EIO-LCA Web Forum

Hi,
I looked up data under the "Paper and Paperboard Mills" industry sector and the "Stationary and Related Product Manufacturing" because I'm trying to find out information on the LCA of office paper. Office paper is under both of these categories and the descriptions seem similar for both. I'm assuming that the "stationary product manufacturing" is the next step in the line of production, after paper mills, however, the data also includes similar data. Although different numbers, both include paper mills, power generation and supply, truck transportation, waste management, oil/gas extraction, among others. 1) Are oil/gas extraction and grain farming being counted twice during the stationary production sector? 2) Why under the "paper mills" industry sector is there a "paper mill" data sector accounting for only a certain percentage of the total GHG count (or energy, air pollutants, etc.), shouldn't it be 100% and the rest of the data sectors be part of that percentage?

sorry if this is confusing. Please let me know if you would like me to clarify.
Thanks!
-Molly

Molly,

Thanks for your question. Selecting a sector is not always a straightforward task.

Keep in mind that when using the eiolca tool, you are selecting a sector, not a product. In this example, the description for Paper and Paperboard Mills indicates:

32212 Paper Mills

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing paper from pulp. These establishments may manufacture or purchase pulp. In addition, the establishments may convert the paper they make. The activity of making paper classifies an establishment into this industry regardless of the output.

So, processing the trees to make pulp, transforming the pulp into paper, and converting the paper into finished product might take place under one roof. Or, as the description for Stationery and other related mfg indicates:

322233 Stationery, Tablet, and Related Product Manufacturing

This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in converting paper and paperboard into products used for writing and similar applications (e.g., looseleaf fillers, notebooks, pads, etc.)

a facility might buy paper (e.g., in a large roll), and cut it to size and package it as office paper. Same output/product, different sectors.

You need to decide which sector has the output that best resembles the product you are interested in. Paper and Paperboard Mills includes newsprint, toilet paper, milk cartons, among many products, whereas the Stationery sector produces more cut paper items (such as looseleaf, notebooks, writing paper, envelopes, etc). Again, you are modeling a sector with this tool and not a specific product. In the same way, if you selected the "automobile and truck manufacturing" sector, you are modeling production of SUVs, sedans, minivans, compact cars, etc. And yes, the stationery sector would have Paper and Paperboard Mills in its supply chain, thus the similar sectors.

Deanna

Molly,

Regarding the second issue of interpreting the data, the eiolca tool models the entire economy. So, the total for all sectors number reflects the total amount of ghg or air pollutants, etc. emitted throughout the economy for a purchase in a given sector. Thus, the ghg emitted from the sector of interest is only a portion of the total emitted once you include all the transactions happening up the supply chain. And depending on the sector and impact, your sector of interest may not be the first one listed/the one contributing the most. For example, in many cases the Power Generation and Supply sector is typically the first ranked sector contributing to ghg emissions.

In that same way upstream sectors are not being counted "twice", but instead every transaction with upstream sectors is included. So, again take Power Generation and Supply (PGS). Almost every sector purchases electricity, and every purchase is included in the results. For Stationery products, 17% of the purchases from PGS are direct (purchased by Stationery products sector), while the other 83% of purchases from PGS are indirect (purchased by other sectors).

If you are still confused, let us know. Deanna