Fraunhofer IMWS conducts life cycle assessments in bioeconomy-context

Many everyday products, from hygiene articles to packaging, are based on pulp. For production, the pulp obtained from fibrous plants is chemically and mechanically processed. This requires chemicals, process water, energy in the form of steam, and electricity. Against the background of a growing sustainability awareness on the part of consumers, procedures in the pulp industry are increasingly being optimized in order to reduce water usage, air emissions as well as energy requirements.

Within the context of the circular and bioeconomy the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS focuses not only on the development of novel materials and the optimization of components, but also on the potential environmental impact of novel technologies. For this purpose, Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) are carried out to determine the extent of the ecological footprint of a product over its entire life cycle or over parts of it. On the basis of standardized processes, statements can be made about procedures along the entire production process, from the extraction of raw materials, through production and use, to recycling options. From these, optimization potentials can be identified as a next step.

An example of such a life cycle assessment is the study prepared by Fraunhofer IMWS on the environmental impact of a European bioproduct mill whose pulp production processes were assessed in the context of the international pulp industry.