Carbon Footprint
Carbon footprint is the concept of calculating and displaying the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout a product or service’s lifecycle, from raw material sourcing through manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal, in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Contents5 sections
Definition and Relationship to Certification and Regulations
Carbon footprint is an indicator used to grasp greenhouse gas emissions on a per-product basis and similar units. It is generally also called CFP, but it does not in itself mean a material type, an environmentally friendly material, or a standalone certification scheme.
Whether third-party verification of calculation results, display methods, and reporting is required depends on the calculation rules adopted, the country or region of the sales destination, and customer requirements. Rather than judging only by the presence or absence of a certification mark, it is important to check the supporting documents and scope of application.
Scope and Calculation Standards
In calculation, you first define which processes are included, such as raw material extraction and production, spinning, weaving or knitting, dyeing and finishing, sewing, packaging, and transportation. The result also changes depending on whether use, washing, disposal, and recycling are included.
To make the figures comparable, it is necessary to align the calculation unit, such as per product, per meter of fabric, or per kilogram, as well as the target period, allocation method, and emission factors used. Figures calculated under different conditions cannot be compared directly.
- Type of raw material, blend ratio, and origin of recycled material
- Fabric weight, width, yield, and cutting loss
- Dyeing and processing, energy used, and handling of water and chemicals
- Transportation segments, transportation method, and packaging specifications
- Product use method, washing and drying, and disposal method
Points to Check in Fabric Purchasing and Product Development
When purchasing fabric, check not only the CFP value but also whether the figure covers the raw material stage or extends to the fabric stage. If the color, processing, fabric weight, width, or manufacturing location differs, calculation results may not be standardized even for the same product line.
For those making products, design is needed that includes not only the fabric but also linings, interlinings, accessories such as buttons and zippers, sewing, product processing, packaging, and logistics. Data received from suppliers are easier to trace if managed together with the lot, applicable product number, and calculation date.
Notes on Display and Certificates
When displaying emissions on hang tags, product pages, sales materials, or similar, include the calculation scope, unit, calculation method or referenced rules, and scope of application of the figures. Broad expressions such as "environmentally friendly" alone make it difficult to convey the basis for the display.
Even when receiving a certificate or verification document, distinguish whether it shows a product-specific calculation result or a factory or organizational management system. Grasping emissions, reducing emissions, claiming reductions, and offsetting emissions are not the same thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is carbon footprint a certification?
Carbon footprint is a concept and figure for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated over the life cycle of products and similar items. There are cases where third-party verification or display systems are combined with the calculation result, but the term CFP alone does not indicate that a specific certification has been obtained.
If a fabric has a low CFP, will the entire product also be low?
Not necessarily. For the entire product, accessories other than the fabric, sewing, product dyeing or washing, packaging, transportation, use, and disposal also have an impact. Also, depending on whether the fabric CFP covers only up to the raw material stage or up to fabric production, the range that can be used in product calculation differs.
Can CFP values be compared between different fabrics?
They can be used as a reference for comparison only when the calculation unit, target processes, data point in time, allocation method, and emission factors used are aligned. In addition to the size of the figures, check the conditions in the calculation report and specification documents, and evaluate materials that meet the same function and quality standards against each other.
