An EPD-Based Comparative Study Life Cycle Assessment of Wood-Based Materials Used in Furniture Production

Abstract

This study comparatively evaluates the life cycle–based environmental performance of wood-based materials used in furniture production. Five material types were analysed: solid sawn timber, raw particleboard, coated particleboard, raw MDF, and lacquered MDF. The data were obtained from the open-access EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) archive of the One Click LCA platform, and the analysis focused on the cradle-to-gate (A1–A3) stages using Global Warming Potential (GWP) as the main indicator. The findings reveal that solid sawn timber has the lowest GWP value (24 kg CO₂/m³), while lacquered MDF exhibits nearly twenty times higher emissions. This disparity is primarily attributed to the energy intensity, resin content, and surface finishing processes in manufacturing. The results emphasize that sustainability assessment should not be limited to material type but must encompass the entire production chain, including processing parameters and energy sources. Furthermore, the limited accessibility of EPD data has been identified as a major constraint in comparative environmental analyses. It is therefore recommended that all manufacturers develop product-specific EPDs and make them publicly available to enhance transparency and promote sustainability-driven competition across the furniture industry.

Keywords

• Wood-based composites
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
• Sustainable material selection
• Global Warming Potential (GWP)

Mobilya Üretiminde Kullanılan Ahşap Esaslı Malzemelerin EPD Tabanlı Karşılaştırmalı Yaşam Döngüsü Değerlendirmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışma, mobilya üretiminde yaygın olarak kullanılan ahşap esaslı malzemelerin yaşam döngüsü temelli çevresel performansını karşılaştırmalı olarak değerlendirmektedir. Beş farklı malzeme grubu incelenmiştir: masif kereste, ham yonga levha, kaplamalı yonga levha, ham orta yoğunluklu lif levha (MDF) ve lake kaplamalı MDF. Çevresel veriler, One Click LCA platformunda yer alan açık erişimli Çevresel Ürün Beyanı (EPD) veri tabanından elde edilmiştir. Analiz, beşikten kapıya sistem sınırları (A1–A3 aşamaları) kapsamında gerçekleştirilmiş ve temel etki göstergesi olarak Küresel Isınma Potansiyeli (GWP) kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, incelenen malzemeler arasında önemli çevresel performans farklılıkları olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Masif kereste en düşük GWP değerini (24 kg CO₂/m³) gösterirken, lake kaplamalı MDF yaklaşık yirmi kat daha yüksek emisyon üretmiştir. Bu farklılığın temel nedenleri; enerji yoğun üretim süreçleri, daha yüksek reçine içeriği ve ilave yüzey bitirme işlemleridir. Sonuçlar, sürdürülebilirlik değerlendirmelerinin yalnızca malzeme türü ile sınırlı kalmaması, aynı zamanda üretim parametreleri, yardımcı girdiler ve enerji kaynaklarını içeren tüm üretim zincirini kapsaması gerektiğini göstermektedir. Ayrıca, EPD verilerine erişimin sınırlı olması, karşılaştırmalı çevresel analizlerin yürütülmesinde önemli bir kısıt olarak belirlenmiştir. Bu doğrultuda, üreticilerin ürün bazlı EPD hazırlamaları ve bunları kamuya açık şekilde paylaşmaları; şeffaflığın artırılması ve mobilya sektöründe sürdürülebilirlik odaklı rekabetin teşvik edilmesi açısından önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Ahşap esaslı kompozitler
• Yaşam Döngüsü Değerlendirmesi (YDD)
• Çevresel Ürün Beyanı (EPD)
• Sürdürülebilir malzeme seçimi
• Küresel Isınma Potansiyeli (GWP)

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