In the transition from Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.1 Nexus version 1.3 to version 1.4, several updates and additions have been implemented. Notably, ILCD datasets on plastic recyclates from the Sphera node have been incorporated into the EF database. Below is a summary of the changes:
Added Datasets:
- Recycled metals (antimony, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, tin, and zinc)
- Recycling of plastics (SAN, PVC, ABS, EPDM)
- Recycling of toner
- Production of controller board, copper cathode, copper sulfate, LCD, styrene acrylonitrile
- Production of refrigerants (R290, R404a, R407c, R410a, R600a)
- Electricity from photovoltaics (AC)
Provision of a Lite Version:
We also provide now a ‘Lite’ version of the database featuring streamlined content for better and easier user experience:
The Lite version removes:
- Product systems, corresponding connectors, blackbox and foreground processes that only existed for product systems but not for modeling purposes
- Unit processes where identical process names and locations already exist in the database as system processes
This simplification helps users in finding and selecting the correct flows and processes efficiently. Please note that unit processes without a system process equivalent will still be retained in the Lite version. Removed unit processes can still be accessed or exported from the initial non-Lite version of the database, if necessary.
Get the updated EF version now!
The newest Environmental Footprint database is now available for openLCA and can be downloaded through openLCA Nexus, where you can also find the documentation for the integration of the database into openLCA (under the “documents” tab).
Users wanting to use the EF database for openLCA will have to have a licence of the Database Analyser and Launcher (DAL), which can be obtained here.
Background
The Environmental Footprint (EF) database is provided under the guidance of the European Commission and its Joint Research Centre in its newest version 3.1 (as of June 2023).
The available EF data for the representative products is in line with the current product environmental footprint category rules (PEFCR) as well as the organization environmental footprint sector rules (OEFSRs). The EF 3.1 database is based on the EF 3.1 reference package and holds secondary life cycle inventory datasets adhering to EF standards from various providers. It was built on available data from the EF reference package including the EF method package and EF compliant datasets from the respective EF nodes.
EF node: https://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/LCDN/contactListEF.xhtml