PCF calculation methodology
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Product Carbon Footprint
PCF calculation methodology
The Product Carbon Footprint (hereinafter PCF) refers to the sum of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions) that can be attributed to a specific product or service. It thus serves as a benchmark for the climate impact of a product throughout its life cycle. Greenhouse gases (e.g., nitrous oxide, methane) are converted into CO₂ equivalents (kgCO2eq) using the 100-year global warming potential (GWP100) described in the IPCC report.
AKRO-PLASTIC calculates the PCF for all commercially available products and makes these available to its business partners upon request. The methodology of the calculation tool is based on DIN EN ISO 14067:2018, and 1 kg of compound produced was selected as the declared unit (the reference value for the PCF). In terms of the product life stages, the cradle-to-gate boundary was chosen. Since the PCF is only assessed for a portion of the life cycle, it is normatively defined as a partial PCF (pPCF).
The pPCF thus covers all greenhouse gas emissions released up to the point of the ready-to-deliver product (e.g., transport, raw material, or process emissions). Various upstream emissions (e.g., purchased raw materials, transport) are regularly requested and accounted for within the supply chain. Internal process data is recorded annually. For bio-based or biomass-balanced products, the biogenically sequestered greenhouse gas fraction (biogenic carbon uptake) is reported separately in accordance with the standards. The avoided burden approach (DIN EN ISO 14067:2018, Annex D (informative))—i.e., crediting avoided emissions (e.g., from waste incineration) for recycled products—is not applied. Our specialists will be happy to answer any further questions regarding methodology, documentation, etc.
