Episode 3: How to Reduce Your Product’s embodied carbon
Click the links below to listen to the full episode
Embodied carbon is a hot topic in the building product’s community, but it is important for all businesses to consider when manufacturing their products. In this episode, Tad explains what embodied carbon is, how companies can reduce their product’s embodied carbon, and the benefits of embodied carbon reduction.
What is Embodied Carbon?
Embodied carbon captures all of the energy that is used in the manufacturing process for products. This includes the acquisition of raw materials, manufacturing, and transportation used for product distribution. All of the electricity and fuels such as natural gas and oil, that are used throughout the product life cycle stages above are actively contributing to the embodied carbon of the product. Embodied carbon is measured by conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to understand the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the product.
For example, the embodied carbon of a cardboard box comes these steps. The first step is cutting down trees and then transporting the trees to a paper mill for processing. The next step is processing those trees into the craft paper that is eventually formed into a cardboard box. The final step is the distribution of the boxes to companies and consumers. All of the electricity and energy used in these three steps actively contributes to the embodied carbon of the product.
WHAT CAN COMPANIES DO TO REDUCE THE EMBODIED CARBON IN THEIR PRODUCTS?
The first step in reducing embodied carbon is to understand where the embodied carbon in your products comes from by conducting a LCA. Once you understand it, you can look at different opportunities to make changes to your processes. Companies can reduce embodied carbon by:
Sourcing raw materials from a closer location
Integrating recycled content into their products
Reducing the energy used to manufacture their products
Using renewable energy
Reducing materials used in their products
Reducing packaging
Creating product take-back programs or a closed-loop process
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF REDUCING THE EMBODIED CARBON IN YOUR PRODUCTS?
Understanding the embodied carbon in your products and making changes to your processes can result in major benefits for your company. These benefits include:
Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption
Cost savings from optimizing your products and processes
Increased sales and competitive advantage
Demonstrating your commitment to more sustainable products
Stakeholder satisfaction
Communicating your reduction achievements
If more companies evaluate and understand the embodied carbon of their products, there could be a significant reduction in the GHGs emitted throughout the product life cycle. To learn more about this topic, check out this free downloadable PDF we put together: Embodied Carbon Download.
