Lesson 1Assessing data quality: temporal, geographic, technological representativeness and uncertaintyThis part shows data quality checks for LCI, covering time, place, and tech match, completeness, accuracy, and uncertainty, and how to rate and note quality for bottle system data.
Temporal representativeness and data ageGeographic coverage and regional relevanceTechnological representativeness of processesCompleteness and precision of inventory flowsQualitative scoring and uncertainty flagsLesson 2Transport modelling: modal choices, typical distances for North America and Europe, fuel and load factorsThis part explains modelling freight transport for bottle systems, including picking transport types, guessing usual regional distances, and setting real fuel use, load factors, and return trip assumptions for North America and Europe.
Selecting relevant freight transport modesTypical road, rail, sea distances by regionEstimating fuel consumption and emission factorsModelling load factors and empty backhaulsAllocating transport to functional unitLesson 3Identifying required inventory flows: materials, energy, transport, water, wasteThis part introduces finding all needed inventory flows for bottle LCIs, including materials, energy, transport, water, emissions, and waste, and ensuring fullness and match with functional unit.
Linking flows to the functional unitListing material inputs and auxiliary materialsIdentifying energy carriers and utilitiesCapturing transport, water, and emissionsChecking completeness and avoiding double countingLesson 4Using secondary datasets: ecoinvent, US LCI, ELCD, GaBi proxies — how to search and select matching processesThis part focuses on picking and using secondary LCI data from sources like ecoinvent, US LCI, ELCD, and GaBi, including search ways, proxy picks, metadata checks, and adjusting data to bottle system needs.
Searching databases for matching processesInterpreting metadata and system boundariesChoosing and justifying proxy processesAdapting datasets to regional conditionsHandling cutoffs and allocation in datasetsLesson 5Documenting sources and citing datasets, papers, calculators, and government statisticsThis part explains clearly noting all LCI sources, including databases, reviewed papers, industry reports, calculators, and government stats, and citing them steadily for repeatable bottle studies.
Creating a structured LCI data logReferencing LCI databases and versionsCiting peer-reviewed and industry studiesUsing and documenting online calculatorsReferencing government and statistical dataLesson 6Modelling manufacturing processes: steel production, injection/stretch blow moulding for PET, forming and finishingThis part covers modelling making processes for PET and stainless steel bottles, including steel making paths, PET resin making, injection and stretch blow moulding, forming, trimming, finishing, and adding scrap and yield losses.
Steelmaking routes and alloy specificationsPET resin production and drying stepsInjection and stretch blow moulding parametersForming, trimming, and surface finishingModelling scrap rates and material yield lossesLesson 7End-of-life pathways: recycling rates, mechanical recycling processes for PET and stainless steel, landfill, incineration with energy recoveryThis part explains modelling end-of-life for PET and stainless steel bottles, including local recycling rates, mechanical recycling processes, landfill and burning with energy recovery, and sharing recycling gains and loads.
Collecting regional recycling and disposal ratesModelling PET mechanical recycling processesModelling stainless steel recycling routesLandfill and incineration with energy recoveryAllocation approaches for recycling creditsLesson 8Estimating material composition and mass flows for stainless steel and PET bottlesThis part describes guessing material makeup and mass flows for PET and stainless steel bottles, including wall thickness, closures, labels, extra parts, and turning drawings or material lists into LCI inputs.
Interpreting drawings and specificationsEstimating PET and steel wall thicknessesAccounting for caps, labels, and coatingsConverting volumes to masses and densitiesBuilding mass balance tables for the LCILesson 9Use-phase modelling for reusable bottles: washing scenarios (hand vs. dishwasher), frequency of reuse, cleaning agents and hot water energyThis part details modelling the use phase of reusable bottles, including washing times, hand vs. dishwasher cleaning, hot water energy need, detergent use, and user habits that greatly affect overall LCI results.
Defining realistic reuse frequency scenariosHand washing water, energy, and detergent useDishwasher cycles, loading, and energy profilesModelling hot water generation and fuel mixesSensitivity analysis on user behaviour patterns
