Sustainability stories: LCA, Ecosheet and EPD
Sustainability stories:
As a company we feel obliged to make a positive contribution to the environment and society and to minimize the negative impact we have on the environment.
To manage and decrease the impact we have on the environment, we need to know where we create it. In order to make the impact of our products on the environment measurable, we have performed Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and published the results in form of Ecosheets and EPDs.
What is a Life Cycle Assessment?
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) looks at the impact our products have during each phase of their life cycle, namely: resources extraction, production, transport, use and end of life.
Taking the example of our monitor arms into practice: for the resource extraction we source materials such as Aluminum or Steel which are used in the production phase to make our monitor arms. Factors that are involved in the production phase are e.g. heating, water, electricity and ventilation. In the next phase, namely transportation, the goods are shipped to our warehouse and later on to the consumer. The use phase describes the phase in which the consumer actively uses the product. Finally, the end of life phase looks into the effects of the disposal and possible recycling of the materials.
Our LCAs are conducted following the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 norm. With the Ecosheets and EPDs, we have summarized these results in a clear and structural way so that everyone that is interested in the results can access them via our website.
What is an Ecosheet?
The Ecosheet summarizes the results of the LCA and expresses those in the most well-known parameter, global warming potential (GWP), expressed in kg CO2 equivalent. On the Ecosheet the GWP for the product is shown with and without the recycling program. In order to translate and further clarify the GWP in a way that everyone can understand, we created the ‘average car equivalent’ showing the driven kilometers by car. The information provided are easy to comprehend for everyone. It doesn’t need too much time and effort to draw valuable conclusions out of these results.
What is an Environmental Product Declaration?
The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), on the other hand, is a more detailed document that contains the LCA results, a summary of the company, a proper description of the product and also gives information on how the calculations were performed and which assumptions were made. It is a standardized document informing about the product’s potential environmental and human health impact. The EPDs are also performed according to the ISO 14025 norm and are furthermore verified by an external party. The EPD’s are for those, who want a deeper understanding into the processes on how the calculations were made and rely on the external audit.
Are you curious to check the results for your favorite Dataflex products? Go to the product page to have a look at the Ecosheets and EPDs! We are currently working on adding EPDs for more of products.
Take a look, for example, at the Ecosheet and the EPD of the Addit Bento ergonomic toolbox 45.900.
