|
Environmental Impact Classification Factors (EICF) for cork oak |
Rives et al considered the following 12 environmental impact categories for the production of raw cork (excludes cumulative energy demand) [1] and for the processing of cork oak granulate [2]:
- ADP: Abiotic Depletion Potential
- AP: Acidification Potential
- CED: Cumulative Energy Demand
- EP: Eutrophication Potential
- FAETP: Freshwater Aquatic Ecotoxicity Potential
- GWP: Global Warming Potential (100 years)
- HTP: Human Toxicity Potential
- MAETP: Marine Aquatic Ecotoxicity Potential
- ODP: Ozone Layer Depletion Potential
- POCP: Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential
- RAD: Radioactive Potential.
- TETP: Terrestrial Ecotoxicity Potential
The inventory data [2] requirements for the production of one tonne (1000 kg) of cork granuate are either:
- for white cork, 309 kg of forestry origin and 1238 kg of industrial origin raw cork,
with the waste stream having 530 kg of cork dust, 15 kg of defective material plus 9 kg of cork dust used as an energy source in process,
and a doubling of transport distances (from 50 km to 100 km) due to the industrial-sourced cork rather than direct from the forest,
or
- for black cork, 1538 kg of forestry origin raw cork,
with the waste stream having 539 kg of cork dust,
and only electrical energy used at the same level as for white cork.
Demertzi et al [3] have considered the potential for environmental impact reduction in the cork stopper supply chain. In a second paper, Demertzi et al [3] evaluated the environmental performance of processes for manufacturing expanded cork slab and granules. The most influential process was thermal energy production. Biogenic carbon was accounted as a climate change impact of the products, although the analysis revealed that more carbon was sequestered by the cork products than was emitted during the life cycle. Tártaro et al [5] have studied the carbon footprint of the insulation cork board.
Table 1: Total environmental impacts associated with
(a) production of one tonne of raw cork extracted from a Catalonian cork oak forest
at an average yield of 150 kg of cork/ha/year (left), and
(b) for production of one tonne of cork granulate from raw cork (right).
| Impact category |
Units |
Manual cork stripping (every 13 years) |
Scratching to facilitate growth of new cork bark |
Shrub clearance and road maintenance |
Total environmental impact for cork extraction |
|
White cork granulate production
(64.6% yield)
|
Black cork granulate production
(65.0% yield)
|
| ADP |
kg Sb eq. |
1 |
0.09 |
0.23 |
1.32 |
|
5.05 |
4.99 |
| AP |
kg SO2 eq. |
0.64 |
0.06 |
0.17 |
0.87 |
|
6.40 |
6.38 |
| EP |
kg PO43- eq. |
0.12 |
0.01 |
0.03 |
0.16 |
|
0.44 |
0.43 |
| FAETP |
kg 1.4 DB eq. |
9.06 |
0.8 |
3.01 |
12.87 |
|
45.3 |
45.1 |
| GWP |
kg CO2 eq. |
145.16 |
12.85 |
33.78 |
191.79 |
|
772 |
770 |
| HTP |
kg 1.4 DB eq. |
36.55 |
3.22 |
10.56 |
50.33 |
|
160 |
159 |
| MAETP |
g 1.4 DB eq. |
32.3 |
2.83 |
11.7 |
46.8 |
|
733 |
732 |
| ODP |
mg CFC11 eq. |
20.2 |
1.79 |
4.46 |
26.5 |
|
44.3 |
43.2 |
| POCP |
kg C2H4 eq. |
0.14 |
0.01 |
0.03 |
0.18 |
|
0.55 |
0.54 |
| RAD |
μDaly eq. |
2.07 |
0.184 |
0.882 |
3.14 |
|
10.2 |
10.2 |
| TETP |
kg 1.4 DB eq. |
0.81 |
0.07 |
0.26 |
1.14 |
|
3.67 |
3.66 |
| CED |
GJ eq. |
|
|
|
|
|
45.5 |
45.2 |
References
- J Rives, I Fernandez-Rodriguez, J Rieradevall and X Gabarrell, Environmental analysis of raw cork extraction in cork oak forests in southern Europe (Catalonia – Spain), Journal of Environmental Management, 15 November 2012, 110, 236-245.
- J Rives, I Fernandez-Rodriguez, X Gabarrell and J Rieradevall, Environmental analysis of cork granulate production in Catalonia – Northern Spain, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, January 2012, 58, 132-142.
- M Demertzi, R Pedro Silva, B Neto, AC Dias and L Arroja, Cork stoppers supply chain: potential scenarios for environmental impact reduction, Journal of Cleaner Production, 20 January 2016, 112(3), 1985-1994.
- M Demertzi, J Sierra-Pérez, J Amaral Paulo, L Arroja and AC Dias, Environmental performance of expanded cork slab and granules through life cycle assessment, Journal of Cleaner Production, 1 March 2017, 145,294–302.
- AS Tártaro, TM Mata, AA Martins and JCG Esteves da Silva, Carbon footprint of the insulation cork board, Journal of Cleaner Production, 1 February 2017, 143, 925–932.
Created by John Summerscales on 05 November 2014 and updated on
06-Feb-2017 9:24. Terms and conditions. Errors and omissions. Corrections.