ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONSPHERA SD / EC
FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMSRESILIENT HOMOGENEOUS VINYL FLOOR COVERING

Sphera EC
Color 450007 “grey sky”

The Forbo Sphera collection issetting new standards inhomogeneous vinyl due to its
design, technology andperformance. All the latest insights
and technology have been used tocreate ‘smart’ and innovative
solutions resulting in a premium
collection. Sphera heralds a new
era in homogenous vinyl. SMART(Sustainable, Modern, Advanced,
Robust Technology) and suitable forwhere a durable, bright andsustainable floor is required.
Forbo was the first flooring
manufacturer to publish a complete
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) reportverified by CML in 2000 to create
full transparency that is
independently evaluated. To offer
further transparency this EPD isalso including additional information
to show the impacts on humanhealth and eco-toxicity.
For more information visit;www.forbo-flooring.com

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

This declaration is an environmental product declaration (EPD) in accordance with ISO 14025. EPDs rely
on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to provide information on a number of environmental impacts of products
over their life cycle. Exclusions: EPDs do not indicate that any environmental or social performancebenchmarks are met, and there may be impacts that they do not encompass. LCAs do not typically address
the site-specific environmental impacts of raw material extraction, nor are they meant to assess human healthtoxicity. EPDs can complement but cannot replace tools and certifications that are designed to address these impacts
and/or set performance thresholds – e.g. Type 1 certifications, health assessments and declarations, environmental
impact assessments, etc. Accuracy of Results: EPDs regularly rely on estimations of impacts, and the level of accuracy
in estimation of effect differs for any particular product line and reported impact. Comparability: EPDs are notcomparative assertions and are either not comparable or have limited comparability when they cover different life cycle
stages, are based on different product category rules or are missing relevant environmental impacts. EPDs from different
programs may not be comparable.

DECLARATION NUMBERUL Environment
333 Pfingsten Road
Northbrook, IL 60611
Forbo Flooring B.V.
Industrieweg 12
P.O. Box 13
NL-1560 AA Krommenie
4790857479.103.1

DECLARED PRODUCT

Sphera SD/EC Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

PROGRAM OPERATORDECLARATION HOLDERREFERENCE PCRDATE OF ISSUEPERIOD OF VALIDITY

CONTENTS OF THE
DECLARATION

EN 15804+A2: Sustainability of construction works — Environmental ProductDeclarations — Core rules for the product category of construction products
EN 16810:2017 Resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings – Environmental productdeclarations – Product category rules
June 21, 2024
5 Years
Product definition and information about building physics
Information about basic material and the material’s origin
Description of the product’s manufacture
Indication of product processing
Information about the in-use conditions
Life cycle assessment results
Testing results and verifications

The PCR review was conducted by:

European Standards
CEN/TC 134
https://www.en-standard.eu/

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

This declaration was independently verified in accordance with ISO
14025 by Underwriters Laboratories☐ INTERNAL☒ EXTERNALThis life cycle assessment was independently verified inaccordance with ISO 14044 and the reference PCR by:
This EPD conforms with EN 15804

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

Cooper McCollum, UL Environment

Thomas P. Gloria, Industrial Ecology Consultants

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

1 Product Definition
1.1 Description of Company/Organization
In 2016 Forbo Flooring has invested in a purpose-built, state of the art production facility and it signals a true change inhow homogeneous vinyl is designed and manufactured. Sphera is a phthalate free homogeneous vinyl sheet productwhich heralds a new era in homogenous vinyl. SMART (Sustainable, Modern, Advanced, Robust Technology) andsuitable for where a durable, bright and sustainable floor is required.
The basis of Sphera SD/EC is identical to regular Sphera homogeneous vinyl, but dissipative or conductive granules, a
conductive primer on the backside and a conductive lacquer on the surface are added to achieve permanent ESD(Electro Static Discharge) properties.
Making Sphera SD/EC has always been done in a way to achieve the lowest carbon footprint; the starting point for
innovation and development. The Forbo organization has key environmental focus areas to displaying a carbonnegative product portfolio, using renewable electricity, becoming a zero-waste company and actively contributing to thecircular economy.
For its complete manufacturing of Sphera, Forbo holds all the main certifications. For environmental performance ISO
14001, for quality ISO 9001 and SA8000 for social accountability,
1.2 Product Classification and description
This declaration covers the Sphera SD/EC collection, a Homogeneous Vinyl sheet floorcovering with permanentdissipative (SD) or conductive (EC) properties. The difference between SD and EC flooring is in the degree of electricalresistance (the ability to lead away electrostatic charges). An EC floor has a lower resistance than a SD floor, whichmeans charges flow more easily through the surface of the floor to ground.
Sphera SD/EC sheet from Forbo Flooring is a resilient floor
covering complying with all the requirements of EN-ISO 10581:
Resilient floor coverings – Homogeneous polyvinyl chloride floor
coverings - Specification. The key raw materials include PVC,
plasticizer, mineral filler, stabilizers and conductive components.
Homogeneous vinyl ESD flooring is primarily intended for use incontrolled environment: areas or facilities where criticalprocesses take place. These environments are most common
in the industry and healthcare segment. For example
production areas, laboratories, cleanrooms and operating
theatres.
Sphera is produced by Forbo Flooring and is sold worldwide.
This declaration refers to Sphera SD/EC sheet of 2.0mm
nominal thickness, covering a range of colors.

Figure 1: Typical construction. Sphera EC contains
black, carbon based granules. Sphera SD is madewith light coloured dissipative granules.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

1. SMART control
top: The Forbo engineered processprovides a film of conductive lacquer with consistent thickness
on both the peaks and in the valleys. Forbo calls this SMART
control
top, a conductive PU lacquer coating for easycleaning & maintenance with enhanced protection against
scuffing, scratching, dirt retention and staining.
2. Compact pigmented PVC layer : A steel-belt pressedhomogeneous PVC sheet with a truly non‑directional visual,containing permanent dissipative (SD) or conductive (EC)
granules.
3. Conductive black backing: a conductive primer to reduce
dependence on correct application of conductive adhesive in
the installation process.
This declaration refers to the declared/functional unit of 1 m2 installed flooring product.

1.3 Range of application
Sphera SD/EC is classified in accordance with EN-ISO 10581 to be installed in the following use areas defined in ENISO 10874:
Area of application
Class 34
Commercial

Class 43
Industrial

Cleanrooms

Operating theatres
Examples of use areas

Laboratories

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

1.4 Product Standard
The products considered in this EPD have the following technical specifications:o Meets or exceeds all technical requirements in EN-ISO 10581 Resilient floor coverings – Homogeneous
polyvinyl chloride floor coverings – Specification
Sphera SD/EC meets the requirements of EN 14041 and BS EN 14041
Sphera SD

Sphera EC

Emission testing :o AgBB requirements following EN ISO 16000-9 Indoor Air Emissions : TVOC at 28 dayso French act Grenelle: A+o Compliant with CHPS 01350 requirements for VOC emissions and indoor air quality.
o M1: Finnish voluntary emission classification of building materials

1.5 Accreditation
All Forbo Flooring Systems’ manufacturing operations have certified Management System in accordance with:o
ISO 9001 Quality Management Systemo
ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systemo
SA 8000 Social Accountability standard

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

1.6 Delivery Status
Table 1: Specification of delivered productCharacteristics

Nominal Value

Unit

Product thickness

2.00

mm

Product Weight

2.90

kg/m2

Rolls

2.00
26

meter

Width
Length2 Material Content
2.1 Material Content of the ProductComponent

BinderFillerPigments

Stabilizers and process
additives
Finish (Backing)FinishTable 2: Average composition of Sphera SD/EC
Availability
Material
Renewable Recycled

NonRenewable

Amount[%]OriginPVC

X

42

Europe

DOTP

X

19

Europe34

EuropeX

1

EuropeX

2.5

EuropeX
X

0.5
1

EuropeEuropeCalcium carbonate

Titanium Dioxide &others
Proprietary mixtures &lubricantsConductive coating
PU lacquerX

2.2 Production of Main Materials
PVC: Polymer which is produced by the polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer.
DOTP: A non-phthalate plasticizer, being the diester of terephthalic acid and the branched-chain 2-ethylhexanol. This
colorless viscous liquid used for softening PVC plastics is known for chemical similarity to general purpose phthalates
such as DEHP and DINP, but without any negative regulatory pressure.
Stabilizer Ba/Zn: Mixed metal stabilizer made from barium and zinc stearate. It is used to avoid PVC degradation during
processing at relative high temperature.
Calcium carbonate: The calcium carbonate used is coming from a postindustrial recycling process.
Titanium dioxide: A white pigment produced from the mineral rutile, a naturally occurring form of titanium dioxide. The
production of the pigment is a large-scale chemical process.
Finish: UV-light cross linked polyurethane based coating.
Finish (Backing): A conductive coating based on carbon black and acrylic resin.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

3 Production of the Floor Covering
3.1 Manufacturing
Sphera SD/EC is produced in in 5 steps :STEP 1: Producing granulate
PVC granules are created by combining PVC dry blend and colour pigments. Three coloured PVC compositions are
mixed together to create a vinyl mass, which is then pushed through a die plate, similar to the Sphera Element collection.
The functional granules are separately produced using a similar process, but in a single white colour for Sphera SD andwith a black carbon component for Sphera EC.
STEP 2: Mixing
The three-coloured design granules and the functional granules are mixed in a fixed ratio. This ratio is carefully set tomake sure that the distribution of the functional granules is sufficient to consistently meet all conductivity requirements
no matter which spot on the floor is chosen to do the measurement.
STEP 3: Sheet making
The granules are then released by precision scatter units onto a conveyor belt. A steel-belt press forms a homogeneous
sheet with a truly non-directional visual of the required thickness. Unlike conventional manufacturing, there is no needto back sand the product.
STEP 4: Lacquering, embossing and backside primer
In-line, Sphera SD | EC has a conductive UV-cured lacquer applied on the top of the product. After drying the lacquer,
application of an embossing achieves a particularly matt finish, which diffuses light and conceals any minor sub-floor
imperfections. The Forbo engineered process provides a film of lacquer with consistent thickness on both the peaks andin the valleys. Forbo calls this SMART control top, as it provides permanent and consistent conductivity and very good
resistance to stains and scuffmarks. On the backside of the product, a permanently conductive primer is applied.
STEP 5: Relaxation
Homogeneous vinyls acquire tension during production. The tension in Sphera SD/EC is removed by heating the material
again and then slowly cooling to achieve the most dimensionally stable sheet product in this category.
3.2 Production Waste
Rejected material and the cuttings of the trimming stage are being reused in the manufacturing process of heterogeneous
vinyl.
Packaging materials are being collected separately and externally recycled.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

4 Delivery and Installation of the Floor Covering
4.1 Delivery
A worldwide distribution by truck and container ship is considered. On average every square meter of Sphera SD/EC istransported as follows:o Transport distance 40 t truck
858 kmo Transport distance 7.5t truck (Fine distribution)
227 kmo Capacity utilization trucks (including empty runs)
100 %o Transport distance Ocean ship
1273 kmo Capacity utilization Ocean ship100%
4.2 Installation
Because of the specific techniques used during the installation of Sphera SD/EC approximately 4,5% of the material iscut off as installation waste. For installation of Sphera SD/EC on the floor a scenario has been modeled assuming 0,25
kg/m2 of adhesive is applied to the sub-floor.
Cardboard tubes and packaging paper can be collected separately and should be used in a local recycling process. In
the calculation model 100% incineration is taken into account for which there is a credit received.
Waste during the installation process may be recycled as floor covering through the manufacturers’ facility. Forbo
Flooring has a Back to The Floor program in which both post-installation and end of life flooring can be recycled.

5 Use stage
The service lifetime of a floor covering for a certain application on a floor is too widespread to give one common
number. For this EPD model the reference service lifetime (RSL) is set to one year. This means that all impacts for theuse phase are based on the cleaning and maintenance model for one year. Depending on the area of use, thetechnical lifetime advised by the manufacturer and the estimated time on the floor by the customer, the service lifetime
can be determined. The use phase impacts should be calculated with the foreseen service life to arrive at the total
environmental impact.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

5.1 Cleaning and Maintenance
Level of use

Cleaning Process

Cleaning Frequency

Commercial/Residential/Industrial

Dust mopping
Damp mopping

Daily
Once a week

Consumption ofenergy and resources
Hot water
Neutral detergent

For the calculations the following cleaning regime is considered:- Dry cleaning with a dust mop- Once a week wet cleaning with 0,062 l/m2 water and 0,0008 kg/m2 detergent. This result in the use of
3,224 l/m2*year water and 0,04 kg/m2*year detergent. The wet cleaning takes place without power machine
usage. Waste water treatment of the arising waste water from cleaning is considered.
The cleaning regime that is recommended in practice will be highly dependent on the use of the premises where thefloor covering is installed. In high traffic areas more frequent cleaning will be needed compared to areas where there is
low traffic. The use of an entrance mat of at least four steps will reduce the cleaning frequency.
5.2 Prevention of Structural Damage
All newly laid floor covering should be covered and protected with a suitable non-staining protective covering if otherbuilding activities are still in progress. Use protective feet on chairs and tables to reduce scratching. Castor wheels
should be suitable for resilient floor coverings

6 End of LifeFor recycling purposes both the subfloor and the floor covering need to remain as intact as possible at the End of Life
stage and contamination of the material needs to be avoided. Therefore the deconstruction of installed Sphera fromthe floor is done mechanically with a special floor stripper.
The electrical energy needed for this is estimated to be 0,03 kWh/sqm, this amount of energy is taken into account forthe calculations, although currently circularity has not yet been achieved on a large scale for floor coverings.
For the end of life stage two scenarios have been calculated assuming that the flooring is either 100% incinerated or
100% landfilled.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

7 Life Cycle Assessment
A full Life Cycle Assessment has been carried out according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
The following Life Cycle Stages are assessed :A1-3 : Product Stage (Raw material acquisition, transportation to Manufacturing and Manufacturing)A4-5 : Construction process stage (Transport Gate to User, installation flooring)B2 :Use Stage (Maintenance of the floor). For floor coverings the modules B1, B3 to B7 are not relevantto the environmental performance of a product.
C1-4 : End of Life Stage (Deconstruction, transport, waste processing, Disposal). Two different End of Life scenarios
are declared and the results are indicated separately in module C. Each scenario is calculated as a 100%
scenario:
Scenario 1: 100% Municipal Waste Incineration (MWI) with R 1 > 60%
Scenario 2: 100% landfill disposal
D:
Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary (Reuse, recovery, recycling potential)
End of life scenario 1: 100% Municipal Waste Incineration (MWI) with R1 > 60%• C3-1 (Waste processing): Impact from waste incineration, generated electricity and steam are listed in the
result table as exported energy• C4-1 (Disposal): The product waste leaves the system in module C3-1 and causes no additional impact• D-1 (Recycling potential): Benefits for generated energy due to incineration of product waste at the end-of-life
End of life scenario 2: 100% landfill disposal• C3-2 (Waste processing): Landfill disposal needs no waste processing and causes no additional impact• C4-2(Disposal): Impact from landfill disposal• D-2 (Recycling potential): Benefits for generated energy due to landfill disposal of product waste at the end oflife
Modules C3-2 and C4-1 cause no additional impact and are therefore not displayed in the result tables
Product stage(A1-3)

A1 : Raw
Material
Extraction andProcessing

A2 : Transport

Use stage (B2)A5 :Construction or
installation
process

B2 :Maintenance
Cleaning
regimeBenefits andloads beyond thesystem boundary(D)End-of Life stage(C1-4)

A3 : Granulate
production,
Sheet making,A3 :Manufacturing
Energies with
regionalreference

Construction process stage(A4-5)

Lacquering &embossing,A4 : Transport

C1 : Deconstruction
demolition

C2 :Transport

C3 : Waste
processing

C4 :DisposalD:
Reuse,
recovery,recycling
potential

Relaxation

Figure 2: Flow chart of the Life Cycle Assessment

Comparisons of different floor coverings are only allowed, where EN 15804 consistent and/or preverified backgrounddata and EN 15804 consistent calculation methods and database versions are used and when the building context isSphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

taken into account, i.e. on the basis of the same use-classification (EN ISO 10874), same service life and comparable
assumptions for the end of life.
7.1 Description of the Declared Functional Unit
The functional unit is one square meter of installed product and the use stage is considered for one year of service life.
7.2 Cut off Criteria
The cut-off criteria shall be 1% of renewable and non-renewable primary energy usage and 1% of the total mass of theunit process. The total neglected input flows per module shall be a maximum of 5% of energy usage and mass.
In practice, in this assessment, all data from the production data acquisition are considered, i.e. all raw materials usedas per formulation, use of water, electricity and other fuels, the required packaging materials, and all direct productionwaste. Transport data on all considered inputs and output material are also considered.
7.3 Allocations
In the present study some allocations have been made. Detailed explanations can be found in the chapters below.
7.4 Co-product allocation
No co-product allocation occurs in the product system.
7.5 Allocation of multi-input processes
The Production and End of Life stage include incineration plants. In these processes different products are treated
together within a process. The allocation procedures followed in these cases are based on a physical classification of
the mass flows or calorific values.
Credits from energy substitution are allocated to the production stage, because the gained energy from energy
substitution is lower than the energy input in this stage. The same quality of energy is considered.
7.6 Allocation procedure of reuse, recycling and recovery
The installation waste and end of life waste is fed into incineration processes. Incineration processes include
cogeneration processes which give thermal and power energy as outputs. It is assumed that this recovered energy
offsets that produced by the European average grid mix and thermal energy generation from natural gas. The gainedenergy is declared in module D as avoided environmental burden. Generated electricity and steam due to theincineration of installation and end of life waste are listed in the result table as exported energy.
7.7 Description of the allocation processes in the LCA report
The description of allocation rules in of this LCA report meets the requirements of the PCR.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

7.8 LCA Data
As a general rule, specific data derived from specific production processes or average data derived from specificproduction processes have been used as the first choice as a basis for calculating an EPD.
For life cycle modeling of the considered products, the GaBi 10 Software System for Life Cycle Engineering,developed by Sphera has been used. All relevant LCA datasets are taken from the GaBi 10 software database. The
datasets from the database GaBi are documented in the online documentation. To ensure comparability of results in
the LCA, the basic data of GaBi database were used for energy, transportation and auxiliary materials.
7.9 Data Quality
The requirements for data quality and LCA data correspond to the specifications of the PCR.
Foreground data are based on 1 year averaged data (year 2023). The reference ages of LCA datasets vary but are
given in the table in the Appendix. The time period over which inputs to and outputs from the system is accounted foris 100 years from the year for which the data set is deemed representative. The technological LCA of the collected
data reflects the physical reality of the declared product. The datasets are complete, conform to the system boundaries
and the criteria for the exclusion of inputs and outputs and are geographical representative for the supply chain ofForbo flooring.
For life cycle modeling of the considered products the GaBi 10 Software System for Life Cycle Engineering, developedby Sphera, is used. All relevant LCA datasets are taken from the GaBi 10 software database. The last revision of theused data sets took place within the last 10 years.
7.10 System Boundaries
Production Stage includes provision of all materials, products and energy, packaging processing and its transport, as
well as waste processing up to the end-of waste state or disposal of final residues during the product stage.
Transport and Installation Stage includes provision of all materials, products and energy, as well as waste processing
up to the end-of-waste state or disposal of final residues during the construction stage. These information modules
also include all impacts and aspects related to any losses during this construction stage (i.e. production, transport, andwaste processing and disposal of the lost products and materials). For the transportation a worldwide distribution isconsidered.
Use Stage includes provision and transport of all materials, products and related energy and water use, as well as
waste processing up to the end-of-waste state or disposal of final residues during this part of the use stage. These
information modules also include all impacts and aspects related to the losses during this part of the use stage (i.e.
production, transport, and waste processing and disposal of the lost products and materials).
End of Life Stage includes provision and all transports, provision of all materials, products and related energy andwater use. It also includes any declared benefits and loads from net flows leaving the product system that have notbeen allocated as co-products and that have passed the end-of-waste state in the form of reuse, recovery and/or
recycling potentials.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

7.11 Power mix
The selection of LCA data for the electricity generation is in line with the PCR.
The products are manufactured in Coevorden, the Netherlands. The GaBi 10 Windpower dataset has therefore beenused (reference year 2024). The energy supplier is providing Forbo with a certificate every year.
7.12 CO2-Certificates
No CO2-certificates are considered in this study as the Sphera manufacturing is realized without offsetting.
7.13 Life Cycle Inventory Analysis
In table 3 the environmental impacts are presented for all the lifecycle stages with two End of Life scenarios:• Scenario 1: 100% Municipal Waste Incineration (MWI) with R1 > 60%• Scenario 2: 100% landfill disposal.
Table 3: Results of the LCA – Environmental impact for Sphera SD/EC (one year)
Parameter
GWP - total [kg CO2 eq.]
GWP - fossil [kg CO2 eq.]
GWP - biogenic [kg CO2 eq.]
GWP - luluc [kg CO2 eq.]
ODP [kg CFC-11 eq.]
AP [Mole of H+ eq.]
EP - freshwater [kg P eq.]
EP - marine [kg N eq.]
EP - terrestrial [Mole of N eq.]
POCP [kg NMVOC eq.]
ADPF [MJ]
ADPE [kg Sb eq.]
WDP [m³ world equiv.]

A1-A3
A4
A5
B2
5,88E+00 5.59E-01 3.01E-01 6.34E-02
6,22E+00 5.48E-01 2.96E-01 6.08E-02-3,46E-01 8.42E-03 4.67E-03 2.57E-03
2,52E-03 2.54E-03 2.58E-05 6.37E-07
4,13E-09 2.63E-14 9.79E-13 1.58E-09
1,45E-02 2.76E-03 6.14E-04 1.16E-04
2,14E-05 1.01E-06 4.88E-07 2.09E-06
3,44E-03 1.04E-03 1.78E-04 4.01E-05
4,36E-02 1.16E-02 1.96E-03 2.30E-04
1,66E-02 2.24E-03 4.84E-04 9.12E-05
1,75E+02 4.13E+00 7.46E+00 1.23E+00
1,72E-05 1.80E-08 1.22E-08 1.35E-10
9,83E-01 3.21E-03 1.30E-02 1.38E-01

C1
4.78E-03
4.73E-03
5.13E-05
5.08E-07
8.63E-14
9.99E-06
1.75E-08
2.39E-06
2.50E-05
6.38E-06
9.84E-02
7.25E-10
1.04E-03

C2
C3/1
C4/2
D/1
2.40E-02 5.70E+00 2.03E-01 -1.62E+00
2.41E-02 5.70E+00 2.06E-01 -1.61E+00-3.35E-04 9.72E-04 -2.35E-03 -9.13E-03
2.20E-04 4.35E-04 1.64E-04 -1.04E-04
2.08E-15 4.06E-12 3.35E-13 -1.25E-11
8.24E-05 1.27E-03 5.98E-04 -1.99E-03
8.65E-08 1.19E-06 3.84E-05 -2.58E-06
3.79E-05 4.12E-04 1.37E-04 -5.83E-04
4.27E-04 5.45E-03 1.50E-03 -6.25E-03
7.51E-05 1.17E-03 4.35E-04 -1.63E-03
3.23E-01 9.05E+00 2.98E+00 -2.95E+01
1.53E-09 3.57E-08 5.27E-09 -1.15E-07
2.74E-04 5.62E-01 -2.82E-03 -1.52E-01

D/2
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00
0.00E+00

Caption: GWP - total = global warming potential; GWP - fossil = global warming potential (fossil fuel only); GWP - biogenic = global warming potential (biogenic); GWP - luluc = global warming potential(land use only); ODP = ozone depletion; AP = acidification terrestrial and freshwater; EP - freshwater = eutrophication potential (freshwater); EP - marine = eutrophication potential (marine); EP- terrestrial= eutrophication potential (terrestrial); POCP = photochemical ozone formation; ADPE = abiotic depletion potential (element), ADPF = abiotic depletion potential (fossil) WDP = water scarcity

7.14 Interpretation
The interpretation of the results has been carried out considering the assumptions and limitations declared in the EPD,
both methodology- and data-related for a one year usage.
In most of the impact categories the production stage is the main contributor to the overall impact. The raw material
supply is the key contributor for all of these impact categories with a share of 86 – 99% of the total impact of the
production stage.
The worldwide distribution by truck and container ship shows a significant contribution for GWP-Luluc, AP, EP-marine,
EP terrestrial and POCP.
The installation of Sphera has a minor impact for all categories, main contributor is the adhesive used to install thefloor.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

In the Use stage only ODP shows a significant impact of 28% of the total. This impact comes mainly from thedetergent used to spot clean the floor.
Energy recovery from incineration and the respective energy substitution at the end of life results in a small credit for
all of the impact categories in the End of Life stage.
7.15 Resource use
In table 4 the parameters describing resource use are presented for all the lifecycle stages for a one year usage with
two End of Life scenarios:• Scenario 1: 100% Municipal Waste Incineration (MWI) with R1 > 60%• Scenario 2: 100% landfill disposal
Table 4: Results of the LCA – Resource use for Sphera SD/EC (one year)
A1-A3

A4

A5

B2

C1

C2

C3/1

C4/2

D/1

D/2

PERE [MJ]

2,75E+01

2.65E-01

4.96E-01

1.84E-02

5.88E-02

2.28E-02

2.12E+00

2.69E-01-8.55E+00

0.00E+00

PERM [MJ]

0,00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

PERT [MJ]

2,77E+01

2.65E-01

4.96E-01

1.84E-02

5.88E-02

2.28E-02

2.12E+00

2.69E-01-8.55E+00

0.00E+00

PENRE [MJ]

1,30E+02

4.14E+00

7.46E+00

1.23E+00

9.85E-02

3.24E-01

9.06E+00

2.98E+00-2.95E+01

0.00E+00

PENRM [MJ]

4,49E+01

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

7.46E+00

1.23E+00

9.85E-02

3.24E-01

9.06E+00

2.98E+00-2.95E+01

0.00E+00

PENRT [MJ]

1,75E+02

4.14E+00

SM [kg]

1,46E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

RSF [MJ]

0,00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

NRSF [MJ]

0.00E+00
0,00E+00
FW [m3]
2.93E-04
1.05E-03
4.85E-05
4.75E-05
2.52E-05
1.41E-02
2.94E-05-6.93E-03
0.00E+00
3,35E-02
Caption: PERE = Use of renewable primary energy excluding renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials; PERM = Use of renewableprimary energy resources used as raw materials; PERT = Total use of renewable primary energy resources; PENRE = Use of non-renewable primaryenergy excluding non-renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials; PENRM = Use of non-renewable primary energy resources used as
raw materials; PENRT = Total use of non-renewable primary energy resources; SM = Use of secondary material; RSF = Use of renewable secondary
fuels; NRSF = Use of non-renewable secondary fuels; FW = Use of net fresh waterSphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

7.16 Waste categories and output flows
In table 5 other environmental information describing different waste categories and output flows are presented for all the lifecycle
stages with two End of Life scenarios:•
Scenario 1: 100% Municipal Waste Incineration (MWI) with R1 > 60%•
Scenario 2: 100% landfill disposal
Table 5: Results of the LCA – Output flows and Waste categories for Sphera SD/EC (one year)
A1-A3

A4

A5

B2

C1

C2

C3/1

C4/2

D/1

D/2

HWD [kg]

8,04E-04

1.51E-11

7.98E-10-7.62E-13-7.70E-12

1.20E-12

3.09E-11

2.51E-10-1.58E-09

0.00E+00

NHWD [kg]

1,70E-01

5.76E-04

3.00E-03

3.53E-03

7.21E-05

4.66E-05

2.42E+00

2.89E+00-1.45E-02

0.00E+00

RWD [kg]

4,84E-03

5.31E-06

5.17E-05

2.58E-05

1.57E-05

4.18E-07

2.51E-04

3.53E-05-2.27E-03

0.00E+00

CRU [kg]

0,00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

MFR [kg]

0,00E+00

0.00E+00

2.90E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

MER [kg]

0,00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

EEE [MJ]

0,00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

7.55E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

EET [MJ]

0,00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

1.37E+01

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

0.00E+00

Caption: HWD = Hazardous waste disposed; NHWD = Non-hazardous waste disposed; RWD = Radioactive waste disposed; CRU = Components for re-use; MFR =Materials for recycling; MER = Materials for energy recovery; EEE = Exported electrical energy; EET = Exported thermal energy

7.17 Biogenic Carbon content

Table 6: Information describing the biogenic carbon content at the factory gate
Biogenic carbon content
Unit (kg CO2/m2)
Biogenic carbon content in product
0.31
Biogenic carbon content in accompanying packaging
0.05
Note: 1 kg of biogenic carbon is equivalent to 44/12 kg of CO2

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

8 Additional Environmental Impact Indicators
To be fully transparant Forbo Flooring does not only want to declare the environmental impacts required in the PCR,
but also the additional environmental impact indicators according to the European Standard EN15804+A2 with two
End of Life scenarios:• Scenario 1: 100% Municipal Waste Incineration (MWI) with R1 > 60%• Scenario 2: 100% landfill disposal
Table 7: Results of the LCA – Environmental impact for Sphera SD/EC (one year)
A1-A3

A4

A5

B2

C1

C2

C3/1

C4/2

D/1

D/2

PM [Disease incidences]

1,26E-07 3.06E-08 4.76E-09 7.75E-10 8.41E-11 5.33E-10 2.84E-08 5.80E-09 -1.69E-08

0.00E+00

IR [kBq U235 eq.]

1,05E+00 7.66E-04 5.57E-03 2.54E-03 2.60E-03 6.04E-05 3.05E-02 5.21E-03 -3.77E-01

0.00E+00

ETF-fw [CTUe]

2,30E+03 2.89E+00 2.58E+00 2.93E-01 4.34E-02 2.25E-01 5.93E+00 2.83E+00 -6.43E+00 0.00E+00

HTP-c [CTUh]

2,89E-09 5.82E-11 1.23E-10 7.13E-12 1.45E-12 4.58E-12 2.48E-10 1.30E-10 -3.26E-10

0.00E+00

HTP-nc [CTUh]

1,70E-07 4.38E-09 9.15E-09 2.20E-10 3.56E-11 3.12E-10 2.36E-08 1.08E-08 -1.01E-08

0.00E+00

SQP [Pt]

3,01E+01 1.55E+00 4.18E-01 6.79E-03 3.86E-02 1.35E-01 1.93E+00 2.58E-01 -5.62E+00 0.00E+00

Caption: PM = Particulate matter emissions; IR = Ionizing radiation, human health; ETF-fw = Eco-toxicity (freshwater); HTP-c = Human toxicity, cancer
effects; HTP-nc = Human toxicity, non-cancer effects, SQP = Soil quality potential/ Land use related impacts

8.1 Interpretation
The interpretation of the results has been carried out considering the assumptions and limitations declared in the EPD,
both methodology- and data-related for a one year usage.
In all of the environmental impact categories the production stage is the main contributor to the total overall impact.
The raw material supply has a share of 81-100% of the production stage, mainly caused by the manufacturing of PVC,
stabilizer and plasticizer.
Energy recovery from incineration and the respective energy substitution at the end of life results in a small credit for
all of the impact categories

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

8.2 Disclaimers to the declaration of core and additional environmental impact indicators
According to the "ILCD Handbook: Recommendations for Life Cycle Impact Assessment in the European context" therecommended characterization models and associated characterization factors are classified according to their quality
into three levels:o Type 1 (recommended and satisfactory),o Type 2 (recommended but in need of some improvements)o Type 3 (recommended, but to be applied with caution).
Table 8: Classification of disclaimers to the declaration of core and additional environmental impact indicators

ILCD classification

Indicator
Disclaimer
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
NoneILCD Type 1
Depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer (ODP)
None
Potential incidence of disease due to PM emissions (PM)None
Acidification potential, Accumulated Exceedance (AP)None
Eutrophication potential, Fraction of nutrients reaching freshwater end
Nonecompartment (EP-freshwater)
Eutrophication potential, Fraction of nutrients reaching marine end
None
ILCD Type 2
compartment (EP-marine)
Eutrophication potential, Accumulated Exceedance (EP-terrestrial)
None
Formation potential of tropospheric ozone (POCP)
None
Potential Human exposure efficiency relative to U235 (IRP)1
Abiotic depletion potential for non-fossil resources (ADP-minerals &2
metals)Abiotic depletion potential for fossil resources (ADP-fossil)
2
Water (user)deprivation potential, deprivation-weighted water2
consumption (WDP)
ILCD Type 2
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for ecosystems (ETP-fw)
2
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans HTP-c)2
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans HTP-nc)
2
Potential Soil quality index (SQP)
2Disclaimer 1 – This impact category deals mainly with the eventual impact of low dose ionizing radiation onhuman health of the nuclear fuel cycle. It does not consider effects due to possible nuclear accidents,
occupational exposure nor due to radioactive waste disposal in underground facilities. Potential ionizing
radiation from the soil, from radon and from some construction materials is also not measured by thisindicator
Disclaimer 2 – The results of this environmental impact indicator shall be used with care as the uncertainties
on these results are high or as there is limited experience with the indicator.

Sphera SD/EC
Resilient Homogeneous Vinyl Floor Covering

According to ISO 14025 and EN 15804

9 References

GABI 10 2012D

Sphera; GaBi 10: Software-System and Database for Life Cycle Engineering.
Copyright, TM. Stuttgart, Echterdingen, 1992-2017.
GaBi 10: Documentation of GaBi 10: Software-System and Database forLife Cycle Engineering. Copyright, TM. Stuttgart, Echterdingen, 1992-2017.
http://documentation.gabi-software.com/

UL ENVIRONMENTUL Environment’s Program Operator Rules V2.7 2022

PE 2012ILCD Handbook: General guide forLife Cycle Assessment - Detailed
guidance

Description of Selected Impact Categories, Sphera, 2012
European Commission-Joint Research Centre - Institute for Environment
and Sustainability: International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD)
Handbook- Recommendations for Life Cycle Impact Assessment in theEuropean context. First edition November 2011. EUR 24571 EN.
Luxemburg. Publications Office of the European Union; 2011

GABI 10 2012

STANDARDS AND LAWSDIN EN ISO 14044
ISO 14025 2006
ISO 14040 2006
CEN/TR 15941
EN15804:2012+A2:2019+AC:2021
EN 16810:2017
CPR
EN-ISO 10874
EN-ISO 10581

Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Requirements and guidelines(ISO 14044:2006); German and English version EN ISO 14044
DIN EN ISO 14025: Environmental labels and declarations — Type III environmental
declarations — Principles and procedures
Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework(ISO 14040); German and English version EN ISO 14040
Sustainability of construction works - Environmental product declarations Methodology for selection and use of generic data; German version CEN/TR 15941
EN 15804: Sustainability of construction works — Environmental ProductDeclarations — Core rules for the product category of construction products
Resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings – Environmental product declarations –Product category rules
REGULATION (EU) No 305/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF
THE COUNCIL of 9 March 2011 laying down harmonized conditions for themarketing of construction products and repealing Council Directive 89/106/EEC
Resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings – Classification
Resilient floor coverings – Homogeneous poly(vinyl chloride) floor coverings Specification