Royal Van Beest, a leading Dutch company in the production and distribution of high-quality lifting and lashing products, asked Dispersed to perform a life cycle assessment (LCA) on their product Green Pin®. This product is a so-called "harp nut bolt fastener," commonly used in heavy industrial sectors such as maritime, offshore, transportation, and construction. The analysis was conducted according to the EN15804 methodology , an internationally recognized standard for assessing the environmental performance of building products.
The objective of this LCA was to gain an in-depth understanding of the environmental impact of the Green Pin® throughout its life cycle: from raw material extraction to waste disposal. The results contribute to Royal Van Beest's sustainability goals and their transparency in line with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Green Pin® has shown that the environmental impact comes mainly from the production phase. Despite the choice of steel with a relatively low emission factor, through the use of recycled steel, supplied by a specific supplier who is also consciously working to make their product more sustainable, steel production remains the largest source of CO2 emissions within the life cycle. Transportation and waste disposal contribute to the total impact to a lesser extent, with transportation efficiency being high due primarily to maritime shipping and the high recycling potential of the product. An important finding of the study is the influence of the emission factor of electricity on the total environmental impact. Scenario analyses have shown that the use of sustainably generated electricity in the production processes can significantly reduce CO2 emissions, enabling further optimization.
The results of this LCA provide valuable insights into the optimization of future production processes and clearly show where the greatest environmental impact lies within the life cycle of the Green Pin®. This research is an important step for Royal Van Beest in making their operations more sustainable, and also represents an innovative step within a sector where environmentally focused research is still relatively new.
Through the LCA analysis, Royal Van Beest not only demonstrates their commitment to sustainability, but also strengthens their leadership role. This effort aligns with their trajectory around the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which further strengthens Royal Van Beest's sustainability initiatives and makes them more transparent to all stakeholders.