Stannol GmbH & Co KG is now reporting the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) for over 1,600 manufacturing products, i.e. for almost 100 percent of the goods manufactured in-house in the solder wire, solder paste, flux and bar solder product areas. The emission values are shown on the business documents (quotation, order confirmation, delivery note and invoice) at item level in kg CO₂ e per unit of quantity and as a total emission quantity for the respective order.

What is the PCF?

The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) quantifies the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated during the life cycle of a particular product. This cycle begins with the extraction of raw materials and continues through processing and production, transport, use, disposal and recycling. The PCF is usually measured in CO₂ equivalents and enables companies and consumers to compare the environmental impact of different products. Products made from secondary materials, for example, save more than 80 percent of emissions compared to primary tin.

Creating transparency

"With the PCF, we want to create transparency for our customers. We want to deal proactively and openly with this area of sustainable reporting along the supply chain. By calculating the PCF, we can identify and implement measures to reduce the environmental impact of our products ourselves. This gives our business partners the opportunity to make informed purchasing decisions and give preference to products with a lower environmental impact," emphasises Ingo Lomp, Head of Innovation at Stannol. In addition, the recognised PCF can simplify and positively influence the calculation of one's own CO₂ balance.

Cradle-to-gate approach

The reported carbon footprint takes into account the greenhouse gas emissions according to the so-called cradle-to-gate approach, i.e. the emissions that arise from the extraction of the raw materials (cradle) until they leave the Stannol site (factory gate).

Primary and secondary data as a basis

The partial CO₂ footprint is calculated using primary and secondary data. To collect the primary data, suppliers are involved who provide or confirm valid values from the specialist area. The secondary data comes from public and commercial emissions databases (e.g. Gemis, BAFA, EstiMol). For raw materials that can neither be found in the databases nor can the supplier companies provide data, the best possible orientation is taken from similar raw materials. To ensure an honest approach, these factors are calculated with a safety margin.

"Basically, we assume that the exchange of information and the provision of data within the supply chain will increase and that the values will become more accurate. We are building on the fact that awareness of sustainability is constantly growing among those involved in the supply chain and that disclosure and transparency in this area will become a matter of course," explains Ingo Lomp.

About Stannol GmbH & Co. KG

Stannol can look back on a long tradition in solder production: the company has been combining experience and progress in its products for over 140 years. To this day, Stannol is regarded as a pioneer of modern soldering technology and is firmly established on the market as a brand. The company specialises in the production of solder wires, solder pastes, fluxes and bar solders. The product range also includes measuring and testing devices, protective lacquers and other accessories. In addition to its high quality standards, Stannol is also focussing on more sustainable and ecological production: Under the name greenconnect, the company offers a complete product range that focuses on sustainability and fairness.