Swedish injection moulding company AD-plast has seen a reduction in its carbon dioxide emissions of 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the past year, equivalent to the emissions from 1,200 cars. This was achieved with the help of the new LCA simulation tool developed by Polykemi Group, a compounder likewise headquartered in Sweden. Using the tool, AD-plast was able to quantify the carbon footprint of all the materials it processed.
“It provided immediate answers on how we can reduce our CO2 emissions through our choice of material,” said Michael Jonsson, CEO at AD-plast.
In 2020, Polykemi conducted a scientific study in collaboration with a third party which was aimed at gaining insight into the climate impacts of the materials the Group produced. The outcome of the study was, among others, that the choice of material is a significant factor in the environmental impact of a plastic product. Insight into this impact can help processors make smart material choices.
Based on this study, Polykemi then developed its LCA simulation tool, making it possible to calculate the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of its materials portfolios. For customers, this meant they could now reliably assess the environmental footprint of the components they produce.
“The choice of material alone can save hundreds of tonnes of carbon dioxide and hundreds of thousands of euros each year,” said Henrik Palokangas, Sustainability Specialist for polymer materials at Polykemi. “We help our customers make smarter material choices to reduce their carbon footprint, while also providing the possibility to make their products lighter and saving both time and costs.”
The tool was exactly what we needed, said Jonsson. “Polykemi helps us break down the material choice in greater detail, which is important for us. We are now able to show our customers the impact our product has on the climate.”
He added: “I’ve seen similar tools at universities, but they are very complicated to work with. Polykemi’s calculation tool simplifies this process and gives us as customer a clear answer, before we even make our choice of material.”
It also opens up entirely new opportunities for the customer to demonstrate the climate impact of their products. Sustainability has been a priority at AD-plast for almost 23 years.
“We always try to be at the forefront when it comes to the climate, the environment and sustainability. Being able to supply our customers with these types of calculations is a must for us,” said Jonsson.
“Polykemi’s simulation tool will allow us to take the next step and specify our customers’ climate impacts in their invoice. We are thrilled about this.”
Polykemi Group consists of the companies Polykemi AB, Rondo Plast AB and Scanfill AB, all based in Ystad, as well as Polykemi Compounds Kunshan in China, Polykemi Inc. in the USA, Polykemi spol.sr.o in the Czech Republic, Polykemi Aps in Denmark and Polykemi GmbH in Germany.