Flexible software tool ensures environmental product declaration at NKT Cables
A tailored software-based life cycle assessment tool ensures that NKT Cables can document the environmental properties of their products as described in the European standards.
NKT Cables, a part of the NKT group, designs, produces and markets cables of high quality for the energy sector with focus on electrical infrastructure, construction industry and motor industry.
The company, which employs approx. 3,200 employees, wants to be leading with innovative, technologically advanced and sustainable solutions. An important focus area for NKT Cables is the environment, especially in the company’s production activities, where energy efficiency, resource exploitation and waste prevention are the most important priorities.
Demands for environmental product declarations of construction products
Besides NKT Cables’ own focus on the environment, focus on sustainability in the building industry is increasing, especially in relation to assessment of the applicability of the construction products.Therefore, the Construction Products Regulation demands that all producers of construction products who market their products in the EU must prepare environmental documentation in a harmonised way, which makes it possible to compare construction products based on their environmental impact in a given building.
Flexible tool which goes one step further
NKT Cables therefore contacted the Department of Applied Environmental Assessment at FORCE Technology and asked for a solution which ensured that NKT Cables was able to deliver the documentation, which is required according to the standard EN 15804 “Sustainability of construction works — Environmental product declarations — Core rules for the product category of construction products”.FORCE Technology developed a software-based life cycle assessment tool which can be used to document and explain the environmental impact of NKT Cables’ products. The tool is based on life cycle thinking (LCA) and besides documentation of the present environmental impacts, it can be used in connection with design and optimisation and both new and existing products.
A substantial function of the tool is that it is possible to compare the environmental profile of different product designs. Thus the tool goes one step further and becomes a valuable active in connection with product development.
User-friendliness gives the company ownership
The tool is easy to use and does not require expert knowledge about LCA in general or the many special demands which are made in EN 15804. This means that NKT Cables themselves can use the tool in their normal business activities, for instance to demonstrate to their customers that the construction products live up to current legislation.The fact that NKT Cables controls and can use the tool for external communication does also mean that the tool, and thus environment and sustainability, becomes an integrated part of the everyday life and the way of thinking. In this way, the tool also strengthens NKT Cables own vision of focusing on the environment in the company.
Read more about environmental product declarations on construction products (download our product sheet/brochure).
Charlotte Merlin
LCA
LCA builds on the life cycle thinking which means the life cycle of the whole product/service from cradle to grave is considered into the environmental assessment. Exactly this separates the way of thinking from the traditional approach in the environmental work in the companies. By looking at the products in a life cycle perspective it is ensured that the environmental effort is concentrated where it gives the most possible environmental profit.
Two international standards are connected to LCA, ISO 14040 which describes principles and structure as well as ISO 14044 which specifies demands and instructs. The European standard EN 15804 provides specific requirements for LCA of building products.
