Client

LC Paper is a century-old company from Besalú (Catalonia, Spain) that manufactures tissue paper, kraft, and derivatives for handling companies worldwide. It produces 50,000 tons of paper annually and exports to 41 countries. The company strongly invests in R&D for sustainable manufacturing, leading to the development of production processes that consume less energy, less water, and fewer fibers. It also undergoes periodic rigorous environmental certification programs.

Its commitment to sustainability has made it the first company in the Iberian Peninsula to be part of the ranking of sustainable European projects in the cellulose and paper sector by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI).

The challenge

Calculate the carbon footprint of the toilet paper and kitchen paper according to the ISO 14067 standard to determine if it aligns with the marketing claims of their client, Naked Sprout, the final product distributor in the UK.

Identify critical aspects of the products’ life cycle to make future decisions.

What was made?

The carbon footprint was calculated according to ISO 14067 for three different tissue paper products:

  • – A box of 24 rolls of bamboo toilet paper.
  • – A box of 24 rolls of recycled toilet paper.
  • – A box of 6 rolls of bamboo kitchen paper.

Thanks to the study, quantitative environmental information associated with all stages of the life cycle of these products was obtained, which is crucial in identifying the sources of environmental impacts, setting priorities, and making decisions to minimize environmental impacts, implement eco-design strategies, and provide consumers with environmental information about their products.

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Results

0,56

This is the carbon footprint in kg CO2 equivalent per kilo of bamboo toilet paper.

More than half of the impacts are generated in the raw materials phase.

0,29

This is the carbon footprint in kg CO2 equivalent per kilo of recycled toilet paper.

Half of the environmental impacts are generated in the acquisition of chemical additives in the raw materials phase.

0,62

This is the carbon footprint in kg CO2 equivalent per kilo of kitchen toilet paper.

More than half of the impacts are generated when obtaining paper cellulose and chemical additives in the raw materials phase.

Conclusions

All products from LC Paper have a much better environmental performance than the average tissue products, and this is explained by the use of non-oxygenated raw materials and a production system that relies on renewable energies and biomass.

The calculations allow for identifying opportunities for improvement both in obtaining available data and in implementing eco-design initiatives in product packaging.

All the cases