Changing from a linear economic model to a circular one is the challenge of our time.
The first presupposes that the goods must have a terminal life cycle, which ends when they are no longer needed and are then thrown into landfills. The second is designed to regenerate the resources it uses, reusing them in multiple production and use cycles
Raw materialsProduction and planningDistributionConsumptionWaste
Raw materialsPlanningProduction, reworkingDistributionConsumption, use, reuse, repairCollectionResidual wasteRecycling
The recyclability of materials used for packaging is crucial for developing a production and consumption model where the end of one product’s life cycle is the beginning of a new one.
Just think, on average one inhabitant of Europe produces about 173 kg of packaging waste per year consisting mainly of paper and cardboard (41%), plastic (19%), glass (18%), wood (17%) and metal (5%).
Paper and cardboardPlasticGlassWoodPer capita production of packaging waste EU-28, 2017RDM Group offers products that are renewable, recyclable and actually recycled.
Our cartonboard is fully recyclable and biodegradable. In making our products, we use over 79% of paper for recycling: these are materials derived from the recovery and recycling of end-of-life products or residues from the industrial and commercial sector. While giving new life to cellulose fibers, we apply technologies that minimize the amount of waste disposed in landfills.
When virgin raw materials must be used, we utilize materials from responsible resources. For our ground wood raw materials, we rely entirely on local sawmills and wood processing suppliers who deliver to us PEFC certified raw materials, which in 2019 were 59% of the whole amount consumed. When purchasing market pulp, we always and exclusively rely on 100% certified raw materials for any of our products.
To continue improving the environmental compatibility of our products, we make use of the Life Cycle Assessment. With this scientific method we have the chance of measuring in a systematic and thorough way the impact on the environment we generate through the production, use and recycling of our board.
Use of non-renewable sources
Water consumption
Greenhouse effect
Acid rain
Eutrophication
Photochemical smog
Transportation
Manufacturing
Distribution
End of life
Raw Materials
Through this method we are able to examine the whole life of the products, from the purchase of the necessary raw materials for the production of the board and its coatings, to the conversion in the RDM Group plants, up to the distribution to our clients and, finally, the disposal of the products after being used. All these phases are meant as a set of processes requiring materials and energy, which generate burdens for the environment, in the way of waste products and emissions in the atmosphere and water.
In the study we measured exactly all these aspects, and the final report summarizes in a holistic manner the total resources, energy and water required to produce, commercialize, use and recycle again our board, along with the emissions in the atmosphere and the other pollutants we generated.
In carrying out the LCA study, we relied on the collaboration of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department (DICA) – Milan Polytechnic AWARE research group.
This analysis was conducted on five typical products of the Group, produced in 2017 in the plant in Santa Giustina Bellunese. Below are the results.
During its whole life cycle, one kilogram of RDM Group board required, on average:
1,2 kg
of raw materials obtained by renewable sources and recycling
0,5 kg
of non-renewable sources used as raw materials and to produce energy
0,7 MJ
of energy obtained by renewable sources
9,9 l
of water
During its whole life cycle, one kilogram of RDM Group board generates environmental impacts, by contributing on average to:
Global warming in the amount of
0,83 kg
carbon dioxide equivalent
(CO2 eq.)
Acidification in the amount of
2,77 g
sulphur dioxide equivalent
(SO2 eq.)
Photochemical ozone creation in the amount of
0,14 g
ethaylene equivalent
(C2H4 eq.)
Eutrophication in the amount of
0,89 g
phosphate
(PO43– eq.)
Analyzed products: VinciCoat 112, grammage 350 g/m2; VinciBright 113, grammage 350 g/m2; VinciStar 122, grammage 550 g/m2; VinciAvana 962, grammage 445 g/m2; VinciBright Special 963, grammage 320 g/m2.
The LCA study of our board is based on the ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 standards, accepted on an international level, currently considered among the most reliable standards to measure the environmental impact of a product.
Concerning the inventories of the environmental burdens associated to the various sub-processes included in the system (production of raw materials, energy and fuel, transport and waste disposal treatments), we took as reference the ecoinvent database, in its 3.3. version.
The end of life of the packaging used for ready-for-sale board was determined by considering the overall recycling rate and energy recovery rate for the different packaging materials, in the territory context in which the board is used.
We voluntarily submitted the analysis to the critical review and validation of an independent third party, performed by the Certiquality certification body.
What did we learn?
