ECOTOOL – The easy way to analyse the eco-footprint of your textile products

The Ecotool is an instrument to make a simple LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) of textile products. In a Life Cycle Analysis, the sustainability of an article is quantified, from raw material to waste. For example, a cotton sheet is analysed from cotton cultivation up to and including incineration in a waste incinerator. The laundry process is included in the tool.

A major disadvantage of a Life Cycle Analysis is, that for each product a massive amount of data, covering the whole life cycle of a product, should be available and processed. This means that a proper life cycle analysis of a textile product is a very costly and time-consuming process.

Database solution

To solve this problem the Dutch laundry association FTN has developed a software tool, called the Ecotool, which contains a database with textile processing and laundry service data. This tool enables a basic life cycle analysis of a product, based on the composition and manufacturing process of the textile product and the textile service life cycle. This tool enables the user also to study the effect of changes in textile products or laundry processing on the sustainable character of a textile product

The following aspects are included in the analysis:

  • Climate change (CO2)
  • Primary energy content of a product
  • Water consumption
  • Consumption of chemicals
  • Land use
  • Mass balance

The Ecotool can be used to visualize the effect of process and product changes on sustainability. For example, the effect of replacement of cotton by PET and the use of gas dryers instead of steam dryers.

Benchmarking

New is the possibility of benchmarking with a number of standard product / process combinations, as for example:

  • Workwear industry, general
  • Workwear food industry
  • Roller towel
  • Uniform health care
  • Bedsheet  health care
  • Residential care garments, underwear
  • Residential care garments, shirt
  • Towel (100% cotton, 80/20 cotton / PET and with recycled cotton)

An example:
Replacement of a 100% cotton towel with an 80/20 cotton / PET towel

1. Effect on CO2 emissions

2. Effect on water consumption

More info

Do you want more information, or do you want a license for the Ecotool?
Just send an e-mail to cinet@cinet-online.com