Sustainability Benchmark WPC and End Cust Requirements

Sustainability Benchmark

Wood Plastics Composite

and

End Consumer Requirements

Summary of Research Study

SKZ – Das Kunststoff-Zentrum

Association for the promotion of the

Southern German Plastics Center

14.11.2012 NTR dagar

Participants


Sustainability Benchmark Wood Plastics Composite Promoted by Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (1) SKZ-KFE gGmbH (2) Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) (3) Georg August Universität Göttingen

Sustainability Benchmarking

Framework of investigation

Different WPC Deckings have been compared with tropical timber (Bilinga) and

VPT-treated pine

Sustainability study by SKZ Plastics centre, Germany from 2010 – 2012

The following phases of the life cycle were included:


WPC - Background

Product

WPC consists of plastics (PP, PE, PVC), wood (saw dust or wood fiber) and

additives (e.g. anti-oxidants, UV protection, biocides, pigments, adhesion promoter)

Wood content varies from 30-75%

Additives make up between 2-20%

Market

Biggest market is the US

Overall big growth rates expected – including Europe

China expected to start producing WPC on big scale in coming years

Applications

Decking (42% of European Production)

Automotive



Home-grown treated pine with

best ecological profile

Effect factors considered during production, usage and disposal:

Global warming potential (GWP)

Acidification potential (AP)

Ozone depletion potential (ODP)

Photochemical ozone creation potential (PODP)

Eutrophication potential (EP) „Enrichement of bodies of fresh water by inorganic plant nutrients“

Cumulated energy consumption (KEA)

0

2

4

6

8

10

Index

Treated

Timber

Decking

=

1

KEA total EP ODP AP POCP GWP

Solid profile WPC

Extruded profile WPC

Tropical timber

Treated pine

Treated Timber is the most ecological alternative in all categories



Global warming potential – treated timber is top

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1

Index

Treated

Timber

Decking

=

1 +233%

+867%

+500%

Solid profile WPC

Extruded profile WPC

Tropical timber

Treated pine

Concerning global warming potential treated timber is the most ecological alternative


Terrace decking end consumer survey –

Background

733 Interviews in 09-12/2010 in Germany

Age distribution of decks in survey:

WPC maximum 5 years old – timber decks much longer in use

33%

18%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

WPC deck Treated

timber deck

67%

13%

36%

33% 15 years+

6-14 years

2-5 years

up to 1 year


WPC decks with significant problems after

less than 5 years

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Decoloration Heating up Swelling Distortion Cracks Splinter Fungi attack

%

WPC deck

Treated timber deck

Observed damages and adverse effects of interviewees


End consumers feel not disturbed by very often observed decoloration of timber

Fungi attack seldom observed but impact is huge

Factors disturbing end consumers most

timber decks

Very often (>50%)

often Rather seldom (<25%)

Very often (>50%)

Decoloration

often Distortion Cracks

Rather Seldom (<25%)

Swelling Splinter Fungi attack

Heating up

End consumers feel most disturbed by

Fre

qu

en

cy o

f d

amag

e o

bse

rved


Manifold problems observed rather frequently with WPC deckings

Fungi attack seen as the most disturbing one (>60% of end consumers)

Factors disturbing end consumers most

WPC decks

Very often (>50%)

often Rather seldom (<25%)

Very often (>50%)

Decoloration Heating up

often Swelling Distortion

Rather Seldom (<25%)

Cracks Splinter Fungi attack

End consumers feel most disturbed by

Fre

qu

en

cy o

f d

amag

e o

bse

rved


Cost-performance ratio for timber

much better than for WPC

Cost/performance ratio

77% of timber deck owners are satisfied with their product

Only 38% of WPC deck owners are satisfied – 16% are unhappy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

very good - good insufficient - poor average - sufficient

%

WPC deck

Treated timber deck


Summary

Home-grown timber is most ecological choice in Sustainability benchmark

conducted by the Association to promote WPC

Manifold problems with WPC decks lead to unsatisfied end consumers

#1 concern of end consumers is fungi attack

WPC needs to be protected against fungi attack

Decoloration of timber is accepted by end consumers

Decoloration and heating up are seen more critical with WPC due to

Marketing promises

Swelling and distortion observed with WPC decks could have an impact

on the life cycle of those products and might lead to claims


Evidence of decay in WPC*

Decay dedected due to high water absorbtion of WPC leading to

warpage/swelling

After 5 years

*WPA discussion group, August 2012 14.11.2012 NTR dagar

…leading to fungi attack of WPC*

*WPA discussion group, August 2012 14.11.2012 NTR dagar

BACKUP


Matryoshka principle: each step “nests” the previous one

Eco-Efficiency Analysis

... including all life cycle costs

… comparison of products or processes

… ecological and economic aspects have equal weight in the assessment

… normalized results

... method validated by TÜV and NSF

Life Cycle Assessment

... evaluation of environmental impacts

… absolute results

Life Cycle Inventory

... quantification of inputs and outputs

SEEBALANCE

... including social aspects

ISO

14

04

0 &

14

04

4

Sustainability Assessment Methods Eco-Efficiency Analysis used according to

ISO 14040 & 14044


Documents

Sustainability Benchmark WPC and End Cust Requirements