CEN/TR 13910:2010

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2011
1DGRPHãþD
SIST CR 13910:2002
(PEDODåD3RURþLORRPHULOLKLQPHWRGRORJLMDK]DDQDOL]RåLYOMHQMVNHJDFLNOD
HPEDODåH
Packaging - Report on criteria and methodologies for life cycle analysis of packaging
Verpackung - Bericht über die Kriterien und Methodik von Ökobilanzen für Verpackungen
Emballage - Rapport sur les critères et méthodologies pour l'analyse du cycle de vie des
emballages
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TR 13910:2010
ICS:
13.020.60 Življenjski ciklusi izdelkov Product life-cycles
55.020 Pakiranje in distribucija blaga Packaging and distribution of
na splošno goods in general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

TECHNICAL REPORT
CEN/TR 13910
RAPPORT TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHER BERICHT
August 2010
ICS 13.020.60; 55.020 Supersedes CR 13910:2000
English Version
Packaging - Report on criteria and methodologies for life cycle
analysis of packaging
Emballage - Rapport sur les critères et méthodologies pour Verpackung - Bericht über die Kriterien und Methodik von
l'analyse du cycle de vie des emballages Ökobilanzen für Verpackungen

This Technical Report was approved by CEN on 19 June 2010. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 261.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2010 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TR 13910:2010: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword .3
Introduction .4
1 Scope .5
2 Normative references .5
3 Terms and definitions .5
4 Criteria and methodology for life cycle assessment of packaging .7
4.1 General .7
4.2 Goal and scope definition .8
4.2.1 General .8
4.2.2 Function, functional unit and reference flow . 10
4.2.3 Allocation . 11
4.2.4 Data Quality . 14
4.2.5 Boundary between packaging and the products . 14
4.3 Life cycle inventory analysis . 16
4.4 Life cycle impact assessment . 16
4.4.1 General . 16
4.4.2 Single impact category indicators . 16
4.5 Life cycle interpretation . 17
4.5.1 General . 17
4.5.2 Key data points, setting and assumptions . 18
4.5.3 Limitations, uncertainties and significance of results. 19
5 Presentation and communication . 20
6 Critical review . 20
7 Further requirements and aspects to consider . 20
7.1 General limitations of LCA as a tool/method . 20
7.2 Limitations in the context of specific areas of application of packaging LCAs . 20
7.2.1 General . 20
7.2.2 Comparative packaging LCAs . 21
7.2.3 Packaging function and logistics . 21
Annex A (informative) Cross-references. 22
Bibliography . 23

Foreword
This document (CEN/TR 13910:2010) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 261 “Packaging”,
the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes CR 13910:2000.
This Technical Report defines and describes how to apply Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to packaging and
distribution systems. The expression "Life Cycle Analysis", applied in the EU Packaging Directive, is in this
report considered as identical to the concept of "Life Cycle Assessment" in the EN ISO 14040 standards.
This Technical Report has been prepared by the CEN Working Group, CEN/TC 261/SC 4/WG 1/TG 1, which
has been considering the aspects of life cycle assessment specific to packaging, in order to fulfil the "Mandate
200 rev.3 to CEN for Standardisation and a study related to packaging and packaging waste", requested by
the EU Commission.
Introduction
Packaging is an integral part of modern society providing means for protection, presentation, information and
distribution of products to industry, trade and consumers.
In 1994 the European Parliament and the European Council adopted a Directive on Packaging and Packaging
Waste, covering all types of packaging placed on the market in the European Community and all packaging
waste, whether used or released at the industrial, commercial, office, shop, service, household level or at any
other level, regardless of the material used.
The Directive aims to harmonise national measures concerning the management of packaging and packaging
waste in order to, on the one hand, prevent any impact thereof on the environment of all Member States, as
well as of third countries, or to reduce such impact, thus providing a high level of environmental protection,
and, on the other hand, to ensure the functioning of the internal market and to avoid obstacles to trade, and
the distortion and restriction of competition within the European Community. The two objectives are on an
equal footing.
Article 10 of the Directive states that the European Commission shall promote the preparation of European
standards relating to the essential requirements referred to in Annex II of the Directive and, in particular, the
preparation of European Standards relating to, among others:
 criteria and methodologies for life-cycle analysis of packaging.
The present Technical Report covers the work of CEN to meet that requirement.
1 Scope
This Technical Report establishes a set of best practice guidelines for undertaking those aspects of life cycle
assessment specific to packaging and distribution systems.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
EN ISO 14040:2006, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework
(ISO 14040:2006)
EN ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management — Life cycle assessment — Requirements and guidelines
(ISO 14044:2006)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
This section defines the LCA and packaging specific terms used in this report. The LCA terms are based on
definitions given in EN ISO 14040:2006, and the packaging terms are based on definitions in the European
Parliament and the Council Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste (94/62/EC) and terms and
definitions referred to in EN 13193 unless stated otherwise.
3.1
life cycle assessment
LCA
compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product system
throughout its life cycle
3.2
life cycle inventory analysis
LCI
phase of life cycle assessment involving the compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs, for a product
throughout its life cycle
3.3
life cycle impact assessment
LCIA
phase of life cycle assessment aimed at understanding and evaluating the magnitude and significance of the
potential environmental impacts for a product system throughout the life cycle of the product
3.4
life cycle interpretation
phase of life cycle assessment in which the findings of either the inventory analysis or the impact assessment,
or both, are evaluated in relation to the defined goal and scope in order to reach conclusions and
recommendations
3.5
packaging
all items made of any material of any nature to be used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and
presentation of goods, from raw materials to processed goods, from the producer to the user or the consumer
NOTE In this report the goods are referred to as "packaged product" or just "product", in order to distinguish it from
the packaging.
3.6
sales packaging
primary packaging
packaging conceived so as to constitute a sales unit to the final user or consumer at the point of purchase
3.7
grouped packaging
secondary packaging
packaging conceived so as to constitute at the point of purchase a grouping of a certain number of sales units
whether the latter is sold as such to the final user or consumer or whether it serves only as a means to
replenish the shelves at the point of sale
NOTE It can be removed from the product without affecting its characteristics.
3.8
transport packaging
tertiary packaging
packaging conceived so as to facilitate handling and transport of a number of sales units or grouped
packaging in order to prevent physical handling and transport damage
NOTE Transport packaging does not include road, rail, ship and air containers.
3.9
used packaging
packaging or packaging material remaining after the removal of the product it contained
3.10
distribution system
necessary physical arrangements (packing, storage, transport and merchandising) to bring a product from its
manufacturing stage, to its final stage of consumption/use
3.11
collection system
necessary physical arrangements (sorting, collecting, transport and storage) to bring used packaging from the
point of consumption to the point of reuse, recovery or final disposal
3.12
functional unit of packaging
quantified performance of a product system of packaging, for use as a reference unit in an LCA study
3.13
carbon footprint
overall amount, expressed in terms of CO equivalents, of carbon dioxide (CO ) and other greenhouse gas
2 2
(GHG) emissions associated with a product, using LCA methodology
NOTE Carbon footprint essentially coincides with the impact category that has generally been referred to under the
name "global warming potential" (GWP) in most LCAs to date. Both terms are meant as a measure of the potential
contribution to the global phenomenon of climate change, which may also include regional side-effects such as storms and
local cooling.
3.14
critical review
process intended to ensure consistency between a life cycle assessment and the principles and requirements
of the standards on life cycle assessment
3.15
interested party
individual or group concerned with or affected by the environmental performance of a product system, or by
the results of the life cycle assessment
3.16
allocation
partitioning the inpu
...