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Demystifying Carbon Footprinting
Consol commissioned the first South African glass packaging full life cycle assessment study in the twelve months, July 2006 to June 2007, and these results have formed the baseline against which all subsequent studies have been measured. The study was executed by an international environmental consultancy that made use of the latest internationally accepted carbon conversion factors. The continued year-on-year analysis has resulted in four complete years of externally verified cradle-to-cradle life cycle assessment data for glass packaging within the Consol stable.
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Introducing Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs)
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time – one that cannot, in good conscience, be ignored. Wherever the debates over environmental impacts and carbon footprints may lead, consumer goods manufacturers need reliable and comprehendible information to help them make informed decisions.
The total carbon footprint of a product is made up of emissions produced at every stage of its life cycle; many life cycle analyses available today only reflect a portion of these processes.
Environmental data available in the packaging industry is inconsistent because of variations in data measurements and in the completeness of life cycle assessments of various packaging formats. As a result, it has been nearly impossible to compare the environmental impact of one packaging material with that of another. As an industry leader, Consol is both obligated and determined to discover, refine and bring complete carbon life cycle analysis to both customers and consumers.
Many LCAs present carbon footprint data based on the most favourable stages of a packaging material's life cycle. The only approach that generates a complete picture of a product's carbon footprint is a cradle-to-cradle approach, which includes the recovery of post-consumer materials in closed-loop recycling of the product back to its original purpose. While the validity of some of the carbon footprint claims being espoused is open to question, research conducted by Global Packaging Manufacturer Owens-Illinois (O-I) advocates the use of a complete life cycle modelling tool to measure the environmental impact of every stage in the product life cycle. This methodology provides unprecedented clarity to customers and ensures that the impact of each stage is included in the overall carbon footprint calculation. To this end, there are some basic questions customers should ask their packaging suppliers to help determine what is – and what is not – reflected in their carbon footprint information.
Consol commissioned the first South African glass packaging full life cycle assessment study in the twelve months, July 2006 to June 2007, and these results have formed the baseline against which all subsequent studies have been measured. The study was executed by an international environmental consultancy that made use of the latest internationally accepted carbon conversion factors. The continued year-on-year analysis has resulted in four complete years of externally verified cradle-to-cradle life cycle assessment data for glass packaging within the Consol stable.
We trust that the information in this brochure will provide sufficient clarity regarding the carbon footprint debate and confirm that glass packaging has one of the lowest carbon footprints (cradle to cradle) when compared to other packaging formats. We look forward to engaging with you should you require additional information on our industry's LCA findings.
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