Incorporating sustainability: a cradle-to-grave approach

We commissioned a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to demonstrate the environmental impacts of the tubing throughout the life of the product. The ISO-14040 and ISO-14044-compliant results are based on a cradle-to-grave study (meaning the raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, use phase and end of life were assessed) of Tygon S3 B-44-3, a lightweight, flexible tubing offering high-level clarity for beverage transfer applications. These results are detailed and explained below using data derived from the LCA carried out.

The impacts for Tygon S3 B-44-3 are shown in Figure 1. The functional unit used to assess Tygon S3 B-44-3 is a 50 ft length with an inner diameter of 0.25” and an outer diameter of 0.375”. The carbon footprint to produce 50 feet of tubing is only 2.63 kg CO₂-eq and the embodied energy of the product is only 64.09 MJ. Energy is required to extract, process and ship raw materials to the plant, manufacture tubing and ship the final product to the customer. Any use of fossil fuel based energy also involves the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The majority of the energy used to create tubing is consumed in creating the raw materials, and those materials are also responsible for most of the carbon emissions.   Figures 2 and 3 demonstrate that that Tygon S3 B-44-3 has the lowest cumulative energy demand (all the energy needed to convert a material into its final product, including transportation, use and end-of-life) and also the lowest carbon footprint among the various types of tubing analyzed.

Captain Planet said it best: The power is yours

As the above example illustrates, proving truly sustainable credentials involves in-depth testing and documentation. In many ways, sustainability is about choices – giving manufacturers and the consumers they serve the choice to select a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution or product. By committing to being transparent about its sustainable initiatives and providing documentation of these initiatives, ideally from an independent reviewer, companies can build trust in their supply chains and offer this choice to their target markets. Moreover, by working in partnership with suppliers who are implementing the same best practices, including using tools such as LCA to evaluate solutions and continuing to develop new, innovative products in the response to industry and consumer demand, a company can ensure the long-lasting impact of the sustainable practices it is implementing throughout the supply chain.