Eco-indicator '95
Introduction
The Eco-indicator of a material or process is a number that indicates the environmental
impact of a material or process. The higher the indicator, the greater the environmental
impact. This has been calculated according to the Eco-indicator 95 methode.
The Eco-indicator is expressed in millipoints (mPts) per functional unit. For materials
this functional unit is 1kg, so the indicator is valid for the production of 1kg of a
material.
Environmental effects
The environmental effects which are included in the Eco-indicator are those, who damage ecosystems or human health on a European scale.
| Greenhouse effect |  |
The anticipated temperature rise as a result of the increasing concentration of gasses that restrict heat radiation by the Earth. |
| Ozone layer depletion | |
The increase in ultraviolet radiation on Earth caused by high-altitude decomposition of the ozone layer. |
| Acidification | |
Degradation of forests by, for example, acid rain. |
| Eutrophication | |
The disappearance of rare plants that especially grow in poor soils, as a result of the emission of substances, that have the effect of a fertilizer and the changes in aquatic ecosystems. |
| Heavy metals | |
Health damage caused by heavy metals in the soil, water and air. |
| Carcinogenity | |
People getting cancer caused by carcinogenic substances (for example polyaromatic hydrocarbons) |
| Winter smog | |
Smog forming, caused by the emission of dust and SO2. |
| Summersmog | |
Smog forming, with peaks in summers, due to increases in the ozone concentration. |
| Pesticides | |
Decrease in groundwater quality caused by leaching of pesticides. |
Effects that are not included are:
|
Toxic substances that are only a problem in the workplace but scarcely occur in the outside environment because they decompose rapidly. |
|
The exhaustion (depletion) of raw materials. |
|
The quantity of waste; the effects of waste processing are included. |
Calculation of the Eco-indicator
To calculate an Eco-indicator a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) is completed, to collect the
environmental impact data. This data is used to calculate the Eco-indicators according to
the Eco-indicator '95 method.
First for every environmental effect a score is calculated. After that these scores are
normalized by comparing them with the current level of the environmental effect per
European per year. Normalization reveals which effects are large and which are small in
relative terms. This does not say anything about the relative importance of the effect.
For this, the effects are multiplied with a weighting factor. These subjective weighting
factors are determined according to the distance-to-target principle. The underlying
premise is that there is a correlation between the seriousness of an effect and the
distance between the current level and the target level.
The calculation method of the IDEMAT Database deviates on one aspect from that of the Eco-indicator 95 method. In the Eco-indicator 95 method the creation of new materials and energy during the recycling and incineration processes is also taken into account. By subtracting the avoided emissions due to the recycling of materials or the generation of energy some of the indicators for recycling and incineration processes become negative. In the EcoScan database it has been decided not to include these avoided emissions in the calculation of the Eco-indicator. In the Eco-indicators of recycling and incineration only the emissions and the used energy that occur during the processing are taken into account. The actual application of recycling only shows to its full advantage in the use of recycled materials in the production phase.
Use of the Eco-indicator '95
The Eco-indicator has been developed as a tool for developing more environmentally friendly products.The Eco-indicator can be used in two ways:
- The analysis of products or ideas, with the aim of finding the most important causes of the environmental pollution and finding opportunities for improvement.
- The comparison of products, semi-finished products or design concepts, after which the least environmentally polluting components can then be chosen.
The Eco-indicator is not meant for use as a marketingtool or an environmental hallmark.
Validity of the data
All Eco-indicators are up to date and valid for The Netherlands (more specifically for Rotterdam) in the year specified.
