LCA comparison of freestanding kitchens adopting three technologies: electric, gas and induction

Household appliances are no longer a luxury but a need in every household. The excessive use of the devices has led researchers to focus on their influence on the environment. This paper investigates the life cycle performances of three different types of freestanding kitchens used in Europe with different hob technologies (electric, gas and induction) using the Life Cycle Assessment method. The work provided data collected (Life Cycle Inventory) for each model of the freestanding kitchens manufactured in the European market. The functional unit used for the comparison of the three types of freestanding is “ the amount of energy used to make 2 meals a day for a year ”. To evaluate the environmental impact of the appliances a dedicated software was used (i.e., SimaPro). A comparison between the environmental impact results allows the users to choose the most sustainable appliance in accordance with their need. Focusing on Global Warming Potential impact, the ranges adopted induction hob shows a higher impact results during the raw Materials and Manufacturing phase compared to the other ranges. On one hand, the environmental impact results from cradle to gate concerning the raw materials extraction and manufacturing process show that the most critical aspect is related to the use of metals in large parts such as the cavity and structure of the products. On the other hand, the environmental impact regarding the use phase shows different results depending on the source of energy in the country where the freestanding kitchen is used. The outcome of this work can be a reference to enhance the sustainability of these products in the future.