Unica

One-way switch
flush-mounted
Product Environmental Profile
Product Environmental Profile - PEP
Product overview
The main function of the Unica range is the building of electrical installations with surface-mounted or
flush-mounted, using fixing frames and cover frames with functions inserts.
The range of the functions inserts consists of more than 150 electrical and electronic functions in light
and power control, socket-outlets, data sockets, signalling, protection, comfort and energy saving.
The representative application used for the analysis is the 2 modules one-way switch- 16 AX- 250V,
aluminium color (ref. MGU3.261.30), flush-mounted using the standard accessories for the range
(zamak fixing frame with long claws- ref. MGU7.002.GL and 1 gang cover frame, glossy chrome/
aluminium color- ref. MGU66.002.038).
The environmental impacts of the product used as a reference are representative of the impacts of
the other products in the range which are made using the same technology.
The environmental analysis was performed in conformity with ISO 14040 "Environmental
management: Life cycle assessment - Principle and framework". This analysis takes the stages in
the product life cycle into account.

Constituent materials
The mass of the flush-mounted application analyzed is 116 g.
The constituent materials are distributed as follows:

All necessary steps have been taken with our services, suppliers
and subcontractors to ensure that the materials used in the composition
of the products of the Unica range do not contain any substances
prohibited by the legislation that was in effect (1) when the product
or range was put on the market.
Product of this range are designed in conformity with the requirements
of the ROHS directive (European Directive 2002/95/EC of 27 january
2003) and do not contain or in the authorised proportions; lead, mercury,
cadnium, chromium hexavalent, flame retardant (polybromobiphenyles
PBB, polybromodiphenylthers PBDE) as mentioned in the directive.
(1)
According to the list available on request.

Manufacturing
The Unica range is manufactured on a Schneider Electric production site
on which an ISO 14001 certified environmental management system
has been established.
Product Environmental Profile - PEP
Distribution
The mass and volume of the packaging have been reduced
in compliance with the European Union’s packaging directive.
The application packaging weighs 41.21 g. It consists of 34.51 g
of cardboard, 2.7 g of polyethylene, 2 g of polypropylene and 2 g of paper
(50% recycled). The product distribution flows have been optimized by
setting up local distribution centers near the market areas.

Utilization
The products in the Unica range do not generate any environmental
pollution requiring special precautionary measures (noise, emissions...).
The products involved in the application analysed are passive products
that do not dissipate any significant heat in the installation.

End of life
At the end of their lives, the products in the Unica range can be either
dismantled or crushed for better reuse of the different constituent
materials. The recycling potential is more than 90 %. This percentage
includes metals and marked plastics.

Environmental impacts
The IEME (Environmental Impact and Management Explorer) software,
1.6 version and its database, 5.4 version, were used for the life cycle
assessment (LCA).The assumed service life of the product is 20 years
and the European electrical power model was used. The scope of the
analysis was limited to a flush-mounted one-way switch with a fixing frame
and a cover frame. The environmental impacts were analyzed for the
Manufacturing (M) phase, including the processing of raw materials and
for the Distribution (D) and Utilization (U) phases.

Presentation of the environmental impacts of the product

Environmental indicators Unit For MGU3.261.30 + MGU7.002.GL + MGU66.002.038
S=M+D+U M D U
Raw material depletion Y-1 -13 -13 -14 0
2.78 10 2.40 10 3.82 10
Energy depletion MJ 1.47 105 1.19 105 2.75 104 0
Water depletion 3 4 4 3 0
dm 5.86 10 5.59 10 2.66 10
Global warming potential 7 7 6 0
g≈CO2 1.48 10 1.24 10 2.40 10
Ozone depletion potential g≈CFC-11 2.42 -1 1.57 0
8.48 10
Photochemical ozone creation g≈C2H4 4.70 103 1.70 103 3 103 0
Air acidification + 3 3 2 0
g≈H 1.58 10 1.01 10 5.69 10
Hazardous waste production kg 1.18 -1 -1 0
3.33 10 8.49 10

The life cycle analysis has shown that the manufacturing phase (M)
is the phase that has the most impact on all the environmental indicators.
Schneider Electric places strong importance in the design process
on the choice of materials it uses and on the power consumption
of the product so as to optimize impacts on the environment.
Product Environmental Profile - PEP
System approach
As the products of the range are designed in accordance with the
ROHS directive, they can be incorporated without any restriction within
an assembly or an installation submitted to this directive. It is important
to remember that the product environmental assessment must take
into consideration the application or installation in which the product is
included. The environmental impact values also depend on the conditions
under which the product is used in the installation. These values (given
in the "Presentation of the environmental impacts of the product" table)
are only valid within the context specified and cannot be used directly to
compile the environmental assessment of the installation.

Glossary
Raw Material Depletion (RMD) This indicator quantifies the consumption of raw materials during the life
cycle of the product. It is expressed as the fraction of natural resources
that disappear each year, with respect to all the annual reserves of the
material.

Energy Depletion (ED) This indicator gives the quantity of energy consumed, whether it be from
fossil, hydroelectric, nuclear or other sources. This indicator takes into
account the energy from the material produced during combustion.
It is expressed in MJ.

Water Depletion (WD) This indicator calculates the volume of water consumed, including
drinking water and water from industrial sources. It is expressed in dm3.

Global Warming Potential (GWP) The global warming of the planet is the result of the increase in the
greenhouse effect due to the sunlight reflected by the earth’s surface
being absorbed by certain gases known as "greenhouse-effect" gases.
The effect is quantified in gram equivalent of CO2.

Ozone Depletion (OD) This indicator defines the contribution to the phenomenon of the
disappearance of the stratospheric ozone layer due to the emission
of certain specific gases. The effect is expressed in gram equivalent
of CFC-11.

Photochemical Ozone Creation (POC) This indicator quantifies the contribution to the "smog" phenomenon
(the photochemical oxidation of certain gases which generates ozone)
and is expressed in gram equivalent of methane (C2H4).

Air Acidification (AA) The acid substances present in the atmosphere are carried by rain.
A high level of acidity in the rain can cause damage to forests.
The contribution of acidification is calculated using the acidification
potentials of the substances concerned and is expressed in mode
equivalent of H+.

Hazardous Waste Production (HWP) This indicator calculates the quantity of specially treated waste created
during all the life cycle phases (manufacturing, distribution and
utilization). For example, special industrial waste in the manufacturing
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phase, waste associated with the production of electrical power, etc.

It is expressed in kg.

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our planet by "Combining innovation
and continuous improvement to meet
the new environmental challenges".

Schneider Electric Industries SAS

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This document is based on ISO 14020 which relates to the general principles of environmental
F - 92500 Rueil-Malmaison (France)
declarations and the ISO TR 14025 technical report relating to type III environmental
Tél : +33 (0)1 41 29 85 00
declarations.
It was produced according to the instructions in the PEP drafting guide, version 4.
http://www.schneider-electric.com

Published by: Schneider Electric

Produced by: Sedoc

ENVPEP060306EN 2006-03