How to calculate the carbon footprint of TEQOYA air purifiers?

TEQOYA air purifiers are exemplary in terms of their CO₂ emissions, due to their energy efficiency [1], long lifespan, and lack of consumables. However, is their manufacturing also eco-responsible? We studied to determine the CO ₂ impact of the two most powerful TEQOYA purifiers: the TEQOYA T450 ionizer and the new air purifiers TEQOYA E500, equipped with the e-filtration technology. We proceeded thoroughly step by step and analyzed each stage of manufacture (from the purchase of raw materials to the product packaging). This is how we made the carbon footprint calculation of our purifiers and evaluate the main emission factors in the production chain to further reduce it. Let's take a closer look at our analyses!

The carbon footprint calculation of TEQOYA air purifiers

From the top: resource acquisition

The raw materials and components used to manufacture the most powerful TEQOYA air purifiers represent around 80% of the total CO₂ emissions (expressed in kgCO₂eq) from the manufacturing process. It's then crucial to reduce the number of raw materials used in an electrical appliance as much as possible, especially if they aren't recycled. The intermediate manufacturing stages, transportation, and assembly, on the other hand, have a much lower impact. Local manufacturing and the very low carbon emissions from French electricity contribute significantly to reducing the overall carbon footprint!

Graphic showing the footprint emissions from different phases of manufacturing the TEQOYA E500 and TEQOYA T450 models:

Among the components and raw materials used, electronic supplies represent the majority of carbon impacts. It's indeed difficult to produce French and low-emission electronic components. These components are essential for the operation of any electrical or electronic device: televisions, smartphones, and air purifiers...

For instance, here are the main CO₂ emitting materials of the TEQOYA E500 and TEQOYA T450 air purifiers in the graphs below:

To minimize the carbon footprint, TEQOYA ensures that all components of its air purifiers are as eco-friendly as possible. The packaging is 100% recyclable, the aluminum is composed of 40% recycled material. And TEQOYA has a close collaboration with its partners to raise the share of recycled plastic. Almost 100% recycled is currently the plastic waste from the molding process of plastic parts! 😀

Manufacture: the locally made

Regarding the impact of the manufacturing processes, TEQOYA's partners are located within 500 km of the main factory (in the Bordeaux region). This proximity greatly limits the environmental impact, not only for the transportation of raw materials but also in terms of the energy impact of France and Spain compared to other countries.

To illustrate: the plastic injection machines, located near Angers (France), exclusively use nuclear energy - which significantly reduces CO₂ emissions.

Here is a summary of the different CO₂ emissions from electricity by country:

The energy mix in France is composed of 40% nuclear and only 2% coal. Spain's mix consists of 21.4% nuclear energy and 0.6% coal. The share of coal in the Chinese and German energy mixes is 57.6% and 18.3%, respectively. So the advantage of manufacturing TEQOYA air purifiers in France or Spain rather than in China or even Germany is undeniable from an ecological standpoint!

Thus, for the new air purifier TEQOYA E500, the manufacturing processes step (plastic injection and aluminum extrusion) represents only 3.5 kgCO₂eq, or 8.58% of the total product manufacturing emissions. As for the TEQOYA T450 model, this step represents 2.68 kgCO₂eq, or 11.5% of the total manufacturing emissions.

Assembly and Distribution: low transport impact

The assembly stage of TEQOYA purifiers is very low. Our partners are located in France and the Basque Country of Spain. For the TEQOYA E500 and TEQOYA T450 models, the CO₂ impact share during assembly represents respectively 3.74% and 0.6% of the total product impact, that is 1.5 kgCO₂eq and 0.15 kgCO₂eq and 0.15 kgCO₂eq for the two products.

Regarding the transportation of the raw materials, TEQOYA once again ensures that they are sourced near the main manufacturing plant in France. The wood used is French beech and the components only travel between the factories in France and in Spain (within 500 km of the main factory). This limits the distance each component travels. As a result, only 2.6% of the emissions from the new air purifier TEQOYA E500 are due to transportation (1.1 kg CO₂eq). And for the TEQOYA T450, transportation accounts for 4.44% of the product's emissions (which is 1 kgCO₂eq).

The summary of our carbon footprint calculation

The manufacture of the new air purifier TEQOYA E500 emits about 40 kgCO₂eq, equivalent to 184 km by car, or the production of 1.3 smartphones. The production of a TEQOYA T450 would have an impact of 24 kgCO₂eq, equivalent to 110 km by car, or the production of 0.8 smartphones. TEQOYA air purifiers have a long lifespan (between 5 and 10 years), much longer than that of a smartphone. The carbon footprint averaged over the lifespan of TEQOYA air purifiers is therefore about 50% lower than that of a smartphone.

TEQOYA has succeeded in significantly reducing the carbon footprint of its air purifiers, thanks to its efficient technologies and the localization of its supply sources and factories. To further reduce its impact, TEQOYA uses more recycled and low-carbon footprint raw materials.

Discover here the behind-the-scenes of the manufacturing of TEQOYA air purifiers!

Sources

[1] TEQOYA. "L'empreinte écologique de la purification de l'air"

[2] Connaissance des énergies. "Gaz à effet de serre : qu'est-ce que l'« équivalent CO₂ » ?"