Product carbon footprint of semi-finished products: a unified PCF calculation standard

EPSM Introduces an Industry-Wide Standard for PCF Calculation

In 2025, an industry-wide standard was developed for calculating the product carbon footprint (PCF) of semi-finished products:

Members of EPSM (Engineering Polymer Shapes for Machining Association, an industry group of EuPC – Ensinger, Gehr, Licharz, Röchling and Zell Materials – joined forces to create a common system for calculating the product carbon footprint (PCF) of semi-finished engineering plastics products. This joint commitment represents a significant step forward in promoting environmental measures for greater transparency, comparability and engagement throughout the semi-finished products industry.
By harmonising a standardised PCF calculation method, EPSM members enable customers to make more informed decisions based on verifiable environmental data. Uniform PCF calculation across the market ensures that the environmental performance of products can be objectively measured and compared, fostering innovation and continuous improvement throughout the value chain.

The aim of this initiative is to help strengthen the credibility of engineering plastics in a world increasingly concerned with assessing and reducing emissions.

A product's ecological footprint reflects the amount of greenhouse gases associated with its production within the value chain and is increasingly taken into account in the development of components and systems. The diagram shows greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire product life cycle, from the “cradle”, polymer synthesis, to disposal (grave), using one kilogram of a semi-finished PET product as an example. The share of emissions caused by moulding the raw material at Ensinger is approximately 15 %. By far the largest share of emissions comes from the synthesis (polymerisation) of the material. The consumer's individual use of the material is excluded from the analysis.