Life Cycle Analysis
EP commitments FSC certified ISO9001 & 14001 certified Produced in Spain
≈ 80 500 kgCO2e
18mm vs 21mm Plywood
Equivalent to: 94 Paris-New York journeys by plane 2654 smartphones
Plywood
3 010
kgCO2e
Plywood
It represents a difference of 14%. If we add transport, we reach a difference of 20%.
kgCO2e
3 739
Road Transport Handware
Overall, 18mm panels offer an overall carbon savings of 0.9%.
We’ve done the
Research
4 to 5%
IFSC official boulder wall, TITAN, 105 sqm of climbing surface. • Wall location: Paris, France.
What is the environmental impact of a boulder wall in 2023 produced by EP Climbing ?
• EP production sites: France & Spain
Holds
Wall
Wall components & lifespan Primary frame
1 unit
20 years
Secondary frame
1 unit
20 years
Panels
105 sqm
20 years
PU holds
260
2 years - replaced 9x
PE holds
240
2 years - replaced 9x
Fibreglass & wood volumes
30
2 years - replaced 9x
Mats
114 sqm
5 years - replaced 3x
31% EP commitments
Holds & Macros
Reducing plastic in packaging 100% recyclabe packaging
PU 23% - PE 6% Wood Volumes <1% Fibreglass Macros <1%
PU (polyurethane) holds are essentially derived from petroleum chemistry and emit 3 times more than PE.
Maintena nce
uction Prod t or
sp
an
e
Tr
I n s t a ll a t i o n
Kg CO2e is the equivalent quantity (in kg) of carbon dioxide emitted for a given quantity of material
2%
Secondary frame Steel frame
3 560
Wood frame
2 824
EP commitments
kgCO2e
FSC certified ISO9001 & 14001 certified Produced in Spain
A french production partner offering an alternative, more environmentally friendly solution to PU holds.
Steel vs wood primary structure
s al
ag
Life cycle analysis takes into account various indicators i n o r d e r to a s s e s s d i ff e r e n t impacts, such as the contribution to climate change, water consumption and resource depletion.
• Steps analysed Life Cycle Analysis 20 years of usage
GREENHOLDS To integrate in our catalogue 100% recyclable and recycled holds.
kgCO2e
Raw ma te ri
Us
Life cycle analysis is a way of quantifying the environmental impact of a product or service on the environment. It assesses the contribution of each stage in the life cycle.
e f lif do En
Plywood
Primary frame
2%
PE (polyester) holds are made by adding around 50% of filler (sand) to their composition, which drastically reduces their impact.
Sand & Paint
PE production in France The best energy mix in Europe to reduce the impact of PE holds.
3 to 4%
Maintenance
• Various scenarios studied - Wood or steel frame - 18mm or 21mm plywood panels
What is the Life Cycle Analysis
Panels
Our actions
21 mm
18 mm
18mm panels represent 1.8 tons of raw material, compared to 2.1 tons for 21mm.
What’s next ?
EP commitments Produced in France ISO9001 & 14001 certified
During the manufacture of a mat, polyurethane foam, a chemical process derived from petroleum, is responsible for over 70% of the mat's carbon emissions. If we add to this the very short lifespan of the mat compared to the wall, generally 2 years, we arrive at a global emission of 45 138kgCO²e.
56% Mats
Holds
Wall studied
Global warming impact:
Although the plywood raw material uses less energy to produce, you will need 2.5 tons of material for a plywood structure compared to 1.8 tons for a steel structure. This has less impact on transport and reduces the difference between the two by 20.67%.
R&D team Road Transport
Mats
Context
Certifications
focusing on less impactful raw materials and extending product lifespan.
Steel Frame Hardware Plywood Rafters Glulam
The wood frame saves less than 1% on the carbon weight of the overall wall.
This study has been done by an external consultant, “Oui/ACT” is a french based company created in 2020 and specialised in climate strategy for businesses and local authorities.
to go further... Creation of a CSR employee group working on how to improve our environmental and societal impact.
Production and sales office carbon footprint calculation, which will allow us to monitor and minimize our future impact.
More info about our actions: marketing@epclimbing.com