The zero-burden Illusion: rethinking allocation methods for secondary raw materials in LCA

The paper critically examines the limitations of current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods, particularly the cut-off approach, in evaluating secondary raw materials (SRMs). This method, which assigns all environmental impacts to primary life cycles, leads to a "zero-burden" illusion, underestimating the environmental impact of recycling processes such as collection, sorting, and reprocessing. The authors argue for a more nuanced approach to allocation that better reflects the true environmental costs of SRMs, promoting more informed sustainability strategies and aligning with circular economy goals.