SIST EN ISO 22526-2:2022

Plastics - Carbon and environmental footprint of biobased plastics - Part 2: Material carbon footprint, amount (mass) of CO2 removed from the air and incorporated into polymer molecule (ISO 22526-2:2020)

This document defines the material carbon footprint as the amount (mass) of CO2 removed from the air and incorporated into plastic, and specifies a determination method to quantify it.
This document is applicable to plastic products, plastic materials and polymer resins that are partly or wholly based on biobased constituents.

Kunststoffe - Kohlenstoff- und Umweltbilanz von biobasierten Kunststoffen - Teil 2: Kohlenstoffbilanz des Materials, Menge (Masse) des aus der Luft entfernten und in das Polymermolekül integrierten CO2 (ISO 22526 2:2020)

Plastiques - Empreinte carbone et environnementale des plastiques biosourcés - Partie 2: Empreinte carbone des matériaux, quantité (masse) de CO2 captée dans l'air et incorporée dans les molécules de polymères (ISO 22526-2:2020)

Le présent document définit l’empreinte carbone du matériau comme étant la quantité (masse) de CO2 captée dans l’air et incorporée dans un plastique, et il spécifie une méthode de détermination pour la quantifier.
Le présent document s’applique aux produits plastiques, aux matériaux plastiques et aux résines polymères qui sont fabriqués partiellement ou entièrement à partir de constituants biosourcés.

Polimerni materiali - Ogljični in okoljski odtis polimernih materialov na biološki osnovi - 2. del: Ogljični odtis materialov, količina (masa) CO2, odstranjena iz zraka in vključena v molekulo polimera (ISO 22526-2:2020)

Ta dokument opredeljuje ogljični odtis materiala kot količino (maso) CO2, odstranjeno iz zraka in dodano polimernemu materialu, ter določa metodo določanja za njegovo količinsko opredelitev.
Ta dokument se uporablja za izdelke iz polimernih materialov, polimerne materiale in polimerne smole, ki so delno ali v celoti osnovani na bioloških sestavinah.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 30-Sep-2021
• Publication Date: 24-Nov-2021
• ICS: 13.020.40 - Pollution, pollution control and conservation
• ICS: 83.080.01 - Plastics in general
• Technical Committee: IPMA - Polimer materials and products
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 17-Nov-2021
• Due Date: 22-Jan-2022
• Completion Date: 25-Nov-2021
• Ref Project: EN ISO 22526-2:2021 - Plastics - Carbon and environmental footprint of biobased plastics - Part 2: Material carbon footprint, amount (mass) of CO2 removed from the air and incorporated into polymer molecule (ISO 22526-2:2020)

Overview

EN ISO 22526-2:2021 (identical to ISO 22526-2:2020) specifies a method to quantify the material carbon footprint of biobased plastics - defined as the amount (mass) of CO2 removed from the air and incorporated into the polymer molecule. The standard applies to plastic products, materials and polymer resins that are partly or wholly based on biobased constituents and provides a clear, repeatable approach for reporting the mass of atmospheric carbon sequestered in plastics.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Definition: Material carbon footprint = mass of CO2 removed from the air and incorporated into plastic.
• Scope: Applies to biobased synthetic polymers, natural polymers, additives and finished/semi‑finished plastic products.
• Measurement basis:
  • Biobased carbon content must be determined by radiocarbon analysis as described in ISO 16620-2:2019 (sections 8.3.1–8.3.3) and may be expressed relative to total carbon (TC) or total organic carbon (TOC).
  • The fraction of carbon in the product (m_c) is obtained by elemental analysis or from structural formulation.
• Calculation formulas:
  • Convert biobased carbon (kg per kg polymer) to CO2 mass using the stoichiometric factor 44/12:
    M_CO2 = (44 / 12) × M_B (where M_B is biobased carbon on a mass basis per 1 kg polymer).
  • If biobased synthetic polymer content (m_BSP) is known, use M_CO2 = M_CO2,x × m_BSP (see Annex A for per‑polymer values).
• Limits on claims: The standard explicitly warns that material carbon footprint covers a single impact category and must not be used alone to claim overall environmental superiority.

Practical applications and users

Who uses EN ISO 22526-2:2021:

• Plastic manufacturers and polymer resin producers calculating biobased carbon sequestration.
• Sustainability and product stewardship teams preparing environmental product declarations (EPDs) or biobased content claims.
• LCA practitioners and consultants integrating biogenic carbon accounting into assessments.
• Certification bodies, procurement managers and regulators assessing biobased product claims.

Typical uses:

• Quantifying the mass of atmospheric CO2 incorporated in biobased plastics for labelling and procurement.
• Comparing feedstock choices (biobased vs fossil) in product design and supply‑chain reporting.
• Supporting targeted communications on carbon sequestration potential of biobased polymers.

Related standards

• ISO 16620 series (Parts 1–5) - Biobased content measurement and declaration methods.
• ISO 472 - Plastics vocabulary.
• ISO 16620-2:2019 - radiocarbon analysis for biobased carbon content.

Keywords: EN ISO 22526-2:2021, ISO 22526-2:2020, material carbon footprint, biobased plastics, biobased carbon content, CO2 removed from the air, biogenic carbon accounting.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-januar-2022
Polimerni materiali - Ogljični in okoljski odtis polimernih materialov na biološki
osnovi - 2. del: Ogljični odtis materialov, količina (masa) CO2, odstranjena iz zraka
in vključena v molekulo polimera (ISO 22526-2:2020)
Plastics - Carbon and environmental footprint of biobased plastics - Part 2: Material
carbon footprint, amount (mass) of CO2 removed from the air and incorporated into
polymer molecule (ISO 22526-2:2020)
Kunststoffe - Kohlenstoff- und Umweltbilanz von biobasierten Kunststoffen - Teil 2:
Kohlenstoffbilanz des Materials, Menge (Masse) des aus der Luft entfernten und in das
Polymermolekül integrierten CO2 (ISO 22526 2:2020)
Plastiques - Empreinte carbone et environnementale des plastiques biosourcés - Partie
2: Empreinte carbone des matériaux, quantité (masse) de CO2 captée dans l'air et
incorporée dans les molécules de polymères (ISO 22526-2:2020)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 22526-2:2021
ICS:
13.020.40 Onesnaževanje, nadzor nad Pollution, pollution control
onesnaževanjem in and conservation
ohranjanje
83.080.01 Polimerni materiali na Plastics in general
splošno
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 22526-2
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
November 2021
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 13.020.40; 83.080.01
English Version
Plastics - Carbon and environmental footprint of biobased
plastics - Part 2: Material carbon footprint, amount (mass)
of CO2 removed from the air and incorporated into
polymer molecule (ISO 22526-2:2020)
Plastiques - Empreinte carbone et environnementale Kunststoffe - Kohlenstoff- und Umweltbilanz von
des plastiques biosourcés - Partie 2: Empreinte biobasierten Kunststoffen - Teil 2: Kohlenstoffbilanz
carbone des matériaux, quantité (masse) de CO2 des Materials, Menge (Masse) des aus der Luft
captée dans l'air et incorporée dans les molécules de entfernten und in das Polymermolekül integrierten
polymères (ISO 22526-2:2020) CO2 (ISO 22526 2:2020)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 8 November 2021.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2021 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 22526-2:2021 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
The text of ISO 22526-2:2020 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61 "Plastics” of the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as EN ISO 22526-2:2021
by Technical Committee CEN/TC 249 “Plastics” the secretariat of which is held by NBN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by May 2022, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by May 2022.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 22526-2:2020 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 22526-2:2021 without any
modification.
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 22526-2
First edition
2020-03
Plastics — Carbon and environmental
footprint of biobased plastics —
Part 2:
Material carbon footprint, amount
(mass) of CO removed from the
air and incorporated into polymer
molecule
Plastiques — Empreinte carbone et environnementale des plastiques
biosourcés —
Partie 2: Empreinte carbone des matériaux, quantité (masse) de CO
captée dans l'air et incorporée dans les molécules de polymères
Reference number
ISO 22526-2:2020(E)
©
ISO 2020
ISO 22526-2:2020(E)
© ISO 2020
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

ISO 22526-2:2020(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions . 1
3.2 Symbols . 2
3.3 Abbreviated terms . 2
4 Application . 2
5 Material carbon footprint . 2
5.1 Principle . 2
5.2 Determination of the biobased carbon content . 2
5.3 Determination or calculation of biobased carbon content on a mass base . 2
5.4 Calculation of the amount (mass) of CO removed from the air and incorporated
into 1 kg of the polymer . 3
5.4.1 Calculation from biobased carbon content on a mass base . 3
5.4.2 Calculation from biobased synthetic polymer content . 3
Annex A (informative) Calculation of the amount of CO removed from the air for each polymer .4
Annex B (informative) Value of equivalent emissions in typical activities .7
Bibliography . 8
ISO 22526-2:2020(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO
...