## 3 Materials and Methods
### Life Cycle Inventory
#### 3.3.3 Manufacturing (A3)  
Mortars manufacturing process starts when raw and secondary materials arrive at the mortar factory. DELTA and HP waste materials are crushed and sieved in the mortar factory. While environmental impacts associated with the sieving process are neglected, the crushing process is included (_Rock Crushing_). Raw materials are mechanically mixed, in the right proportions, by an industrial mixer (_Industrial machine_, _heavy_, _unspecified_), then placed in bags (_Packing_, _cement_) made of kraft paper with a layer of high-density polyethylene. Bags are then stacked on pallets and stored in a reserved area inside the factory. Everything is transported inside the factory using conveyor belts (_Conveyor belt_). For the entire production process, a medium voltage electricity equal to 0.0278 kWh is assumed (_Electricity_, _medium voltage_). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Description** & **Process** & **Database** \\ \hline \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Known inputs from Technosphere (materials/fuels)**} \\ \hline Cement CEM II/A-LL 42,5 R & Cement, limestone 6–20\% [RoW], cement production, limestone 6–20\% 1 APOS, U Sand 0/2, wet and dry quarry, production mix, at plant, undried RER S Industrial machine, heavy, unspecified [RoW] IMarket for industrial machine, heavy, unspecified 1 APOS, U Conveyor belt & Ecoinvent 3 \\ Rock Crushing of wastes Packing & Rock Crushing (RER) | processing | APOS, U Packing, cement [GLO] | market for I APOS, U Transport, freight, lorry, unspecified [RER] | market for transport, freight, lorry, unspecified 1 APOS, U Treatment of waste plastic in sanitary landfill Tap water & Ecoinvent 3 \\ \hline \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Known inputs from Technosphere (electricity/heat)**} \\ \hline Electricity, medium voltage Electricity grid mix, AC, consumption mix, at consumer, 230 V IT S & Ecoinvent 3 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Process included in Life Cycle Inventory. 3.3.4. Transport from the Gate to the Site (A4)  
As already explained in Section 2.1, two assessment scenarios are assumed: 50 km (scenario A) and 500 km (scenario B). 3.3.5. Assembly (A5)  
The application of mortars in buildings include energy use for mixing and water use for hydration. The consumption of electricity for mixing is assumed as 0.0278 kWh/l: the equivalent of using a 1500-Watt mortar mixer for 3 min. 3.3.6. Benefits of Uncollected Wastes  
The nonoccurrence of disposal of DELTA and HP waste materials is considered a negative contribution to environmental impact and computed by summing the nonoccurrence of waste transport to landfill (_Transport, freight, lorry, unspecified_) and the nonoccurrence of landfill disposal (_Waste plastic, mixture \(|\) treatment of waste plastic, mixture, sanitary landfill_). 4. Results: Life Cycle Impact Assessment  
4.1. Local Scenario  
The comparison of Global Warming Potentials (GWP-total) in both scenarios (A and B) is shown in Figure 2a for REF1 and DELTA mortars and in Figure 2b for REF2 and HP mortars, also detailed at the material/process level. However, for the sake of representation clarity, results of processes related to the industrial machine, conveyor belt, tap water, rock crushing, and to benefits linked to nonoccurrence of transport to landfill of the wastes are not represented, as each of them affects total GWP by less than 0.6%. In general, DELTA and HP mortars always result in better performance than their reference mortars made with raw materials (respectively, REF1 and REF2). The GWP of DELTA mortar is reduced by 26% compared to REF1 in both scenarios A and B, while HP mortar reduces GWP by 8% in scenario A and 11% in scenario B, compared to REF2. Figure 2: Global warming Potential (GWP–total) of: (**a**) REF1 and DELTA mortars; (**b**) REF2 and HP mortars. The difference between results of scenarios A and B is due to the different transport distance of dry mortar from factory to construction sites.