CARBON REDUCTION


Material selection When it comes to carbon emissions, not all materials are created equal. Materials which require more energy to extract or process than others will have a correspondingly heavier carbon footprint. However, for a fuller picture, consideration should also be given to the expected lifecycle of a material, and what will happen to it once it reaches the end of its useful life.


Using wood Wood is generally a very sustainable material. When extracted in a sustainable way (certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)), more carbon can be stored within a wood product than is emitted during its production. Wood-based materials like melamine-faced chipboard (MFC) and medium density fibreboard (MDF) particleboard from reputable suppliers make use of waste wood material, making fuller use of the felled tree. Nevertheless, both the energy required in forming particleboard panels, and the synthetic binders/adhesives, contribute to their impact on the environments. At the end of their lifecycle, wood-based products can be incinerated to recover some of the energy used in production, but careful handling and sorting will be required to separate the wood fibres from the plastic lamination.


Plastic’s heavier environmental burden The manufacture of plastic carries a heavier burden on the environment – from the extraction of petroleum, to refining into resin and finally forming into products. However, in contrast to wood, plastic products can often be recycled at the end of their life. The circularity of recyclable materials means that the emissions associated with extraction or creation of the material only occur once, and the same material can be used to make more products, which in turn can be recycled. In the case of plastic, as well as reducing the amount of fossil fuels being extracted, the energy consumption is reduced (as in the case of our Ryno tables made with recycled content). Pineapple’s Ryno range is made from


low-density polyethylene, for which there is an established recycling infrastructure. When products reach their end of life, they can be returned to Pineapple and chipped into small granules, which can be used to manufacture further products. Pineapple’s Ryno table bases are now made from recycled polyethylene – contributing to a 36% reduction in energy used, and 32 kg of CO2


saved per product.


In our drive to reduce emissions, Pineapple has recruited a team dedicated to finding new materials which combine the strong, hygienic, and safe properties required for mental health environments, with as light a carbon footprint as


THE NETWORK | MAY 2023


Pineapple’s solar array, installed on its production building, produces a peak of 58 kilowatts.


possible. An example of this has been the use of cork in Pineapple’s Hush acoustic panels. The panels are made from waste cork granules left over from the production of wine bottle stoppers. Cork is the bark of the Quercus Suber tree, which is harvested without cutting down or otherwise harming the tree. Even after accounting for the GHGs emitted during the production process, cork is deemed to be a carbon-positive material, and can be further recycled at the end of the product’s life. Another new material available to Pineapple’s customers is a plastic which contains 50% recycled content from fishing nets and lines. As well as reducing the amount of lost or abandoned fishing equipment in our oceans, the recycled content helps to reduce the carbon footprint of their Ryno products by 16%.


Operational efficiencies While the manufacture of products accounts for the bulk of Pineapple’s emissions, around 40% originate from other activities associated with the daily running of the business, including transportation and distribution, waste, electricity consumption, and employee commuting. Having recruited a number of staff for whom sustainability is the key focus, all of these areas have now been assessed for their impact on the business’s carbon footprint, and a number of measures have been put in place to reduce the emissions. In 2021, transportation of goods (both


incoming supplies and outgoing products) accounted for 23% of Pineapple’s greenhouse gas emissions. By making better use of shared freight space and grouping supplies and products together, we were able to reduce the number of vehicle trips in 2022, which ultimately reduced our carbon emissions by 40 tonnes of carbon compared with 2021.


Electric charging points To encourage employees to use alternative forms of transport which


emit less CO2 , charging points have been


installed for electric vehicle owners to use, along with a secure and weatherproof bicycle storage area to encourage more employees to cycle to work. Pineapple’s reliance on the grid was reduced thanks to the installation of solar panels on the roof of our production building in July 2022. During the summer months, the panels can generate up to 30% of the total electricity required by the business, and their installation resulted in an 8% reduction in electricity demand from the grid in 2022. Disposal of waste is another contributor


to carbon emissions. As part of our delivery service, cardboard and plastic packaging is returned to Pineapple, where it is processed for recycling. As well as the benefits to the environment, there are also cost benefits to recycling, with sorted, baled cardboard sold on to firms who ultimately use the waste to create more recycled cardboard.


Sustainable procurement is key It is clear that in order to achieve the NHS’s target to become a Net Zero health service, sustainable procurement must play a significant role. Suppliers to the NHS will need to focus their attention on their own carbon emissions, and take steps to reduce them, or risk being unable to remain part of the supply chain. After measuring an organisation’s carbon emissions, a combination of efficient product design, careful material selection, and operational efficiencies, can be employed to form an effective Carbon Reduction Plan.


n Lizzie Leggatt


Lizzie Leggatt joined Pineapple in 2021 as head of Sustainability and Materials, and holds a PhD in Material Futures from University of the Arts London.


39


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52