What is ISO 22526-3 about?
ISO 22526-3 is the third part of the ISO 22526 multi-series, and specifies requirements and guidelines for the quantification and reporting of the process carbon footprint of bio-based plastic being a partly carbon footprint of a bio-plastic product.
ISO 22526-3 is applicable to process carbon footprint studies (P-CFP) of plastic material, being a partial carbon footprint of a product, whether or not the results are intended to be publicly available.
Requirements and guidelines for the quantification of a partial carbon footprint of a product (partial CFP) are provided in ISO 22526-3.
Note 1: Offsetting is outside of the scope of ISO 22526-3
Note 2: In applying ISO 22526-3, it is advisable to take into consideration societal, environment legal, cultural, political and organizational diversity, as well as differences in economic conditions.
Who is ISO 22526-3 for?
ISO 22526-3 on the process carbon footprint of product (P-CFP) is useful for:
- Manufacturers of disposables items such as packaging, containers, straws, bags, and bottles
- Manufacturers of non-disposable carpet, plastic piping, phone casing, and 3D printing
- Research laboratories
- Environment control bodies
Why should you use ISO 22526-3?
P-CFP is a sum of greenhouse gas emission and removals of the cradle-to-gate processes of a product system, expressed as CO2 equivalents and based on the relevant stages or processes within the life cycle. Therefore, ISO 22526-3 specifies the requirements and guidelines for the quantification of P-CFP.
Where the results of a P-CFP study are reported according to ISO 22526-3, procedures are provided to support transparency and credibility, and also to allow for informed choices.
Determination of P-CFP benefits primarily focuses on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with consumption. Reducing your consumption of coal, oil, and natural gas which are the highest emitters of greenhouse gases, in turn, reduces your carbon footprint, which has huge impacts on environmental, economic, and public health.