Environmental dialog
This dialog allows you to enter values that define the material's environmental impact.
Biodegradable
This describes the biodegradability of the material. A material is considered biodegradable if it is capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms and thereby avoids pollution. | Value | Description | | -------- | ------- | | Yes | The material is biodegradable. | | No | The material is not biodegradable. | | Unknown | The biodegradability of the material is not known. |
Potential biomass-sourced feedstock
Feedstock refers to the raw material components that are used to produce the polymer. Potential biomass-sourced refers to the amount of feedstock that may be derived from biological sources. Material components sourced from biomass sources are typically considered to be more environmentally friendly. The properties of the material are unaffected by the amount of biomass-sourced feedstock. | Value | Description | | -------- | ------- | | Minimum| The minimum percentage of the material potentially sourced from biomass. | | Maximum | The maximum percentage of the material potentially sourced from biomass. |
Note: If the value is constant then the minimum and maximum values are equal.
Note: When entering data both the minimum and the maximum values must be supplied
Recycled content
Recycled content refers to the amount of non-virgin material blended into the polymer, regardless of the Recycled source. Virgin material is material that has not been used or processed. Processing a material in processes like injection molding can significantly change the chemical, mechanical, thermal, or physical properties of the material. Some polymer families can be recycled many times without significant property degradation; others can be only used once. The material properties of the material may be affected significantly by the amount of recycled content used and the recycling method. For accurate simulation, specific material test data for percentages of recycled content being used is recommended. | Value | Description | | -------- | ------- | | Minimum| The minimum percentage of recycled content. | | Maximum | The maximum percentage of recycled content. |
Note: If the value is constant then the minimum and maximum values are equal.
Note: When entering data both the minimum and the maximum values must be supplied
Recycling method
The recycling method refers to the process used to generate the blend of virgin and recycled material.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Unknown | How the material was produced is not known. |
| Mechanical | Produced by mechanical processes such as grinding or extrusion. |
| Chemical | Produced by a chemical process. |
| Other | Produced by a non-mechanical or non-chemical process. |
| None | Virgin Material - contains no recycled content. |
Recycled source
The recycling source refers to the stage in the process the recycled material is collected.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Unknown | The recycled source is not known. |
| Post-industrial recycling | The material is separated from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. |
| Post-consumer recycling | The material is made from the items that consumers recycle. |
| Post-industrial and Post-consumer recycling | The material is sourced from both Post-industrial and Post-consumer sources. |
| Other | Recycled material is sourced from other sources. |
| None | Virgin Material - contains no recycled content. |
Comments on environmental impact
Additional environmental information or environmental credentials of interest to consumers of the material.