Carbon Footprint Study of Bamboo Scrimber Products Based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Conducting carbon footprint studies on bamboo scrimber products based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can quantitatively declare its environmental performance and further the cleaner-production improvement. This study established a life cycle model and inventory data set for bamboo scrimber flooring from "cradle to gate," accurately quantifying carbon emissions during raw material transportation and product production stages. Two types of bamboo scrimber flooring processes (deep carbon and shallow carbon). In addition, this study compared the carbon footprints of products processed using bamboo scrimber flooring and bamboo plywood template production methods. Results showed that the carbon emissions during the processing of 1m³ of deep carbon and shallow carbon bamboo scrimber flooring were 1845.99 kg CO2 e and 1570.85 kg CO2 e respectively. When coupling the carbon storage of raw material supply and product usage stages, the life-cycle carbon footprints for 1m³ of deep carbon and shallow carbon bamboo scrimber flooring were 962.23 kg CO2 e and 677.86 kg CO2 e, respectively. The carbon emissions and life cycle carbon footprint for the processing of bamboo plywood templates were 1435.55 kg CO2 e and 640.23 kg CO2 e, respectively. Analysis of different these processes and effects that found adhesives had the greatest impact on the carbon footprint.