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Sustainability Benchmark
Wood Plastics Composite
and
End Consumer Requirements
Summary of Research Study
SKZ – Das Kunststoff-Zentrum
Association for the promotion of the
Southern German Plastics Center
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Participants
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Sustainability Benchmark Wood Plastics Composite Promoted by Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (1) SKZ-KFE gGmbH (2) Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) (3) Georg August Universität Göttingen
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Sustainability Benchmarking
Framework of investigation
Different WPC Deckings have been compared with tropical timber (Bilinga) and
VPT-treated pine
Sustainability study by SKZ Plastics centre, Germany from 2010 – 2012
The following phases of the life cycle were included:
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WPC - Background
Product
WPC consists of plastics (PP, PE, PVC), wood (saw dust or wood fiber) and
additives (e.g. anti-oxidants, UV protection, biocides, pigments, adhesion promoter)
Wood content varies from 30-75%
Additives make up between 2-20%
Market
Biggest market is the US
Overall big growth rates expected – including Europe
China expected to start producing WPC on big scale in coming years
Applications
Decking (42% of European Production)
Automotive
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Sustainability Benchmarking
Home-grown treated pine with
best ecological profile
Effect factors considered during production, usage and disposal:
Global warming potential (GWP)
Acidification potential (AP)
Ozone depletion potential (ODP)
Photochemical ozone creation potential (PODP)
Eutrophication potential (EP) „Enrichement of bodies of fresh water by inorganic plant nutrients“
Cumulated energy consumption (KEA)
0
2
4
6
8
10
Index
Treated
Timber
Decking
=
1
KEA total EP ODP AP POCP GWP
Solid profile WPC
Extruded profile WPC
Tropical timber
Treated pine
Treated Timber is the most ecological alternative in all categories
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Sustainability Benchmarking
Global warming potential – treated timber is top
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
Index
Treated
Timber
Decking
=
1 +233%
+867%
+500%
Solid profile WPC
Extruded profile WPC
Tropical timber
Treated pine
Concerning global warming potential treated timber is the most ecological alternative
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Terrace decking end consumer survey –
Background
733 Interviews in 09-12/2010 in Germany
Age distribution of decks in survey:
WPC maximum 5 years old – timber decks much longer in use
33%
18%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
WPC deck Treated
timber deck
67%
13%
36%
33% 15 years+
6-14 years
2-5 years
up to 1 year
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WPC decks with significant problems after
less than 5 years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Decoloration Heating up Swelling Distortion Cracks Splinter Fungi attack
%
WPC deck
Treated timber deck
Observed damages and adverse effects of interviewees
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End consumers feel not disturbed by very often observed decoloration of timber
Fungi attack seldom observed but impact is huge
Factors disturbing end consumers most
timber decks
Very often (>50%)
often Rather seldom (<25%)
Very often (>50%)
Decoloration
often Distortion Cracks
Rather Seldom (<25%)
Swelling Splinter Fungi attack
Heating up
End consumers feel most disturbed by
Fre
qu
en
cy o
f d
amag
e o
bse
rved
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Manifold problems observed rather frequently with WPC deckings
Fungi attack seen as the most disturbing one (>60% of end consumers)
Factors disturbing end consumers most
WPC decks
Very often (>50%)
often Rather seldom (<25%)
Very often (>50%)
Decoloration Heating up
often Swelling Distortion
Rather Seldom (<25%)
Cracks Splinter Fungi attack
End consumers feel most disturbed by
Fre
qu
en
cy o
f d
amag
e o
bse
rved
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Cost-performance ratio for timber
much better than for WPC
Cost/performance ratio
77% of timber deck owners are satisfied with their product
Only 38% of WPC deck owners are satisfied – 16% are unhappy
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
very good - good insufficient - poor average - sufficient
%
WPC deck
Treated timber deck
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Summary
Home-grown timber is most ecological choice in Sustainability benchmark
conducted by the Association to promote WPC
Manifold problems with WPC decks lead to unsatisfied end consumers
#1 concern of end consumers is fungi attack
WPC needs to be protected against fungi attack
Decoloration of timber is accepted by end consumers
Decoloration and heating up are seen more critical with WPC due to
Marketing promises
Swelling and distortion observed with WPC decks could have an impact
on the life cycle of those products and might lead to claims
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Evidence of decay in WPC*
Decay dedected due to high water absorbtion of WPC leading to
warpage/swelling
After 5 years
*WPA discussion group, August 2012 14.11.2012 NTR dagar
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…leading to fungi attack of WPC*
*WPA discussion group, August 2012 14.11.2012 NTR dagar
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BACKUP
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Matryoshka principle: each step “nests” the previous one
Eco-Efficiency Analysis
... including all life cycle costs
… comparison of products or processes
… ecological and economic aspects have equal weight in the assessment
… normalized results
... method validated by TÜV and NSF
Life Cycle Assessment
... evaluation of environmental impacts
… absolute results
Life Cycle Inventory
... quantification of inputs and outputs
SEEBALANCE
... including social aspects
ISO
14
04
0 &
14
04
4
Sustainability Assessment Methods Eco-Efficiency Analysis used according to
ISO 14040 & 14044
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