LCAs and EPDs for metal products

At Ecomatters, we are experienced in working with companies across several global industries. One of the key industries we have worked with is the metal manufacturing industry. Underpinning sectors such as construction, automotive, energy, and electronics, the metal manufacturing industry is a significant contributor to the global economy. Unsurprisingly, its global significance also means that its practices also carry a significant environmental impact.

Combined, the steel and aluminium industry accounts for approximately 10% of all global CO2 emission. In response to this, metal manufacturers are looking for ways to minimise their environmental impact. One way of doing this is by increasing the quantity of recycled material used in the manufacture of new metal products.

Ecomatters has worked with several manufacturers within the global metal manufacturing industry to help them understand the environmental impacts of their products and communicate this data with their customers via Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). In this case study we follow the process of completing a Life Cycle Assessment for a metal product and explain how this is transformed into an EPD.

All LCA projects begin with data. Ecomatters provides an in-depth data questionnaire to the client for completion. This includes, but is not limited to, information on raw materials, utilities, packaging and waste treatment and  end-of-life.

The source of the data input for the LCA can vary depending on the type of company we’re working alongside. For example, metal manufactures who manufacture products such as sheets or billets that are then sold for use as is, or for further manufacturing, may have access to primary data on all sheet or billet manufacturing steps up-to the factory gate.

However, if you are the company purchasing the billets or sheets for further product manufacturing, you may need to request third-party data from your supplier. This data should detail the composition of metal purchased, including its recycled content. Often, in these circumstances, data on the actual manufacturing process is confidential. In which case, the manufacturing of the purchased metal is modelled using metal manufacturing datasets from a Life Cycle Inventory such as Ecoinvent.

Once the data questionnaire has been completed, the LCA model is created using an LCA software such as LCA for Experts or SimaPro. Results displaying the environmental impact of the product(s) under study are then extracted.

The results of the LCA are inputted into a template provided by the EPD platform. Alongside the EPD documents, a full LCA report detailing the methodology followed and the full results is produced. This report, and EPD documents are then reviewed by a third-party reviewer. The full LCA report remains confidential between Ecomatters, the client, and the third-party reviewer. It is not published with the EPD.

Once the review is finalised, the EPD documents are published on the website of the EPD program operator.  Interested in seeing real-life examples of our EPD work? You can find EPDs for metal manufacturers Ecomatters supported in the MRPI database.

The metal industry is steadily increasing the use of secondary (recycled) scrap within products, especially in steel and aluminium. When performing LCAs for metal products, the approach to calculating the recycled content percentage of a product is important. This is due to the fact that different impact allocation approaches can lead to different reported environmental impacts for the same product. When it comes to industry-facing carbon footprint claims, the chosen approach to recycled content is something we are often asked about, in particular the ‘cut-off (recycled content)’ approach and the ‘mass balance’ approach.

As well as conforming to ISO14025, EPDs are often produced in accordance with additional product category rules (PCRs). For construction products, the PCR is EN15804+A2. Within EN15804+A2, recycled content is based on traceable physical inputs and outputs. This means that the ‘cut-off’ approach is followed. Within this approach, the scrap input into the new product system is considered burden free (from a raw material impact perspective) and only carries the impact related to its required recycling process.

However, within the metal industry where products made of virgin metal are functionally identical to products containing recycled metals, some argue that a mass balance approach better represents real production flows. While mass balance accounting has been more common in the chemical industry, it is now increasingly used in the metal industry to support carbon footprint claims.

Although not allowed under EN15804+A2, alternative product carbon footprint guidelines present mass balance as a viable approach. If adopted, mass balance must follow a transparent certification standard and be verified by an independent and qualified third party. Within the mass balance approach, recycled content is allocated proportionally across outputs. In simple terms, if a facility produces two batches — one made with 100% recycled input and another with 0% — then all output products may be claimed to contain 50% recycled content, even though the recycled material is not physically traceable in each individual product. Understandably, employing this approach can lead to a different calculation of environmental impact when compared to the ‘cut-off’ approach.

If you produce metal products outside of the construction sector, alternative PCRs could be explored such as those produced by International EPD for packaging. Whether mass balance is allowed depends on the PCR chosen and the EPD system operator the EPD will be published on. Alternatively, a product carbon footprint can be calculated for other purposes beside EPD creation.

If you are interested in working with Ecomatters to create EPD documents for your products, calculate your product carbon footprint, or discuss the recycled content approach best suited to your product and needs, contact us or plan a call with one of our experts.