Background This product-specific plant-specific declaration was created by collecting production data from the Shelbyville, IN production locations. Secondary data sources include those available in LCA for Experts 2023 databases.

Allocation The PCR prescribes where and how allocation occurs. Since only facility-level data were available, allocation among the facilities' other co-products was necessary to determine the input and output flows associated with the product. Allocation of batch materials and energy was done on a product output mass basis, binder materials were allocated based on the mass calculated from the bill of materials and binder formulations, facers were allocated based on product area, and packaging was allocated based on mass per package of product. Allocation of transportation was based on either weight or volume, depending on which was found to restrict the amount of cargo; the limiting factor was used in allocating transportation.

Cut-off criteria for the inclusion of mass and energy flows are 1% of renewable primary resource (energy) usage, 1% nonrenewable primary resource (energy) usage, 1% of the total mass input of that unit process, and 1% of environmental impacts. The total of neglected input flows per module does not exceed 5% of energy usage, mass, and environmental impacts. The only exceptions to these criteria are substances with hazardous and toxic properties, which must be listed even when the given process unit is under the cut-off criterion of 1% of the total mass. No known flows are deliberately excluded from this declaration; therefore, these criteria have been met. Biogenic carbon is included in reported results.

Quality Temporal and technological representativeness are considered to be high. Geographical representativeness is considered to be high. All relevant process steps for the product system were considered and modeled. The process chain is considered sufficiently complete with regards to the goal and scope of this study. The product system was checked for mass balance and completeness of the inventory. Capital goods were excluded since they are assumed not to significantly affect the conclusions of the LCA. Otherwise, no data were knowingly omitted. For more information on data quality, see the LCA background report.

LCIA impact factors required by the PCR are global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, smog, and fossil fuel depletion; “These six impact categories are globally deemed mature enough to be included in Type III environmental declarations. Other categories are being developed and defined and LCA should continue making advances in their development. However, the EPD users shall not use additional measures for comparative purposes.”

Flow diagram