The successful completion of a workshop series hosted by Afera and the German Adhesives Association (IVK) paves the way for the development of a new Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) tool for adhesive tape manufacturers in Europe. The final two workshops on PCF, attended by a targeted group of experts within the adhesives and adhesive tapes industry, was held in Düsseldorf, Germany, November 6-7, 2023.  

Afera and IVK are jointly collaborating with Sphera, a specialized provider of sustainability consulting services to develop the sector-wide tool for harmonized PCF calculation of adhesives and adhesive tapes.  

Building upon the advanced discussions that took place in the second workshop held in September 2023, industry-specific workshops were held for the adhesives and the adhesive tapes industries. On November 7, 14 participants from Afera member companies carried out key discussions regarding industry-specific model processes, raw material clusters, and data requirements and collection process needed to develop the new PCF tool for adhesive tape manufacturers.  

Actions Mapped for 2024

The final two workshops held in November marked the successful completion of the scoping workshop series. For the adhesive tape industry, Sphera will work in close cooperation with Afera to finalize the raw material clusters and build the database required to set up the tool. In addition to the PCF tool, Sphera will also provide Afera members with a manual on how to use the tool and a detailed description of the methodology used for calculation of PCF including the assumptions made and how the TfS guidelines apply to adhesive tapes. 

Important agreements over the course of the workshop series are summarized in the following points: 

• The calculation methodology will be based on ISO standard 14067:2018: Greenhouse Gases – Carbon Footprint of Products through an expansion of the Together for Sustainability (TfS) PCF Guideline. 
• The scope will be cradle-to-gate and will be for reporting within business-to-business for the time being. 
• The functional unit will be CO₂ eq. per sq. m of tape, with a conversion factor (surface area to mass). 
• Parameters will be: “open parameters” -- raw material, waste (including treatment), energy use, warehousing, packaging and “fixed parameters” -- transportation, auxiliary materials. 
• In terms of data, primary data from suppliers will be possible to be incorporated, secondary data sets to be compiled by Sphera with input from Afera. 
• For the timeline, raw materials clusters and model processes – estimated for the fourth quarter of 2023; data collection – estimated for H1 2024; and draft tool delivery (MVP) – third quarter of 2024.

“We made a lot of progress during the last scoping workshops in Düsseldorf: all the key aspects have been agreed upon. We can now focus on filling in the details for the raw materials and the manufacturing processes. Fortunately, earlier discussions and data from prior projects can pave the way for a swift development of the tool, so that we can have a version before the end of 2024 as was intended,” said Pablo Englebienne, Afera Regulatory Affairs & Sustainability manager.  

Harmonized Calculation of PCF of Adhesives and Tapes 

The AFSP was set up with cooperation at its heart to solve problems that are too big for one single company to tackle. Joining forces with the liquid adhesive industry to develop a common approach and solution to calculate the environmental impact of adhesives and adhesive tapes is one such example. The two associations are working with software developer Sphera on an online platform, access to which will be made available to Tape Manufacturer Members under an access fee. 

The common goal is to ensure that Member Companies are soon able to determine PCF values for adhesives and tapes in a straightforward, harmonized, affordable manner. This will allow businesses to meet future legal requirements as well as the demands of the supply chain. 

Get more information regarding the PCF tool here: Afera PCF calculation tool. 

For more details, contact Afera at AFSP@afera.com.