ISO 22526-3:2020

Overview

ISO 22526-3:2020 specifies requirements and guidelines for quantifying and reporting the process carbon footprint (P‑CFP) of biobased plastics. Defined as a partial carbon footprint (cradle‑to‑gate) for plastic products, this standard adapts ISO 14067 principles and aligns with international life cycle assessment (LCA) standards (ISO 14040 / ISO 14044). ISO 22526-3:2020 guides P‑CFP studies whether results are for internal use or public reporting, and it explicitly excludes offsetting.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and objective: Quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals for the cradle‑to‑gate processes of biobased plastic product systems, expressed as CO2‑equivalents (CO2e).
• LCA-based methodology: P‑CFP studies follow the four LCA phases - goal & scope, life cycle inventory (LCI), life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), and interpretation - consistent with ISO 14067.
• Core principles: Life‑cycle perspective (cradle‑to‑gate), declared functional unit, iterative approach, preference for natural science methods, and avoidance of double‑counting.
• Data quality and completeness: Requirements on relevance, completeness, consistency, coherence, accuracy and transparency of data and assumptions; use of cut‑off criteria per ISO 14067.
• Use of CFP‑PCR: Encourages product category rules (CFP‑PCR) to ensure comparability for specific product categories.
• Reporting requirements: Mandatory and optional information for the P‑CFP study report, including GHG values, system boundaries, allocation rules, assumptions and uncertainty considerations.
• Critical review: Procedures for review and verification to support transparency, credibility and informed choices.

Applications and users

ISO 22526-3:2020 is practical for organizations and professionals involved in the carbon footprinting of biobased plastics:

• Plastics manufacturers and compounders assessing the process carbon footprint of biobased resins and formulations.
• LCA practitioners and sustainability consultants conducting P‑CFP studies in accordance with ISO 14067.
• R&D and product development teams optimizing processes to reduce GHG intensity.
• Procurement and product managers comparing biobased material options using consistent partial CFP metrics.
• Policy analysts and regulators seeking consistent, transparent metrics for cradle‑to‑gate GHG accounting (excluding offsetting). Use cases include internal footprinting, supplier engagement, technology improvement, and informed communication of cradle‑to‑gate carbon impacts.

Related standards

• ISO 14067:2018 - Carbon footprint of products - requirements and guidelines for quantification
• ISO 14040 / ISO 14044 - Life cycle assessment standards
• ISO 22526-1 - Biobased plastics series context
• ISO/TS 14027, ISO/TS 14071, ISO 14050 - supporting LCA and PCR terminology and review guidance

Keywords: ISO 22526-3:2020, process carbon footprint, P‑CFP, biobased plastics, ISO 14067, LCA, partial carbon footprint, cradle‑to‑gate, GHG, CO2e.