inorganics problems are the major issues for assessing environmental impacts of concrete products.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.425-432
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• 2011

Concrete was identified as the significant GHG emission source resulting from a GHG emission analysis of railway infrastructure. An environmental assessment method (life cycle assessment; LCA) and low carbon railway infrastructure design strategy development method (ECODESISGN PILOT) were applied to develop low carbon railway infrastructure design strategies. The railway infrastructure was analyzed as a raw material intensive industry emitting large amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) at its construction stage. Therefore, in this study, it is analyzed that current status of GHG emission at its construction stage, and a method reducing GHG emission of railway infrastructure is proposed. In this study, eco-concrete, concrete aging prevention agent and a low carbon railway route decision method based on a need of low carbon railway infrastructure construction technology application for green railway development were considered.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.389-406
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• 2011

As part of a feasibility study for introducing carbon labeling of fruit products in Korea, we explore the use of carbon footprints for Korean kiwifruit from Gyeongnam region as a case study. In Korea, the Korean Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) is responsible for the carbon footprint labeling certification, and has two types of certification programs: one program focuses on climate change response (carbon footprint labeling analysis) and the other on low-carbon products (reduction of carbon footprints analysis). Currently agricultural products have not yet been included in the program. Carbon labeling could soon be a prerequisite for the international trading of agricultural products. In general the carbon footprints of various agricultural products from New Zealand followed the methodology described in the ISO standards and conformed to the PAS 2050. The carbon footprint assessment focuses on a supply chain, and considers the foreground and the background systems. The basic scheme consists of four phases, which are the 'goal', 'scope', 'inventory analysis', and 'interpretation' phases. In the case of the carbon footprint of New Zealand kiwifruit the study tried to understand each phase's contribution to total GHG emissions. According to the results, shipping, orchard, and coolstore operation are the main life cycle stages that contribute to the carbon footprint of the kiwifruit supply chain stretching from the orchard in New Zealand to the consumer in the UK. The carbon emission of long-distance transportation such as shipping can be a hot-spot of GHG emissions, but can be balanced out by minimizing the carbon footprint of other life cycle phases. For this reason it is important that orchard and coolstore operations reduce the GHG-intensive inputs such as fuel or electricity to minimize GHG emissions and consequently facilitate the industry to compete in international markets. The carbon footprint labeling guided by international standards should be introduced for fruit products in Korea as soon as possible. The already established LCA methodology of NZ kiwifruit can be applied for fruit products as a case study.