Estimating environmental impacts of early-stage bioprocesses

The use of bioprocesses in industrial production promises resource- and energy-efficient processes starting from renewable, nonfossil feedstocks. Thus, the environmental benefits must be demonstrated, ideally in the early development phase with standardized methods such as life cycle assessment (LCA). Herein we discuss selected LCA studies of early-stage bioprocesses, highlighting their potential and contribution to estimating environmental impacts and decision support in bioprocess development. However, LCAs are rarely performed among bioprocess engineers due to challenges such as data availability and process uncertainties. To address this issue, recommendations are provided for conducting LCAs of early-stage bioprocesses. Opportunities are identified to facilitate future applicability, for example, by establishing dedicated bioprocess databases that could enable the use of LCAs as standard tools for bioprocess engineers.