Carbon Footprint
Quick Overview
Carbon footprint quantifies climate impact across full lifecycle — bioplastics can offer 20-70% reduction vs fossil plastics.
Overview
Total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly/indirectly by a product, organization, or activity, expressed as CO₂ equivalent. For bioplastics, includes biogenic carbon uptake, land use change, processing emissions, and end-of-life. LCA methodology (ISO 14040/44) required for credible claims.
Key Concepts
Carbon footprint quantifies climate impact across full lifecycle — bioplastics can offer 20-70% reduction vs fossil plastics.
Industry Landscape
Major Companies & Projects
Quantis, Sphera, EcoAct, South Pole, Carbon Trust, SGS, DNV, TÜV are actively developing carbon footprint technologies and applications.
Applications
Product carbon footprinting, Scope 3 emissions, Carbon labeling, Green claims substantiation, CBAM compliance
Standards & Certifications
ISO 14040/44 (LCA), ISO 14067 (PCF), GHG Protocol, PEF, ENVISAT
Related Terms
life-cycle-assessment, bio-based, co2-feedstock, circular-economy, mass-balance-approach
Further Reading
- Industry reports from Nova-Institute, European Bioplastics, ISCC
- Peer-reviewed literature in Green Chemistry, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
- Regulatory updates from EU Commission, USDA BioPreferred, FDA
Standards & Certifications
- ISO 14040/44 (LCA)
- ISO 14067 (PCF)
- GHG Protocol
- PEF
- ENVISAT
Major Producers
- Quantis
- Sphera
- EcoAct
- South Pole
- Carbon Trust
- SGS
- DNV
- TÜV
Key Applications
- Product carbon footprinting
- Scope 3 emissions
- Carbon labeling
- Green claims substantiation
- CBAM compliance