The primary objectives of the LCA are to understand the environmental impacts of the bio-based LER product and to compare it to the industry average petrochemical-based LER product. Based on the results and study assumptions, methods, and data the majority of the cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of the bio-based LER product come from the epoxy backbone, which is driven by BPA.
Compared to the industry average petrochemical-based LER product, the bio-based LER product has 11% – 16% fewer environmental impacts in all impact categories. Recommendations from this study include investigating ways to reduce energy usage during manufacturing, along with increasing the use of renewable energy.
Key findings & Observations
- Compared to the industry average petrochemical-based LER product, the bio-based LER product has 11% – 16% fewer environmental impacts in all impact categories, driven by epichlorohydrin.
- The Majority of the cradle-to-gate impacts of both the bio-based and industry-average petrochemical LER products come from the epoxy backbone, which is driven by BPA.
Recommendations & Next steps
- Investigate ways to reduce energy usage during manufacturing, along with increasing the use of renewable energy.
- Obtain and create primary data for the epoxy backbone and its constituents, including BPA, as well as a reactive diluent, as data from suppliers becomes available.
View full LCA report from Long Trail Sustainability > Life Cycle Assessment Report
*Long Tail Sustainability is a third-party product stewardship practitioner used to create LCA models for our products that are based on international standards.