What is a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)?

The components used in our products store carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other trace gases that influence the climate. Over time, these substances are released and emitted into the environment. This process begins with the harvesting of raw materials, continues during substrate production, in nurseries, in retail, when a product is used by the retail customer, and right through its disposal or recycling.

The PCF indicates the quantities of climate-impacting trace gases a given product contains. For this purpose, the various trace gases are converted into CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e). This conversion procedure allows a uniform, at-a-glance measure of these trace gases. We calculate CO₂ equivalents per cubic meter of growing medium (CO₂e/m³). Two methods for specifying PCF have become established worldwide: the “cradle-to-gate” and the “cradle-to-grave” approach.

Cradle to Grave

This is an all-encompassing figure that incorporates all CO₂ all-encompassing equivalents from raw material harvesting to disposal or recycling, including production and transport as well as use in nurseries, in retail and by end customers. Some of these emissions (the cradle-to-gate portion) are generated by Klasmann-Deilmann, some in nurseries, and some in the further use phases of the product.

Cradle to Gate

This figure includes all CO₂ equivalents from raw material harvesting through production until a product leaves our factory. These are the CO₂ equivalents generated by Klasmann-Deilmann and are factored in our own carbon footprint.