ediptex environment impact

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EDIPTEX Environmental

assessment of textiles

Sren Ellebk Laursen and John Hansen

Danish Technological Institute, Textile

Hans Henrik Knudsen and Henrik Wenzel

IPU, Technical University of Denmark

Henrik Fred Larsen

DHI - Water Environment

Frans Mller KristensenDTC Danish Toxicology Centre

Wor king Repor t No. 242007


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T he Danish Environmental Protection Agency will, when opportunity

offers, publish reports and contributions relating to environmental

research and development projects financed via the Danish EPA.

Please note that publication does not signify that the contents of the

reports necessarily reflect the views of the Danish EPA.

The reports are, however, published because the Danish EPA finds that

the studies represent a valuable contribution to the debate on

environmental policy in Denmark.


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Contents

FOREWORD 5

SUMMARY AND CONCL USIONS 7

L IFECYCLE ASSESSMENT OF SIX TEXT ILE PRODUCTS 7 T EXT ILE UNIT PROCESSES 7 EQUIVALENCY FACTORS 8

SAMM ENFATNING OG KONKLUSIONER 11

L IVSCYK LUSVURDERINGER AF SEKS T EKSTILPRODUKTER 11 T EKSTIL ENHEDSPROCESSER 11 EFFEKTFAKTORER 12

1

INTRODUCTION 15

1.1

BACKGROUND FOR THE PROJECT 151.2 OBJECT IVE OF THE PROJECT 16

1.3 PROJECT ORGANISATION 16 1.4. REPORT COM POSIT ION 16

2

CHOICE OF PRODUCT S FOR EDIPTEX 17

2.1 CRITERIA FOR SELECT ION OF EDIPTEX PRODUCTS 18 2.2 AN EDIPTEX SISTER PROJECT ON WOOLLEN FURNIT URE FABRICS 19 2.3 BILL S OF MATERIALS FOR THE PRODUCTS 19 2.4 T EXT ILE ENT ERPRISES IN EDIPTEX 19

3 UNIT PROCESSES - THE BUIL DING BLOCKS OF THE PRODUCT

SYST EM 21

3.1 BRIEF DESCRIPT ION OF THE EDIP ASSESSMENT MET HOD 22

4 ST RATEGY FOR COLL ECT ION OF DAT A 25

5 ST RUCT URE OF T HE EDIPTEX DAT ABASE 27

6 T HE EDIPT EX CASE ST ORIES 29

6.1 T HE T -SHIRT ,THE JOGGING SUIT AND THE WORK JACKET - CASEGROUP I 29

6.1.1 Case for T -shir t 296.1.2 Case for jogging sui t 30

6.1.3 Case for work jacket 316.2 T HE BLOUSE,THE TABLECLOT H AND THE FLOOR COVERING - CASEGROUP II 31

6.2.1 Case for blouse 316.2.2 Case for tablecloth 316.2.3 Case for floor covering 32

7 L IT ERATURE 33

ED IPT EX publications 33ED IP publi cati ons and tools as well as the ISO 14040 series 34

ANNEX 1: A T -SHIRT OF 100 % COT T ON 37

T HE T -SHIRT - SUMM ARY AND CONCLUSIONS 37 INTRODUCTION 37


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METHOD 38 Comments to the method 39Data 40

T HE T -SHIRT 40 Functional unit 40Reference product and main scenar io 41Product system 41M ain scenario - resul ts 45Source identi ficati on 48What-i f simulations 54Consequences of choices by the producer 55Consequences of choices by the consumer 69Optimi sed use phase scenar ios 77

BACKGROUND DATA 81 System structure in the ED IPT EX database for the T -shirt 81Detai ls of the T -shirt model in the ED IPT EX database 81

ANNEX 2: JOGGING SUIT OF NYLON AND COTT ON 85

T HE JOGGING SUIT - SUMM ARY AND CONCL USIONS 85 INTRODUCTION 86 METHOD 86

Comments to the method 88Data 88

T HE JOGGING SUIT 88 Functional unit 88Reference product and main scenar io 89Product system 90M ain scenario - resul ts 93Source identi ficati on 97What-i f simulations 103

Consequences of choices by the producer 103Consequences of choices by the consumer 118

BACKGROUND DATA 125 System structure in the ED IPT EX database for the jogging sui t 125Detai ls of the jogging sui t model in the ED IPT EX database 125

ANNEX 3: WORK JACKET OF POLYEST ER/COT T ON 129

WORK JACKET SUMM ARY AND CONCL USIONS 129 INTRODUCTION 129 METHOD 130


T HE WORK JACK ET 132 Functional unit 132Reference product and main scenar io 133Product system 134M ain scenari o - result s 138What-i f simulations 141Consequences of choices by the producer 141Consequences of choices by the consumer 148

BACKGROUND DATA 153 System structure in the ED IPT EX database for the work jacket 153Detai ls of the work jacket model in the ED IPT EX database 154Extra components 156


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ANN EX 4: BLOUSE MADE OF VISCOSE, NY LON AND ELAST ANE159

T HE BLOUSE - SUMM ARY AND CONCL USIONS 159 INTRODUCTION 160 METHOD 160


T HE BLOUSE 163 Functional unit 163Reference product and main scenar io 163Product system 165M ain scenari o - result s 167What- if discussion 169

BACKGROUND DATA 171 System structure in the ED IPT EX database for the blouse 171Detai ls of the blouse model in the ED IPT EX database 171

ANNEX 5: T ABLECL OTH - COTT ON AND DIRT -REPELL ING 175

T HE TABLECLOT H - SUMM ARY AND CONCL USIONS 175 INTRODUCTION 176 METHOD 176


T ABLECLOTH 179 Functional unit 179Reference product and main scenar io 179Product system 181M ain scenari o - result s 183Whatif diskussion 185

BACKGROUND DATA 188

System structure in the ED IPT EX database for the tablecloth 188Detai ls of the tablecloth model in the ED IPT EX database 188

ANNEX 6: FLOOR COVERING OF NYL ON AND POLYPROPYLENE193

T HE FLOOR COVERING SUMM ARY AND CONCL USIONS 193 INTRODUCTION 193 METHOD 194


T HE FLOOR COVERING 196 Functional unit 196Reference product and main scenar io 197

Product system 198M ain scenari o - result s 200What- if discussion 202

BACKGROUND DATA 203 System structure in the ED IPT EX database for the floor covering 203Detai ls of the floor coveri ng model in the ED IPT EX database 203

ANNEX 7: MANAGEMENT OF CHEMICALS IN UM IPTEX 207

GENERAL INFORMAT ION ON MANAGEMENT OF CHEMICAL S INLIFECYCLE ASSESSMENT 207

Assessment of chemi cals in matrix li fecycle assessment 208Pr inciples of the assessment 208Occur rence on lists 209Danger classificati on 210


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Procedure 211ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES IN T HE EDIP MODEL 211

M ethod 212Normali sation 214Weighting 214

PESTICIDES 215 L IST OF REFERENCES FOR CALCULAT ION OF EQUIVALENCY FACT ORS 215

ANNEX 8: DAT A FOR COTT ON CUL T IVATION AND HARVEST 217

CROP YIELD 217 CONSUMPT ION OF FERTIL IZER 217 CONSUMPT ION OF OT HER CHEMICAL S 217 ENERGY CONSUMPTION 218 WATER CONSUMPT ION 219 ALLOCATION 220 WASTE VOLUMES 220 CHEMICAL RESIDUES ON COTT ON FIBRES 220 L IST OF REFERENCES FOR DATA FOR CULT IVAT ION AND HARVEST OF

COTTON 221 ANN EX 9: DAT A FOR SPINN ING 223

ENERGY CONSUMPTION 223 Company data for spinning processes 224

L IST OF REFERENCES FOR SPINN ING 224

ANN EX 10: DAT A FOR BUT T ONS AND ZIPPERS 225

BUTTONS 225 ZIPPERS 225

ANNEX 11: GL OSSARY 227


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Foreword

T he report is the result of the project T extilenhedsprocesdatabase somgrundlag for miljvurdering af tekstilprodukter UMIPT EX (textile unitprocess database - a basis for environmental assessment of textile products -EDIPTEX).

T he project is funded by the Council for Recycling and Cleaner T echnologyand has been carried out by the Danish T echnological Institute (T extile) inclose cooperation with IPU (institute for product development), the Institutefor the Water Environment (now DHI Water & Environment), the Federationof Danish Textile & Clothing (a sector organisation) and a number ofenterprises.

T ranslation from Danish to English is co-financed together with UnitedK ingdom, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)".

Special thanks go to the enterprises mentioned below as they have beendirectly involved in collecting data and have contributed with valuable dataabout chemicals used, energy consumption and waste. Without theircontributions and commitment, it would not have been possible to carry outthe EDIPT EX project.

egetpper a/sJ. Mrup Stof ApSKemotextil A/SSunds Velour A/SA/S S. T hygesenNordisk Tekstil Produktion A/SKansas Wenaas A/SSdahl Design A/S

T he project should be regarded as a development project within the DanishEPA's framework programme on development and implementation of cleanertechnology in the textile and clothing industry and was carried out 1998-2002.

A steering group with the following members was involved in the project:

Anette Christiansen Danish Environmental Protection AgencyUlla Ringbk Danish Environmental Protection AgencyAage K . Feddersen Federation of Danish T extile & ClothingDennis Pedersen General Workers' Union in Denmark,EnvironmentDorte Harning Danish Working Environment AuthorityAnne Mette Zacahariassen Knowledge Centre for Smart T extilesSren Ellebk Laursen Danish T echnological Institute, T extileJohn Hansen Danish T echnological Institute, T extileHans Henrik Knudsen Institute for Product Development (IPU)Henrik Wenzel Institute for Product Development (IPU)

Henrik Fred Larsen DHI Water & Environment, now IPU


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T his project is a follow-up on the pre-project T extilenhedsprocesdatabase som grundlag for miljvurdering og miljforbedring af tekstilprodukter(textile unit process database - a basis for environmental assessment andimprovement of textile products). During the pre-project, proposals weremade for a process structure for a database of significant processes in thelifecycle of selected textile products in the EDIP unit process database.


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Summary and conclusions

T he EDIPT EX project has three main deliverables. T hese are1. Modelling of the lifecycle of six textile products and calculation of the

connected environmental impact2. Obtaining almost 500 textile unit processes following the EDIP unit

process data format3. Calculation of equivalency factors for a number of chemicals

For each of the deliverables extensive documentation material exists, which ispublished in this report.

Lif ecycl e assessment of six t ext il e pr oduct s

In the EDIPT EX project, a number of lifecycle assessments (environmentalassessments) were carried out on textile products. But an extensive anddetailed lifecycle assessment case is not particularly information friendly - onlyto other lifecycle assessment experts and consultants.

T he Programme for Cleaner Products etc. has therefore supported adissemination project "Information on EDIPT EX". In this disseminationproject the six EDIPT EX environmental assessments were transformed intosix leaflets which, on only four pages each and in a professional layout, outlinethe environmental profile of the six products.

T he six environmental assessments include:

A T -shirt of 100% cotton /1/ A jogging suit of nylon microfibres with a cotton lining /2/ A work jacket of 65 per cent polyester and 35 per cent cotton /3/ A blouse of viscose, nylon and elastane /4/ A tablecloth of cotton /5/ A floor covering of nylon and polypropylene /6/

T he present report informs in detail about methods and principles used in theenvironmental assessments of the six selected EDIPT EX textile products.

Text il e un it pr ocesses

T he major part of the lifecycle is common for many textile products, e.g.energy production, production of raw materials (e.g. cultivation andharvesting cotton), certain production processes (such as dyeing polyester),washing and ironing in the use phase and incineration during disposal. Suchbasic data have been established during the EDIPT EX project.

T he EDIPT EX project has been based upon the nationally and internationallyrecognised environmental assessment method EDIP - "Environmental Designof Industrial Products".


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T he project has obtained environmental data for several hundred processes"from cradle to grave" in the lifecycle of textiles.

EDIPT EX environmental data and a PC tool provide the possibility forcombining the lifecycle of a textile product from cradle to grave, process byprocess, on the computer screen through a modelling, and letting thecomputers calculate the equivalency impacts.

EDIPT EX environmental data and the environmental assessments, which canbe modelled on the basis of these data, thus represent a unique tool inconnection with e.g. preparing and documenting lifecycle assessments andenvironmental declarations for goods.

In connection with the project "Information on EDIPT EX" a leaflet has beenprepared "EDIP environmental data for textiles - a survey" /7/, which gives anoverview of the environmental data, so that others can use the data duringenvironmental assessment of textiles.

All data are now also available in the PC tool GaBi EDIP - the successor ofthe EDIP PC tool.

Equival ency f actor s

For a number of commonly occurring emissions (discharges) and foremissions which have been assessed in previous projects within EDIP,equivalency factors had already been established.

But for a number emissions, no equivalency factors had been calculated. I fthese emissions were to be included in the calculations of the contribution of aproduct on the impact categories regarding toxicity, equivalency factors for

the substances would have to be calculated, and they would have to beincluded in the PC tool.

In the EDIPT EX case scenarios, equivalency factors for ecotoxicity andhuman toxicity for approx. 50 textile specific chemicals are used. Within theEDIPT EX project, equivalency factors for ecotoxicity and human toxicityhave been calculated for approx. 35 different substances, which are part of thevery often composite chemicals. Further, approx. 20 substances are assessedas unproblematic regarding ecotoxicity and human toxicity in discharges viawastewater treatment plants.

Fate factors for the technosphere for the substances have also been calculated,

i.e. spraying with pesticides on farmland and discharge to wastewatertreatment plant.

Fate factors for pesticides have been calculated, i.e. distribution factorsregarding where the substances end up after spraying.

Similarly non-pesticides fate factors have been calculated for discharge towastewater treatment plant, i.e. whether the substances end up in sludge,water or air after wastewater treatment.

Using fate factors for the technosphere, takes into account that wastewater

discharges from Danish textile factories are treated in wastewater treatmentplants prior to discharge to the environment. For example, readilybiodegradable substances will by and large disappear in the wastewater


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treatment plant and as such will not directly have an impact on theenvironment.

T he EDIP database included equivalency factors on human toxicity forapprox. 100 substances and on ecotoxicity for approx. 70 substances. This isan important increase in equivalency factors.

All equivalency factors are now also available in the PC tool GaBi EDIP - thesuccessor of the EDIP PC tool.


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Sammenfatning og konklusioner

UMIPT EX-projektet har tre hovedleverancer. De er1. Modellering af livsforlbet for seks tekstilprodukter og beregning af

miljbelastningerne forbundet hermed2. T ilvejebringelse af knapt 500 tekstilenhedsprocesser som flger UMIP-

enhedsproces dataformatet3. Udregning af effektfaktorer p en lang rkke kemikalier

For hver af leverancerne foreligger et omfattende dokumentationsmateriale,som er afrapporteret i nrvrende rapport.

Livscykl usvurder in ger af seks t ekst il pr odukt er

Der er i UMIPT EX udfrt en rkke LCA'er (miljvurderinger) ptekstilprodukter. Men en omfattende og detaljeret LCA-case er ikke srligformidlingsvenlig kun til andre LCA-eksperter og -konsulenter.

Program for renere produkter m.v. har derfor givet sttte til etformidlingsprojekt Formidling af UMIPT EX. I forbindelse med detteformidlingsprojekt er de seks UMIPT EX miljvurderinger omarbejdet til sekspjecer, som hver p kun fire A4-sider og i professionelt lay-out, fortllermiljhistorierne om de seks tekstilprodukter.

De seks miljvurderinger omfatter:

En T -shirt af 100% bomuld /1/ En trningsdragt af nylon mikrofibre med bomuldsfor /2/ En arbejdsjakke af 65% polyester og 35% bomuld /3/ En bluse af viskose, nylon og elasthan /4/ En dug af bomuld /5/ Et gulvtppe af nylon og polypropylen /6/

I nrvrende rapport er redegjort i detaljer for metoder og principperanvendt i miljvurderingerne af de 6 udvalgte UMIPT EX tekstil produkter.

Tekst il enhedspr ocesser

Strstedelen af livsforlbet for tekstilprodukter er flles for mangeprodukttyper, f.eks. energifremstilling, rvarefremstilling (f.eks. dyrkning oghst af bomuld), visse produktionsprocesser (som farvning af polyester),vask- og strygning i brugsfasen og forbrnding under bortskaffelsen. Det er etsdant et datagrundlag, der er blevet etableret i UMIPT EX-projektet.

UMIPT EX -projektet har vret baseret p den bde nationalt oginternationalt anerkendte miljvurderingsmetode UMIP - Udvikling afMiljvenlige Industri Produkter.


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Projektet har tilvejebragt miljdata for flere hundrede processer fra vugge tilgrav i tekstilers livscyklus.

UMIPT EX miljdata, og et tilhrende PC-vrktj, giver mulighed for atsammenstte et tekstilprodukts livscyklus fra vugge til grav, proces for proces,p computerskrmen, ved en skaldt modellering, og lade computerne regnep miljeffekterne.

UMIPT EX miljdata og de miljvurderinger, der kan modelleres ud fra disse,udgr sledes et enestende vrktj i forbindelse med f.eks. udarbejdelse ogdokumentation af livscyklusanalyser og miljvaredeklarationer.

I forbindelse med projektet Formidling af UMIPT EX er der ogsudarbejdet en folder UMIP miljdata for tekstiler et overblik /7/ der giveret overblik over miljdataene, s andre har mulighed for at tage afst i dataeneved miljvurdering af tekstiler.

Alle data er nu ogs tilgngelige i PC-vrktjet GaBi-UMIP - aflseren for

UMIP-PC-vrktjet.Ef f ektf akto r er

For en rkke af normalt forekommende emissioner (udledninger) samt foremissioner, som er blevet vurderet i forbindelse med tidligere projekter iUMIP-regi var der allerede effektfaktorer.

Men for en lang rkke af emissioner var der imidlertid ikke beregneteffektfaktorer. Hvis disse emissioner skulle kunne indg i beregningerne af etprodukts bidrag til effektkategorierne vedrrende giftvirkninger, skulle derberegnes effektfaktorer for stofferne, og disse skulle indtastes i PC-vrktjet.

I UMIPT EX case scenarierne anvendes ialt effekfaktorer for ko- oghumantox for ca. 50 tekstilspecifikke kemikalier. I UMIPT EX-projektet er derderfor beregnet effektfaktorer for ko- og humantoksicitet for ca. 35forskellige stoffer, der indgr i de ofte sammensatte kemikalier. Endvidere erca. 20 stoffer vurderet at vre uproblematiske hvad angr ko- og humantoxved afledning via renseanlg.

For stofferne er der desuden beregnet skbnefaktorer for teknosfren,dvs. sprjtning med pesticider p landbrugsjord og afledning tilrenseanlg.

For pesticiderne er beregnet skbnefaktorer, dvs. fordelingsfaktorer phvor stofferne ender efter sprjtning.

P samme mde er der for ikke-pesticider beregnet skbnefaktorerved afledning til renseanlg, dvs. om stofferne ender i slam, vand ellerluft efter behandlingen i renseanlgget.

Ved at anvende skbnefaktorer for teknosfren tages der f.eks. hjde for, atspildevandsudledninger fra danske tekstilvirksomheder behandles irenseanlg inden udledning til miljet. F.eks. vil let nedbrydeligestoffer stort set forsvinde i renseanlgget og hermed ikke direkte

belaste miljet.UMIP-databasen indeholdt effektfaktorer p humantoksicitet for ca. 100


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stoffer og for kotoksicitet ca. 70 stoffer. Der er sledes tale om en vsentligforgelse af effektfaktorer.

Alle effektfaktorer er nu ogs tilgngelige i PC-vrktjet GaBi-UMIP -aflseren for UMIP-PC-vrktjet.


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1Introduction

In their daily work, enterprises meet environment requirements at manylevels. T his could be in connection with preparation and documentation ofenvironmental approvals; purchasers' and end-users' demand forenvironmental documentation; certification in accordance with environmentalmanagement standards; or documentation for approved ecolabels.

T he message in both the Danish EPA's report on product-orientedenvironmental efforts (Danish EPA, 1998) and "Industri og milj" (industryand environment, published by the Confederation of Danish Industries, 1997)is that there is a need to be able to environmentally assess the products using arecognised assessment method and a data basis that makes suchenvironmental assessment possible.

T he EDIP method is a nationally as well as internationally recognisedassessment method, developed under the five-year programme EnvironmentalDesign of Industrial Products. A PC calculation tool and a database supportthe methodological basis. T he EDIP database contains approx. 250 unitprocesses that form the data basis for modelling a product's lifecycle and theassociated environmental impacts during the entire lifecycle from cradle tograve. Unfortunately, the EDIP database did not initially contain dataspecifically about textile production processes.

An EDIP database supplemented by data for significant parts of the lifecycleof textile products will be of great value for enterprises wishing to use theenvironment actively in dialogue with their customers, suppliers and otherimportant stakeholders.

However, as a basic requirement for the environmental information givenabout a product is that the information be objective, well-documented and liveup to the international consensus about lifecycle assessment i.e. cradle tograve considerations it takes a long time to establish such a database.

T he main part of the lifecycle is common for many textile products, e.g.energy generation, transport processes, production of raw materials, certainproduction processes, washing and ironing in the use phase and incineration

during disposal.T herefore, sector-specific environment data in the EDIP database may helpthe enterprise.

Such basic data have been established during the EDIPT EX project.

All data are now also available in the PC tool GaBi-EDIP the successor ofthe EDIP PC tool.

1.1 Backgr ound f or t he pr oject

At sector seminars in 1996 and 1997, enterprises in the textile sector

expressed great interest in being able to apply the EDIP method in theirenvironmental work. However, at that time the EDIP method's calculation


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tool and the associated unit process database did not contain data forprocesses in the lifecycle of textile products.

1.2 Object ive of t he pr oject

T he overall objective of the project was to collect data for significant processesduring the lifecycle of textiles. The project also had to demonstrate the

usefulness of the EDIP method when preparing lifecycle assessments for sixselected textile products.

1.3 Pr oject or ganisat ion

T he project group members were: Sren Ellebk Laursen and John Hansen,Danish Technological Institute (T extile); Hans Henrik K nudsen, Institute forProduct Development (IPU) at the T echnical University of Denmark; andHenrik Fred Larsen, DHI Water & Environment (now at the Institute forProduct Development).

Moreover, the following people participated in the project: Henrik Wenzel,Marianne Wessns, Stig Irving Olsen, Rasmus Friche and Lene Gottrup, allfrom the Institute for Product Development; and Frans Mller Christensen,Danish Toxicology Centre. During the reporting phase, Christine Molin fromthe Institute for Product Development participated in the work on preparingand editing the report. Niels Frees, Institute for Product Developmentcontributed with quality assurance of the chapters that specifically deal withunit processes.

T he steering group and, in particular, the EDIPT EX enterprises haveparticipated significantly in the creation of the project results.

1.4. Repor t composit ion

Chapters 1-5 of the report deal with data collection and preparation of unitprocesses, supplemented by background papers in the annexes onmanagement of chemicals in EDIPT EX (including calculation of equivalencyfactors) and data on cotton cultivation, spinning and buttons/zippers.Background knowledge about other materials and processes in connectionwith textile production was already available at the participating institutions,and it has been reported and described in a number of projects carried out forthe Danish EPA over the years.

Chapter 6 introduces the data basis for the six environmental assessments.

T he six textile case stories are in annexes and can be read separately.


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2Choice of products for EDIPTEX

In order to establish a representative and useful number of textile unitprocesses, six products were selected and followed through their entirelifecycle.

As can be seen in the process tree in figure 2.1, the production phase fromyarn spinning to making-up is a very complex phase in the lifecycle of textiles.In this process, all end products will go through several unit processes. Oneexample is that both fibres and fabric are dyed, and so are made-up garments.T he production phase is also the phase where the Danish textiles sector isactive, and the database must therefore be very differentiated and detailed forthis phase.

Figur e 2.1 Basic pr ocess tr ee f or many t ypes of t exti l e pr oduct

For each EDIPT EX product, bills of materials have been prepared, listing thesub-products used, and a process tree from cradle to grave has been made for

each EDIPT EX product. T he six EDIPT EX products form the mainstay ofthe database and can form the basis for further work by the part of the textilessector that sells finished goods to retailers.

Tabl e 2.1 Over view of EDIPTEX pr oduct s

No. EDIPTEX product1 A T-shirt of 100 % cotton2 A jogging suit of nylon microfibres with cotton lining3 A work jacket of 65 per cent polyester and 35 per cent cotton4 A blouse of viscose, nylon and elastane5 A tablecloth of cotton6 A floor covering of nylon and polypropylene


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For each sub-product in the six EDIPT EX products, bills of materials andprocess trees have also been made - and these form the basis for the actualdata collection and for the further work at the individual enterprisesproducing the sub-products (or carrying out part of the production, such as aknitting mills, dye houses, etc.).

Details of the individual EDIPT EX products can be found in the six case

stories in annexes 1-6.

2.1 Cr it er ia f or sel ect ion o f EDIPTEX pr oduct s

As the majority of Danish retail trade within textiles involves imported goodsand the majority of the Danish textile production is exported, it has not been acriterion for all sub-products of an EDIPT EX product to be produced inDenmark. T he Danish textiles sector has the production facilities as well asthe expertise to produce all sub-products. Therefore, in situations where sub-products of an EDIPT EX product are not currently being produced inDenmark, we have applied production and emission data from existing

Danish production facilities that could have produced similar sub-products.T he overall criteria for selecting the six EDIPT EX products that constitutethe mainstay of the EDIPT EX database were:

T ogether, the products must represent relevant types of fibre in Danishtextile production.

T he lifecycles of the products must include environmentally importantrefining processes in Danish textile production.

T he products must be significant for Danish textile processing enterprises

- and the enterprises showing interest in the project and participating inthe data collection will have great influence on the choice of products.

It must be possible to illustrate the usefulness of the database through anumber of relevant and up-to-date cleaner technology-scenarios - e.g. organicversus conventional cotton and dry cleaning versus washing.

T he following literature references were also included in the selection of theEDIPT EX products:

Statistics Denmark's commodity statistics for the textile industry in 1997.

Unfortunately, the statistics are not very detailed as regards fibre types.T he category "Blouses (including shirts), knitwear; of synthetic fibres formen/boys" is a typical example. T he categories are often very general; forexample, there is only one overall category for clothes for infants("Garments and accessories").

"Profil af den danske tjindustri" (publication from the Federation ofDanish Textile and Clothing about the Danish clothing industry,November 1992) contains a statement of significant product categories. Italso uses overall product names such as "children's clothing" and "dresses".

T he updated product and enterprise archive of the Federation of Danish

T extile and Clothing (www.textile.dk). T his archive is based on themember enterprises' own information about their business area (fibre


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types, products/semi-finished goods), but it contains no figures foramounts or revenue.

T he steering group of the project has evaluated the selection of products, andthe selection was presented at an information meeting for the textiles sectorarranged by the Federation of Danish T extile and Clothing in Herning.

Comments from the steering group and the enterprises led to the selection ofthe six EDIPT EX products described in table 2.1.

AcrylicT he enterprises show very little interest in products made of acrylic, which isdescribed as a marginal product on the way out. Therefore, the EDIPT EXproject did not include products containing acrylic. However, the most recentavailable data for production of acrylic fibres were entered in the database sothat others who do wish to work with acrylic products have the possibility ofbenefiting from the data.

2.2 An EDIPTEX sister pr oject on wool l en f ur ni t ur e f abr ics

Only producers of floor coverings, rugs and blankets state an interest in wool.No producers of garments made of wool or blends thereof have showed aninterest in participating in the project, and several important links in theproduction chain for wool for garments are missing in the Danish group ofenterprises.

However, a large part of the lifecycle of wool products is covered by theproject "Livscyklus i salg, design og produktudvikling" (lifecycle in sales,design and product development only available in Danish) carried out bythe textiles enterprise Gabriel A/S in cooperation with COWI and Dansk

Kvalitetsrdgivning.

T he project dealt with woollen furniture fabrics and it was based on the EDIPmethod.

On the basis of this, wool products have not been included in this project.

2.3 Bil l s of mat er ial s f or t he pr oduct s

On the basis of the product choices, "bills of materials" were prepared. A billof materials lists the intermediate products and processes of which the endproduct is composed during production, use and disposal. T he bills of

materials together gave an overview of the intermediate products andprocesses for which unit processes in the EDIPT EX database needed to beestablished.

T he bills of materials were reviewed in cooperation with relevant enterprisesso that each intermediate product was related to up-to-date and currentprocesses. Each enterprise was allocated one or more reference products forwhich data was collected in cooperation with the project participants.

2.4 Text i l e ent er pr ises in EDIPTEX

T he enterprises that participated in EDIPT EX are listed in table 2.2.


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T he enterprises contributed in various ways. Some contributed withcomments on product models and processes - others were directly involved incollection of data and contributed with valuable data on e.g. chemicals beingused, energy consumption and waste.

Tabel 2.2 Over view of EDIPTEX ent er pr ises.

EDIPTEX enterprises Enterprise type/products

Windfeld Hansens Bomuldsspinderi Spinning mill / yarn dye house (various yarns, including organic)Trevira Neckelmann Yarn dye house (polyester yarns, particularly for textiles for vehicles)Sunds Velour Knitting mill/ dye house (knitted fabrics for garments, velour)S. Thygesen Knitting mill (knitted fabrics for clothing)J.Mrup Stof Knitting mill (fabrics for clothing, velour, including organic textiles)Sunesens Tekstilfordling Dye house

Nordisk Textilfordling Nortex

Dye houseKemotextil Dye houseNordisk Tekstil Produktion Making-up/ dye house/textile printing house (furnishing fabrics, especially bed

linen, woven fabrics, including organic products)Sdahl Design Making-up/ textile print ing house/dressmaking factory (many products, primarily

furnishing fabrics, including organic textiles)Egetpper Producer of floor coverings and rugs, including dye houseDan Floor Producer of floor coverings and rugs (incl. dye house, Foamtex)Gren Dampvveri Weaving and dyeing of woven articles in cont inuous dyeing rangeKay Borchk A/ S Making-up of work clothesNovotex Producer of various garmentsTytex Producer of medical and technical textile products (cutting, special knitting,

finishing)


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3 Unit processes - the buildingblocks of the product system

T he environmental impacts of a product occur in the processes that make upthe lifecycle. The entire lifecycle of the product is also called the productsystem. T he phases of the lifecycle: materials, production, transport, use anddisposal each consist of a number of processes that could also be called thebuilding blocks of the product system.

Figur e 3.1. The pr oduct syst em and it s buil din g bl ocks (pr ocesses) f or t r ansl at ion ofDanish t er ms see gl ossary in ann ex 11

When the building block is quantified, it is called a unit process. T his meansthat data is processed and related to a specific volume of the product from theprocess in question. T his makes the data scalable and thus generallyapplicable in various contexts of environmental assessment.

Figu r e 3.2 buil din g block is r el at ed t o a specif ic vol ume and is design at ed "un it

pr ocess" f or t r ansl at io n of Dani sh t er ms see gl ossar y in ann ex 11


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3.1 Br ief descr ipt io n of t he EDIP assessment met hod

A specific procedure is followed when a product is environmentally assessed.Internationally1, it has been agreed that an environmental assessment mustfollow the steps briefly described below.

Objective

In this step, the purpose of the environmental assessment is described, as wellas the recipient(s) and the decisions it is intended to support.

DelimitationIn this step, the product to be assessed is described, the product'sperformance is stated, and it the amount included in the assessment isdefined. In order to ensure that the same performance is assessed every time,the performance is defined in relation to the volume and quality of theperformance. T his is called

the functional unit.

Crucial for the results of theenvironmental assessment is that the functional unit is defined correctly andprecisely. T his step also includes parameters like time, geography and

technology. For example, it should be determined whether modern or olderproduction methods are used, where the product is sold, etc.

StatementIn this step, data from all the processes of the product's lifecycle are collectedand processed, i.e. from cradle to grave. T hese data will be used to calculateconsumption and discharges from all processes of the product's lifecycle. T heEDIP method applies a bill of materials as the structure for the product, andmaterials content and production processes are specified in detail.

Data is processed and stored for theunit processes

. T he data format in theEDIP database for unit processes contains three categories of information:

description of the process statement of the interchange with the environment (input and output),

and a description of the data information.

T he EDIP unit process database contains a possibility for correcting orestablishing new data descriptions when necessary. Collecting and processingdata can be a very time-consuming task.

T he assessmentWhen the statement is complete, it must be assessed. T he first step of theassessment is a translation of data to the environmental impacts expectedfrom the individual discharges and emissions. This translation is calledcharacterisation

, andenvironmental impact potentials

are worked out.

Environmental impacts, resource consumption and impacts on occupationalhealth and safety are assessed in the EDIP method. What is the resourceconsumption? How big are the environmental impacts? In order to be able tointerpret resource consumption and expected environmental impacts, it isnecessary to bring them on to a common scale and use the same comparisonreference. T his is called normalisation.

1ISO 14040 series


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During normalisation, the size of the expected environmental impacts andresource consumption are expressed in a unit it is easy to relate to; i.e.fractions of the annual impact from an average person. It is expressed in theunit

person-equivalents

(PE), e.g. for an average person's impact in Denmarkin 1990 and is written PE

DK90, and for the world PE

W90.

T he EDIP PC tool supports this procedure, and the results can be shown as

easy-to-read diagrams. Subsequently, uncertainty and sensitivity analyses ofthe results of the assessment are carried out.

T he assessment also allows for interpretation of the results of thenormalisation, i.e. for making mutual comparisons. T his is called

weighting

.How serious are the expected environmental impacts or the demand onresources, and what is worse; contributions to the greenhouse effect or toacidification? Which impact types are global and which are regional, and whatis important?

T he mutual degree of importance of the environmental impacts is shown in a

set of weighting factors that reflect the possible consequences of theenvironmental impacts in relation to each other. T he weighting can be basedon purely environmental parameters as critical threshold values and on moreattitudinal parameters like politically set reduction goals for emissions, such asCO2 emissions.

T he EDIP method is based on the existing goals for reduction of varioustypes of environmental impacts expressed as the unit PE

MWDK2000. T his stands

for person-equivalent for target or accepted emissions in 2000 globally,regionally as well as locally.

T he weighting procedure is also carried out in the EDIP PC tool, and the

results are illustrated in easy-to-read diagrams, just as for normalisation.

InterpretationFurther interpretation also includes an assessment of whether the resultsadequately meet the objective of the environmental assessment.


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4 Strategy for collection of data

T he enterprises were asked to enter the relevant data for each process orproduction system in an Excel spreadsheet. Moreover, the enterprises wereasked to state any inadequacies in the data and briefly describe the reason, aswell as the assumptions applied for data collection and calculations.

T he data collection was carried out in accordance with a checklist form in thefollowing structure:

1. General information

2. Input

3.

Output

1. General information includes process description:

- Where does the process begin and end?- Which technology is used?- Name and volume of reference product- Validity period for data.

2. Input includes:

- Raw materials, components and auxiliary materials

- T ransport- Energy consumption.

3. Output includes:

- Coproducts (any material leaving the process with the reference product,and for which there is a positive financial value for the enterprise(opposite of waste))

- Emissions into air- Discharges into water- Discharges to soil- Waste

- T ransport of the reference product.


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5 Structure of the EDIPTEX database

T he overall structure of the database follows the structure of the EDIP unitprocess database. T he structure can be illustrated using the process tree belowfor the four lifecycle phases at level I : M aterials, Production, Use andDisposal; and level I I for the processes of the different phases.

Figur e 5.1 St r uct ur e and l evel s in t he EDIPTEX dat abase

For each category at level I I, there may be further details at levels III, IV, Vand so on.

T he processes cover production of materialscotton, viscose, polyester,polyamide (type PA 6.6), polypropylene and acrylic. In total, these six fibretypes cover more than 90 per cent of the EU market for garment textiles. T hesix fibres are also dominant for many other product groups. Data for elastanewere not available, but a process has been established for elastane where data

for polyurethane flexible foam are used (elastane consists of 85 per centpolyurethane). Data for standard components like zippers and buttons, i.e.metals and plastic materials, are well supported by existing data in the EDIPdatabase.

The production phase, from yarn manufacturing to making-up, is the phase ofthe textiles' the lifecycle where the Danish textiles sector is active, and thedatabase is therefore very differentiated and detailed for this phase. Unitprocesses established in the project's database are verified and representativefor the sector. Sixteen enterprises from all links in the production chain havebeen involved. T here have been one or two representative enterprises fromeach of the areas spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing, finishing and

making-up. No direct measurements of e.g. energy consumption orwastewater analyses have been made for the project. It has been possible to


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document energy consumption sufficiently by calculating energy consumptionfor heating and drying and by taking readings of the individual machines'energy consumption on their rating plates. T he composition of the wastewaterhas been documented by consulting the lists of ingredients used incombination with the available knowledge on the fate of the individualchemicals in production and wastewater treatment plants. Verification of thesedata was carried out by means of energy and mass balances for the enterprise's

total energy consumption as well as existing wastewater analyses.

T he unit processes established in the database for theuse phaseare standardmaintenance processes where resource consumption and environmentalimpacts have been calculated and verified by the Danish TechnologicalInstitute, T extile.

Examples of environmental assessments prepared on the basis of the project'sdatabase have identified the lifetime of the textiles as a crucial factor for theenvironmental assessment. T he Danish T echnological Institute, Textile hasdefined realistic lifetimes for the products on the basis of the centre's extensive

knowledge on textiles, fabrics and materials, and in cooperation with theparticipating enterprises.

Disposal data in the project's database have been calculated in accordancewith the current practice for lifecycle assessment.

Emissions during incineration have been calculated on the basis of thechemical composition of the fibres.

As the textiles sector uses a large number of different chemicals in production- both single chemicals and composite products - many assumptions havebeen made during the course of the project. From the beginning of the

project, it was decided not to include the production of any of the chemicalsin EDIPT EX. Moreover, occupational health and safety has not beenincluded.

Data for human toxicity and ecotoxicity for a total of 50 different chemicalshave been included. T o the extent necessary, the names of the chemicals havebeen made anonymous and appear under general names. It is very difficult, ifnot impossible, to obtain sufficient information for a lifecycle assessment fromchemicals suppliers and producers. T he project has assessed chemicals at atheoretical level in accordance with the methods recognised in the EDIPmethod.

A more detailed account of the principles for assessments of chemicals can befound in annex 7: "Management of chemicals in EDIPT EX".


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6 The EDIPTEX case stories

T he six case stories (environmental assessments - lifecycle assessments) vary alot in scope. T hey can be divided into two main groups - with variationswithin these two main groups. T he two main groups are:

Group I: Products 1, 2 and 3 in table 2.1, i.e. the T -shirt, the jogging suitand the work jacket.

Group I I: Products 4, 5 and 6 in table 2.1, i.e. the blouse, the tableclothand the floor covering.

T he division into groups I and II relates to the scope of the collection of dataas well as the quality of data.

As previously mentioned, the case stories are placed separately in annexes 1-6and structured so that they can be read individually.

6.1 The T-sh ir t , the jogging suit and t he wor k jacket - case gr oup I

For group I, it was possible to collect (and process) data for all significantprocesses. T he data are of such quality that these three products have beenselected to illustrate how far it is possible to take lifecycle assessment fortextiles and to illustrate all relevant aspects of the EDIP method.

6.1.1Case for T shirt

Within group I, the case for the T-shirt is special as regards the relevantaspects of the EDIP method. It was possible to make assessments of humantoxicity and ecotoxicity for all types of chemicals used and to calculate theequivalency factors that are central to the EDIP method (please refer to annex7: "Management of chemicals in EDIPT EX" for a more detailed descriptionof this very complicated subject).

Moreover, this case applied an almost complete set of data for the unitprocess "cotton cultivation and harvest". Annex 8 describes in detail theextensive work on this central process. T he project group does not know ofmore thorough and comprehensive work in this area.

For the T-shirt, a lot of work was put into describing what is called "sourceidentification" in EDIP jargon. It is often necessary to study the largeinformation volumes included in the results of a lifecycle assessment in orderto achieve the best possible benefit of the assessment. A process is composedof a number of factors that all contribute to the environmental impactcategories. By carrying out source identification, the reasons for the individualcontributions can be found.

T his knowledge makes the assessment more useful for the producer, as theproducer can change factors with undesired environmental impacts already inthe development phase.


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T he case story presents an overview of the most important contributions tothe following categories:

Primary energy Resource consumption

T oxicological environmental impacts Environmental impacts related to energy Environmental impacts related to waste

A number of what-if simulations or scenarios were prepared for the T-shirt.

T he environmental profile for a given product can be affected by the choicesmade by the producer and by the consumer. In order to elucidate theconsequences of possible changes in the product's lifecycle, a number ofscenarios have been prepared that focus on the producer and consumerrespectively.

By changing one or more of the reference conditions, it is possible to form apicture of the scope of the consequences based on the choices made by theproducer and the consumer, and subsequently assess the results of thechoices.

9 and 10 different producer and consumer scenarios respectively wereprepared for the T-shirt. An example of a producer scenario is "Choice of rawmaterials - organic cotton", and a consumer scenario could be "Reducedwashing temperature from 60 C to 40 C".

6.1.2 Case for jogging suit

T he jogging suit case is very similar in scope to the T -shirt case, and "sourceidentification" was also carried out here. However, there are "only seven andfour different producer and consumer scenarios respectively.

By contrast, the jogging suit is much more complicated than a T -shirt, whichis a simple single-layer product.

T he jogging suit consists of top and trousers - outer fabric (nylon) and alining (cotton) - and the top includes a polyester zipper (both tape and chain).T his case illustrates that with the EDIPT EX database and the EDIP PC toolit is possible to work with very complex products.

T he quality of data for production of nylon fibres is not as good as that of thedata for cotton in the T-shirt case. Data for nylon originates from the series oflifecycle assessment cases (v. Boustead) the fibre industry conducted andpublished in the 1990s. T hese lifecycle assessments contain a lot of qualitydata on energy consumption and emissions into air and water. However, it isnot always possible to check/calculate how emissions data have been obtained.Moreover, industry states many emissions in groups like "aldehydes", and it isnot possible to calculate the essential equivalency factors for such groups.However, there is currently no better data than those of the industry, so theunit process for nylon in the EDIPT EX database represents the knowledgecurrently available. T herefore, in terms of lifecycle assessment quality, cases

that include nylon, like the jogging suit (and the blouse), are not fullycomparable with cases where only cotton is included.


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6.1.3 Case for work jacket

T he work jacket consists of 65 per cent polyester and 35 per cent cotton,including zipper and brass buttons. The same applies to data for polyesterfibres as to nylon (see the jogging suit case). Source identification has notbeen prepared for the work jacket. T he project group considered that this

aspect of lifecycle assessment and EDIP is sufficiently covered for the T -shirtand the jogging suit. Five and three producer and consumer scenariosrespectively were prepared - including the scenarios "Household wash vs.industrial wash" and "Dry cleaning vs. industrial wash".

6.2 The bl ouse, the t abl ecl ot h and t he f l oor cover in g - case gr oup II

For group I I, it was not possible to complete all sub-processes. Although only1-2 sub-processes for each product have considerable lack of data, theseprocesses are deemed potentially significant for the overall lifecycleassessment. T he group II case stories are therefore of an entirely differentcharacter than those of group I. T he group II cases illustrate that it is possibleto tell an interesting and exciting "environment story" based on lifecycleassessment (and EDIP) even though it has not been possible to analyse allaspects of lifecycle assessment data. T his situation will arise very often inlifecycle assessment work. However, there is a significant difference in thisEDIPT EX connection; it is possible to draw on results from the three lifecycleassessments from case group I (and this has been done), which improves thequality of the case stories.

6.2.1Case for blouse

T he blouse is composed of 70 per cent viscose, 25 per cent nylon and 5 per

cent elastane.

T he same applies to viscose fibres as for nylon (see the jogging suit case).Data for elastane were not available, but a process has been established forelastane where data for polyurethane flexible foam are used (elastane consistsof 85 per cent polyurethane). It is uncertain how "correct" this assumption is.

T hese aspects of data quality mean that the primary focus for this case is onprimary energy and environmental impacts. However, a statement oftoxicological environmental impacts has also been made (there is quite a lot ofdata on impacts of other chemicals used) - and the significance of the lack ofdata for the statement is discussed.

6.2.2 Case for tablecloth

T he tablecloth is made of 100 per cent cotton. T he tablecloth is printed withpigments and has been finished to make it easier to maintain.

Chemical emissions to the air while drying after pigment printing have beendifficult to manage. Furthermore, it has not been possible to obtain data toenable calculation of equivalency factors for an important finishing chemical.

As for the blouse, this case primarily focused on primary energy andenvironmental impacts. The same applies for toxicological environmentalimpacts - including discussion of the importance of lack of data.


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6.2.3 Case for floor covering

T he floor covering consists of pile (the surface) of 100 per cent nylon, aprimary backing material of 100 per cent polypropylene (to which the pile isstitched), and the actual backside of latex foam.

T he same applies for data for polypropylene as for nylon (see jogging suit

case).It has not been possible to collect data for the production of the primarybacking material of polypropylene fibres. At an overall level, this processcorresponds to the process "weaving" for the jogging suit and work jacketcases. Therefore, the floor covering model is based of data for weaving, whichseems to be a reasonable assumption.

Emissions of chemicals into the air during production of the floor coveringhave turned out to be difficult to handle, and have thus not been included inthe model. However, energy consumption during the processes has beenincluded.

As for the blouse and the tablecloth, this case primarily focused on primaryenergy and environmental impacts. T he same applies for toxicologicalenvironmental impacts - including discussion of the importance of lack ofdata.


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7 Literature

EDIPTEX publications

/1/ M iljvurderi ng af en T -shirt af 100% bomuld (environmental assessment of aT -shirt of 100 % cotton).

Sren Ellebk Laursen from Danish Technological Institute, Textile,Hans Henrik Knudsen from Institute for Product Development, theT echnical University of Denmark, Inge Fisker from Valr & T inge,2004.

/2/ M iljvurderi ng af en trningsdragt af nylon mikrofibre og bomuld

(environmental assessment of a jogging suit of nylon and cotton).Sren Ellebk Laursen from Danish Technological Institute, Textile,

Hans Henrik Knudsen from Institute for Product Development, theT echnical University of Denmark, Inge Fisker from Valr & T inge,2004.

/3/ M iljvurderi ng af en arbejdsjakke af 65% polyester og 35%

bomuld(environmental assessment of a work jacket of 65 per centpolyester and 35 per cent cotton)..Sren Ellebk Laursen from Danish Technological Institute, Textile,Hans Henrik Knudsen from Institute for Product Development, theT echnical University of Denmark, Inge Fisker from Valr & T inge,2004.

/4/ M iljvurderi ng af en bluse af viskose, nylon og elasthan(environmentalassessment of a blouse made of viscose, ny lon and elastane).

Sren Ellebk Laursen from Danish Technological Institute, Textile,Hans Henrik Knudsen from Institute for Product Development, theT echnical University of Denmark, Inge Fisker from Valr & T inge,2004.

/5/ M iljvurdering af en borddug af bomuld (environmental assessment of atablecloth of cotton).

Hans Henrik Knudsen from Institute for Product Development, theT echnical University of Denmark, Sren Ellebk Laursen from Danish

T echnological Institute, T extile, Inge Fisker from Valr & T inge, 2004./6/ M iljvurdering af et gulvtppe af nylon og polypropylen (environmental

assessment of a floor covering of nylon and polypropylene).

Hans Henrik Knudsen from Institute for Product Development, theT echnical University of Denmark, Sren Ellebk Laursen from DanishT echnological Institute, T extile, Inge Fisker from Valr & T inge, 2004.

/7/ UM IP mi ljdata for teksti ler et overblik (ED IP environmental data fortext i les - an overv iew).

Sren Ellebk Laursen from Danish Technological Institute, Textile,Hans Henrik Knudsen from Institute for Product Development, the

T echnical University of Denmark, Inge Fisker from Valr & T inge,2004.


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EDIP publications and tools as well as the ISO 14040 series

EDIP unit process database(manual and presentation disc).Niels Frees and Morten Als Pedersen, Danish EPA, 1996.

User manual for ED IP PC tool(beta version)Morten Als Pedersen, Danish EPA 1998.

M iljvurderi ng af Produkter, UMIP (environmental assessment of products,EDIP) Wenzel, H., Hauschild, M . & Rasmussen, E. Danish EPA andConfederation of Danish Industries, 1996.

Baggrund for mi ljvurderi ng af produkter(background for environmentalassessment of products) Hauschild, ed.: Danish EPA & Confederation ofDanish Industries 1996.

Livscyk lusvurderi nger en kommenteret oversttelse af I SO 14040 ti l 14043

(lifecycle assessments - a comment translation of ISO 14040 to 14043) DShandbook 126. Danish Standards Association, 2001.

A number of books and articles have been published on environmentalassessments of products. T his is a list of some of them.

In Danish:

Hndbog i mi ljvurdering af produkter en enkel metode(handbook inenvironmental assessment of products - a simple method).

Pommer K ., Bech P., Wenzel, H., Caspersen N. & Olsen S.I. Danish EPA,Environment News no. 58, 2001

In English:

An introduction to l i fe-cycle thinki ng and management

Remmen A. Environment News no. 68, Danish EPA 2002

M anual of product-oriented envir onmental work.Schmidt K., Christensen F. M., Juul L ., llgaard H., Nielsen C. B. DanishEPA,

Environment News no. 53, 2000.Product fami li es short cuts to environmental knowledgeLenau T , Frees N, Olsen SI, Willum O, Molin C and Wenzel H. Danish EPA2001

Product L i fecycle Check., - guide. 1st draft

Wenzel H., Caspersen N., Schmidt A. & Hauschild M. Institute for ProductDevelopment, T echnical University of Denmark, 2000.

Environmental Assessment of Products, volume 1: M ethodology, tools and casestudies in product development

Wenzel H, Hauschild M & Alting L . K luwer Academic Publishers, ISBN 0-412-80800-5 (hardbound), ISBN 0-7923-7859-8 (paperback).


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Envi ronmental Assessment of Products, volume 2: Scienti fic background

Hauschild M & Wenzel H. (eds). (Chapman & Hall) K luwer AcademicPublishers, ISBN 0412 80810

On the Internet

Danish Environmental Protection Agency www.mst.dk

Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy's Centre for Informationwww.mem.dk/butik/Danish EPA's lifecycle assessment websitewww.mst.dk/produkt/Nordic Council, [email protected] Commission on Integrated Product Policy:http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ipp/home.htm


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Annex 1: A T-shirt of 100 % cotton

The T-sh ir t - summar y and concl usions

In this section, the sub-conclusions from the individual scenarios will besummarised in an assessment of producers' and consumers' choices and theirconsequences.

T he main scenario shows that the most significant contributions to theenvironmental impact potentials related to chemicals originate from cottoncultivation. Resource consumption and the contributions to the environmentalimpact potentials related to energy, as well as waste categories mainlyoriginate from generation of electricity for the large consumption of electrical

energy in the use phase.

At an overall level, the scenarios indicate that the consumer holds the bestpossibilities for influencing the product's overall environmental profile. T his isdue to the dominant use phase. T he individual consumer's consumptionpatterns and environmental awareness are therefore crucial, i.e. awareness ofecolabelling of products in combination with good habits like:

minimal use of washing powder no use of fabric softeners no tumbler drying

no ironing disposal to incineration plant.

T he producer is primarily able to affect the T -shirt's environmental profilethrough choice of materials. This is clear in the scenarios where organiccotton has been used. By living up to European and Scandinavian ecolabellingcriteria and obtaining labelling approval, the producer can signal to theconscious consumer that the product in question has been produced in anenvironmentally sound manner. Moreover, there are a number of production-related improvements that only the producer can influence. This could bechoices related to:

organic materials choice of softening process no treatment to improve colour fastness non-toxic reactive dyes.

Introduction

Lifecycle assessment is a method for identification and evaluation ofenvironmental impact potentials of a product or a service from cradle tograve. T his method enables the user to make an environmental assessmentand focus on the most important environmental impacts.

L ifecycle assessment is an iterative process. T he first definition of purposeand delimitations often need to be revised during work with lifecycle


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assessment. T he amount of data available sets limits, and consequently thelimits of the system are changed.

T he method used in this case for assessment of products is "EnvironmentalDesign of Industrial Products" (EDIP) and the associated database and PCtool.

In the EDIPT EX project, sector-specific data have been prepared for thetextiles sector in connection with the existing EDIP database. T he reportscontain environmental assessments for the following textile products:

T -shirt Jogging suit Work jacket Floor covering T ablecloth Blouse.

T hese environmental assessments are intended to illustrate the scope forapplication of the EDIPT EX database by using the PC modelling tool and, ata more general level, application of the EDIP method.

Method

T he six case stories vary a lot in scope. T hey can be divided into two maingroups - with variations within these two main groups. T he two main groupsare:

Group I: The T -shirt, the jogging suit and the work jacket. Group II: T he floor covering, the tablecloth and the blouse.

T he division into groups I and II relates to the scope of the collection of dataas well as the quality of data.

For group I, it was possible to collect (and process) data for all significantprocesses. T he data are of such quality that these three products have beenselected to illustrate how far it is possible to take lifecycle assessment fortextiles and to illustrate all relevant aspects of the EDIP method.

Each of the three group I cases contains:

Definition of functional unit and reference product

Modelling of main scenario

Preparation of producer and consumer references

Simulation of environmental impacts caused by choices made by producerand consumer respectively.

Work with these cases has been divided into phases as illustrated in figure 1.1.


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Figur e 1.1 EDIPTEX case gr oup I f l ow diagr am

For group I I, it was not possible to complete all sub-processes. Although only1-2 sub-processes for each product have considerable lack of data, theseprocesses are deemed potentially significant for the overall lifecycleassessment. T he group II case stories are therefore of an entirely differentcharacter than those of group I. T he group II cases illustrate that it is possibleto tell an interesting and exciting "environment story" based on lifecycleassessment (and EDIP) even though it has not been possible to analyse allaspects of lifecycle assessment data. T his situation will arise very often inlifecycle assessment work. However, there is a significant difference in thisEDIPT EX connection; it is possible to draw on results from the three lifecycleassessments from case group I (and this has been done), which improves the

quality of the case stories.Comments to the method

Product references

T he "what-if" simulations were carried out to elucidate the consequences ofpossible changes in the product's lifecycle. A special product reference hasbeen defined for the producer scenarios in some of the case stories. T heproducer only has limited influence on the use phase. In order to take this intoaccount, a product reference has been prepared for the producer scenarioswhere only a limited part of the impacts from the use phase has been includedin relation to the product reference from the main scenario. T his was done in

order to give producers a clearer picture of the influence of the production

Ident if icat ion of "what -if "

scenari os

Definition of thefunctional unit and

assumptions for main

scenario

Consequencesof choices by

the producer

Definition ofproducerscenarios

Presentation of main

scenario

Consequencesof choices by

the consumer

Definition ofconsumer

scenario

Model l ing of "what-if"

scenar ios in EDIP PCmodel l ing t ool

Summary and conclusion to main

conclusion and "what-if" scenarios


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phase on the product's environmental profile in the "what-if" producerscenarios.

Data

With regard to data, it should be noted that the validity of the data in thedatabase varies, depending on the processes considered. A global process like

cultivation and harvest of cotton is subject to considerable uncertainty. T his isbecause cotton is produced in countries with very different levels ofdevelopment. For example, production varies a lot between South Americaand the US because of large differences in the use of pesticides, crop yields,etc.

T his difference has not been taken directly into account in the EDIPT EXdatabase, but a representative level for the data has been defined. T herefore,the data are very general and not necessarily representative for all lifecycleassessments. Other processes are more exact, such as extraction of crude oilfor nylon. T his process is well documented, both as regards industrial

accidents and as regards resource consumption.Production data primarily come from Danish enterprises. The number ofenterprises involved represents limitations in this connection. For example,only one reactive dye and one acid dye have been studied thoroughly. T hesetwo substances represent the entire group of dyes, despite the majordifferences that may occur.

A large proportion of the environmental impacts come from the consumptionof electrical energy. T he data used in the database originate from the EDIPdatabase, and the reference year is 1990. It is important to note that thislifecycle assessment was carried out using the 1990 data in all processes that

consume electrical energy.

The T-sh ir t

Product description: T he T -shirt is made of pure cotton. T he assessmentdoes not include multicoloured patterns or prints on the product. Data for ablack reactive dye are used, and this is assessed to be a worstcaseassumption.

Functional unit

T he performance assessed can be described as a "functional unit", comprising

a qualitative and a quantitative description, including the product's lifetime.T he qualitative description is to define the quality level for the performance,so that products can be compared at a somewhat uniform quality level. T hequantitative description is to determine the size and duration of theperformance.

In this project, the functional unit is defined as:

50 days' use of T -shirt over the course of one year

Assumptions in connection with the li fecycle assessment:

T he calculations are carried out for "1 T -shirt", this needs to be converted inrelation to lifetime, and the calculations need to be converted to "per year".It is assumed that the T -shirt can be washed 50 times before it is discarded.


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It is assumed that the consumer wears the T -shirt 50 days per year.It is assumed that the T -shirt is used 1 day and is then washed.

Estimated lifetime

If the T -shirt is washed after each use, 50 days' use of the T -shirt means that1 T -shirt is completely used up in one year - or more likely - that a person has5 T -shirts that together last 5 years.

Considerations in relation to the use phase

It is assumed that 50 days correspond to the number of days a consumerwears a T -shirt over the course of 1 year. Some consumers have an entirelydifferent consumption of T -shirts. Some people wear a T -shirt every day(often men), while other people do not own a single T -shirt (e.g. women inthe age of 60-80).

Reference product and main scenario

T he reference product is a product that meets the criteria of one functionalunit. Here, we have chosen a T-shirt in coloured cotton. The followingassumptions apply to the assessment and are thus included in the modelling ofthe main scenario.

100 per cent cotton. Dye: reactive dye. Washing 60C. T umbler drying. Ironing not necessary, but it is assumed that many people do it. L ifetime: 50 washes. Weight: T hree different qualities of T -shirt have been weighed: 178 g

("thin" quality), 223 g and 292 g (heavy quality). For this environmentalassessment, the assumption is that the T -shirt weighs 250 g.

A more detailed description of the processes, calculations of volumes, waste,etc. can be found in the section "Background data".

Product system

In the following, all phases of the T -shirt's lifecycle will be described fromextraction of raw materials through production to the making-up of thefinished T -shirt.


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Figur e 1.2 Lif ecycl e, f l ow and phases

M anufacture of raw materi als

T he T -shirt consists solely of cotton. Cotton is cultivated in many countriesunder different geographical and climatic conditions. Cultivation often entailsa large consumption of artificial fertilizer, large water consumption and a largeconsumption of pesticides against insect attacks, diseases, worms and weeds.

T he extent of this depends largely on local conditions. T he consumption of

Production phase

Use phase

D isposal phase

M aterials phas

T ransport phase

Disposal

Wash

Drying

Ironing

Yarn manufacturing

Knitting

Dyeing

Making-up

Finishing

Pre-treatment

T ransport

Fibre production


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pesticides entails an important environmental problem for both human healthand nature.

Irrigation and use of artificial fertilizer impact groundwater and surface waterresources quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Before picking, it is commonto use defoliating agents so that picking can be done mechanically.

Organic cottonIt is normally not permitted to use pesticides and artificial fertilizer incultivation of organic cotton. T hus, it is only permitted to use a very limitedselection of plant protection agents, and only when there is an acute dangerfor the crop. Organic production of cotton constitutes less than 1 per cent oftotal cotton production, but organic production is increasing and is expectedto increase further due to increased demand.

Producti on of the T -shir t

Production is divided into several processes: yarn manufacturing, knitting,pre-treatment, dyeing, finishing and making-up.

Yarn manufacturingFrom when the cotton is harvested to the manufacture of the yarn can begin,the fibres need to be separated from the remaining plant material. One of thelargest environmental risks in this process is inhalation of cotton dust. In just afew years, staff can develop the disease Byssinosis (commonly called "BrownLung") which may be fatal. It is important that machines be closed in so thatdust development is minimal.

KnittingDust development during knitting - both in general and for cotton - isminimal compared to yarn manufacturing. However, mineral knitting oils are

often used in connection with knitting, and they are persistent substances.T he oils are washed out in subsequent processes where the cotton yarns or thecotton products go through several treatments with water and chemicals, andthe oils finally end up in the wastewater from the wet processor/dyer.

Pre-treatmentRaw cotton contains some cotton wax that needs to be removed before it ispossible to dye the cotton. T his is done in a scouring process at high pH andhigh temperatures. Remains of pesticides from cotton cultivation, mainlydefoliation agents used in connection with the harvest, are washed out in thisprocess and end up in the wastewater.

If the end product is to have a light colour, the cotton is bleached. If the pre-treater/dyer uses chlorine compounds, AOX compounds (adsorbable organichalogens) will be formed and subsequently discharged, and these are harmfulto the environment. It is possible to bleach using hydrogen peroxide that doesnot cause discharges of AOX.

Washing and bleaching with hydrogen peroxide, which is normal in Denmark,has been used as the basis for the environmental assessment of the T-shirt.Moreover, the environmental assessment includes limited discharges ofpesticides (0.005 g defoliation agent per kg cotton).

Dyeing


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Dyes for dyeing textiles are chemically often based on azo groups and maycontain heavy metals. Some dyes containing azo groups may releasecarcinogenic substances of the type arylamines. However, the textile sectorand producers of dyes have been aware of the arylamine issue for many years.T he major dye producers and modern European dye houses have thus fullyphased out these dyes, but they may still be found in goods imported toEurope. T he number of dyes containing heavy metals is being reduced year

by year, but dye houses that choose not to use dyes containing heavy metalsstill have to accept they cannot dye in some specific nuances.

A dye from the group of reactive dyes without heavy metals and withoutarylamine problems has been selected for this environmental assessment.

FinishingFor a cotton T -shirt, finishing will normally consist of the application of asewing improvement agent (softening) for the subsequent making-up stage.However, many cotton textiles are given specific functional properties infinishing by means of chemicals. For example, some of the well-known

properties are non-iron and fire retardant. Auxiliary chemicals in theseproductions often have many extremely undesirable environmental properties,both for the environment and for occupational health and safety.

For the environmental assessment of the T -shirt, a non-problematic softenerhas been selected.

Making-upIn the actual making-up process, there may be great differences in theenvironmental impacts for the different textile products. T his is because thewaste from the cutting-to-size process for the final product varies from 6-25per cent. However, this waste is not necessarily the same as resources lost,

because some of the waste products are reused - but often for products of alower quality. T he waste may also be sent to waste incineration with energyrecovery, and in reality, the energy content is recovered as electricity forproduction and should thus be set off against energy consumption by theproduction equipment. For a T-shirt, "waste" is minimal in making-up -approx. 6 per cent.

Distribution

T he T -shirt is packed in polyester bags and then on a wood pallet. Finally, itis distributed to retail suppliers throughout Denmark.

Use phase

T he consumption of washing agents and fabric softeners and theconsequential discharge of detergents and nutrient salts lead to possible localand regional impacts in the aquatic environment.

T ransport

T he mode of transport when the T -shirt is transported from the shop to thebuyer's home is also important in connection with the overall environmentalprofile of the product. Options like driving a car, using public transport or abike make a significant difference in this part of the product's lifecycle.

The disposal phase

T extiles may not be landfilled. On final disposal, they must be incinerated sothat the energy content is recovered and replaces non-renewable energysources like oil and natural gas. In some situations, the used T -shirt will be


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reused in a third-world country. In such situations, it is not possible to recoverenergy by incineration in Denmark.

Main scenario results

T he results of the main scenario are presented according to processes. T henegative contributions that occur in some processes are due to estimated reuse

potentials, resource consumption and contribution to environmental impactpotentials. In the processes in question, the contributions can be allocated toother products and thus appear as negative contributions in the T-shirt'senvironmental profile.

T he values in the five figures are not immediately comparable, as the unit isnot the same for the five categories. T he consumption of primary energy iscalculated in mega-joules (MJ), while the resource consumption is shown inthe unit "person-reserves". Person-reserves take into account the supplyhorizon of the individual resources, calculated on the basis of the reservesavailable in the world in 1990. It should be noted that the data used here are

more than ten years old, and therefore, new knowledge about the world'sresources may have become available. The environmental impact potentialsare presented as "milli-person equivalents" and are directly comparable. M illi-person equivalents are calculated as the direct impact for the year 2000. T heweighting factors are based on global (w) or Danish (DK) discharges in theyear 2000.

Consumpti on of primary energy

Figure 1.3 shows that the processes in the use phase represent the majority ofthe consumption of primary energy. T he consumption of primary energyreflects the processes that require a lot of electrical energy or heating air orwater. Fibre production consumes a lot of energy due to driving vehicles in

the fields and production of artificial fertilizer and pesticides. T he productionof cotton fibres and the processing into yarns represent the largestcontributions during production of the T -shirt. In the use phase, theelectricity consumption for washing and, in particular, tumbler drying causethe impacts. When the T-shirt is incinerated in an incineration plant, someenergy is recovered and this is credited in the energy accounts.

Resource consumption

T he T -shirt consumes a relatively large amount of fossil fuels because of theenergy-intensive processes in its lifecycle - see figure 1.4. Because of the largeelectricity consumption, the resource consumption is high in the use phase.Fossil fuels for generation of electricity and heating are the primary cause of

this. In the processes that use Danish electricity, as in the use phase,consumption of coal is highest. In the disposal phase, some resources arecredited because energy is recovered that would otherwise have come fromburning fossil fuels.

Env ironmental impact potenti als

Figures 1.5 and 1.7 show that the contributions to the toxicologicalenvironmental impact potentials are dominant. Particularly ecotoxicity andpersistence toxicity are very high, primarily because of the pesticides that arespread on the cotton fields during the cultivation process. T he data used todetermine the pesticide volumes per hectare are based on a worst-case

assumption. For further information, please see annex 8: Memo on data forcotton cultivation and harvest. T herefore, the focus in this phase is to reducepesticide consumption during cultivation of cotton.


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In the production phase, the environmental profile indicates that primarily thefinishing process contributes on a large scale. T he reason for this is thesoftening process after dyeing. T his process is the focal point of theproduction phase.

In the use phase, primarily washing agents result in potential persistent

toxicity. It has been assumed that no users add fabric softener when washing,and therefore the figures probably do not tally with the actual conditions inprivate Danish households.

T he contributions to the waste categories mainly originate from electricitygeneration.

Results from modell ing and calculat ion of the main scenario

-6 4 14 24 34 44

Effekt

Bortskaffelse

Trring

Konfekt ion

Farvning

Strikning

Fiberfremstilling

MJ (Mega Joule)

103

Figur e 1.3 Consumpt ion of pr imar y ener gy per f unct ion al uni t f or t r ansl at ion ofDanish t er ms see gl ossary in ann ex 11

-0 ,0 1 0 0 ,0 1 0 ,0 2 0 ,0 3 0 ,0 4 0 ,0 5

T r anspor t

Bor t ska f fe l se

Strygning

Trr ing

Vask (husholdning)

Kon fek t i on

Ef terbehandl ing

Far vn i ng

Forbehandl ing

Str ikning

Garnfremst i l l i ng

F iber f remst i l l i ng

m PR ( m i ll i Per son R eser ve )

Al (a lumi ni um )

Fe ( jern)Brunkul

Stenkul

Naturgas

R o l i e

Figur e 1.4 Resour ce consumpt ion per f unct ion al uni t f or t r ansl at ion of Dani sht er ms see gl ossar y in annex 11


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+50,5

-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Transpor t

Bortskaffelse

S t rygn ing

Tr r ing

Vask (husho ldn ing)

Konfek t i on

E f te rbehand l i ng

Farvn ing

Forbehand l i ng

Str ikning

Garnfremst i l l ing

Fiberfremst i l l ing

m PEM (mi l l i Perso n Ekvivalen ter)

Hum an T oks ic i te t

ko- toks i c i te t

Persistent toksic i tet

+46,5

-

7, 1

-1 ,31

Figur e 1.5 Toxicol ogical envir on ment al impact pot ent ial s per f unct ion al uni t f ort r ansl at ion o f Dani sh t er ms see gl ossar y in ann ex 11

-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Transpor t

Bor tska f fe lse

Strygning

Trring

Vask (husholdning)

Kon fekt ion

Efterbehandl ing

Farvning

Forbehandl ing

Strikning

Garnfrem sti l ling

Fiber frem sti l ling

m PE M (mil l i Person Ekvivalenter)

Fo tokemisk ozon

N ringssalt

Forsur ing

Dr ivhuse f fekt

Figur e 1.6 Envir on ment al impacts r el at ed t o ener gy per f unct ion al uni t fort r ansl at ion o f Dani sh t er ms see gl ossar y in ann ex 11

-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Transpor t

Bortskaffelse

S t rygn ing

Tr r ing

Vask (husho ldn ing)

Konfek t i on

E f te rbehand l i ng

Farvn ing

Forbehand l i ng

Str ikning

Garnfremst i l l ing

Fiberfremst i l l ing

m PEM (m i l li Person Ekvivalen ter)

Farl igt af fald

Radioakt iv t af fald

S lagge og aske

Volum en af fald

Figur e 1.7 Envir onment al impacts, wast e per f unct ion al uni t f or t r ansl at ion ofDanish t er ms see gl ossar y in annex 11


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Source identification

It is often necessary to study the large information volumes included in theresults of a lifecycle assessment in order to achieve the best possible benefit ofthe assessment. A process is composed of a number of factors that all

contribute to the impact categories. By carrying out source identification, thereasons for the individual contributions can be found.

T his knowledge makes the assessment more useful for the producer, as theproducer can change factors with undesired environmental impacts already inthe development phase.

Below is an overview of the most significant contributions to the categories:

Primary energy Resource consumption

T oxicological environmental impacts Environmental impacts related to energy Waste.

Primary energy

T he breakdown of consumption of primary energy over the processes duringthe lifecycle of the T -shirt is shown in figure 1.3.

T he calculation of the consumption of primary energy does not include printsor multicoloured patterns on the T -shirt.

Tabl e 1.1 Sour ce ident if icati on of t he most energ y-in t ensive pr ocesses in t he T-shir t 's

l if ecycl e

Consumpt ion of primary energy/MJ

Materials phase 10 % of total primary energy consumption

Fibre production

Approx. 70 % of this phase's contribution originates fromtransport of the fibres, while production of N artificialfertilizer and pesticides comprises 13 % of this phase'senergy consumption.

Production phase 12 % of total primary energy consumption

Yarn manufacturingApprox. 55 % of the production phase's consumption ofprimary energy originates from electricity consumptionduring yarn manufacturing.

KnittingThe consumption in this process originates from theconsumption of Danish electricity corresponding to 10 % of

this phase's total consumption.

Pre-treatmentThe consumption of primary energy in this processoriginates primarily from burning natural gas, approx. 12 %.

DyeingThe consumption of primary energy in this processoriginates primarily from burning natural gas, approx. 12 %.

FinishingThe consumption of primary energy in this processoriginates primarily from burning natural gas, approx. 12 %.

Making-up Credit of energy from reuse of cut-off textiles, approx. 1 %.Use phase 78 % of total primary energy consumption

Washing (households)24 % of this phase's consumption originates from electricityconsumption for heating water in the washing machine.

Tumbler drying68 % of this phase's consumption is due to consumption ofDanish electricity for tumbler dryers.

Ironing8 % of this phase's consumption

ediptex environment impact

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