Projects at the Life Cycle Assessment research group
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Extending the lifespan of mobile devices
Lifesaving: A multi-perspective approach for extending the service life of mobile internet-enabled devices
completed, 06/2019 - 08/2022
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National network STEM education – "The dream of flying"
The continuation and expansion of the national network for the promotion of STEM education established in the previous funding period 2017-2020 is intended to further strengthen cooperation between people from universities of teacher education and technical and scientific universities in the…
completed, 01/2021 - 12/2024
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LCA of peat, alternative substrates and growing media
Due to its soil improving properties peat is regarded as an ideal component of growing media. However, peat cutting has a high environmental impact. In Switzerland, the extraction of peat is prohibited since 1987, but 130’000 tons of peat are imported every year. To reduce peat consumption,…
completed, 11/2014 - 12/2015
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Climate-KIC Summer School
completed, 02/2020 - 12/2021
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Local food for the future (LOFT)
The project aims to improve vertical farming production and operational efficiency by combining innovative production know-how and technologies with enhanced sustainability. The approach will establish the feasibility and profitability of sustainable, year-round production of high-quality crops.
completed, 02/2022 - 01/2025
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Life cycle assessment of Swiss wine from conventional and organic farming
The consumption of food and beverages causes more than a quarter of an average person’s environmental impact in Switzerland. Apart from meat, fish and dairy products, beverage and semiluxury food – especially spirits and coffee – contribute to a significant share. Over the entire life cycle of wine…
completed, 12/2014 - 04/2016
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Extension of the study on life cycle assessments for alternative substrates to peat
The aim of the research study is to extend the study by Eymann et al. (2015) of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) by selected substrate components and substrate mixtures which, based on defined criteria, have a high potential as peat substitutes. Analogous to the 2015 study, the…
completed, 09/2018 - 08/2020
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Applying Life Cycle Assessment for the mitigation of environmental impacts South African agrifood products
The project contributed to the important global question of how to reduce environmental impacts from food production, with a focus on South African food value chains. The Swiss and South African project team joined forces to ensure basic data collection for South African maize, dairy and fruit…
completed, 01/2014 - 07/2017
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Green Hospital
Environmental Impact Assessment, Resource Efficiency, and Hands-on Applications
completed, 09/2017 - 08/2021
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Life Cycle Assessment of Tourism in Thailand
Collaboration with Mahidol University in Thailand
completed, 11/2018 - 10/2019
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Regionalised Agricultural Life Cycle Assessment
The start-up financed project is a research cooperation of the research groups Life Cycle Assessment, Geography of Food and Geoinformatics for the development of a competence focus "Regionalised Agricultural LCA". The feasibility of a regionalised life cycle assessment will be examined…
completed, 06/2018 - 01/2019
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C-Atoms for Circular Chemistry (CO2NVERT) (CO2NVERT)
In order to achieve the overarching goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, a paradigm shift toward a cir-cular economy for carbon has to be put in place.The systemic objective of the Flagship project is to provide the society with a viable case study of the CO2 circular economy applied to the chemical…
ongoing, 04/2022 - 03/2026
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Fostering Biodiversity Footprint Management Along Value Chains (BioPrint)
BioPrint is an inter- and transdisciplinary research collaboration with the overarching purpose to improve the management of biodiversity footprints of product groups as well as individual products along value chains.
completed, 08/2024 - 03/2025
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Climate emissions calculation for the ZHAW Green Impact Book
Solution concept for the carbon footprint and implementation since 2017
ongoing, 01/2022 - 12/2025
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Review of Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Inventory models for Food Side Stream Utilisation and Valorisation Pathways
ongoing, 05/2024 - 12/2025
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Using brewery sidestreams to manufacture innovative products (CHEERS)
The industrial production of beer often generates large volumes of by-products that are not used optimally. The European project "CHEERS" aims to convert unused by-products and waste of beer production such as bagasse, wastewater, CO2 and CH4 into innovative bio-based products.Currently,…
ongoing, 09/2022 - 08/2026
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Sustainable algal proteins produced on potato and other controlled agri-food streams (A'propos)
The supply of proteins for animal feed applications in Switzerland relies mainly on the import of soybean cake. Besides being an economical risk, this practice implies a shared responsibility for the associated environmental burdens. Protein-rich algae cultivated in non-arable soils with low water…
completed, 01/2023 - 02/2025
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Renewable Methene for Transport and Mobility
Power to gas allows using excess renewable electricity to produce Hydrogen and to transform it to renewable methane. Methane can be used to drive natural gas vehicles. The processes described use building blocks made of existing technologies, link the grids for electricity and natural gas and make…
completed, 10/2014 - 12/2017
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PV2050: Sustainability, market deployment and interaction to the grid – the impacts of advanced PV solutions
The opportunities for photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion to support the requested transition for the realization of the Energy Strategy 2050 are widely recognized. However, if PV is to make a significant contribution to satisfy global energy requirements, issues of sustainability need to be…
completed, 12/2014 - 11/2018
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Innovation Booster Applied Circular Sustainability
From 2021 to 2024, the Innovation Booster (IB) Applied Circular Sustainability supports the pre-development of radical solution ideas for 100% recyclable products and systems - and this for all industries and economic sectors in Switzerland.
completed, 01/2021 - 12/2024