Cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment of North American cellulosic fiberboard production

Abstract

Global demand for construction materials from population growth and higher standards of living stresses the climate. Natural solutions such as renewable construction materials from wood aid in sustainable growth and decrease our environmental footprint. Wood can be used along the entire supply chain in producing these renewable products. Lower quality logs, sawmill residues, and construction waste are forms of wood resources processed to make engineered wood products such as cellulosic fiberboard. These engineered wood products are used in building construction and can store carbon for decades. This study quantified the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing cellulosic fiberboard in North America using the life-cycle assessment approach. System boundaries in this study included modules [A1] raw material extraction, [A2] raw material transportation, and [A3] product manufacturing. The declared unit was 1 m³ of cellulosic fiberboard packaged and ready for shipment. The cradle-to-gate life-cycle inventory results showed that 196 kg CO₂eq was released in the production of 1 m³ of cellulosic fiberboard. Each unit (1 m³) of cellulosic fiberboard stored 439 kg CO₂eq in wood material offsetting these [A1-A3] emissions. The product manufacturing phase of cellulosic fiberboard [A3] consumed 96% of total cradle-to-gate primary energy and generated about 93.8% of global warming (GW) impact. The GW impact showed that cellulosic fiberboard production had a negative impact when considering the carbon stored in cellulosic fiberboard acting as a carbon sink. To aid in mitigating climate change, the building industry is an ideal application for cellulosic fiberboard because of the low carbon footprint and long-term carbon storage ability of this product.

Citation

Sahoo, Kamalakanta; Bergman, Richard. 2021. Cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment of North American cellulosic fiberboard production. Research Paper. FPL-RP-709. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 38 p.