Product Category Rules Research Articles

Product category rules alignment workshop, October 4, 2011 in Chicago, IL, USA

Purpose A workshop on Product Category Rule (PCR) alignment was organized by the American Center for LCA PCR Committee. PCR alignment refers to the process of assuring that PCRs (rules for developing LCA-based claims like EPDs) developed by different parties are consistent within product categories.

Can we compare the environmental performance of this product to that one? An update on the development of product category rules and future challenges toward alignment

When used to compare the relative environmental performance of different products, life cycle-based, quantitative environmental claims, such as carbon footprint claims and environmental product declarations require common rules in order for claims to be comparable within a category. Product category rules (PCRs), which are defined in the ISO 14025 standard, specify how life cycle environmental impacts should be estimated and reported for products within a given category. The standard has allowed for the development of multiple program operators in different countries, each with its own set of PCRs. We provide a global update on the development of PCRs, describing progress in existing programs and highlighting emerging efforts. As PCRs have begun to proliferate, challenges have arisen that could potentially undermine comparison of life-cycle-based claims for comparable products. These challenges include the definition of the product category, the lack of common data sources, limited geographic scope, and the format of the claim. We present some recommendations on overcoming these challenges and point out some potential mechanisms to support alignment internationally.

Comparison of methodologies for estimating the carbon footprint – case study of office paper

Currently there are several methodologies available for estimating the carbon footprint of products. In this study a comparison has been made between the outcomes and the implications of three different methodologies applied to office paper: (1) the ISO 14040/14044 standards limited to the analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the corresponding impact category global warming; (2) the PAS 2050; and (3) the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) framework. The carbon footprint of office paper from cradle-to-costumer is 4.64, 4.74 and 4.29 g CO 2eq per A4 sheet according to, respectively, the ISO 14040/14044 standards, the PAS 2050 and the CEPI framework. The ISO 14040/14044 standard methodology allows the quantification of 98% of the total GHG emissions with the smallest effort in data collection. The major hot spots are the stages of eucalypt pulp and office paper production and chemical and fuel production for all methodologies. General methodologies such as those analysed in this study are not enough for the comparison of products. More specific rules, such as Product Category Rules, that limit the degree of freedom in the choice of the functional unit, system boundary, allocation rules, data quality, between others, should be developed.

Life cycle assessment of Italian high quality milk production. A comparison with an EPD study

An LCA study on the production of an Italian brand of high quality milk (bottled in 1 l Tetra Top®) was carried out in compliance with the Product Category Rules for milk of the International EPD® System. The results were compared with the registered environmental product declaration (EPD) of another brand of milk. The most relevant source of differences between the two studies is the choice of different system models, mainly due to lack of detailed instructions in PCR, especially for: fertilizers field emissions and choice of the models for their estimation; inclusion of the complementary fodder production; waste management. The results of this analysis were used to participate in the open consultation of the PCR revised version and to highlight the importance of including more detailed instructions. After the publication of the updated version of the PCR, the LCA study was revised for the part of the inventory concerning methane emissions from cattle and emissions due to manure management and spreading. The impact assessment results show that raw milk production at farms is the most critical life cycle phase, mainly because of: CH4 from enteric fermentation, CO2 from diesel consumption, and N2O and NH3 airborne emissions as well as NO3− waterborne emissions coming from manure management and fertilizers use. Therefore, reductions of the environmental impacts can be mainly obtained at farms, with, for example, the selection of a diet for reducing enteric emissions, the introduction of energy recovery from anaerobic digestion of manure, the optimisation of the use of fertilizers adopting precision farming techniques. The results are within the literature range of values, though not fully comparable because of the existing differences in assumptions and modelling choices. Recommendations for improving the comparability of LCA in the food sectors are outlined.

Greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural phase of wine production in the Maremma rural district in Tuscany, Italy

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest from retailers, industries and environmental associations in estimating the life cycle of greenhouse gases emitted in the atmosphere from everyday products and services, also known as carbon footprint (CF). Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the most common methodology used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product. This approach was largely used in many industrial sectors and was also recently applied to quantify the environmental impact of the agri-food chain. Within agri-food products, wine is one of the most analysed, both for its importance in economic production and in the world distribution market. The present study is a part of the Carbon Label Project carried out in the wine production chain in the Maremma rural district (Tuscany, Italy). The project assesses the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wine production for labelling purposes. Here, we evaluated the environmental performances of four high quality wines for carbon labelling. The international standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, and the Product Category Rules (PCR) Wine from Fresh Grapes (except sparkling wine) and Grape Must for the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification, specifically for Climate Declaration, were used in order to carry out our analyses. The functional unit (FU) used here was one 0.75 L bottle of wine. The system boundaries were set from the vineyard planting to the distribution and waste disposal. The global warming potential (GWP) of four investigated wines was found to lie between 0.6 and 1.3 kg CO2-eq./bottle, showing a value comparable with literature. With all the four wines analysed, the agricultural phase covered, on average, 22% of the total GWP/bottle, while the main impact was in the production of the glass bottle. The results showed that the vineyard-planting phase has a significant impact on the wine CF, thus it has to be considered in the life cycle, while in literature it is frequently omitted. On the contrary, the pre-production phase did not present a relevant impact. The use of nitrogen fertilisers, the grapes’ yield and N2O emissions were the parameters that mostly affected the carbon footprint in the agricultural phase, as underlined by the sensitivity analysis.

Life cycle assessment and product category rules for the construction sector. The floor and wall tiles sector case study

This paper illustrates the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) activities performed during the preparation of the Spanish Product Category Rules (PCR) relative to the construction sector. Specifically, the study presents the results obtained from the life cycle analysis of the floor and wall tile sector, which served as the basis for the drafting of the PCR required for the definition of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). More than 50 Spanish companies in the ceramic tile sector participated in the study, providing inventory data on the manufacture of their products. Additionally, bibliographic information and the GaBi 4 software database by PE International were used to complete background and generic data, such as those related to energy and transportation processes. EPDs are voluntary declarations based on LCA studies that permit the disclosure and dissemination of environmental information quantified over the life cycle of a product. The definition of PCRs for ceramic tiles was performed in accordance to the UNE EN ISO 14025 and ISO 21930 standards and they have been submitted to industries and professional association public consultations. PCRs have been developed in the context of the DAPc program (promoted by the Catalan Government and CAATEEB) and represents the first ecolabelling activity for building products in Spain.

EPD - Environmental Product Declarations for Wood Products—An Application of Life Cycle Information about Forest Products

Transparent and credible environmental labeling of products is vital for a sustainable future. Ecolabeling shows information on the environmental performance of products, processes, and services. This article focuses on one type of ecolabeling referred to as environmental product declarations (EPDs) that provide environmental impact information based on life cycle assessment (LCA) data. Businesses and consumers who are not familiar with life cycle analysis can use LCA-based EPDs for comparison between competing products, much like using nutritional labels. In addition, this article describes the process of developing EPDs from LCA data in conjunction with product category rules and the status and future needs of EPDs in the U.S. forest products industry.

カーボンフットプリント制度試行事業における商品種別算定基準（PCR）の分析

カーボンフットプリント制度試行事業における商品種別算定基準（PCR）の分析

ユニフォームのカーボンフットプリント：PCR策定における考察

In this dissertation referring the properties of Uniform, first, we mentioned the intention of Working on carbon foot print. Next, we described that we faced three problems for which is settled on Product Category Rule (PCR) of the carbon foot print First, concerned how we put together high complex material of fibrous raw at procurement stage. Second,concerned such as washing at the use maintenance management stage changed by the material or individual judgment. Third, concerned how is set up boundary at the stage for abandonment and the recycling when recycle used products. Each problem and the action are described. Next, we introduce the example, product operated as a case study. The calculation object is a women’s Jacket and its unit weight is 386.2g, packing/wrapping material is 181g, outer material is Polyester 100%. CO2 exhaust amount for this product was 12.4kg- CO2 in the entire life cycle and we found out that 70% of CO2 was exhausted at the raw material procurement stage. Finally we described the matter of future actualized through the decision of PCR and the operation case study.

Uncertainties in a carbon footprint model for detergents; quantifying the confidence in a comparative result

A new trend driven by climate change concerns is the interest to label consumer products with a carbon footprint (CF) number. Here, we present a study that examines the uncertainty in the estimated CFs of a liquid and a compact powder detergent and how the uncertainty varies with the type of comparison one wishes to make. A simplified CF model for detergents, encompassing all life cycle stages, has been used for the calculation of CFs. The CFs for the two detergents were compared under three different cases: (1) a situation where most of life cycle assessment (LCA) system is similar, (2) a situation where the LCA background systems may be different but certain choices with regard to system boundaries are standardized, and (3) a situation where the LCA background system, choices of system boundaries, and foreground system may also be different. Uncertainty in the CFs was calculated for each of the three comparison situations using a stepwise sensitivity/uncertainty analysis approach. The stepwise approach makes it possible to obtain reliable uncertainty estimates without the need to have very good uncertainty descriptions for every input parameter. Only a few input parameters were found to drive the uncertainty of the CF values. For case 1, the uncertainties in the difference between the CF of the ultraliquid and compact powder products are very small. The CF of compact powder is always larger than that of the ultraliquid product. In case 3, the uncertainties become much larger, such that in 23% of the cases, a CF comparison would wrongly indicate that the compact powder product has a lower CF than the ultraliquid product. Case 2 falls between the extremes of cases 1 and 3. One of the challenges of developing user-friendly CF methods based on the ISO 14040 framework is to ensure a high level of comparability of CF values, such that misleading or oversimplified conclusions can be avoided. Our analysis shows how the uncertainty margins around the calculation of a CF for a set of given products will broaden as the assessment moves from an “internal” comparison to a comparison with data from third parties where there is no specific information how these data have been obtained. CF calculations based on internal comparisons can lead to very clear distinctions between products and illustrate the utility of a CF tool to optimize the environmental performance of products using difference analysis. CF calculations for products can only provide a fair comparison if the LCA background system used for the two products is the same and exactly the same choices in the foreground system are made. In practice, this would require consultation and agreement on specific product category rules. Simplification is needed for a wider adoption of uncertainty analysis in CF and LCA. This article introduces some first steps towards such simplification, but more work is needed both on the theoretical and practical aspects of simplified uncertainty analyses.

Development of PCR for WWTP based on a case study

Background, aim, and scope In order to apply the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to products or services, specific rules [Product Category Rules (PCR)] have to be issued to ensure comparability among different declarations within the same service group. The aim of the present study is to describe the reasons leading to each choice in the development of PCR applied to Collecting and Treatment Service of Municipal Wastewater and to evaluate, through life cycle analysis (LCA), their influence on the potential environmental impact of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), analysed as a case study. Specific data were collected during the year 2003 from an Italian active sludge treatment plant with separate wastewater and sludge treatment lines.

Product category rules and environmental product declarations as tools to promote sustainable products: experiences from a case study of furniture production

New requirements and regulations have increased the pressure on companies to provide information on their products. This is challenging for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) since they lack both expertise and resources. In this paper, the possibilities to develop environmental product declarations (EPDs) for products with use of data-assistant tools are explored. A case study of furniture production in Norway is used to exemplify this. A database with specific environmental data for materials used in furniture has been developed. The database is used to conduct the life cycle assessment (LCA) for selected products and is the backbone of a data-assistance tool used to design and present the EPDs. Five key performance indicators are selected. The database and these KPIs ensures standardised assessments of products that enables both comparison of existing products as well as assessment of environmental performance of redesigned products and potential new products. This paper shows how this enables the SMEs to both provide environmental performance information to stakeholders as well as enables them to identify possible improvements with limited resources and competence on environmental performance and LCAs.

LCA studies of food products as background for environmental product declarations

Goal, Scope and Background Food production systems invariably precipitate negative environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment (LCA), a standardised tool for evaluating the environmental costs of manufactured goods, is currently being expanded to address diverse product groups and production processes. Among these is food production, where the technosphere is tightly interlinked with the biosphere. The goal of this paper is to contribute to exploring the suitable functional units, system boundaries and allocation procedures for LCA in food production in general, and the product category rules (PCR) and environmental product declaration (EPD) for food products in specific.

Radiological predictors of successful therapeutic wide local excision of DCIS: findings from the Sloane project

The environmental impacts of strawberries have been assessed in several studies. However, these studies either present dissimilar results or only focus on single impact categories without offering a comprehensive overview of environmental impacts. We applied the product environmental footprint (PEF) methodology to broadly indicate the environmental impacts of various strawberry production systems in Germany and Estonia by 15 impact categories. Data for the 7 case studies were gathered from two farms with organic and two farms with conventional open field production systems in Estonia and from one farm with conventional open field and one farm with a polytunnel and greenhouse production system in Germany. The greenhouse production system had the highest environmental impact with a PEF of 0.0040. In the field organic production systems, the PEF was 0.0029 and 0.0028. The field conventional production systems resulted in a PEF of 0.0008, 0.0009 and 0.0002. Polytunnel PEF was 0.0006. Human toxicity cancer effects, particulate matter and human toxicity non-cancer effects resulted in the highest impact across all analysed production systems. The main contributors were electricity for cooling, heating the greenhouse and the use of agricultural machinery including fuel burning. While production stage contributed 85% of the total impact in the greenhouse, also other life cycle stages were important contributors: pre-chain resulted in 71% and 90% of impact in conventional and polytunnels, respectively, and cooling was 47% in one organic system. Environmental impact from strawberry cooling can be reduced by more efficient use of the cooling room, increasing the strawberry yield or switching from oil shale electricity to other energy sources. Greenhouse heating is the overall impact hotspot even if it based on renewable resources. A ranking of production systems based on the environmental impact is possible only if all relevant impacts are included. Future studies should aim for detailed results across a variety of impact categories and follow product category rules in defining the life cycle stages.

Eco-labeling, Product Category Rules and Certification Procedures Based on ISO 14025 Requirements (6 pp)

Goal, Scope and Background The goal of the present paper is to demonstrate how environmental product declarations (EPDs) are developed based on a set of product category rules (PCRs) in accordance with the requirements in the ISO 14025-standard. This is demonstrated by examples from the furniture industry in Norway, where several case models are evaluated. To ease the capability of developing EPDs in this industry, a database with specific environmental data for materials in furniture is developed. The database is used to produce the LCA for selected furniture models, and further, the database is the backbone of a data-assistance tool used to create the EPDs.