Evaluating the impacts on biodiversity from the production of virgin and recycled wool applying life cycle assessment

Master project

Description

The textile sector is known to contribute to heavy environmental impacts along its products’ life cycle, particularly resource over exploitation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020, the sector was indeed identified as the third largest responsible for land use and water degradation in Europe. The production and use phases have the greatest share of impacts, which are mostly associated with the cultivation and production of natural and animal-based fibers (e.g. silk, cashmere, wool), and with washing, dyeing, and finishing products. Such impacts in turn potentially affect biodiversity in terms of loss of species.

To limit the impact of the textile sector on the environment, the European Commission has recommended a shift to a circular production and consumption system, reducing waste and increasing the life cycle and recycling of fibers and fabrics, through the so-called Circular Economy Action Plan and the Industrial Strategy.

Manteco SpA, Italian company which produces woven textiles, has developed their own value chain focusing on the recycling of pre- and post-consumer discarded textiles and is interested in pushing one step forward the environmental sustainability assessment of their wool based products, including the assessment of biodiversity related impacts.

This master project will take place within the context of the collaboration between HES-SO and Manteco SpA.

Project tasks

The project’s main objective is to quantify the potential environmental impacts, specifically related to biodiversity loss, of two production systems: virgin wool production and secondary wool production from pre- and post-consumer discarded textiles, by means of life cycle assessment (LCA). Particularly, this work aims to evaluate potential benefits and burden shifts of a more circular textile value chain by identifying the hotspots of biodiversity impact in relationship to other environmental indicators from comprehensive life cycle impact assessment methods (LCIA) (e.g. Impact World +, ReciPe 2016).

The main tasks include:

  • Performing a literature review of the existing life cycle studies on the production of both virgin and recycled wool, to well understand the characteristics of the existing wool production systems and the modelling challenges.
  • Collecting primary and secondary data from literature and from the company itself.
  • Developing up-to-date life cycle inventories (LCI) of both virgin and recycled wool production.
  • Performing the LCA to identify the main contributors to biodiversity loss and other environmental indicators in terms of life cycle stages, processes, and flows, where more attention should be directed to reduce the environmental footprints.
  • Evaluating the benefits and potential burden shifts from a linear to an increasingly circular textile product system.
  • Performing sensitivity analyses on main modeling choices (life cycle impact assessment methods, allocation choices) and input parameters.
  • Developing recommendations to support the company’s strategies towards a more circular textile value chain.

Skills and background

We’re seeking students with:

  • Ability to gather and process information and interpret results to support robust recommendations.
  • Basic knowledge of life cycle assessment.
  • Coding skills and previous knowledge of textile / wool production systems are a plus.

Supervision and conditions

The project is performed in collaboration with Manteco SpA and benefits from the support of an experienced LCA analyst from CIRAIG at HES-SO.

  • Supervision: Manuele Margni Professor HES-SO Valais Wallis, Polytechnique Montréal, CIRAIG.
  • Coaching: Eleonora Crenna, scientific collaborator at HES-SO and CIRAIG.
  • Location: IPESE lab (Energypolis, Sion, Switzerland), hybrid.
  • Duration: From September 2024 to February 2025.
  • Application: Interested students must send an application file including a CV, a transcript (bachelor and master) and a cover letter to manuele.margni@hevs.ch and eleonora.crenna@hevs.ch. The position remains open until a suitable candidate is found.

Note: An official EPFL main supervisor needs to be identified; Prof. François Maréchal or Prof. Claudia Binder are knowledgeable professors that could take this role.