Under the coordination of EMPA, several federal institutes and laboratories started in the 1990s the project "ecoinvent 2000" to bring together their life cycle inventory (LCI) data into the harmonized, quality insured and up-to-date national life cycle inventory database ecoinvent. This database was finally established in summer 2004 in the version 1.0. Since then it is available online (subscription needed) or as data incorporated with most commercial LCA software (Umberto, GaBi, SimaPro, PEMS, EMIS). It consists of about 2’500 different processes out of the area presented in table 1. Each of these datasets represents the production and consumption situation of Switzerland for the year 2000.

The operation of the ecoinvent center is hosted by the EMPA's Technology and Society Laboratory (TSL). This center fulfils administrative tasks and coordinates the technical development of the database.

Within the "ecoinvent 2000" project, the EMPA developed the datasets in following areas

• Building Products
• Wood as Fuel and Construction Material
• Metals
• Plastics
• Papers and board
• Packaging glass
• Detergents

Publication relating to these life cycle inventory data:

• Frischknecht, R., N. Jungbluth, H.J. Althaus, R. Dones, G. Doka, T. Heck, S. Hellweg, R. Hischier, T. Nemecek, G. Rebitzer and M. Spielmann (2005): The ecoinvent Database: Overview and Methodological Framework. In: Int J LCA, 10 (1): 3-9.
   
• Althaus, H.J., D. Kellenberger, G. Doka and T. Künniger (2005): Manufacturing and Disposal of Building Materials and Inventorying Infrastructure in ecoinvent. In: Int J LCA, 10 (1): 35-42.
   
• Althaus, H.J. and M. Classen (2005): Life Cycle Inventories of Metals and Methodological Aspects of Inventorying Material Resources in ecoinvent. In: Int J LCA, 10 (1): 43-49.
   
• Hischier, R., H.J. Althaus and F. Werner (2005): Developments in Wood and Packaging Materials Life Cycle Inventories in ecoinvent. In: Int J LCA, 10 (1): 50-58.
   
• Hischier, R., S. Hellweg, C. Capello and A. Primas (2005): Establishing Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals Based on Differing Data Availability. In: Int J LCA, 10 (1): 59-67.
   
• Kellenberger, D., H.-J. Althaus, N. Jungbluth and T. Künniger (2003): Life Cycle Inventories of Building Products. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 7, EMPA Dübendorf, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH.
   
• Werner, F., H.-J. Althaus, T. Künniger and K. Richter (2003): Life Cycle Inventories of Wood as Fuel and Construction Material. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 9, EMPA Dübendorf, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH.
   
• Althaus, H.-J., S. Blaser, M. Classen and N. Jungbluth (2004): Life Cycle Inventories of Metals. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 10, EMPA Dübendorf, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH.
   
• Hischier, R. (2004): Life Cycle Inventories of Packaging and Graphical Paper. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 11, EMPA St. Gallen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH.
   
• Zah, R. and R. Hischier (2003): Life Cycle Inventories of Detergents. Final report ecoinvent 2000 No. 12, EMPA St. Gallen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH.
   

Project term: 2003 - 2005

Contact: Hans-Jörg Althaus (Dübendof) or Roland Hischier (St. Gallen)

    
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