In this article, we present a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study conducted for us by EcoLoop, a Benefit Corporation specializing in environmental consulting. Their expertise spans LCA, Carbon Footprint, Water Footprint, EPD, and the communication of science-based projects with significant environmental and social impact.
Why an LCA Study?
Currently, wastewater from industries such as galvanic treatments contains dissolved metals treated in specialized water treatment plants. While these facilities purify the water, the metals remain trapped in sludge, which is then classified as hazardous waste and sent to landfills. This process generates huge amounts of waste—typically one ton of sludge per ton of treated wastewater—and results in the loss of valuable metals that are discarded instead of being reintroduced into the value chain.
This is where Circular Materials comes in!
Using an innovative supercritical water precipitation process—operating at high pressure and temperature—we can recover over 99% of dissolved metals, transforming them into reusable oxides or hydroxides. This significantly reduces the need for virgin raw materials and promotes a more sustainable lifecycle.
Study objective
The study aimed to compare the environmental impact of our process with traditional methods, including chemical-physical wastewater treatment, mining extraction, refining, and production of metallic oxides and hydroxides.
The goal was to demonstrate how traditional processes have a significantly higher environmental footprint compared to our innovative technology.
Why Measuring Environmental Impact Matters
LCA is a methodology used to assess the environmental impact of a product, process, or service throughout its entire lifecycle.
It consists of four key phases:
Conclusions
EcoLoop’s in-depth comparative study confirmed the environmental advantages of Circular Materials’ proprietary technology for metal recovery from industrial wastewater.
By comparing traditional and innovative methods, the study demonstrated that our process offers a clear sustainability advantage. The ability to compare existing systems with new solutions is one of the key strengths of LCA analysis, as it helps identify opportunities for improvement and implement strategies to reduce environmental impact. Ultimately, through LCA, EcoLoop highlighted the efficiency and sustainability of our wastewater treatment process.
This study underscores the importance of comparative analysis in driving innovation toward more sustainable solutions and helping companies on their path to sustainability.
