Seminar on sustainability of rubber industry LCA and Ecolabelling

Drivers of Environmental Awareness - LCAEuropeJapanUSA- EU policies such as IPP, REACH, EuP, RoHS- Directives for Promotion of Renewable Energy- Green Public Procurement+ Law for a Sound Material-Cycle Society+ Green Procurement Policy in government sector+ Product Green Promotion Program* USEPA Product Stewardship ProgramClean Development Mechanism (CDM) – Certified EmissionReduction (Kyoto Protocol) (2008-2012)3

Conceptual Approach of SustainabilityThe Dominant ModelDependency of economic, social and environmental aspects(sustainability pillars)SocialSustainableDevelopmentEnvironmentEconomySustainable Development - Industrial Ecology

Life Cycle Assessment• LCA is an environmental management method for thequantitative evaluation of material resources invested,the environmental burden and the environmental impacton the earth of a product or service through all stages ofits life cycle (Narita, 2004)• LCA assess the environmental aspects and potentialimpact of a product through;• Compiling an inventory data concerning inputs andoutputs of a product system• Evaluating the potential environmental impactassociated with those inputs and outputs• Interpreting the results of the inventory analysis andimpact assessment phases in relation to theobjectives of the study5

LCA – ‘Cradle to Grave’ Evaluation of ProductsLife Cycle StagesResource Manufacturing Use/Repair DisposalReuseRecyclingCalculations of Environmental Burdens• Burden on atmosphere (SO 2 , CO 2 , NO x )• Burden on water (BOD, COD, Nitrogen, Phophorous, Metals)Impact Assessment of Environment• Global warming, water pollution, health effects, acidification,eutrophicationEffects of LCA• Preservation of environment, environmentally-sound (eco) products,environmental labels, design for environment (DfE), recycling society6

Natural Rubber IndustryUpstream(Plantation)Raw Materials• latex• cuplumps• sheet rubbers(RSS, ADS)Midstream(Processing)Processed Rubber• block rubber (TSR)• latex concentrate• specialty rubbersDownstream(manufacturing)Rubber & RubberbasedProducts• tyres• gloves• GRG/IRG7

Effluent discharge fromrubber processing(55 million liters / day)Effluent discharge fromrubber product manufacturing(30 million liters / day)Environmental Impact of Rubber IndustryAir Pollution & Malodour IssueRelease of CO 2 , NO 2 and methanein processing and manufacturingSludge production from rubberProduct manufacturing( 6.0 million kg / yr)

LCA ApplicationsArea/ObjectiveDecision making(Internal)Learning/exploration(Internal)Communications(External)Applications• Design and development for process/product• Purchasing• Support for regulatory measures and policyinstruments• Avoid transfer of environmental burdens (EIA)• Characterization of production systems• Optimization tool• Selection of environmental performanceindicators• LCA based eco-labeling (ISO 14025)• Environmental product declarations• Benchmarking• Indicator of sustainability9

ISO 14000 Series and LCA• ISO 14000 is a series of environmentalstandards which provide structure and tool formanaging the environmental aspects/impacts ofthe organization’s activities• Trends in environmental management:- Emphasis on sustainable development- Life cycle thinking and LCA- Ecodesign- Eco-labelling- Green procurement / Green purchasing10

ISO Environmental FrameworkISO/TC 207SC1EMSSC2EASC3ELSC4EPESC5LCASC7CCTCGEnvironmentalManagementSystem(ISO 14001/4)EnvironmentalPerformanceEvaluation(ISO 14030sEnvironmentalAuditing(ISO 14010s)Life CycleAssessment(ISO 14040s)Design forEnvironment(ISO 14062)Labelling &Marketing(ISO 14020s)OrganizationalFocus(Cost)Environmental CommunicationsProductFocus(Revenue)11

Environmental Labelling: ISO 14020 SeriesDifferent Concepts & Target GroupsProgramoperators,environmentallabelling Type IMarketingconsultants,authorities,Lawyers, courtetc.Programoperators,environmentalproduct declarationType IIIISO 14024 ISO 14021 ISO 14025Type Ienvironmentallabelling(third partycertification)Type IIself-declaredenvironmentalclaimsType IIIenvironmentaldeclarations(LCA)

Elements of LCAGoal & scopedefinitionInventoryanalysisInterpretationDirect applicationse.g. product developmentmarketingecolabellingpublic policy makingImpactassessment(ISO 14040)13

Inventory Analysis• Is an account of all masses and energy inputsand outputs to the life cycle system• An objective, data based process of quantifyingenergy and raw materials requirements, airemissions, waterborne effluents, solid waste andother environmental release incurred throughoutthe life cycle of a product (Svoboda, 1995)• Two types of inventory data (foreground andbackground)14

Impact Assessment (LCIA)Inventory(e.g. emission/kg)ImpactCategoryLCIARaw MaterialAcquisitionProductionUseEmissionsto airCO 2 •CH 4 •CFCs •SO x •NO x •NH 3 •HCl •VOC •Global warmingOzone layer depletionAcidificationPhoto OxidationEutrophicationBetterProducts?DisposalEmissionsto waterPO 43-NO 3BOD•••Human toxicity15

Global warming potentail per car tyre (kgCO2 equivalent)GWP as an Impact Category for Production ofa Car Tyre600601500400300200100014Acquisitionof rawmaterial1.5 7.3Transport Production UseSource: Continental AG, Germany16

Status of Environmentally - Friendly TyresMichelin1. Michelin A2 Energy tyres (2006)Reduce fuel cost by 6%, 20 – 40% increase in service lifeDunlop-Falken (Sumitomo)1. ENASAVE ES 801 (2006)Reduce rolling resistance by 30%, 70% petroleum-freecontents (44% in normal tyres)2. ENASAVE 97 (2008)Reduce rolling resistance by 35%, 97% petroleum-freecontents (44% in normal tyres)17

Examples of LCA in Practice18

LCA in Rubber Industry• A right direction to achieve the common goal ofemission reduction, waste reduction and adaptationof clean technology.• Slowly gaining momentum as a solution toenvironmental problems especially in EU countries.• Current focus more on LCA for car passenger tyrebasedon European conditions• ERTMA used LCA data as a basis for their productperformance towards reducing the environmentalimpact.19

Development of LCA for Block Rubber• Goals:Processing• To establish the energy and material balancefor the production of 1200 kg (1 pallet) ofblock rubber• To quantify the amount of CO 2 emission as aresult of producing 1200 kg (1 pallet) of blockrubber• To quantify the carbon footprint of 1200 kg (1pallet) production of block rubber20

Natural Rubber ProcessingBlock Rubber ProcessingLC Processing21

Scope of Study• Functional unit in this proposal will be theproduction of 1200 kg (1 pallet) of block rubber.• All masses and emissions calculation in thisproposal will be based on the defines functionalunit.• Environmental Impact categories to be studied• Global warming (CO 2 )• Eutrophication (BOD, NO 3 , PO 4-3)22

System boundary for LCA on Block RubberProcessing23

Data and Assumptions for LCACriteriaCapacity of plantationLife span of treesAverage yield (dry)CO 2 sequesteredCO 2 sequestered/ton of rubberData/Estimation400 trees/ha25 years1400kg/ha/year20606 kg/ha/year14718 kgFertilizer used1kg/tree/year or 409 kg/ha/yearFertilizer run off from plantation 30%1 liter of diesel Emits 2.68 kg of CO 21 kWh electricity Emits 0.43 kg of CO 2Diesel consumption for a 3-ton lorry5.4 km/L24

Input-Output Table for PlantationInput Quantity Unit Output Quantity UnitCO 2Sequesteredby treeCO 2Sequesteredby soil14718 Kg Latex/Fieldgrade (dry)1000 Kg…….. Kg CO 2 2.68 KgFertilizer 292 Kg Nitrate 10.5 KgTransportation(Diesel)1 L Phosphate 10.5 Kg25

Input-Output Table for Block Rubber ProductionInput Quantity Unit Output Quantity UnitLatex/Fieldgrade (dry)1200 Kg Blockrubber1200 KgElectricity 300 kWh CO 2325 KgDiesel 72 L Amm.Nitrogen1.9 KgWater 32.4 M 3 BOD 3.2 KgChemicals(HNS)Chemicals(Formic acid)Transportation(diesel)1.8 Kg COD 8.16 Kg7.2 Kg SS 3.37 Kg1 L Total N 2.49 KgTotal Solid 13.6 Kg26

Summary of Carbon AuditingBoundary CO 2SequesteredCO 2 EmittedPlantation -17661.6 3.2Block RubberProductionTotal -17333.4325.0Overall worldwide rubber plantation of 9.1 million ha sequesters261 million tonnes of CO 2 from the atmosphere or 6.3%absorption of the current rate of CO 2 increase globally (MRB &IRRDB)27

Carbon Footprint Labelling in Practice28

Limitations of LCA• The nature of choices and assumptions made in LCA(e.g. system boundary setting, selection of data sourcesand impact categories) may be subjective• Models used for inventory analysis or to assessenvironmental impacts are limited by their assumptions,and may not be available for all potential impacts orapplications• Results of LCA studies focused on global and regionalmay not be appropriate for local application• The accuracy of LCA studies may be limited byaccessibility or availability of relevant data, or by dataquality29

Challenges in Implementing LCA andCFP• Synergistic mechanism of economic growth withenvironmental and social considerations are not easy fordeveloping economies (technically and support industry)• The export market demands that govern the environmentaland social aspects of a product or service• Introducing LCA and CFP do not necessarily translate intoincrease in business or profits• LCA has been more technological focus while businessdecisionsupport require economic considerations30

Impact of LCA and CFP on RubberProducing EconomiesEnvironmental related specifications are potential non-tariffbarrierSupply chain-driven requirements is a main driver ofenvironmental requirements of productsVoluntary environmental requirements in marketplace canbecome commercial imperativesEnvironmental features of products shifting from nichemarkets to mainstream markets that are eco-positioning theircorporate image31

Thank You32