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Comparative LCA WebinarJune 19, 2019

What’s happening to planet Earth?

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an internationally recognized method (ISO) that evaluates the environmental impacts of products, processes or services through their stages of raw material extraction, production, usage, and disposal (cradle-to-grave).

What is a Life Cycle Assessment?

What environmental impact areas were evaluated?

Global Warming(kg CO2-eq)

Acidification(to air and water, kg SO2-eq)

Eutrophication(to air and water, kg N-eq)

Smog Formation(kg O3-eq)

Non-Renewable Energy(IMPACT2002+) (MJ primary)

Water Consumption(kg)

Respiratory Effects(kg PM2.5-eq)

Ozone Depletion(kg CFC-11-eq)

Solid Waste(kg)

7 Impact Indicators:

2 Inventory Flows:

Cradle represents the impact of the primary raw materials used in the manufacturing of a product.

• For corrugated boxes, it represents seedlings• For reusable plastic crates (RPCs), it represents crude oil

Grave represents the end-of-life (EOL) of a particular product.

• For corrugated boxes, it represents recycling, incineration and landfill• For RPCs, it represents recycling, incineration and landfill

What is cradle-to-grave?

Materials & production UseConversion

Container board

production

Produce packing

Produce marketing and display

CCconverting

TT T T

T

Virgin fiber production

non-virgin fiber from

other systems

End-of-life

Landfill

Incineration

Collection for recycling

T

T

T

to other systems

T Transportation step

Typical Diagram of the Cradle-to-Grave for Corrugated Boxes

Re-use

UseMaterials and Production End-of-life

Virgin PP production

RPC production

Washing

Produce packing

Produce marketing and

display

Landfill

Incineration

Collection for recycling

TT T

T

T

TT

T

T

PP Recycling

Sorting

TRPC

recyclingto other systems

PP from other

systems

T Transportation step

Typical Diagram of Cradle-to-Grave for RPCs

LCAs help answer questions from customers, retailers, ENGOs and other environmental groups, such as:

• Walmart – “What is the corrugated industry doing to help reduce the impact of greenhouse gas on the environment?”

• Kroger – “Do single-use corrugated boxes or multi-use plastic crates have a lower impact on the environment in the produce segment?”

Why does the corrugated industry perform life cycle assessments?

An Industry Average LCA tracks the impact of a corrugated box on the environment over a period of time

A Comparative LCA compares the impacts of corrugated boxes and RPCs on the environment for specific product items

Helps to answer the Walmart question Helps to answer the Kroger question

Are there different types of LCAs?

What were the results of the 2017 Industry Average LCA?

Global Warming

35% Reduction

Renewable Energy

13.8% Increase

Acidification

20% Reduction

Eutrophication

29% Reduction

Smog

23% Reduction

Non-Renewable Energy

9.8% Reduction

Water Use

21% Reduction

Respiratory

21% Reduction

Fossil Fuel Depletion

3.8% Reduction

Ozone

3.4% Reduction

Actual LCA Results: 2014 vs. 2006

What is behind the numbers?

What’s driving results?

What is behind the numbers?

50%

50%

96%

4%

Wax, Hazmat and non-recycled

household boxes

Virgin fiber average content

Recycled fiber average content

OCC Recovery rate

A single tree absorbs 10

pounds of CO2each year

Every ton of OCC recovered saves

3.3 cubic yards of landfill space

What’s driving results?

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1920 1933 1952 1976 1986 1996 2016

Bill

ion

s o

f C

ub

ic F

ee

t P

er

Year

U.S. Timber Growth and Removals, 1920-2016

Net Growth Removals

What is driving the results?

After fires, insects, disease and the forces of nature, forests are

growing 1.7 times greater than

harvesting each year

Comparing corrugated boxes to RPCs in the produce segment

• Single-use• Light weight• Infinite design• Graphics/Branding• Clean• Lower transport cost

Comparing corrugated boxes to RPCs in the produce segment

• Single-use• Light weight• Infinite design• Graphics/Branding• Clean• Lower transport cost

• Multi-use• Heavier weight• Rigid sides• Collapsible walls• Washed/sanitized• Additional transport cost

Comparing corrugated boxes to RPCs in the produce segment

• Single-use• Lighter weight• Infinite design• Graphics/Branding• Clean• Lower transport cost

• Multi-use• Heavier weight• Rigid sides• Collapsible walls• Washed/sanitized• Additional transport cost

Reusable

RenewableRecycled

Comparing corrugated boxes to RPCs in the produce segment

The functional unit for this study is to provide containment during filling, transport and display of 907,185 kg (1,000 short tons) of grocery market produce in the United States in a manner that maintains the safety of the produce for human consumption and that is consistent with commercial supply chains.

How did the LCA Compareproduce packaging?

Commodity Market share

Apples 23%

Carrots 7%

Grapes 7%

Lettuce – head 15%

Onions 19%

Oranges 11%

Strawberries 8%

Tomatoes 10%

What produce items were studied?

Assumptions for corrugated boxes Assumptions for RPCs

• Weight (unit mass) – Actual• OCC recovery rate – 85%• Recycled content – 38.4%• Biogenic accounting – Flow

approach

• Number of uses – 24 • Breakage and loss rate – 5% • Recycled content – 25%• Cleaning process – 70/30 ratio

LCA Assumptions

Results – Market-Weighted Average

Results – Market-Weighted Average

Results – By Category

Results – By Category

System Strawberries Tomatoes Oranges Apples Carrots Lettuce Onions Grapes

Functional unit mass ratio

n/a 0.33 0.34 0.36 0.37 0.39 0.44 0.51 0.54

Acidification(kg SO2-eq)

CC 1,100 500 480 490 400 490 570 970

RPC 740 290 250 230 190 210 210 360

Eutrophication(kg N-eq)

CC 99 44 42 43 36 40 46 79

RPC 190 72 58 55 47 52 52 90

Global Warming(kg CO2-eq)

CC 150,000 67,000 64,000 65,000 54,000 67,000 78,000 130,000

RPC 350,000 130,000 130,000 110,000 90,000 110,000 110,000 170,000

Non-renewable energy(IMPACT 2002+) (MJ)

CC 1,800,000 790,000 760,000 760,000 640,000 790,000 910,000 1,600,000

RPC 6,000,000 2,200,000 2,100,000 1,800,000 1,500,000 1,700,000 1,700,000 2,800,000

Ozone depletion(kg CFC-11-eq)

CC 0.012 0.005 0.005 0.005 0.004 0.005 0.005 0.009

RPC 0.011 0.005 0.004 0.004 0.003 0.004 0.004 0.006

Respiratory effects(kg PM2.5-eq)

CC 130 56 54 55 45 52 60 100

RPC 90 35 28 27 23 25 25 43

Smog formation(kg O3-eq)

CC 12,000 5,400 5,200 5,300 4,300 5,100 5,900 10,000

RPC 11,000 4,400 3,900 3,600 2,900 3,300 3,400 5,500

Freshwater consumption (m3)

CC 3,600,000 1,600,000 1,500,000 1,600,000 1,300,000 1,500,000 1,700,000 2,900,000

RPC 1,800,000 750,000 630,000 630,000 510,000 550,000 550,000 940,000

Solid waste (kg) CC 4,400 1,900 1,900 1,900 1,600 2,000 2,300 3,900

RPC 20,000 8,600 7,900 7,900 6,000 6,700 6,600 11,000

Results – By Category

Results – By CategorySystem Strawberries Tomatoes Oranges Apples Carrots Lettuce Onions Grapes

Functional unit mass ratio

n/a 0.33 0.34 0.36 0.37 0.39 0.44 0.51 0.54

Acidification(kg SO2-eq)

CC 1,100 500 480 490 400 490 570 970

RPC 740 290 250 230 190 210 210 360

Eutrophication(kg N-eq)

CC 99 44 42 43 36 40 46 79

RPC 190 72 58 55 47 52 52 90

Global Warming(kg CO2-eq)

CC 150,000 67,000 64,000 65,000 54,000 67,000 78,000 130,000

RPC 350,000 130,000 130,000 110,000 90,000 110,000 110,000 170,000

Non-renewable energy(IMPACT 2002+) (MJ)

CC 1,800,000 790,000 760,000 760,000 640,000 790,000 910,000 1,600,000

RPC 6,000,000 2,200,000 2,100,000 1,800,000 1,500,000 1,700,000 1,700,000 2,800,000

Ozone depletion(kg CFC-11-eq)

CC 0.012 0.005 0.005 0.005 0.004 0.005 0.005 0.009

RPC 0.011 0.005 0.004 0.004 0.003 0.004 0.004 0.006

Respiratory effects(kg PM2.5-eq)

CC 130 56 54 55 45 52 60 100

RPC 90 35 28 27 23 25 25 43

Smog formation(kg O3-eq)

CC 12,000 5,400 5,200 5,300 4,300 5,100 5,900 10,000

RPC 11,000 4,400 3,900 3,600 2,900 3,300 3,400 5,500

Freshwater consumption (m3)

CC 3,600,000 1,600,000 1,500,000 1,600,000 1,300,000 1,500,000 1,700,000 2,900,000

RPC 1,800,000 750,000 630,000 630,000 510,000 550,000 550,000 940,000

Solid waste (kg) CC 4,400 1,900 1,900 1,900 1,600 2,000 2,300 3,900

RPC 20,000 8,600 7,900 7,900 6,000 6,700 6,600 11,000

Results – By Best/Worst Case

Results – By Best/Worst Case

Sensitivity Analysis

• Number of turns• Break and loss rate• Recycled content• Cleaning process• Travel distances

• Unit mass• OCC recovery rate• Recycled content• Biogenic carbon accounting

Corrugated Boxes RPCs

Not Included in the Study

RPCs

• Wholesale distribution• Backhaul• Land use• Ecotoxicity and human

health• Produce perishability• Float

The quantity of excess RPCs that exist in the total system to assure flexibility to respond to surges in system demand or extended time in the return loop.

Float

Float Sensitivity at 100%

Key Messages

• Study compares industry to industry

• No one system has an advantage in all categories

• Users must choose the impact categories that are most important to them

• Both systems have opportunities to improve

• LCA Study• LCA Executive Summary• FAQs• Press Release

Comparative LCA Toolkit

https://www.corrugated.org/comparative-life-cycle-assessment/

Questions?