GME launches life cycle assessment project on growing media

BRUSSELS, Belgium: As part of its sustainability strategy, industry body Growing Media Europe (GME) has recently started a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) project.

A common LCA methodology, based on validated scientific data on the environmental impact of different types of growing media and their constituents, will make LCA data of different growing media products easily comparable. Results are expected in autumn 2021. The long-term intention is to integrate the common standard in the LCA of the whole horticultural value chain.

In cooperation with Blonk consultants from the Netherlands, the project started in April 2019 and will focus on:

1. Developing an LCA calculation standard for the growing media industry
2. Compiling and elaborating background data to build a profound LCA database
3. Creating an online application (LCA tool) for LCA calculations of individual growing media

This will enable growing media producers and their clients and growers to assess and compare the individual footprint of different growing media based on the common calculation standard and the database. The standard will be developed in accordance with the “Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)”, a framework published by the European Commission to measure the environmental performance of products.

Understanding the impact of various constituents can improve environmental performance while maintaining the efficacy and safety of growing media. While the ecological footprint is an important aspect of sustainability, only “fit for purpose” products can actually be sustainable. With this sector wide initiative, GME and its members want to contribute to a more sustainable horticulture.