Get insights into sustainability

PE INTERNATIONAL is recognized by its clients as being a thought leader on how sustainability concepts can be applied to organizations and to products.

Committed to sharing our knowledge, we offer not only our services as consultants but also our insights through numerous whitepapers, case studies, presentations, studies and webinars.

Check out the new resource section of our website!

Choosing an artificial or real christmas tree? LCA study gives the answer

The first ISO-compliant third-party peer reviewed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing the most common artificial Christmas tree sold in the United States to the most common real Christmas tree sold in the United States, found that the choice of either tree has a negligible impact on the environment.

However, the study’s findings show that length of ownership, disposal method and “tree miles” can make a difference on which tree is environmentally preferable.

The study, conducted by PE INTERNATIONAL and peer reviewed by an independent third party panel, took into consideration five key environmental indicators to determine which tree type is environmentally preferable. 

The environmental impact of Christmas trees

The study was sponsored by the American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) a non-profit organization representing artificial Christmas tree retailers and real Christmas tree retailers, to clear up common misperceptions about the environmental impacts of Christmas trees.

If you purchase an artificial tree, keep it in use for at least nine years

The study also highlights an “Eight Christmas Environmental Payback Period” between the two tree products based on the study’s five environmental indicators. The study found that the environmental impacts of one artificial tree used for more than eight Christmas’ is environmentally friendlier than purchasing eight or more live cut trees over eight years. "ACTA encourages responsible consumerism," said Jami Warner, Executive Director of ACTA. "Consumers should consider the impact on the environment for every item they purchase, not just Christmas trees."

Read the full final report here

InSinkErator – How to dispose 34 mio tons of food waste?

Food waste is a large component of our solid waste problem. And the question of what to do with it is a challenge for communities worldwide. Most of the food waste ends up in landfill, contributing to greenhouse gases.

PE INTERNATIONAL Inc. conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to help InSinkErator, a North American producer of disposers, to better understand the environmental impact of different food waste disposal systems.

The study examines various methods of transferring and disposing of organic food waste while measuring the global warming potential and primary energy demand of each process.

Read the summary of the study

For more information please contact Laura Mar

Truck Freight vs. Rail Freight – the next round

Environmental studies usually came to the conclusion that rail is generally the better and preferable environmental transport solution. In our recent study we demonstrated that a general statement, i.e. that rail is more environmentally friendly than road, cannot be made.

In the upcoming update focusing on Germany, we took into account most recent data available from rail companies. The results of the update confirm the findings of our previous study. A new case study, investigating the shift from road to rail of long-distance freight transport over distances beyond 300 kilometres, as proposed in the EU White Paper, revealed that CO2 emissions of rail and truck are in the same magnitude.

Depending on specific case parameter such as load factor, empty trips, precarriage and oncarriage either truck or rail performs better. This is a fact underlining our claim that a case-to-case investigation is required. 

Read the summary of the study 

For more information please contact Michael Spielmann

GaBi 5 & Databases ’11 - the new generation of product sustainability

GaBi 5 & Databases ’11 are the next generation of LCA technology providing LCA experts and LCA debutantes with confidence for making good business decisions and for issuing accurate and reliable external communications. All Life Cycle Assessment practitioners will experience more efficiency in modelling for faster LCA studies and easier communication of actionable Life Cycle Assessment results.

GaBi 5 and the Databases ’11 establish Life Cycle Assessment as an essential tool for the whole organisation to develop more sustainable products and processes while increasing resource efficiency and reducing cost.


Contact us now for a demo and offer.

More information on GaBi 5 and Databases ’11 here.

Forbo Flooring: GaBi i-report pushes product development and process improvements

“PE’s Life Cycle Assessment software is the base for our green development and evaluating our environmental impacts with our focus on reducing the CO2 emissions and the related irreversible climate change caused by global warming.”

Forbo Flooring, one of the world’s leading flooring system manufacturers, has long been committed to improving environmental performance and has commissioned many peer reviewed LCA and benchmark studies. Forbo recently decided to form an internal LCA team to take on the role of building knowledge in house and allowing more individuals, within the organisation, to get involved with the LCA process.

Fred Seifert states: “GaBi software will enable us to further drive down the environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of our products and processes by providing us with the information that we need to identify areas for improvement. The GaBi i-report in particular will allow us to push product development and innovation based on environmental performance information.”

Major Life Cycle Assessment study for American Hardwoods

PE INTERNATIONAL is currently undertaking the first phase of data collection for the ground breaking Study which will conform to the ISO14000 series of Standards for LCAs. Life Cycle Inventory data is being gathered for American hardwood lumber and veneer covering environmental impacts of every process from point of extraction through to delivery to the importers yard in Europe and East Asia.

The study will allow preparation of Environmental Products Declarations (EPDs) for American hardwood species and products. EPDs are widely recognised as the most effective method of communicating the full environmental profile of any product and are increasingly used as a basis for materials credits in green building rating systems like BREEAM and DGNB. The study will also include, as a discrete component, an assessment of the carbon footprint of using American hardwood lumber and veneers in Europe in line with the UK’s PAS 2050 standard and the international Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

For David Venables, European Director of AHEC (www.americanhardwood.org) the decision to invest in this new Study is hugely significant for the industry and vital for its future competitive edge in export markets, in a world where green specification is increasingly informed by a science-based approach.

He says: “This is a massive undertaking in both financial and logistical terms because the Study will encompass a wide range of operations and processes. Data collection will be needed from a variety of sectors, supply chain elements and geographical regions. What we want from this Study is comprehensive and independently assessed and verified information about the environmental impacts of the processes used to extract, produce and dispose of American hardwood products.”

Climate effects of rail and road

Rail and waterway transport are commonly considered better environmental performers than road transport in the carriage of goods. But the validity of such general statements is limited, as a new study of PE INTERNATIONAL shows. Considering the national combined transport road transport is comparable with rail and in some cases even better.
Read more and download the study

LCA for the Corrugated Packaging Alliance (CPA)

PE Americas conducted a life-cycle assessment (LCA) for the Corrugated Packaging Alliance (CPA) to evaluate the environmental impact of corrugated packaging products. With such an LCA study, the CPA and its constituent associations can assist others in understanding and communicating the environmental footprint and environmental benefits associated with using corrugated. At the same time, this study helps describe the environmental impacts of corrugated’s different life-cycle stages in relation to overall environmental performance, and the potential environmental benefits of process improvements. Beyond the operations of a single manufacturing site or package specification, the study evaluates the environmental performance of an industry-average corrugated product throughout its entire life cycle.

Download Summary Report