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TECHNOLOGY 39
www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAR/APR 2025
LCA & MCI Results Upon completing the diagnosis, the scenarios were
The results of the study by Pinho et al., presented below, analysed in light of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
serve as the primary reference for preparing the SWOT matrix. and threats identified in the matrix quadrants.
Subsequently, the results from the Global Warming (GW) It is possible to observe that the strengths listed positively
category were adopted as a reference to continue the analyses. influence the panel industry in the redesign of the MDF
Considering the concept of the cascading use of wood, produced, making it more eco-efficient product. Thus, the
prioritising use scenarios for manufacturing products is essential, MDF was improved with the proposal to include 20 percent
with disposal for burning reserved as an end-of-life option. w/w of wood waste, replacing a percentage of virgin sources.
The results of the sensitivity analysis regarding waste It was possible to reduce the use of urea formaldehyde
transport distances were also significant for this study. It resin (UF) from 14 percent to 13.5 percent of the total weight
demonstrates the feasibility of utilising waste from the furniture of the board, influencing the reduction in environmental
industry throughout Grande Vitória. loads. In relation to MDP, corporative forces encourage the
Only the truck modal from the southern region appears to company to include it in its product portfolio, since the panel
be environmentally unviable. The modals that integrate trains factory in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, has its production
and trucks show promise in all studied regions. concentrated on the manufacture of MDF.
Furthermore, considering that the amount of waste required Within the study analysed, MDP incorporates 20 percent
to meet the monthly production of the projected scenarios w/w of wood waste in its composition, making the panel more
and the estimated monthly generation of wood waste (6700 environmentally friendly, this being a practice that does not
tonnes) in the furniture hubs of Colatina and Linhares, more require a complex process for recycling.
than one scenario could be addressed simultaneously; however, In addition to the region studied, the sensitivity analysis
the amount of wood waste is sensitive to market demands. proved that all panel manufacturing can also receive waste
In addition to the LCA study, this article also considers from the entire Metropolitan Region of Grande Vitória. The
the calculations of the circularity index (MCI) and the product proposed redesign aimed to enhance the eco-efficiency of
linearity index (LFI). Bertani et al. highlighted the importance the panels, resulting in environmental benefits compared to
of joining MCI with LCA in search of circular and sustainable products manufactured solely with wood from virgin sources.
solutions.
LCA is a consolidated methodology that follows ISO
standards, allowing for the study of the entire product life
cycle and obtaining information on different impact categories
at different stages of the life cycle, whereas, for the MCI,
information about the origin of the raw material, lifespan,
function, and destination after use is necessary. Another feature
of MCI is to present the result in a single value.
SWOT Matrix Results
Based on the literature review conducted by Pinho and Calmon,
along with field research and the findings, the SWOT matrix
was developed using the scenarios of the studied products.

