User Manual for the Sustainable Materials
Management Prioritization Tools
Sustainable Materials Management Prioritization Tools
Life cycle-based tools that give users a Q Establish priorities for environmental improvement.
Starting place to: o Focus resources and action for greater holistic benefit.
Q Consider key industries for collaboration.
Explore the SMM Prioritization Tools by clicking the buttons below the two tools.
National
Organizational
Big picture view for anyone with a national focus, such as government, trade
associations and NGOs.
Get Started
Quick snapshots for organizations, such as companies, small enterprises and their
sustainability/procurement staff.
Get Started
DISCLAIMER: The SMM Prioritization Tools are for informational purposes only and should not be construed to represent Agency
determinations or policy. They have been review ed in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) policy and
approved for release. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
EPA nor any of its employees assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any
information provided, or represents that its use would not infringe privately ow ned rights. EPA does not assume responsibility for
use and interpretation of these tools. How ever, as forall complex software, these tools may not be completely free of errors. In no
event w ill EPA be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of these tools,
underlying models and/or associated documentation.
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Image on cover: Landing page of the Sustainable Materials Management Prioritization
Tools.
Table of Contents
User Manual for the Sustainable Materials Management Prioritization Tools 1
Introduction 4
Who should use these tools? 4
How do these tools work? 5
Where can you find more information? 6
Building Blocks of the SMM Prioritization Tools 6
Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators 6
Goods and Services 8
Heatmap 8
Analysis Settings 9
Examine Individual Goods and Services 12
Environmental Profile 13
Supply Chain/Operations 14
Impactful Purchases 15
Supply Chain Hotspots 17
Summary 19
Comparison Analyses 19
Compare Goods and Services 19
Compare Perspectives and Compare Analysis Types 21
Appendix A: Indicator Definitions 23
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Table of Figures
Figure 1 - Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead report 6
Figure 2 - Heatmap from National SMM Prioritization Tool 8
Figure 3 - Analysis Settings menu in National SMM Prioritization Tool 10
Figure 4 - Explaining the different perspectives 11
Figure 5 - Environmental Profile of an individual good or service 13
Figure 6 - Supply Chain/Operations tab for an individual good or service 14
Figure 7 - Impactful Purchases for an individual good or service according to total
potential impact. Click a wedge in the pie chart to reveal more information 15
Figure 8 - Lists of potential issues and supply chain sources of issues for a single
wedge in the first pie chart 16
Figure 9 - Impactful Purchases for an individual good or service according to potential
Acid Rain impacts. Click a wedge in the pie chart to reveal more information 16
Figure 10 - List of supply chain sources of issues for a single wedge in the second pie
chart 17
Figure 11 - Supply Chain Hotspots for an individual good or service according to total
potential impacts. Click a wedge in the pie chart to reveal more information 18
Figure 12 - List of potential issues for a single wedge in the first pie chart 18
Figure 13 - Supply Chain Hotspots for an individual good or service according to
potential Energy Use impacts 19
Figure 14 - Comparison Analysis menu below the heatmap 19
Figure 15 - Comparing Environmental Profiles of two goods and services side-by-side.
20
Figure 16 - Comparing potential impacts associated with Supply Chain and Operations
of two goods and services side-by-side 21
Figure 17 -Comparing ranking results when using Supply Chain and Point of
Consumption perspectives 21
Figure 18 - Comparing ranking results when using Consumption and Production
analysis types 22
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Introduction
The life cycle-based Sustainable Materials Management Prioritization Tools (SMM
Prioritization Tools) can serve as a starting place to help consider potential opportunities
for environmental improvement in the production and consumption of goods and
services. These tools are designed to help highlight potentially significant environmental
issues and hotspots. This knowledge can be helpful when prioritizing actions, focusing
limited human and financial resources to achieve greater overall environmental benefit
and considering key industries for collaboration. The SMM Prioritization Tools should be
supplemented with more detailed information for greater accuracy and prior to
considering specific actions.
The SMM Prioritization Tools include:
• National Tool: The National Tool provides a life cycle perspective of
environmental issues, resource use and socioeconomic information potentially
associated with goods and services produced and/or consumed in the United
States. This information could of interest to government, non-governmental
organizations, academic institutions and others looking for environmental
improvement opportunities at a national level.
• Organizational Tool: The Organizational Tool guides a company or organization
through a life cycle view of the potential environmental issues and resource use
that may be typical for their sector. Socioeconomic information is not included in
this tool. The Organizational Tool provides an environmental issues profile,
supply chain hotspots and purchasing categories with potentially significant
"embodied" issues. This information could be of interest to CEOs, procurement
and sustainability professionals, small- and medium-sized organizations and
others looking for environmental improvement opportunities at an organizational
level.
Who should use these tools?
These tools are for individuals interested in an overview of environmental issues and
resource use across the life cycle of goods and services to find opportunities to
minimize negative human health and environmental impacts, to promote economic
growth and to conserve natural capital in a way that cuts across more traditional
organizational, decision and policy "silos".
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How do these tools work?
Each tool serves as a non-expert user interface to EPA's United States
Environmentally-Extended Input-Output (USEE 10) model. The Tools pull complex
information from the model and display it in an understandable format.
The USEEIO model takes advantage of the U.S.
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) having
mapped the network of relationships among
businesses throughout the United States, (from
those engaged in the extraction of raw materials
and resources to businesses that sell goods or
services to the consumer). This network of
relationships is then overlaid with environmental,
resource use and socioeconomic data.
Associations are then drawn between goods and
services and those data.
The USEEIO model calculates environmental
impacts, resource use and socioeconomic data at
a national scale using publicly-available data.
However, this capability comes with limitations.
The most important is that the data are somewhat
aggregated (e.g., small electrical appliances vs.
coffee grinder or coffee grinder from a certain
manufacturer). Thus, the level of resolution is limited
to national averages for a good or service
classification. In most cases, information provided will
need to be supplemented with more detailed
information prior to considering specific actions.
The Organizational Tool uses the USEEIO model to focus on individual goods or
services of interest.
Explanation of input-output
calculation
Assume that Industry A creates 100
widgets and, in the course of doing
so, generates 100 kg of a pollutant
of concern. If Industry B purchases
25% of Industry A's output (25
widgets), then 25 kg of the pollutant
is associated with the demand
created by Industry B. These 25 kg
are "embedded" in the output (i.e.,
goods and services) produced by
Industry B. When Industry C
consumes goods and services
produced by Industry B, the 25 kg
are "passed on" to the products of
Industry C. In this way, impacts that
occur throughout the U.S. are
allocated to goods and services.
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Where can you find more information?
The general EE 10 approach underlying these tools
was used by EPA to conduct the Relative Ranking
Analysis found in EPA's report Sustainable Materials
Management: The Road Ahead (2009). The user is
encouraged to read the Road Ahead and its
Appendix, including its supplemental information, for
context in using these tools. The USEEIO national
model developed by EPA in 2016 is an important step
in making EEIO methodologies transparent,
reproducible, open, free and up-to-date, as well as
improving upon existing models. Users are
encouraged to read up on EEIO, in general.
Building Blocks of the SMM Prioritization Tools
Environmental and Socioeconomic Indicators
The following environmental and socioeconomic indicators are used in the SMM
Prioritization Tools to evaluate the potential environmental, social and economic
impacts that may arise throughout the life cycles of goods and services provided to
society. The indicators are calculated by multiplying the total amount of each resource,
waste or pollutant associated with a good or service by "characterization factors," which
relate these to an environmental impact of interest, or aggregate these by more generic
material, waste or release types. The full list of resources and pollutants tracked in the
model and the characterization factors for these indicators are available here. Full
definitions for these indicators are available in Appendix A. Definitions of the indicators
can also be found by hovering over their abbreviations in the tools.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Figure 1 -
Sustainable
Materials
Management:
The Road
Ahead report.
Links for more information:
SMM: The Road Ahead
USEEIO datasets
USEEIO documentation
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Impact Potential
• Acid Rain (ACID) (kg S02-eq) 1
• Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity (ETOX) (CTUe) 1
• Eutrophication (EUTR) (kg N-eq) 1
• Greenhouse Gases (GHG) (kg C02-eq)1
• Human Health - Cancer (HCAN) (CTUh) 2 3
• Human Health - Noncancer (HNCN) (CTUh) 23
• Human Health - Respiratory Effects (HRSP) (kg PM2.5-eq)1
• Human Health - Toxicity (HTOX) (CTUh) 13
• Ozone Depletion (OZON) (kg CFC-11-eq)1
• Smog Formation (SMOG) (kg 03-eq) 1
Resource Use
• Energy Use (ENRG) (MJ) 1-4
• Land Use (LAND) (m2*yr) 1
• Minerals and Metals Use (MNRL) (kg)1
• Nonrenewable Energy Use (NNRG) (MJ) 24
• Renewable Energy Use (RNRG) (MJ) 24
• Water Use (WATR) (m3) 1
Chemical Releases
• Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS) (kg) 2
• Metals (METL) (kg) 2
• Pesticides (PEST) (kg) 2
Waste Generated
• Commercial Construction and Demolition Debris (CCDD)(kg)1
• Commercial Municipal Solid Waste (CMSW) (kg)1
• Commercial RCRA Hazardous Waste (CRHW) (kg)1
Economic & Social
• Jobs Supported (JOBS) (# of jobs) 2
• Value Added (VADD)($) 2
1 Indicator is included in the default analysis for all three tools.
2 Indicator is not included in the Organizational Tool.
3 The HCAN and HNCN indicators are subsets of the HTOX indicator. HTOX will be deselected
automatically if HCAN and/or HNCN are included in the analysis to avoid double-counting.
4 The RNRG and NNRG indicators are subsets of the ENRG indicator. ENRG will be deselected
automatically if RNRG and/or NNRG are included in the analysis to avoid double-counting.
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Goods and Services
The SMM Prioritization Tools categorize goods and services based on the list of 389
commodities included in the 2007 Input-Output tables from the U.S. Bureau of
Economic Analysis (BEA), often referred to as the BEAIO accounts. The BEAIO
accounts provide the framework for preparing the national and other economic accounts
that are used for policy analysis, business planning and other purposes. The tables
serve as both the data source and the framework used to estimate gross domestic
product (GDP), which is used by the Federal Reserve to formulate monetary policy and
the by the U.S. government to formulate fiscal policy. In business, macroeconomic and
microeconomic forecasting models are built using the data from the 10 accounts.
The BEA commodities can be roughly correlated to the industries described by the
North America Industry Classification System (NAICS). The USEEIO model contains a
crosswalk between the BEA categories of goods and services and NAICS. Detailed
descriptions of the NAICS industry categories can be found on the U.S. Census NAICS
website. Descriptions of goods and services in the National Tool can be found by
hovering over their names. The Organizational Tool provides these descriptions when a
good or service of interest is selected in the first tab.
Heatmap
Goods & Services
Search..
£ Impact Potential 4 Resource Use O Waste Generated \s_ Economic & Social
ACID ETOX EUTR GHG HRSP HTOX OZON SMOG ENRG LAND MNRL WATR CCDD CMSW CRHW JOBS VADD
Electricity
State and local genera...
Highways, streets, and..
Gasoline, fuels, and b...
¦
¦
¦
Packaged meat (except...
¦
¦
Single-family homes
¦
Other residential stru...
"fruck transport
¦
¦
¦
Utilities buildings an...
Fresh vegetables, melo...
¦
¦
Figure 2 - Heatmap from National SMM Prioritization Tool.
The first set of results the user will see in the National Tool are displayed in the form of
a heatmap. The heatmap shows a systems-view of how the production or consumption
of goods and services may contribute to environmental impacts, resource use, waste
generation and socioeconomic outcomes for the U.S.
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Initially, the heatmap shows a list of ten goods and
services in the leftmost column. Each good or service
shown here has a corresponding relative significance
"score" for each indicator. The darker the shading of the
boxes to the right of each good or service the higher the
relative contribution is for that good or service to that
indicator.
The list of goods and services in the heatmap is
shown in a ranked order with potentially highly
impactful goods and services shown first. Each good
or service contributes a certain percentage of the U.S.
total of each indicator. Each good or service's percent
contributions to the indicators in the Impact Potential,
Resource Use and Waste Generated categories are
summed. The goods and services are then shown in
descending order of those summed percent
contributions.
Note: Indicators in the Economic & Social category are not used for ranking. These
indicators are interpreted in the opposite way of the indicators in the other categories.
For example, a relatively high contribution of "Jobs Supported" is interpreted as a
positive impact, whereas a relatively high contribution to "Hazardous Waste Generation"
is interpreted as a negative impact. The indicators in the Chemical Releases category
are not used for ranking since their data are used for indicators in the Impact Potential
category.
Users can see the list of goods and services in a ranked order according to their
potential impacts for a single indicator by clicking on the title of an indicator along the
top of the heatmap. This list of goods and services in the heatmap will now be in
descending order according to their potential impacts solely for that indicator. Clicking
the title of the indicator a second time will return the heatmap to the default ranking.
Users can expand the list of goods and services from ten up to 50 goods and services,
in increments often, using the "Display" drop-down list below the heatmap.
Analysis Settings
The results and ranked list of goods and services shown in the heatmap are determined
by the data and information provided by the USEEIO model. The specific data and
information provided depend on the analysis settings selected in the tool. The currently
selected analysis settings are listed directly above the heatmap. When users first open
the SMM Prioritization Tools, the default settings are selected. Users can change the
analysis settings in the National Tool by clicking the "Analysis Settings" button above
Explanation of ranking of
goods and services
Assume Good or Service A
contributes 3% to the U.S.
total for Indicator 1, 5% for
Indicator 2, 1% for Indicator
3, and 8% for Indicator 4.
Good or Service A's percent
contributions are then
summed and compared to
the sums of percent
contributions for all other
goods and services. The
goods and services are then
displayed in descending
order of those sums. This
ranking procedure is referred
to as "normalization." Each
indicator is weighted equally.
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the heatmap. Clicking the "refresh" button next to the "Analysis Settings" button will
return the analysis to default settings. The Organizational Tool uses the same default
settings, but users cannot change the settings in the Organizational Tool.
There are three settings that users can change in the National Tool.
SEPA
Environment;
Related Topics: Si
The heatmap belc
the left
Analysis Settir
Goods &
!} Analysis Settings
Perspective
Analysis Type
© Indicator Selection
What's this? ©
Supply Chain Point of Consumption
Consumption Production
What's this? ©
© 6 ® A
Impact Potential Resource Use Waste Generated Chemical Releases Economic & Social
Indicators (8) ~
Reset to Default
L
)nomic & Social
Figure 3 - Analysis Settings menu in National SMM Prioritization Tool.
Perspective
Changing the Perspective setting changes the way the USEEIO model allocates
potential impacts of goods and services. This can help conceptualize the flow and
accumulation of potential environmental issues along the production of goods and
services. These perspectives enable users to see how potential issues can be "passed
on" and "embodied" in the final good or service (Figure 2). The two Perspective options
are Point of Consumption and Supply Chain. We recommend users explore both
perspectives to obtain broad insights about the potential impacts of a range of goods
and services.
• Point of Consumption5 shows potential impacts associated with the operations
and supply chain for a good or service PLUS the potential impacts that may be
associated with processes in the supply chain of that good or service6. When this
option is selected, the heatmap can be interpreted as showing "cradle-to-gate"
potential impacts of the goods and services.
5 Default perspective setting in all three tools.
6 Supply Chain refers to the entire network of activities required to produce a good or service, while
Operations refers to the potential issues arising from releases, resource use and waste generated at the
facilities producing or providing a good or service.
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• Supply Chain shows only potential impacts associated with the industries that
emit the pollutants, use the resources, or create the jobs/add the value that are
directly linked to the given impact. When this option is selected, the heatmap can
be interpreted as showing potential hotspots or origins of impacts in the U.S.
Figure 4 - Explaining the different perspectives.
The diagrams below depict how a single impact category is measured from the different perspectives
included in the National Tool using the EEIO approach. The two diagrams depict the same supply
chain used to produce a good or service. Each box represents a good or service category that
produces output used as an input for a "downstream" good or service category (where material flow is
depicted by the arrows). The box at the right-hand side of the diagrams (Good/Service #7) represents
the final good or service as it is consumed by the end user.
The fully colored pie chart represents the total amount of the impact incurred to produce the good or
service. The individual slices of the pie chart represent the portion of the impact associated with each
of the goods or services in the supply chain. For example, the red slice represents the amount of
impact associated with the production of Good/Service #2.
Supply Chain Perspective
The total impact associated with producing
Good/Service #7 is broken down and allocated
to the original sources (goods and services) in
the supply chain.
Point of Consumption Perspective
The total impact associated with producing
Good/Service #7 is measured in terms of
"embodied" impact at the point of consumption.
Y®
ymY
Analysis Type
The National SMM Prioritization Tool allows users to see the results of analyzing the
U.S. economy from two different analyses: Consumption and Production.
• Consumption7 shows what potential environmental issues may be associated
with final consumption of goods and services by households and governments
(i.e., final output including any that is imported and excluding any that is
exported). This type of analysis helps users see potential environmental issues
7 Default Analysis Type setting in National Tool.
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associated with goods and services consumed within the political boundaries of
interest.
• Production8 shows what potential environmental issues may be associated with
domestic production of good and services within the region of interest (i.e., final
output including any that is exported and excluding any that is imported). This
type of analysis helps users see potential environmental issues across the
production of goods and services whether or not they are consumed within the
political boundaries of interest.
Indicator Selection
Users can choose which indicators are included in the analysis using the drop-down
lists associated with each indicator category (i.e., Impact Potential, Resource Use,
Waste Generated, Chemical Releases and Economic & Social). The indicators included
in the analysis by default are noted above in the section "Environmental and
Socioeconomic Indicators."
Examine Individual Goods and Services
The heatmap of the National Tool is designed to give users big picture, directional
insights into where the major potential issues are occurring in the U.S. economy. Users
can get more specific information about the potential impacts of individual goods and
services by clicking on the name of a good or service
of interest in the heatmap.
Clicking the name of a good or service while using the
Point of Consumption perspective will open a module
with several tabs of information on potential impacts
that may be associated with that good or service,
whether those impacts are mainly occurring in the
supply chain and, if so, what parts of the supply chain
could be significant contributors9.
The information is organized into the following tabs,
which can be seen above the chart area.
8 Default Analysis Type setting in Organizational Tool to highlight the issues associated with goods and
services produced in the United States. Note: Settings cannot be changed in the Organizational Tool.
9 Note: Clicking the name of a good or service while using the Supply Chain perspective will open a
module containing only the Environmental Profile tab for that good or service.
The Organizational Tool is built
entirely around these tabs.
Rather than beginning at the
heatmap as in the National
Tool, the Organizational Tool
begins in the Select
Good/Service tab, which
prompts users to select a good
or service of interest from the
full list of 389 goods and
services contained in the
USEEIO model.
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Environmental Profile
Environmental Profile Supply Chain / Operations Impactful Purchases Supply Chain Hotspots Back to Heatmap
What issues might be potentially significant for this good or service? The Environmental Profile below shows the issues potentially associated with this good or service
from high to low significance. Level of significance is based on a good or service's percent contribution to overall issue in the US or selected state.
land ¦
ACID ¦
WATR ¦
HRSP ¦
CHC ¦
EUTR ¦
ETOX ¦
SMOG ¦
HTOX ¦
MNRL ¦
ENRG ¦
CRHW ¦
CMSW ¦
OZON ¦
CCDD |
Download chart data as CSVfile
Back to Heatmap
Figure 5 - Environmental Profile of an individual good or service.
The Environmental Profile tab provides a bar chart showing how the potential impacts,
resource use and waste generation (e.g., Energy Use, Eutrophication, etc.) associated
with the selected good or service compare to each other. Results are in decreasing
order of significance, with the most potentially significant impact set to 100% and the
other impacts made relative to it. Users can quickly identify issues that might be
significant for this good or service.
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Supply Chain/Operations
Environmental Profile Supply Chain / Operations Impactful Purchases Supply Chain Hotspots
Back to Heatmap
Where are the potential issues originating from for this good or service? The chart below shows the share of environmental issues potentially associated with
operations and the supply chain for this good or service.
MNRL ETOX LAND ENRC ACID HTOX CRHW HRSP OZON SMOG WATR CHC EUTR CCDD CMSW
# Supply chain # Operations
Download chart data as CSV file
Back to Heatmap
Figure 6 - Supply Chain/Operationstab for an individual good or service.
The Supply Chain/Operations tab
provides a stacked bar chart showing
what potential proportion of each
environmental issue may be associated
with the supply chain or operations of the
entities producing and/or delivering the
good or service. Supply chain refers to
the entire network of activities required to
produce and deliver a good or service
purchased by an organization. This
includes Tier 1 suppliers, as well as
those that support them (e.g., Tier 2, 3,
and so on). Operations refers to the
activities of an organization to produce or
provide a good or service. This gives
users a sense of where they might want
to focus their attention to address
potential issues.
Supply Chain vs. Operations
Supply Chain refers to the entire network of
activities required to produce a good or service,
while Operations refers to the potential issues
arising from releases, resource use and waste
generated at the facilities producing or
providing a good or service. For example, air
emissions and wastewater generated during
the production of paper at a paper mill would
be included in the operations of the paper mill,
along with any potential issues associated with
electricity generated on-site at paper mills (a
common practice in that industry). However,
the supply chain portion of the potential issues
would include those associated with logging
operations, the off-site generation of electricity
that is purchased by the mill and the
manufacturing of capital equipment purchased
by the mill.
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Impactful Purchases
The Impactful Purchases tab displays which direct purchases made by an organization
potentially embody ("contain") a significant proportion of the supply chain impacts. Two
pie charts are displayed with wedge size reflecting proportion of contribution. The first
pie chart shows purchases that potentially embody a significant proportion when
considering all impact categories (i.e., all the indicators included in the current analysis).
The second chart shows purchases that potentially embody a significant proportion
when considering a single indicator. Users can select the indicator of interest using the
drop-down list above the chart. This information helps users identify purchasing
categories that may offer greater opportunities for improvement.
Clicking on a wedge in either pie chart on the Impactful Purchases tab will provide more
information about that specific purchasing category. Clicking a wedge in the first pie
chart (i.e., impactful purchases according to total combined impacts) will provide a list of
five potentially significant impacts embodied in that purchase, as well as a list of five
potentially significant upstream origins of the embedded impacts. Clicking a wedge in
the second pie chart (i.e., impactful purchases according to a single indicator) will
provide a list of five potentially significant upstream origins of that embodied impact in
that purchase.
Contribution of Purchases By Overall Impact
1. Cattle ranches and feedlots
2. Packaged meat (except poultry)
3. Animal farms and aquaculture ponds (except catt...
4. Truck transport
5. Packaged poultry
6. Cardboard containers
7. Seasonings and dressings
8. Poultry farms
9. Electricity
10. Other animal food
Figure 7 - Impactful Purchases foran individual good or service according to total potential impact. Click a wedgein
the pie chart to reveal more information.
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Cattle ranches arid feedlots
The most significant potential environmental issues for this
purchase are:
1. Land Use (LAND)
2. Acid Rain (ACID)
3. Human Health - Respiratory Effects (HRSP)
4. Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
5. Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity (ETOX)
Download chart data as CSV fife
The most significant supply chain sources of these tssues for this
purchase are:
1, Cattle ranches and feedlots
2, Fresh wheat, corn, rice, and other grains
3, Tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, peanuts, sugar beet...
4, Unrefined oil and gas
5, Truck transport
Close
~9~. Electricity
10. Other animal food
Figure 8- Lists of potential issues and supply chain sources of issues for a single wedge in the first pie chart.
Contribution of Purchases By Indicator
Acid Rain -*•
1. Cattle ranches and feedlots
2. Animal farms and aquaculture ponds (except catt...
3. Packaged meat (except poultry)
4. Truck transport
5. Packaged poultry
6. Poultry farms
7. Electricity
8. Natural gas
9. Cardboard containers
10. Other animal food
Figure 9 - Impactful Purchases for an individual good or service according to potential Acid Rain impacts. Click a
wedge in the pie chart to reveal more information.
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Cattle ranches and feedlots
The most significant supply chain sources of this issue for this
purchase are:
1. Cattle ranches and feedlots
2. Fresh wheat corn, rice, and other grains
3. Truck transport
4. Animal farms and aquaculture ponds (except catt...
5. Water transport {boats, ships, ferries)
Close
Download chart daca as CSV file
Figure 10 - List of supply chain sourcesof issues for a single wedge in the second pie chart.
Supply Chain Hotspots
The Supply Chain Hotspots tab provides the relative contribution of the potential
sources of issues in the supply chain of the selected good or service. This can help
further target limited resources to address potentially significant sources of issues in the
supply chain. The potential issues associated with hotspots are then "passed along" the
supply chain and embodied in the direct purchases analyzed in the Impactful Purchases
tab. Two pie charts are displayed with wedge size reflecting proportion of contribution.
The first pie chart shows hotspots that potentially contribute significantly to embodied
supply chain issues across all impact categories (i.e., all the indicators included in the
current analysis). The second chart shows the hotspots that potentially contribute
significantly to a single embodied issue in the supply chain. Users can select the
indicator of interest using the drop-down list above the chart.
Clicking on a wedge in the first pie chart on the Supply Chain Hotspots tab (i.e.,
significant supply chain hotspots according to total combined impacts) will provide a list
of five potentially significant impacts originating from that hotspot. There is no further
information available when clicking a wedge in the second pie chart (i.e., significant
supply chain hotspots of a single indicator).
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Contribution of Supply Chain Goods & Services By Overall Impact
1. Cattle ranches and feedlots
2. Animal farms and aquaculture ponds (except catt..
3. Fresh wheat, com, rice, and other grains
4. Tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, peanuts, sugar beet...
5. Truck transport
6. Unrefined oil and gas
7. Fresh soybeans, canola, flaxseeds, and other oi...
8. Packaged meat (except poultry)
9. Electricity
10. Agriculture and forestry support
Figure 11 - Supply Chain Hotspots for an individual good or service according to total potential impacts. Click a
wedge in the pie chart to reveal more information.
rnntrihiition of ^Linnli/ Ch^in Gooris & Sen/ires RvJDvfrall imnart
Cattle ranches arid feedlots
The most significant potential environmental issues for this supply
chain hotspot are:
1.
Land Use (LAND)
2.
Acid Rain (ACID)
3.
Human Health - Respiratory Effects (HRSP)
4.
Greenhouse Gases (GHG)
5.
Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity (ETOX)
Close
Download chart data as CSV file
Figure 12- List of potential issues for a single wedge in the first pie chart.
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Contribution of Supply Chain Goods & Services By Indicator
Energy »
1. Unrefined oil and gas
2. Coal
3. Electricity
4. Gasoline, fuels, and by-products of petroleum r..
5. Natural gas
e. Cardboard
7. Paper
8. Wood pulp
9. Other support activities for mining
10. Cardboard containers
Figure 13- Supply Chain Hotspots for an individual good or service according to potential Energy Use impacts.
Summary
The Summary tab (only available in the Organizational Tool) brings the charts and basic
insights from the previous tabs into one location for users to review. Use the "Print this
Summary" button at the bottom of the tab to print the information in the tab.
Comparison Analyses
The National SMM Prioritization Tool provides users
the capability to perform several basic comparison
analyses that can be accessed from the Comparison
Analysis drop-down list below the heatmap.
Compare Goods and Services
Comparison Analysis -
I Compare Goods & Services
Compare Perspectives
I ComDare Analvsis Tvoes
Figure 14 - Comparison Analysis menu
belowthe heatmap.
Choosing this analysis allows users to compare goods and services by selecting goods
and services of interest from the list that appears on the left-hand side of the screen.
The list is in the same ranked order as the list in the heatmap. Data associated with the
selected goods and services will be used to populate two charts, which can be
accessed by clicking either the "Environmental Profiles" tab or "Supply
Chain/Operations" tab above the chart area.
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Environmental Profiles
The "Environmental Profiles" bar chart shows a side-by-side comparison of the potential
issues for these goods & services. The good or service with the highest value in each
indicator is set to 100% and the other values are normalized to it.
Environmental Profiles Supply Chain/Operations | | Exit Comparison
How do the issues potentially associated with these goods & services compare? The chart below shows a side-by-side
comparison of the potential issues per J1 USD of sector output for these goods & services.
ACID ETOX EUTR CHC HR5P HTOX OZON SMOG ENRG LAND MNRL WATR CCDD CMSW CRHW
Download chart data as CSV file
Figure 15- Comparing Environmental Profiles oftwo goods and services side-by-side.
Supply Chain/Operations
The "Supply Chain/Operations" stacked bar chart shows the percentage of each
indicator that is associated with the supply chain and operations for each good or
service being compared. Supply chain refers to the entire network of activities required
to produce and deliver a good or service purchased by an organization. This includes
Tier 1 suppliers, as well as those that support them (e.g., Tier 2, 3, and so on).
Operations refers to the activities of an organization to produce a good or service. All
stacked bars are normalized to 100% to make it easier to compare differences in
percentages represented by each bar. The solid-colored portion of each bar represents
the contribution from operations, while the translucent portion represents the
contribution from the supply chain.
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Environmental Profiles Supply Chain / Operations
Exit Comparison
Where are the issues potentially originating for these goods & services? The chart below shows a side-by-side comparison of
the share of environmental issues associated with operations and the supply chain for these goods & services.
I
I
[
I
ACID ETOX EUTR CHC HR5P HTOX OZON SMOG ENRG LAND MNRL WATR CCDD CMSW CRHW
Download chart data as CSV file
Supply chain £ Operations
Figure 16 - Comparing potential impacts associated with Supply Chain and Operations of two goods and services
side-by-side.
Compare Perspectives and Compare Analysis Types
These comparison analyses show users two lists of ranked goods and services. The
lists will be ranked according to the same analysis settings, except for the variable being
compared. For example, when comparing Perspectives, the only difference between the
two lists will be the Perspective used to rank the goods and services. When comparing
Analysis Types, the only difference will be the Analysis Type used to rank the goods
and services. In either of these analyses, the "View Heatmap" buttons below the lists
can be selected to view the heatmap associated with the top 10 ranked goods and
services with those settings.
Supply Chain
Point of Consumption
1.
Electricity
1.
Electricity
2.
Unrefined oil and gas
2.
State and local general government
3.
Dimensional stone
3.
Gasoline, fuels, and by-products of petroleum re-
4.
Truck transport
4.
packaged meat {except poultry)
5.
Fresh wheat corn, rice, and other grains
5.
Single-family residential structures
Figure 17 - Comparing ranking results when using Supply Chain and Point of Consumption perspectives.
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Consumption
Production
1.
Electricity
1.
Electricity
2.
State and local general government
2.
State and local general government
3.
Gasoline, fuels, and by-products of petroleum r...
3.
Fresh wheat, corn, rice, and other grains
4.
Packaged meat (except poultry)
4.
Gasoline, fuels, and by-products of petroleum re-
5.
Single-family residential structures
5.
packaged meat (except poultry)
Figure 18- Comparing ranking results when using Consumption and Production analysis types.
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Appendix A: Indicator Definitions
Impact Potential
The Impact Potential category is composed of indicators of potential environmental and
human health impacts that arise from emissions associated with processes that provide
goods & services to society.
Acid Rain (ACID) (kg S02-eq)
Acid rain occurs when acid-precursors are absorbed from the atmosphere by
clouds and dissolved in falling rain. Acid rain, while not directly dangerous to
people, causes millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure by very slowly
dissolving the exposed surfaces of roads, buildings, drains, and even statues.
Acid rain is also detrimental to natural life: acidic soils make it difficult or
impossible for plants to survive and grow and acidic runoff can disrupt the
delicate chemical balance in natural bodies of water. In this indicator, emissions
are expressed in sulfur dioxide (S02) equivalents. The source of the factors for
this indicator is TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012).
Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity (ETOX) (CTUe)
Like humans, wildlife can be harmed by exposure to toxic chemicals and
substances. An ever-expanding list of common chemicals have been assessed
for their tendency to cause ecological damage when released in to the air, water,
or soil. In this indicator, emissions are expressed in terms of their contribution to
ecological damage in the water column of freshwater bodies. A standardized
Comparative Toxicity Unit is used. The source of the factors for this indicator is
TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012) which uses USETox 1.0 (Rosenbaum etal. 2008).
Eutrophication (EUTR) (kg N-eq)
Aquatic life is frequently limited by access to mineral nutrients, but the most
common limiting nutrients are in both agricultural fertilizers and sewage. When
these nutrients are carried in to natural water bodies, usually by rain or pipe, they
can cause massive blooms of algae. These algae can choke out other life in the
water by rapidly taking up oxygen, blocking sunlight, or even releasing toxic
chemicals. After the bloom, the algae die and leave behind a devastated
ecosystem. In this indicator, emissions are expressed as their equivalent in
kilograms of bioavailable nitrogen, based on the emission in question's potential
to reach a body of water and its resultant impacts on algal growth. The source of
the factors for this indicator is TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012).
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Greenhouse Gases (GHG) (kg C02-eq)
Greenhouse gases are the primary driver of climate change. These gases absorb
infrared radiation emitted by the sun at a higher rate than standard atmospheric
gases. The result is that, when these gases are emitted, the atmosphere absorbs
and stores more heat, causing it to warm up. Carbon dioxide is the most
commonly known greenhouse gas, but other gases such as methane, nitrous
oxide, and even water vapor are all major contributors to the warming of the
atmosphere. In this indicator, emissions are expressed as their equivalent in
carbon dioxide (C02), based on the amount of heat they can absorb and their
average life span in the atmosphere. The source of the factors for this indicator is
TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012).
Human Health - Cancer (HCAN) (CTUh)
Exposure to certain chemicals, called carcinogens, can increase the likelihood of
cancer in humans by damaging DNA, facilitating the damage of DNA, or
otherwise causing human cells to behave abnormally. Cancer is a costly disease,
both in its burden on human life and on the economy. Many carcinogens can be
avoided, but others are present in our air, water, and food. In this category,
emissions are expressed in terms of their contribution to the incidence of cancer
in humans. A standardized Comparative Toxicity Unit (CTU) is used. The source
the factors for this impact category is TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012) which uses
USETox 1.0 (Rosenbaum et al. 2008).
Human Health - Noncancer (HNCN) (CTUh)
Cardiopulmonary distress and cancer are not the only ways a chemical can be
harmful, but they are perhaps the most prevalent and easily categorized. Yet,
there exist millions of harmful chemicals that a human can be exposed to with
detrimental effect. This Human Health category serves as a way to track illness
not captured by Criteria Pollutants or Cancer Effects. In this category, emissions
are expressed in terms of their contribution to the incidence of illness in humans.
A standardized Comparative Toxicity Unit (CTU) is used. The source the factors
for this impact category is TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012) which uses USETox 1.0
(Rosenbaum et al. 2008).
Human Health - Respiratory Effects (HRSP) (kg PM2.5-eq)
Particulates can be nearly any ingestible material ground down to a fine enough
size. Even otherwise harmless substances, when suspended as a dust and
inhaled in to the lungs, can clog airways and irritate the sensitive tissues of the
lungs. Over time, exposure to these particulates can lead to a variety of harmful
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respiratory and cardiac diseases and a general loss of cardiopulmonary function
that significantly lowers both lifespan and productive years. In this indicator,
emissions are expressed in terms of their effect on human respiratory health in
PM2.5 equivalents. The source of the factors for this indicator is TRACI 2.1 (Bare
2012).
Human Health - Toxicity (HTOX) (CTUh)
Millions of tons of chemicals are used in commerce that a human can be
exposed to with potential detrimental effect. Exposure to certain chemicals can
increase the likelihood of cancer or other illness in humans. In this indicator,
emissions are expressed in terms of their contribution to the incidence of cancer
and illness in humans. A standardized Comparative Toxicity Unit (CTU) is used.
This indicator is a combination of the HCAN and HNCN indicators. The source of
the factors for this indicator is TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012) which uses USETox 1.0
(Rosenbaum et al. 2008).
Ozone Depletion (OZON) (kg CFC-11-eq)
The earth is surrounded by a protective layer of atmospheric ozone that filters out
harmful radiation from the sun. Certain chemicals, when released in to the air,
have the ability to react with and destroy large quantities of the ozone layer,
allowing more harmful radiation to reach us. Some chemicals are more long
lasting or more likely to interact with ozone than others, so they have different
destructive potentials. In this indicator, emissions are expressed as their
equivalent in kilograms of CFC-11, an extremely harmful gas formerly used as a
common refrigerant capable of destroying thousands of times its mass in ozone.
The source of the factors for this indicator is TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012).
Smog Formation (SMOG) (kg 03-eq)
Smog formation is a complex process by which a group of inorganic gases,
typically released by the burning of fossil fuels, react with another group of
organic substances, typically released by plant-life, to create ozone at the
ground-level. Ozone created at the ground level can cause respiratory disease in
humans and stresses plant life, making them more susceptible to disease.
Ground-level ozone is also generally broken down and destroyed before it can
rise up to join the protective atmospheric ozone layer. In this indicator, emissions
are expressed in terms of how much they will contribute to the creation of
ground-level ozone (03), units are kg 03 -equivalents. The source of the factors
for this indicator is TRACI 2.1 (Bare 2012).
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Resource Use
The Resource Use category is composed of indicators that measure the resource
demands of processes throughout the life cycles of goods & services provided to
society.
Energy Use (ENRG) (MJ)
Energy Use is an indicator of the life cycle total amount of primary energy used
as defined by heat value in a combusted resource or the available energy in a
renewable resource to a converting device such as a wind turbine or water
turbine. This indicator is a combination of the NNRG and RNRG indicators. This
indicator is expressed in megajoules (MJ).
Land Use (LAND) (m2*yr)
Nearly every process requires some amount of land for factories, offices, or
roads. This land is often converted from existing natural habitats for wildlife.
Habitat loss is the leading cause of wildlife extinctions worldwide and additional
habitat conversion could lead to further loss of species. This indicator tracks the
total area of usable land occupied to allow for the process. This indicator is
expressed in square meters for a year (m2*yr)-
Minerals and Metals Use (MNRL) (kg)
Minerals and Metals Use is an indicator of the life cycle total mass of nonmetallic
and metallic minerals extracted for use measured in kilograms (kg).
Nonrenewable Energy Use (NNRG) (MJ)
Nonrenewable Energy Use is an indicator of the life cycle amount of primary
energy that is nonrenewable as defined by heat value in a combusted resource.
This indicator is expressed in megajoules (MJ).
Renewable Energy Use (RNRG) (MJ)
Renewable Energy Use is the amount of primary energy that is renewable as
defined by the available energy in a renewable resource to a converting device
such as a wind turbine or water turbine. This indicator is expressed in
megajoules (MJ).
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Water Use (WATR) (m3)
Water Use is an indicator of the life cycle total amount (m3) of freshwater
withdrawn from surface and groundwater sources in order to provide a given
good or service to society.
Chemical Releases
The Chemical Releases category is composed of indicators that estimate the amount of
certain chemical releases throughout the life cycle of goods and services provided to
society.
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS) (kg)
Hazardous Air Pollutants is an indicator of the life cycle total EPA-defined
hazardous air pollutants emitted (kg).
Metals (METL) (kg)
Metals is an indicator of the life cycle total mass (kg) of metals released to the
air, water and soil.
Pesticides (PEST) (kg)
Pesticides in an indicator of the life cycle total mass (kg) of pesticides escaping
from agricultural fields.
Waste Generated
The Waste Generated category is composed of indicators that estimate the amount of
waste generated by processes associated with providing goods & services to society.
Commercial Construction and Demolition Debris (CCDD) (kg)
The CCDD indicator represents the annual generation amount of construction
and demolition (C&D) materials during the construction, renovation and
demolition of buildings (including homes), roads, bridges and other structures.
C&D materials include steel, wood products, drywall and plaster, brick and clay
tile, asphalt shingles, concrete and asphalt concrete. The CCDD indicator does
not include C&D debris from DIY renovations or natural disasters. This indicator
is expressed in kilograms (kg).
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Commercial Municipal Solid Waste (CMSW) (kg)
EPA refers to trash, or municipal solid waste (MSW), as various items consumers
throw away after they are used. These items include bottles and corrugated
boxes, food, grass clippings, sofa, computers, tires and refrigerators. However,
MSW does not include everything that is landfilied in MSW, or nonhazardous,
landfills, such as construction and demolition debris, municipal wastewater
sludge, and other non-hazardous industrial wastes. These wastes come from:
our homes; institutions such as schools and hospitals; and commercial sources
such as restaurants and businesses. The CMSW indicator includes MSWfound
in the dumpsters of commercial and institutional entities. It does not include MSW
from homes. Data for CMSW comes from this CalRecycle report (2014). This
indicator is expressed in kilograms (kg).
Commercial RCRA Hazardous Waste (CRHW) (kg)
Hazardous wastes are wastes with properties that make them dangerous or
capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment.
Hazardous waste is generated from many sources, ranging from industrial
manufacturing process wastes to batteries and may come in many forms,
including liquids, solids, gases and sludges. EPA identifies hazardous waste and
collects information on quantities generated through its Biennial Hazardous
Waste Report. Individual states can identify hazardous waste beyond what EPA
identifies. Unless otherwise specified, quantities reflected in this indicator come
from EPA's Biennial Report. This indicator is expressed in kilograms (kg).
Economic & Social
The Economic & Social category is composed of indicators that measure the
socioeconomic effects associated with the processes that provide goods & services to
society. These indicators do not factor into the ranking of goods and services.
Jobs Supported (JOBS) (# of jobs)
Jobs Supported is an indicator of the total number of employees supported by
the processes that provide a given good or service to society.
Value Added (VADD) ($)
Value Added is an indicator of the total value added to the economy by providing
a given good or service to society. It is defined as the sum of employee
compensation, taxes minus subsidies, and gross operating surplus.
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