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LCA and EPD
The growing interest in environmental matters, and
in particular, in interventions designed to resist climatic changes
resulting from greenhouse gas emissions is creating a new market
for products and services that are genuinely eco-compatible.
Essential to this new economic parameter is the adoption of a series
of instruments that measure, control and check the environmental
performance.
Novamont has always made an important contribution in the promotion
of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), and more recently, of the Environmental
Product Declaration (EPD), factors considered strategic for verifying
the true environmental benefit of using biodegradable plastic polymers.
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LCA - Life Cycle Analysis
Life cycle analysis
is a new method for analysing manufacturing processes, products
and services, that favours studying systems from a global viewpoint.
We have realised that the only way to study production systems
completely is to examine their performance, following, step by
step, the route covered by the raw materials through all of the
transformation and transportation processes, until they are disposed
of in the ground, in the form of waste. This approach is termed
"from cradle to grave".
The role of LCA is essential in identifying the manufacturing
processes that have the greatest environmental impact, and in
indicating the options for improvement in order to maximise the
positive effects, and reduce the negative effects on the environment
to a minimum.
- LCA: the method ENISO1404
(www.iso.ch)
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LCA of Loose Fillers in Mater-Bi®
- LCA
of Bags in Mater-Bi®
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EPD - Environmental
Product Declaration
The EPD is an important
voluntary instrument for qualifying companies that intend to take
an active role in managing the environment factor. The EPD enables
communicating the environmental contents of a product, both objectively
and transparently.
The presence of recognised rules, of a qualified and authoritative
managing body, and of a reliable validation system are essential
elements to guaranteeing and protecting EPD use.
Novamont was invited to take part in one of the pilot projects
set up by the Italian environmental protection agency, ANPA, and
was happy to make its skills and data available for defining the
product specific requisitions (PSR) for plastic materials, and
for all related assessments.
- EPD: description and organisations
- EPD on Foam in Mater-Bi®(pdf
175 Kb)
- EPD
on Films in Mater-Bi®(pdf
94 Kb)
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