What is the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)?
The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) quantifies the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated during the life cycle of a particular product. This cycle begins with the extraction of raw materials and continues through processing and production, transport, use, disposal and recycling.
The PCF is usually measured in CO2 equivalents and enables companies and consumers to compare the environmental impact of different products. To calculate the PCF, all direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture and use of the product are taken into account. This includes, for example, the emissions generated during energy supply, transport of raw materials and the end product, as well as disposal.
Products made from secondary materials, for example, reduce emissions by more than 80 percent compared to primary tin.
What is our motivation?
With the PCF, we want to create transparency for our customers. To ensure this, we publish the greenhouse gas emissions for all the products we produce.
There is still no legal obligation to calculate product carbon footprints. Nevertheless, we want to actively fulfil the wishes and requirements of our customers by calculating and reporting the carbon footprints of our products. We also want to show that we deal proactively and openly with this area of sustainable reporting along the supply chain. By calculating the PCF, we can identify and implement measures to reduce the environmental impact of our products ourselves. This gives our business partners the opportunity to make well-informed purchasing decisions and favour products with a lower environmental impact. In addition the reported PCF can simplify and positively influence the calculation of a customer's own carbon footprint.
What is the so-called system boundary?
The PCF comprises the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by a product in the various phases of its life cycle.
A distinction is made here between different approaches to the system boundary:
Cradle-to-Gate PCF
A Cradle-to-Gate PCF for example, takes into account all processes from the extraction of resources/raw materials to the manufacture of preliminary products and the production of the end product right up to the point at which the product leaves the company.
Cradle-to-Grave PCF
A Cradle-to-Grave PCF covers the entire life cycle of the product, including emissions from the utilisation phase and the end of the product's life.
The carbon footprint we report takes into account the greenhouse gas emissions according to the cradle-to-gate approach, i.e. the emissions that arise from the extraction of the raw materials (cradle) to the time they leave the Stannol site (factory gate). This consideration from cradle to factory gate therefore only covers one area and one aspect of a complete life cycle analysis. This is due to the fact that after leaving the factory gate, our products are used in many different downstream processes in industry (OEM and EMS) and by end users. It is therefore not possible for us to provide a traceability and value determination in the context of the subsequent life cycle.
Product life cycle
For which products do we report the PCF?
Stannol reports the PCF for over 1,600 manufacturing products, i.e. for almost 100 percent of the goods manufactured in-house in the product areas
The emission values are shown on the business documents (quotation, order confirmation, delivery note and invoice) at item level in kg CO2e per unit of quantity and as a total emission quantity for the respective order.
If you require the product carbon footprint for your annual order quantity or another defined period in the above-mentioned product areas, we will be pleased to provide you with this information on request.
What is our data base?
The partial carbon footprint is calculated using primary and secondary data.
To collect primary data, we involved our suppliers, gathered valid data from the relevant departments and had it confirmed.
The secondary data comes from public and commercial emissions databases (e.g. Gemis, BAFA, EstiMol).
In the case of raw materials that can neither be found in databases nor could be verified with data by our suppliers, we have chosen an approach that is orientated as closely as possible to similar raw materials. To ensure an honest approach here, we have added a safety margin to these factors and calculated them.
We reserve the right to make corrections at any time, as the database and its availability may change. In principle, we assume that the exchange of information and the provision of data within the supply chain will increase and that data will become more accurate.
Stannol is counting on the fact that awareness of sustainability and dialogue between those involved in the supply chain will continue to grow and that disclosure and transparency in this area will become a matter of course.
We would be delighted if you contacted us with any questions about the PCF. Stannol Sales and our Sustainability Representative Susanne Schlüter will be pleased to help you.
The PCF process
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us
