ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION

Transcription

1 ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION NYLON 6,6 SOLUTION-DYED CARPET FIBER WITH 75% RECYCLED CONTENT We are people. We are connected with all things in the cycle of life. We believe true sustainability means more than resource conservation. Our core principles of safety and security guide us to value lives. Those of our Associates, and those of our communities in which we live and serve. Locally, regionally, globally. Our Commitment to sustainability is unwavering and steadfast. We will better what we find and use less to produce more. We embrace our role as environmental stewards and measure success with clear transparency, independent validation, and service to humanity.

2 This declaration is an environmental product declaration (EPD) in accordance with ISO EPDs rely on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to provide information on a number of environmental impacts of products over their life cycle. Exclusions: EPDs do not indicate that any environmental or social performance benchmarks are met, and there may be impacts that they do not encompass. LCAs do not typically address the site-specific environmental impacts of raw material extraction, nor are they meant to assess human health toxicity. EPDs can complement but cannot replace tools and certifications that are designed to address these impacts and/or set performance thresholds e.g. Type 1 certifications, health assessments and declarations, environmental impact assessments, etc. Accuracy of Results: EPDs regularly rely on estimations of impacts, and the level of accuracy in estimation of effect differs for any particular product line and reported impact. Comparability: EPDs are not comparative assertions and are either not comparable or have limited comparability when they cover different life cycle stages, are based on different product category rules or are missing relevant environmental impacts. EPDs from different programs may not be comparable. PROGRAM OPERATOR UL Environment DECLARATION HOLDER Universal Fibers DECLARATION NUMBER DECLARED PRODUCT Thrive Nylon 6,6 Solution-Dyed Carpet Fiber with 75% Recycled Content REFERENCE PCR PCR for Textile yarn and thread of natural fibers, man-made filaments or staple fibers v.1 DATE OF ISSUE June 3, 2016 PERIOD OF VALIDITY 5 Years Product definition and information about building physics Information about basic material and the material s origin Description of the product s manufacture CONTENTS OF THE Indication of product processing DECLARATION Information about the in-use conditions Life cycle assessment results Testing results and verifications The PCR review was conducted by: PCR review panel info@environdec.com This declaration was independently verified in accordance with ISO by Underwriters Laboratories INTERNAL EXTERNAL This life cycle assessment was independently verified in accordance with ISO and the reference PCR by: Wade Stout, UL Environment Brad McAllister, WAP Sustainability

3 Content of EPD Specification of Manufacturing Company Universal Fibers is committed to being a worldwide market leader by developing innovative products of excellent quality. Year over year, we strive to reduce our reliance on non-renewable resources and to produce fibers in more efficient ways, while continuously improving quality. It is our policy that all Associates participate in furthering Universal Fibers into a quality oriented, safe and profitable company. Manufacturing Sites Involved in the Production: Industrial Park Road. Bristol, Virginia, USA Reference Markets: Product is used as carpet fiber. ISO Certification: Valid through Certificate number UM GreenCircle Certification: Certificate numbers and

4 Specification of the Product Thrive stands alone as an environmentally conscious high performance solution-dyed nylon-6,6 carpet fiber with a high percentage of recycled material, minimal CO2 generation and built-in encapsulated stain resistance. The product to CO2 output ratio for Thrive is 1:4, and consists of 75% recycled content using pre and post-consumer materials sourced through a proprietary process in support of landfill divergence objectives. Offered with Universal Fibers exclusive 600 denier "building block", Thrive answers industry demand for high bulk/ light weight fiber while supporting market objectives for styling, performance and ease of care and maintenance. Exacting color is also achieved with Universal Color, an incredible palette of 284 trend-setting colors required by industry professionals and product designers, globally. Thrive from Universal Fibers delivers extraordinary color, performance, durability and sustainability. All with the added assurance of independent GreenCircle certification. Table 1: Technology Description Information Value Preferable Methods Commercial Article Description Y.BCF.PA66.PK159 - Basic Polymer, % of basic polymer Generic name of synthetic fiber, % of synthetic fiber 100% Polyamide / 100% Nylon EN ISO :2011 / ISO2076:2010 Type of yarn or Fiber Textured filament yarn ISO 8159:1987 Type of processing Bulked continuous filament Spinning(BCF) BISFA Intended Use Floor covering - Resulting Linear Density: 2400denier ISO 2060:1994 Properties Filament number of the final product: Denier per filament: 20DPF -

5 Reference Standards Independent Performance Test Comparison: All testing was done by Professional Testing Laboratory Inc. Dalton, Georgia, USA. Test Method Universal Fibers N 6,6 Industry N-6,6 AATCC Light AFU 5 5 AATCC Ozone - 2cycles 5 5 AATCC Antistat - Avg Test 1 (Step) Bleach - 25% 5 5 ASTM D Hexapod - 12,000 Appearance Phillips Roll Chair - 10,000cycles Castor Chair Test - 25,000cycles Tuft Bind Average: ASTM D Accelerated Soil - #1 after Vacuum ASTM D Accelerated Soil - #1 after Extraction 5 5 Resistance to Staining Commercial (1Hour) Coffee 5 5 Motor Oil 5 5 Mustard Cherry Kool-Aid 5 5

6 Functional Unit The functional unit is 1 kg of yarn. Content Declaration Type of Product/Service % of material by weight (of which) % Recycled Polyamide % 70% Pigments 0.1 2% 0% Other materials % 5% Water 1-4% 0% Total 100% 75% Percent of which main material, pigments, and other materials is bio-based 0% Of which post-consumer waste 10% Of which pre-consumer waste 65%

7 Included and Excluded Stages of the Life Cycle Study. Included Stages Module Name Description Summary of Included Elements A1 Product Stage: Raw Material Supply Raw Material sourcing and processing. A2 Product Stage: Transport Shipping from supplier to manufacturing site. A3 Product Stage: Manufacturing Energy, water, and material inputs required for manufacturing product from raw materials. Packaging Materials included as well. A4 Construction Process Stage: Transport Shipping from manufacturing site to customer. Excluded Stages Module Name Module Name Module Name A5 Construction Process Stage: Installation B1 Use Stage: Use B2 Use Stage: Maintenance B3 Use Stage: Repair B4 Use Stage: Replacement B5 Use Stage: Refurbishment B6 Use Stage: Operational Energy Use B7 Use Stage: Operational Water Use C1 EOL: Deconstruction C2 EOL: Transport C3 EOL: Waste Processing Omitted due to significant influence of C4 EOL: Disposal Inclusion not allowed by PCR. D Benefits beyond system Inclusion not allowed by PCR. Comparability with other EPDs EPDs within the same product category but from different programs may not be comparable.

8 Estimates and Assumptions Relevant assumptions used in the study include: The stabilization package used in the model was assumed to be entirely copper based. Antistatic fiber was assumed to be a fiber composed of nylon 6,6 and nylon 6, loaded with conductive carbon black. Plastic scrap from outside processing where the recycling methods were not specified was assumed to be landfilled, although recycling might be an option in some markets. After analyzing the results, it becomes clear how some of these assumptions can affect the outcome. One major factor is the choice of secondary data. Since Universal Fibers does not manufacture its own polymer resins to use in their products, it becomes necessary to rely on secondary data for processes that make up, by weight, most of the product. Secondary data chosen was the most recent and technologically relevant. If possible, data was also representative of the geographic location where it is sourced, but this had more limitations than the other two criteria. Cut-off Criteria The cut-off criteria established for this study include or exclude materials, energy, and emissions data. For this study, if a flow is less than 1% of the mass of the modeled product it may be excluded, providing its environmental relevance is not a concern. If a flow is less than 1% of the cumulative energy of the model it may be excluded, providing its environmental relevance is not a concern. If these criteria for exclusions are met and the flow is thought to have a significant environmental impact, it will be included. The total excluded flows should not exceed 5% of the overall life cycle. No materials were intentionally excluded from this study; however, there are limitations in knowing exactly what is in every material supplied to Universal Fibers, such as contaminants in recycled materials and proprietary materials in colors. However, these materials that are not accounted for would be well under 1% of the total mass of the fiber. Allocation Procedures Allocation is based on total sales for primary data metrics. Since the weights of fibers produced are consistent, this is similar to mass allocation. The amounts of polymers used, and the percentages from each supplier, use mass based allocation determined by the total pounds received. For recycled materials, the cut-off recycling method is used, where the entire environmental burden is assigned to the first life of the product. Since these materials are considered wastes, there are zero burdens associated with these products. The burden of the reclamation process is assigned to the second life of the product, which is accounted for in the model.

9 Environmental Performance-Related Information Use of Resources Non-Renewable Material Resources [kg] A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Inert rock E Limestone (calcium carbonate) E Natural Aggregate E Sodium chloride (rock salt) E Soil E Others E Total NR Material Resources E Non-Renewable Energy Resources [kg] A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Crude oil (resource) Hard coal (resource) E Lignite (resource) E Natural gas (resource) E Peat (resource) 9.33E E E E-05 Uranium (resource) 2.61E E E E-06 Total NR Energy Resources

10 Renewable Material Resources[kg] A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Air E Carbon dioxide 1.93E E E Nitrogen E E E E-12 Oxygen 8.82E E E E-02 Primary forest E E E E-13 Total Renewable Material Resources E Renewable Energy Resources[MJ] A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Primary energy from geothermics E Primary energy from hydropower E Primary energy from solar energy E Primary energy from waves 1.20E E E E-13 Primary energy from wind power Total Renewable Energy Resources Secondary Resources A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Secondary Material resources used [kg] Secondary Energy resources used [kg] Water Use A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Total amount of water [kg] Direct amount of water used by core process [kg]

11 Potential Environmental Impact CML Apr A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Abiotic Depletion (elements) [kgsb-equiv.] 3.24E E E E-05 Abiotic Depletion (fossil) [MJ] Acidification Potential [kg SO2-Equiv.] Eutrophication Potential [kg Phosphate-Equiv.] Global Warming Potential [kgco2-equiv.] Ozone Layer Depletion Potential [kg R11-Equiv.] 1.20E E E E-10 Photochem Ozone Creation Potential [kg Ethene-Equiv.] TRACI 2.1 A1-A2 A3 A4 Total Acidification [kgso2-equiv.] Eutrophication [kgn-equiv.] Global Warming Air [kgco2-equiv.] Ozone Depletion Air [kg CFC11-Equiv.] 1.27E E E E-10 Resources, Fossil fuels [MJ surplus energy] Smog Air [kg O3-Equiv.]

12 Additional Environmental Information Impact on Health: Nylon 6,6 fiber does not contain any regulated substance under California Proposition 65. Nylon 6,6 fiber is not considered hazardous under the OSHA Hazard communication rule, 29 CFR No toxicological data has been found on nylon 6,6 fiber in a reasonable extensive search of the scientific literature. The Final Use of Product: The final use of the product is carpet fiber in commercial and residential settings. Final use should follow maintenance and care requirements supplied by Universal Fibers. Technical Life Length: The Life Cycle Assessment in which this EPD is created from does not consider the use and end of life phases of the carpet fiber. As such, a Technical Service Life is not declared. However, Universal Fibers does offer a 10-year limited performance warranty on Thrive carpet fiber. Therefore, 10 years is considered the minimal technical life length for this EPD. Maintenance: Routine care and cleaning is an important aspect in maintaining the appearance of carpet. Soiling and staining have a detrimental effect over time on the life of all carpet installations. A comprehensive maintenance program is critical in protecting carpet and in achieving its maximum service life. All maintenance programs should be carefully planned and performed in accordance with the guidelines provided by Universal Fibers. Important aspects of Universal Fibers maintenance guidelines include; 1) High traffic areas should be vacuumed daily. Vacuum cleaners certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval Program should be used. 2) Liquid spills should be blotted with a white absorbent cloth. 3) The use of a portable extractor for spot cleaning is recommended. 4) Do not use bleach on any carpet containing Universal Fibers yarn. Only certified cleaning products endorsed by the Carpet and Rug Institute should be used. Fire Risks: Product has been tested under ASTM E and has been confirmed to meet or exceed Class 1 rating as specified in NFPA Life Safety Code 101 and IBC Classification. Difference Versus Previous Versions of the EPD Thrive EPD V1.

13 References 1. Pensinger, Logan. Life Cycle Assessment of Thrive Summary Report. Universal Fibers, International EPD System. TEXTILE YARN AND THREAD OF NATURAL FIBRES, MAN-MADE FILAMENTS OR STAPLE FIBRES. Rep. Vol All background data was sourced from GaBi databases. GaBi version was used to complete the assessment. 4. ISO 14044: 2006 Environmental Management Life cycle assessment Requirements and Guidelines. 5. ISO 14025:2006 Environmental labels and declarations Type III environmental declarations Principles and Procedures.