Brancheanalyse af miljømæssige forhold i træ- og møbelindustrien 

Summary and conclusions

This environmental analysis of the wood and furniture industry has the following purpose:

• To analyse the size and composition of the entire industry
• To identify and assess the environmental impacts of the sector – from cradle to grave
• To recommend actions, which will improve the environmental efforts through development of more environmentally friendly industrial products, thus strengthening the competitiveness on the domestic and the export markets
• To illustrate the possibilities of integrating environmental considerations into the product development process by using computer-based tools for environmental assessment

The results have appeared through data collection, primarily, from a number of Danish suppliers and manufacturers, secondarily, from relevant projects within the sector. The collected data have subsequently been used in life cycle assessments of three typical industrial products along conclusions and recommendations. By choosing these typical products, it is possible partly, to apply conclusions and recommendations in a wider perspective, and partly, by illustrating the applicability of the environmental evaluation tool in the product development. The three products are:

• A chair with a metal frame and seat and back are made of laminated wood
• A table made of solid hardwood
• A window made of pine

For each of the products product alternatives have been simulated to show the potential environmental focus points in connection with the product development. The life cycle assesments have been performed according to the Danish EDIP method (Environmental Design of Industrial Products), which includes a specially developed PC-based calculation tool.

In the course of the project a workshop has been held and co-ordinating meetings with the other pending cleaner technology projects with the wood and furniture industry.

The collected data will be accessible in the Danish PC-tool developed under the EDIP method, the database can be used by the wood and furniture industry in connection with product development – as a part of a product oriented environmental effort. The initial survey of the sector is based on 1995-data from Statistics Denmark, which are reported separately.

The Sector in Numbers

In 1995 the Danish wood and furniture industry including forestry had a total turnover of DKK 25 Mia. and employed approx. 50,000 employees including owners. Many small and medium-sized companies compose the sector with 15-16 employees on average per company except for forestry, in which the employees per management unit is 1.6.

The total production value of DKK 25 Mia is grouped with DKK 1.4 Mia from the forestry branch (6%), DKK 8.9 Mia in the sawmill and building materials industries (35%), and DKK 14.8 Mia in the furniture and interior furnishings industry (59%).

The furniture industry exported in 1995 for DKK 11 Mia corresponding to the total production of furniture (figures received later show that the export share of the furniture production is slightly increasing). The value of manufactured Danish furniture amounts to approx. 1.5% of worlds manufactured furniture. Forestry is naturally the largest manufacturer calculated according to amount of production: 1.9 million tons in 1995 corresponding to 55% of the total production of the sector.

The total registered energy consumption of the sector excluding forestry was 10,322,000 GJ in 1995, distributed with 62% on sawmills and building products and 38% on the furniture industry. In 1997 the total energy consumption in the sector was registered corresponding to 8% of Denmark’s total consumption.

The Consumption of the Sector of Materials and Resources

Danish forests deliver approx. 20% of the sector’s consumption of wood-based raw materials, primarily, hardwood. The yearly net increase of volume of wood in the Danish forests is 5% before the last windfalls at the end of 1999. The consumption of wood from rain forests is less than 3% of the total consumption. These wood species are not comprised by this analysis. The remainder of the consumption (77%) primary softwood is imported from our Nordic neighbours, where the yearly net increase of the volume of wood is approx. 25%. The wood origins increasingly from forestry, which can be certified according to directives on sustainable working laid down either by FSC, Forest Stewardship Council, or by PEFP, Pan European Forest Council. A wood generation from our most important source of supply renews itself in approx. 80 years.

Wood is a renewable resource, which at the same time is CO₂-neutral. The carbon absorbed during the growth of the wood is stored in the finished product after felling. The same amount of CO₂ is released at first either by biological deterioration, or if the product after terminated lifetime is disposed of by combustion. Wood refuse from the wood and furniture industry is used to substitute fuel based on fossil energy sources (oil, natural gas and coal), which are non-renewable and viewed as being essential contributors to the total increase of greenhouse gases. Wood refuse, as an energy source constitutes 40-50% of the total energy consumption of the sector. The potential for increased use of wood refuse either for processing of new wood-based materials or as energy for heat or electricity production is present.

Danish building materials, furniture and interior furnishings consume a large number of other raw materials than wood. Steel, aluminium, glass, plastic, adhesives, lacquers, paints and wood preservatives etc. form a large part of the finished products in different amounts depending on the requirements, which the finished product should meet in the use stage with the customer/consumer.

All materials, which are non-renewable, have both varied supply horizons and environmental impacts. Iron ore and bauxite (aluminium) have e.g. relatively long supply horizons of approx. 120 and 200 years respectively; zinc is evaluated to have a horizon of supply of only approx. 20 years.

One of the results of the assessment indicates that steel in steel furniture constitutes an essential environmental impact in relation to the other materials in the furniture. The total environmental impact from these types of furniture could therefore be reduced considerably by of correct disposal of the steel components after use, so that they can be disassembled for further recycling. At present a further dialogue between the manufacturers of the sector and the recycling industry is needed in order to optimise the recycling channels, so that non-renewable resources will get a longer supply horizon.

Adhesives, surface treatment of wood and metals as well as preservative treatment are applied to add the finished products further properties such as durability, strength and decorative effects with respect to design as well as increase the life span – functional requirements, to which natural material properties can not measure up.

This necessary value increment adds to the products environmental impacts. Apart from increased energy consumption, the main impacts can be related to the emission of volatile organic compounds, VOC’s, primary to the air department. These emissions of VOC’s effect not only the working and the external environment during application, but can also have a considerable impact on human well being in the use stage of the product. Today only emissions of formaldehyde from wood-based boards are regulated statutory, while the remaining emissions are only informed voluntarily, e.g. via the Danish Indoor Climate Labelling. For products containing chemical substances (e.g. preserved wood), special directives for disposal apply.

In the sector analysis special focus has been on collection of data on adhesives, lacquers and wood preservatives. An environmental assessment has been performed of compounds corresponding to approx. 95% of the sector’s consumption of these agents.

Together with the authorities, the organisations, material and equipment suppliers, manufacturers and industrial designers perform a major effort to reduce the total environmental impacts from the products and companies of the sector. The development within adhesives, surface treatment and wood preservatives has lead to development of adhesives and lacquers with lesser emissions of VOC’s e.g. reduced formaldehyde emission, water-based wood preservatives and prohibition of and phasing out arsenic and chromium. Investments in cleaner technologies in the production stage as well as increasing interest in the implementation of environmental management systems have resulted in the wood and furniture industry approaching the sectors overall reduction target for the emission of VOC. This reduction target is a result of a voluntary accord between the sector and the Danish Ministry of the Environment and Energy.

The findings of the three product assessments indicate, furthermore, that increased use of UV- and water-based lacquers essentially reduces the environmental impacts from the production stage and in the indoor air in the use stage. Increased use of new water-based wood preservatives and increased focus on wood protection through design by utilisation of woods natural properties will also improve the environmental profile of the sector.

These products might be designed with application of auxiliary materials with reduced environmental impacts as well as increased possibility of disassembling, grading and recycling. This would in excess of reducing the total environmental impact also contribute to reduction of potential waste charges (of which no reductions are expected in the near future).

There is a need at sector level to increase the efforts of disseminating both knowledge and tools for life cycle assessments and the product oriented environmental effort. The findings of the sector analysis can be utilised directly in the product development by means of the EDIP-method. The conclusions can, furthermore, be made applicable in a broader relation via simple means e.g. "6 x R" philosophy.

The basis of the 6 R’s is that the environmental focus points in the product development can be summarised under 6 general headlines:

In addition to time-consuming LCA methods the 6 R’s represent a guideline, which can be used in order to incorporate environmental reasoning in e.g. the design phase of a product.

In this context it is subsequently used to impose a structure on the conclusions of the project from selected products, so that they are applicable for manufacturers of other, similar products.

The data collection of this project has been very comprehensive; nevertheless, there are still many materials and processes, which have not been included. The reason for this exclusion of products, materials and processes are many. Where some of the materials or products are regarded as marginal other more important ones are not included due to limited data accessibility or economical or time limitations. Therefore this report does not represent a complete picture of the sector. The main goal has been to compile a report, which can be used as an inspiration for further work with documentation and implementation of the product oriented environmental strategies within the sector.

The use of the EDIP-method has been essential to pointing out the projects focus areas. To increase the accessibility of the tool and the reasoning of the LCA method the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a number of initiatives to further the implementation of the product oriented environmental strategies within the Danish industries.

Concurrently with the environmental development of the sector and its surrounding over the last few years, there has been an increased focus on the documentation of the various products environmental impacts.

The requirement to valid documentation - whether it is official labelling and verification schemes (FSC, DVC, The Nordic Swan, The European Flower, The Danish Indoor Label, ISO, EMAS) or "home made" environmental declarations - is steadily increasing. This is also seen among the members of the sector, who to a higher extent use environmental documentation in their marketing efforts. It is subsequently up to the parties involved to choose the level of documentation suited for the purpose.

Extensive life cycle assessment methods will not always be optimal for this documentation, but the reasoning will always be a sound approach.