2Sustain

Last week, Cotton Incorporated released a first-ever comprehensive life cycle inventory and life cycle analysis of cotton products.

The study, which took two years to complete, takes a holistic and comprehensive view, focusing solely on cotton (and not competitive fibers).

More specifically, the life cycle inventory (LCI) is a quantification of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental release data associated with the production of cotton from cradle-to-gate (fiber) and manufacturing from gate-to-gate (fabric).

The associated life cycle assessment (LCA) models the environmental impact of representative cotton apparel (a knit golf shirt and woven cotton trousers) from the field through to consumer care, use and disposal (cradle-to-grave).

Cotton Incorporated says the peer-reviewed data and assessment methodology will help direct sustainability research efforts for the cotton industry, as well as to aid textile decision-makers in achieving their own sustainability goals.

Data for the cradle-to-gate segment was collected from the three largest cotton producing countries (China, India, and the United States) and reported as a global average. Similarly, the data for the textile processing phase was culled from surveys among representative mills in the four largest textile processing areas (Turkey, India, China, and Latin America) and are also presented as a global average. Data for the cut-and-sew and consumer use phase were supplemented by a range of credible secondary sources.

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New lifecycle assessment (LCA) data from the Dow Chemical Company’s Building Solutions Group shows that thermal insulation plays a key role in the building sector to reduce energy consumption and related green house gas (GHG) emissions.

This new LCA study examined each stage of Dow’s insulated sheathing product’s life cycle (raw material extraction, production, delivery, use and disposal) to determine the total amount of CO2 emissions that occur in order to use the insulation. The results showed that, over the life cycle of Dow’s insulation products, the GHG emissions saved are, on average, 48 times greater than the GHGs emitted to produce, use and dispose of the product itself.

In addition, Dow says the results validate that its insulated sheathing products –when properly installed –are estimated to provide energy-saving benefits that last for more than 50 years.

According to an earlier McKinsey & Company study, improving building insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce GHG emissions and lower energy costs. (more…)

Business today relies on electronic technology. Computers, cell phones, tablet devices and the like are now integral to how we do our jobs.

Ultimately, though, this dependence comes with a heavy cost. Every year, the US alone produces some 2.5 million tons of used electronics, all made from valuable resources such as precious metals and rare earth materials, as well as plastic and glass.

As a global leader in the design, development and consumption of new and improved electronic technologies, shouldn’t we be doing more to curb e-waste and advance a more sustainable approach to the design and manufacture of electronic products?

Fortunately, the US recently took a significant step in that direction.

Late last month, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),  along with Sprint, Dell and Sony Electronics announced the “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship,” an exciting new private-public partnership aimed at curbing e-waste, encouraging sustainable electronics lifecycle management and promoting the domestic electronics market.

This new strategy includes the first voluntary commitments made by Dell, Sprint and Sony, and also commits the federal government to take specific actions that will encourage the more environmentally friendly design of electronic products, promote recycling of used or discarded electronics and advance a domestic market for electronics recycling that will protect public health and create jobs.

As outlined in the strategy report, the federal government will take the following steps: (more…)

As I mentioned last week, more and more companies are beginning to realize the business benefits of greening their supply chains. As a result, I expect to see companies sharpening their focus on procurement management systems that include sustainability indicators.

Now, a new report from independent analyst firm Verdantix confirms this forecast. According to the report, Smart Innovators Product LCA Software, a “flood” of new product life cycle assessment (LCA) software offerings is ready to help firms analyze supply chain data to enhance sustainability performance. Verdantix expects the market will pick up in 2012, fueled by three specific adoption drivers.

First, as Verdantix points out, new and existing regulations for environmental reporting underpin demand for environmental product compliance software and innovative LCA software. Europe leads the world in setting standards for product sustainability with regulations like REACH and the French government’s Bilan Carbone which requires Scope 3 emissions data reporting by the end of 2012. It’s no surprise then, that Verdantix concludes that France will become the leading market for LCA software adoption worldwide.
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Wal-Mart’s recent announcement to begin work on a universal Sustainable Product Index inspired Deloitte’s Enterprise Sustainability group to develop a new whitepaper that explores lifecycle assessment.

The paper, “Lifecycle Assessment: Where is it on your sustainability agenda?” points out that even though the concept of lifecycle assessment (LCA) has been around since the 1980s, it’s only now that U.S. companies are embracing it on a large scale.

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