About PEF
In today’s environmentally aware world, having accurate information about how products affect the planet is essential for businesses and consumers to make smart choices.
What is PEF and how it works
Developed by the European Commission Product Environmental Footprinting (PEF) is a method of life cycle assessment (LCA) that provides rules to quantify and communicate environmental impacts of products, including goods and services. PEF focuses on reducing impacts throughout the supply chain of products — from raw material extraction to waste management. It provides specific requirements for modelling material flows, emissions, and waste streams, enabling a thorough understanding and management of the environmental impacts. Companies, especially SMEs, often lack the necessary knowledge and tools to quantify and convey their environmental performance in a reliable way. This is where the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) comes into play. The Environmental Footprint methods provide precise guidelines for modelling, calculating, and reporting life cycle environmental impacts of products and services. It builds upon established international practices and standards, such as ISO 14000 and ISO 14044.
PEF is instrumental in advancing towards a more sustainable economy by providing producers and buyers with the tools they need to make informed and more sustainable choices.
Difference between PEF and LCA
Quantifies all kinds of environmental impacts like:
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Energy use
- Water consumption
Offers a methodological framework
- Specific guidelines on how to perform an LCA
- Assesses 16 key environmental impact categories
PEF Category Rules (PEFCR) for Synthetic Turf Systems
Scope of PEFCR
There are 3 ways of looking at the scope of PEFCR – the application, life cycle or the system approach.
APPLICATION
LIFE CYCLE
SYSTEM
1. Application Approach
The PEFCR for Synthetic Turf Systems covers both sports and landscape applications.
2. Life Cycle Approach
The PEFCR for Synthetic Turf Systems covers all life cycle stages of a product, from production until its disposal.
3. System Approach
The PEFCR for Synthetic Turf Systems covers the whole system above the base construction.
The PEFCR does not assess the base constructions on which synthetic turf surfaces are laid. This is due to the diversity of designs and construction methods used throughout Europe, and the fact that the bases are built by local specialist construction companies , and not the manufacturers of the synthetic turf surfaces.
Key Impact Categories for Synthetic Turf systems
Impact categories represent the key environmental factors that can have negative effects on the planet. These include issues like climate change, water use, and ozone depletion. When developing the PEF concept, the European Commission identified 16 crucial impact categories that must be evaluated at every stage of a product’s life cycle.
Recognising that for many consumers, reviewing several hundred data points is unrealistic and likely to cause confusion the PEF methodology also allows the key impact categories for a specific product group to be defined. During the development of the PEFCR for synthetic turf surfaces, the following six impact categories were identified as being the most significant as they created more than 80 percent of the total environmental impact. In addition, and at the request of the European Commission, an additional impact category relating to the potential for a synthetic turf surface to create microplastics through fibre wear and the use of polymeric infill materials has been included.
There are 7 main impact categories for synthetic turf systems
Acidification
Evaluates the acidifying effects on ecosystems and soil.
WATER USE
Assesses the depletion of available water and it's impact on human activities and ecosystem integrity.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Measures the impact related to greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4).
PARTICULATE MATTER
Examines the effects of fine particles in the air of on human health.
RESOURCE USE(MINERALS AND METALS)
Assesses the depletion of physical (non-biological or abiotic) resources.
RESOURCE USE (FOSSIL)
Assesses the depletion of fossil resources.
MICROPLASTICS
With increasing impact microplastics are having on the environment, ESTC was asked by the European Commission to also assess the potential for synthetic turf surfaces to create microplastics through the use of polymeric infills and as a result of the surfaces degrading through use of polymeric infills and as a result of the surfaces degrading through the use of weathering.
Downloads
PEF Study of Representative Product for Synthetic Turf for SPORTS Applications
May 2024