Plastipack

Plastipack initially sought to quantify and compare the environmental impact of two of its GeoBubble™ pool cover materials. Following the successful completion of the LCA work, Plastipack sought to quantify the environmental impacts of an additional five GeoBubble™ pool cover materials and took a step further by creating EPDs for the seven pool cover materials. Through the development of the EPDs, Plastipack now possesses a standardised and credible way to disclose the environmental impacts of their products with its customers, and a vital tool for educating the pool industry about the environmental advantages of always covering a pool when not in use.

Valpak’s Sustainability Consultancy worked closely with Plastipack to deliver a comprehensive package of support:

Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs):

• Conducted detailed LCAs for seven GeoBubble™ pool cover materials, to establish the environmental impacts of the manufacturing processes including the materials used, energy, fuels, packaging, wastes, transport of materials within their supply chains. The system boundary in the assessment was ‘cradle-to-gate’ with options, modules C1 – C4 and module D.
• Quantified the impacts of the pool cover materials’ life cycles using over 30 environmental impact indicators that are mandatory to be compliant with EN15804 for the development of EPDs.
• Provided a comprehensive breakdown of the most significant contributors to the carbon footprint and water deprivation potential of the manufacturing processes of the pool cover materials.
• Created models to understand the potential environmental benefits of using GeoBubble™ covers over the course of their lifespans, with respect to carbon emission and water depletion potential avoidance.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs):

• Building on the LCA findings, Valpak’s Sustainability Consultancy helped Plastipack develop EPDs for the pool cover materials, which are compliant with international standards (ISO 14025 and EN 15804).
• Provided concise, transparent and verified information on the environmental impacts of GeoBubble™ pool covers, which Plastipack is sharing with its clients to engage and educate the pool industry around the benefits of covering a pool.

By partnering with Valpak, Plastipack achieved the following:

• Enhanced product understanding: Detailed insights into the environmental impact of its high-performance GeoBubble™ pool covers.
• Credible communication: EPDs provided an independent and verified platform to communicate the environmental impacts of GeoBubble™ pool covers with the wider pool industry, further cementing client confidence in the well-established GeoBubble™ pool cover range.